| Apollo | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Full Name |
Apollo |
|
Designated No. |
N/A |
|
Origin: |
Unknown |
|
Species |
Cyborg |
|
Role |
Leader of the Mythos cyborgs |
|
Abilities |
Finger lasers |
|
Seiyuu |
Akira Ishida |
|
English VA |
Richard Hayworth |
Apollo is the main villain of the Mythos arc in Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier and younger brother of Artemis.
He serves as the leader of the Mythos cyborgs, desiring to rid the earth of humans in order to create a "better" world by the gods.
Appearance[]
He has fire for hair, which starts from the top of his eyebrows, and orange-red eyes further alluding to his heat-based abilities.
He dresses in an ancient Greek chiton, and has a white cloak fastened with a gold pin. He wears gold armbands, a black belt around his waist that can also double as a throwing star weapon, and on his feet, he sports gladiator sandals.
To further the notion that he is a god, his body glows with heat in battle.
Personality[]
Apollo from the very beginning comes off as an arrogant and destructive person, due to being told from the moment he woke up as a cyborg that he was a god.
He wholly believed that humans were the cause of all the problems in the world; that the annihilation of the entire human race would ultimately lead to a new and better world. Because of this, he truly believes that he is invincible and immortal. Despite his often straightforward, brash personality, he dearly loved his older sister, Artemis, who often served to offer compassion in the executive decisions made by Apollo. He takes no nonsense when things involve Artemis.
When Minotaur angrily commented on Artemis's naivete towards the 00 Cyborgs, Apollo immediately reprimanded him, refusing to have anyone criticize his sister.
In the Japanese version, he is refers to his sister as "ane-ue" which is an out-dated, very respectful way of referring to one's older sister, a sign of just how much Apollo cared for what he believed to be his biological sister.
History[]
Apollo was one of the many cyborgs built by Dr. Gaia (CS), a scientist who was formerly a member of the Black Ghost organization. Gaia believed that a cyborg can become more powerful without a "human heart" or compassion, so when he created his cyborgs after leaving Black Ghost, he wiped all of their childhood memories and styled his creations after the Greek gods of mythology. Afterwards, he served as a guide to them, advising that they destroy humans under the belief that humans were the downfall of the planet.
Story[]
He is first seen in episode 19, "The Hero", in street clothing, following 002 (CS) around. While it wasn't shown, this scene may indicate that he was the one who started the hotel fire, as his powers include pyrokinesis.
He is then seen for the first time fully in episode 22, "Attack of the Gods" when he was shown to be the strange apparition of a god upon a pegasi-drawn chariot that was appearing in the sky wherever great calamities were occurring. When the 00 Cyborgs finally track him down after he destroys an entire, warring city, he haughtily introduces himself as Apollo, a god. After his colleagues, the Mythos cyborgs, defeat the 00 Cyborgs, they return to their home on Magma Island.
In episode 23, "Mythology Arises", he is shown sitting upon his throne in the temple with Minotaur and Achilles by his side. Dr. Gaia questions why Apollo did not simply kill the 00 Cyborgs as he is clearly much more powerful and the 00 Cyborgs would pose as a set back in the god's plan to rid the world of humans and war. Apollo waves it off as he does not believe that mere cyborgs can compete with him but does agree that they should be eradicated. When Artemis stops him from doing so, claiming that it would make them no different from the very humans they were trying to destroy. Despite Dr. Gaia's protests and his confusion as to why Artemis does not exercise her clearly superior power, Apollo agrees that he will let the 00 Cyborgs be so long as they do not interfere with the god's plan. When Artemis and Pan notify Apollo that the 00 Cyborgs have arrived on the island, they all set out to fight the intruders. After 009 (CS) kills Achilles, Apollo arrives to battle 009 on his own. He very easily defeats and severely wounds 009, letting him fall into the sea.
In episode 24, "Artemis", he is back at the temple being berated by Dr. Gaia for once again failing to destroy the 00 Cyborgs. Apollo declares that the 00 Cyborgs will be vanquished the next day, following the memorial service for their fallen comrade, Achilles. During the memorial service later that night, when all the Mythos cyborgs were questioning Artemis's suspicious actions towards the 00 Cyborgs, Apollo defends her, saying her rebellious streak will end once they have vanquished the 00 Cyborgs. She leaves however once Apollo loses his cool over the fact the pride of the gods has been hurt by the loss of Achilles. The next day, he stands in his chariot by the other Mythos cyborgs, ready to enter into battle.
In episode 25, "Mythos", Apollo and the Mythos cyborgs go into a heated battle with the 00 Cyborgs. Apollo faces off against 009 once again, this time, much more evenly matched. However, he again achieves the upper hand. When the energy generator is activated, Apollo attributes the island falling apart to the 00 Cyborgs' disrespect for the gods. When he is about to deliver the final blow upon 009, Artemis intervenes, taking the blow in 009's stead. When Apollo realizes that Artemis is fatally wounded, Artemis tells him that it was Dr. Gaia.
Artemis then tells Apollo the truth about their existence; that they are merely cyborgs created by Dr. Gaia to create chaos on earth. She asks that Apollo have mercy upon the cyborgs and the humans before dying in his arms. Distraught over the loss of his beloved sister and by the realization that he is merely a cyborg, he angrily sprints off in search of Dr. Gaia followed by 009. Upon finding Dr. Gaia, Apollo furiously shoots numerous lasers into him.
As the island becomes more and more unstable, the underground room begins to collapse. 009 begs Apollo to leave with them, but Apollo cannot let go of the fact that he is not a god. Believing to the very end that he is an immortal god from Mt. Olympus, he is crushed under debris.
Abilities[]
As Apollo is based on the Greek god Apollo, the god of the sun, his powers are fire based. He is able to create powerful fire blasts from his palms and fire high powered lasers from his index finger. His entire body emits heat when in battle, causing him to glow as if he were a god.
At full power, his entire body can be surrounded in flame. Like 009, he has a much more advanced acceleration mode and can travel up to speeds of Mach 5. He has a special belt clip that he can throw which turn into piercing sun-shaped discs that create a blinding light and cause earthquakes. Though not necessarily part of his inherent abilities, he can also maneuver a chariot led by two (supposedly robotic) Pegasi.
Notes[]
Apollo's early depiction from the 2000 "Cyborg Soldier" visual concepts.
- Apollo is based on the Greek god "Apollo", the son of Zeus, the leader of the Olympus gods, and Leto, a female Titan. Apollo is the god of archery, art, prophecy, music, medicine, and knowledge. He is most often depicted as a youthful and handsome god, and famously recognized as the god of the sun and light.
- An early design for Apollo appeared in Naoyuki Konno's 2000 visual development trailer. At the time, Konno depicted his hair as actual flame effects atop his head, and his face was drawn slightly different.