Joe

This might have been discussed before, I know but.....

Joe is the character with the most outstanding evolution throughout the three series. I felt this long ago as a child when watched Eagle Riders and the originals confirmed it. From the hot-minded easy going Condor in the first series to the laid back G2 in Fighter is a long way. The cause is his mechanical modification. But how much did Rafael's surgery changed Joe?

What sort of cyborg is he? Like lucy? Like Lucy and Romina? Is there metal under his skin? Is his skeletal structure enforced with metal? In ep 23 of Gatch F Joe takes a bullet in the shoulder from Nambu and he doesn't bleeds or appears injured.

In some episodes he seems average human, while in another he lifts and tosses a tank. Obviously his muscular tissue must have been altered by Rafael.

It isn't stated in the series but his brain must have suffered implants/alterations too, because of the shrapnel stuck in it that also caused his ...."demise" at the end of Gatch 1. Linking the brain damage with his more laid back attitude from the second and third series I can't help but wonder if it's the cyborg alteration gave Joe a flat personality.

What I haven't figured out is if he's more human or more machine. Or if he's still alive. I'm not saying Joe isn't a person anymore (he has mental autonomy and feeling) , but is he still a living person? Does his internal organs still work? In Gatch 2 there was an x-ray picture that show robotic devices where his internal organs should be. Besides he carries a bomb in his torso that should detonate when he is nearby Sosai. (A nasty issu in itself , considering he could endanger not only his team but the whole Gatch base)

At the beginning of F series Nambu says he's found a way to recharge Joe. (A Condor attached to a charger cable plugged into a socket pops into my mind ) Did Joey worked on storage batteries or did he still need to eat in order to get energy?

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In my mind, I have compared Joe to the character Marcus (just coincidence) in Terminator Salvation. There is a scene that shows his internal structure - metal ribcage, etc, but human internal organs. I immediately thought 'That must be what Joe looks like.'

Wendy's Out of the Shadows describes Joe's skin as having been augmented to make it bullet proof. I'd have to go back and reread for the rest.

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I would never call Joe 'laid back', but toward the end of Fighter, from what I've seen, he seems to be more tired of the war and less 'gung ho' to slay every Galactor he meets for the sake of it. He just wants to end the war. Inside, he feels that he's outlived his 'true' life, and that he will/deserves to die to defeat Sosai. He also has to counterbalance Ken, who gets more emotional and off-the-handle as the Hypershoot illness. progresses.

Regardless, his loyalty to his teammates and his dedication to defeating Galactor, even at the cost of his own life, does not change.

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I agree IB, they did leave a lot open to interpretation when it came to how Joe is actually built. just from what I've read and seen of the Gatch II and Fighter. Great for ficcie writing!

The main focuses were on his strength and heart.

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I like to think some parts of him were left alone...LOL my mind just hit gutter level smut. I see him as having some kind of inplant because other wise he would have had to have brain damage from the condition that was killing him. Human flesh, with some organs replaced and something along the lines of the "six million dollar man" effect. Human yet not all human.

I imaged that too Gatchamarie. His hightened senses of Leader Z. I used that kinda idea in my AU. That Joe could make an easier connection with him and his presence in his mind.

I think Joe wasn't entirely sure himself exactly what was done to him.

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Hi all!

The subject of exactly how much of Joe is cybernetic and exactly what his abilities are has been something fans have talked about for many years now. Sadly, the exact extent of his abilities seemed to vary from episode to episode. In one episode he was strong enough to lift a tank, but in the next, he would be portrayed almost like a normal human. In another they establish that Joe cannot sweat, yet in another he is seen sweating up a storm. It's my belief that the writers never decided exactly what Joe could do, so his abilities and limitations were determined by the needs of any given episode.

As for how much of Joe is a cyborg, we do get to see a few examples that show some of his innards, and they might help clarify things a bit.

Here's a model sheet image of Joe's musculature:



How that was shown in the series itself:



Here are some X-Ray-style shows of Joe's insides, showing snippets of some of his cybernetic parts:











Here's a somewhat clearer cutaway which also shows the more mechanical nature of his skeletal system:



Here's a close-up of the cybernetic part in Joe's chest.



Here is an image produced by Tatsunoko for the magazine Animage back at the point when it was first revealed that Joe was a cyborg:



There were also a couple of times when we saw inside Joe's body when he got near Governor X and Governor Z:









Joe's eyes were apparently also changed by Dr. Raphael, as this targetting sight appeared in his vision when he was tracking the location of Governor Z:



And if he was punctured, it was possble that Joe would have sparks appear from the wound, as seen here:



I hope these will help some!

James

James, that's great. Thanks.

It makes it appear the only parts of his skeleton still bone are his head, most of his arms, his pelvis and most of his legs, with smaller cybernetic additions here and there, like at the joints, in his head and near his heart. Full cybernetics make up his chest and spine, which makes sense since he was all shot up.

Again, it seems very much like Marcus in Terminator Salvation.

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Thanks for the information, James! It's good to have it clarified that Joe's cyborg features and abilities were never exactly clarified. It gives fic writers some wiggle room, although the images you've posted here definitely provide some good evidence of what Dr. Rafael did to Joe.

Great topic Amy, I've enjoyed reading everyones different thoughts and opinions. Along with James indepth pics and info. it clears up some of my own thoughts on the subject.

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