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"This isn't a good time, guys. We got a theory of mayhem test tomorrow and I'm totally gonna bomb. "
- CyborgOriginally aired: August 28, 2004 Written by Rob Hoegee
Directed by Michael Chang
School's back in session at the HIVE academy, and Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth are up to something. To find out what, the Titans send Cyborg on a daring undercover mission to infiltrate the academy and blend in as one of their own. Using a hologram device, Cyborg poses as "Stone" - a teenager who can turn his skin to solid rock. Cyborg infiltrates the school and earns the trust of his classmates - and the interest of the new headmaster - Brother Blood! Can Cyborg discover the HIVE's secrets before Brother Blood discovers his true identity?
Lauren Tom as Jinx and Gizmo
Kevin Michael Richardson as Mammoth
John DiMaggio as Brother Blood
Bumblebee makes her first appearance in this episode in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo; She's seen in the lunch room
Story Editor/Producer David Slack on developing Brother Blood and Season Three: " I think after two seasons of dark stuff with Slade, we specifically wanted to go lighter. Sam [Register] asked us to create a second branch of Titans called Titans East. Then there's Brother Blood. Obviously, the Brother Blood in conceived in the comics is a LOT scarier than out Brother Blood. There were a lot of challenges that came with that. Brother Blood went through a lot of permutations. At one point we were writing him like a coach, because that was someone Cyborg could respond to.""In the end, we tried to make him the anti-Slade. Where Slade hides in the shadows, Brother Blood loves the spotlight. Slade always has some ulterior motive, Brother Blood will tell you what he's planning right away. So there's some contrast there. We wanted it to be a lighter, more fun, more James Bond, science-fictiony kind or arc. "
"So after developing Brother Blood, it seemed to make sense to focus on Cyborg. Robin and Beast Boy seemed well-served with the first two season arcs. And we were already talking about Raven for season four. And Starfire always had the best one-off episodes like BETROTHED, SISTERS and HOW LONG IS FOREVER. We also thought just by centering it on Cyborg, just by the nature of his character, it would have a lighter quality to it."
"[...] We weren't even sure we'd get to use that name. I think what was important that we kept was that he was the leader of a cult. We kept that role and drew inspiration from cult leaders we read about. They seem to be very charming people. From that, we gave him this sort of 'power of temptation' - this ability to control people's perceptions. And the power of persuasion. We didn't get too deep into the character from the comics, because so much of it was so outside of what we'd be able to do. He's definitely one where we've strayed more."
"There's been some cases that we had change the name. Like Fixit from SUM OF HIS PARTS was originally Psimon [a psychic villain in the comic book series]. But we thought we had changed him so much he deserved a new name. We didn't want to lose that [Psimon] character, and we didn't want to corrupt him too much. But Brother Blood - and that cult leader side of him - the fact that he was drawing in teenagers. We felt that was enough."
Story Editor/Producer David Slack on DECEPTION: " I think also, by using Cyborg in that story rather than Starfire, we got to do something else. It became a way of sending Cyborg back in time. Cyborg had a pretty vibrant and interesting life in high school. But then something happened to him and he didn't get to finish that life. It was an interesting opportunity to get more into Cyborg. When the animation came back for that one, I was really amazed at how different he looked without the components. The effect was a lot more than glasses on Clark Kent; It was profound. And it was a way to do a time travel episode without doing a time travel episode. Cyborg essentially goes back to a time before his accident. He goes back to high school - where he's able to have friends and be an athlete. That arc was an opportunity to resolve some of the things that bother him about who he is."
Story Editor/Writer Rob Hoegee on DECEPTION: " I think we went into this episode not knowing how much we were establishing for season three. That was sort of a happy accident. As the episode progressed, we found ways to introduce elements that would pay off later. For that episode, we wanted to do something set in school. We thought using the Hive Academy was the perfect way to do that. And doing an undercover episode would be a lot of fun."
"Originally, it was intended to be both Starfire and Cyborg going undercover. It actually began a lot lighter. But as a character study, we thought it worked with Cyborg a lot better. The fish-out-of-water aspect with Starfire didn't seem as interesting as the Cyborg elements. So once we used Cyborg, it made sense that Brother Blood would be the headmaster. And that would be a good way to set up his agenda for the season. So once we decided on Cyborg and then using Brother Blood, it fell into place from there. [...] We tend to shy away from the origin episodes. So this became a way to do that in a real personal way. We get to see a side of Cyborg we never have. There are some other episodes that deal with his condition, but I think in this one we finally see him come to terms with some of those issues and move on. "
Story Editor/Writer Rob Hoegee on using the Hive kids again: "I think it was a lot fun to see them in their own environment. Y'know... let's not see them as bad guys but as high school kids. Let's see them as regular people despite it's a school for super-villains. Character-wise, they're the same. But now we see them with their guards down. It was fun to play with those high school stereotypes - but to do it with bad guys. I mean, they're worried about the 'theory of mayhem test.' All those things are fun. [And Jinx is] a fun character. If only because so many fans have such a fascination with her. She's sort of our 'Boba Fett.' So we are aware of that and when we use her we try to do something a little special with her. "
Cyborg uses the alias "Stone" in this episode. In the comic book series, Cyborg's real name is Victor Stone. In the comic book series, the H.I.V.E. was a super-secret criminal organization bent on world domination. Made up of prominent scientists and businessmen, the members wore purple robes to hide their identities from one another.Brother Blood first appeared in NEW TEEN TITANS #21-22 [1982]. Blood is the leader of a religious cult that enticed young people to join. Blood was able to gain strength by feeding off the faith of his followers. He used his cult as a 'front' to further his plans of conquest. The animated version is quite different from his comic book counterpart. In the comics, Brother Blood had nothing to do with the HIVE. They do share a few traits: Both are charismatic and able to sway young people to their cause; And both amass a group of followers to further their plans. More on Brother Blood as season three continues...
Cyborg mentions his 'Theory of Mayhem' test... which is amusing since Brother Blood's right hand advisor was named Mother Mayhem.
For more information on the comic book versions of the characters - including many images - visit titanstower.com's meeting room page.