In keeping with the theme of Black History Month, we here at Ideology of Madness are proud to dig into the long boxes and share the most interesting and notable black comic book characters. There is a rich history to be explored here, to be honored. We’ll be doing that right here through out the remainder of the month.

Back in 1980 while Claremont and Byrne’s Uncanny X-Men were tearing up the comic stands, Marv Wolfman and George Perez reimagined DC’s adolescent super team, the Teen Titans.  In the ir New Teen Titans, the grown-up heroes’ sidekicks came into their own.  Robin, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash joined together once again, but this time they were super-cool.  Joining them were the likes of Starfire, Raven, and Changeling (formerly Beast Boy). And one other character who would grow to be the heart and soul of the book both then and now, Cyborg.

Vic Stone, an able athlete and child of two scientists, was horribly disfigured and mutilated in a terrible trans-dimensional accident that killed his mother.  Fortunately, the parent with the toolkit survived to build some bitchin’ bionics for his boy.  Victor awakened to find his limbs replaced with the best Black & Decker had to offer.   Cyborg was born.

Cyborg has always been a rather serious character, struggling to find what human joy is left him in a body so trapped in metal.  And that’s what’s so significant about the character.  He is more human than characters such as Robin, who have no powers.  Cyborg suffers in isolation, yet puts that aside to serve others, to lead, to sacrifice even more of himself giving more than most would consider he has.  On top of that, he is a mentor to the next generation of heroes.

He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy, a rock.

He’s a hero.