Cybersix is an Argentine comic book series published in 1991, drawn by Carlos Meglia and written by Carlos Trillo for the Italian comics magazineSkorpio. The series first appeared in Spanish in November 1993. It follows an eponymous leather-clad genetic engineering survivor who works as a male teacher during the day, and fights against the scientist who created them in their female identity at night. The series was adapted into a live-action television series and an animated television series, with positive critical reception from Pulcinella Awards.
Plot
Von Reichter is a surviving member of Schutzstaffel in World War II. He works on experiments in South America, creating the Cyber Series, artificial humanoids with super strength and agility. The 5000 original Cybers became servants, mimicked human emotions and making their will. When they disobey orders, Reichter orders them all to be destroyed. After the death of Cyber-29, Reichter transfers his brain into the body of a panther. Cyber-6 is one of the survivors, who escapes and arrives in the city of Meridiana. She disguises herself as school teacher Adrian Seidelman, after the real one is killed in a car wreck. While saving the city from Reichter's creations, Cybersix defeats Frankenstein-like monsters called "Fixed Ideas" and drinks green sustenance liquids, in order to survive. Along the way, she meets a orphaned boy Julian, Reichter's cloned son José, and high school teacher Lucas Amato.
Production
Comics
The comics were originally published in Italy on the magazine Skorpio in 113 weekly 12-pages installments from May 1991 to July 1994, followed by 45 96-pages comic books between November 1994 and January 1999. Material parts were translated in Spanish and published in Argentina and in Spain. Collections were released in French, with twelve volumes distributed by Editions Vents d'Ouest between 1994 and 1998.
Live-action series
The series debuted in Argentina on 15 March 1995. It was produced by Luis Gandulfo, Sebastián Parrotta, Fernando Rascovsky and Andre Ronco, and written by Ricardo Rodríguez, Carlos Meglia and Carlos Trillo. The series aired on Telefé, but was cancelled after only a few episodes due to low ratings. Cybersix was played by former model and actress Carolina Peleritti, José was played by Rodrigo de la Serna, and Doguyy was played by Mario Moscoso.
Animated series
The series debuted in Canada and Argentina on 6 September 1999, and was subsequently dubbed for French, Polish, Japanese, Malaysian and Thai. It was animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and NOA; produced by Herve Bedard, Toshihiko Masuda and Koji Takeuchi; with storyboards by Atsuko Tanaka, Hiroyuki Aoyama, Nabuo Tomizawa and Kazuhide Tomonaga, and written by Catherine Girczyc, Carlos Meglia and Carlos Trillo. The series was composed by Robbi Finkel, and character designs were overseen by Teiichi Takiguchi. The show was aimed at children by toning down the comics' darker themes. Two seasons were originally planned, but it was cancelled after the first season due to conflicts between production studios. The title sequence and closing credits featured music composed by Finkel and lyrics written by Robert Olivier, which were sung by jazz vocalist Coral Egan. On 28 April 2001, Cybersix won "Special Mention for the Best Science Fiction Program" at the Pulcinella Awards in Italy for that year's competition. The series was licensed to DVD by Discotek Media on 26 August 2014. The box set features commentary by Cathy Weseluck and Brady Hartel on episodes 1 and 13.
The method by which Cybersix obtains sustenance is different among the series' incarnations. In the comic book, Cybersix sucks sustenance directly from the neck of those she hunts as if she were a vampire; however, she does not have fangs, instead simply making a wound in the victim's neck with her teeth, then drinking the Sustenance that bleeds from it instead of blood. Conversely, in the animated series, Von Reichter's creations carry glowing vials of Sustenance with them, which Cybersix drinks. Cybersix's outfit was taken from a Techno prostitute in the comics, while the origin is not mentioned in the animated series. Some of the more mature story elements, such as José's sexuality, Von Reichter's past, or specific events of Cybersix's youth, are not revealed in the animated series, but some of these elements are suggested through dialogue, flashbacks or visual clues, such as the military-style Goose-Stepping that both José and Von Reichter engage in, and José's Hitler Youth style of clothing.
Controversy with ''Dark Angel'' and lawsuit
Meglia and Trillo filed a lawsuit against James Cameron, claiming that Dark Angelplagiarized the series. Trillo and Meglia accused the show of stealing most of the plot from the comic and most recognizable elements. In a 2007 interview, Trillo stated that he and Meglia dropped the lawsuit, due to lack of financial resources, although the issue is still a matter of controversy.
