Cyborg has had his origin story retold differently several times over his many years of publication, with significant variations in continuity.
History
Bronze Age
Victor Stone is the son of a pair of S.T.A.R. Labs scientists, Silas and Elinore Stone, who decided to use him as a test subject for various intelligence enhancement projects. However, Victor grew to resent this treatment and fell in with a young miscreant named Ron Evers who led him into trouble with the law. This was the beginning of a struggle where Victor strove for his own life engaging in pursuits his parents disapproved of such as athletics. In addition, Victor still kept bad company that led him into incidents such as when he was talked into participating in a street gang fight in which he was wounded. For the most part however, Victor still had a largely normal life under the circumstances where he also refused to follow his best friend's grandiose plans of racially motivated terrorism.
All that changed one day when he visited his parents at work. Coincidentally, an experiment in dimensional travel went horribly awry when a massive gelatinous monster crossed over an experimental portal and killed Victor's mother. The creature then turned on Victor and severely mutilated him before his father managed to force the creature back through the portal. To save his son, who was unconscious at this time, Victor's father outfitted him with experimental prostheses of his own design. However, the equipment could not be worn inconspicuously, and thus Victor was horrified upon regaining consciousness to see much of his body, including part of his face, replaced with sheer metallic limbs and implants. Although Victor wanted to die at this shock, he adjusted enough through his resulting physical therapy to control his implants with suitable skill. Upon release from medical care, he found his life was seriously inconvenienced with the fearful reactions of the public at his implants; even his girlfriend rejected him. In addition, he was also disallowed his participation in athletics not only for his implants but for his poor grades which were further exacerbated by his long convalescence. However, when his old friend attempted to use Victor's troubles to manipulate him into attempting a terrorist attack on the United Nations, Victor found a new purpose as he equipped his weapons attachments and stopped his friend in a pitched battle on the UN building.[1]
He joined the Teen Titans, initially for the benefit of a support group of kindred spirits and freaks and has remained with that group ever since. In addition, Victor found new friends who saw past his disfigurements to his own nobility such as a group of children who were adjusting to their own prostheses and idolized Victor with his fancy parts and exciting adventures as well as their beautiful therapist who took a shine to him herself.
The New 52
Victor Stone was a high school athlete at odds with his brilliant scientist father Silas Stone. As the New God Darkseid initiated an invasion of Earth, Vic was caught in an explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs when a nearby Father Box detonated.[2]
Vic's father saved his life by using experimental technology to turn him into a cyborg in the Red Room. Dr. Stone injected his son with nanites and installed experimental robotic parts . These included a Promethium skin graft, Dr. Will Magnus' Responsometer, Professor Ivo's A-maze operating system, the classified and prototypical B-maze operating system, and graduate student Ryan Choi's White Dwarf Stabilizer, as well as the energies from the Father Box. This allowed Vic to access the vast New Gods data library and discover Darkseid's true invasion plans.[3]
When Vic first woke up after the accident, he could not move his legs and discovered his new robotic body. The Red Room was attacked by a group of Parademons; before they could hurt Sarah Charles, Cyborg's defense system's reacted automatically, causing his arm to shift into a sonic cannon. He destroyed the creatures, along with half the building. Vic, mortified at what his father had turned him into to save his life, escaped through the hole in the wall, with his father's calls to stay falling on deaf ears.
While roaming the streets, Vic saved a woman being attacked by Parademons; in the process, he also absorbed some of the Parademon's components, giving him access to Boom Tube technology. This new ability automatically transported him to the site of a major battle, where he met the young heroes Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman while trying to control his new powers.[4]
In the middle of the alien invasion, he helped them fight Darkseid and his Parademon army. Cyborg tapped into the alien technology to close their portal after Superman hurled Darkseid back to Apokolips. Due to the crisis, superheroes were finally accepted by the public, and the seven champions became the first public superhero team—"the Super Seven", later to be rebranded "the Justice League."[5]
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