After I was 11 years previous, I used to hurry from the doorways my elementary faculty to my grandparents’ home across the nook so I may bounce on the sofa and get snug for my favourite three-hour programming block.

From 3 to six p.m. every week day, YTV (Youth Tv) would air six episodes of tv programming often called “The Zone.” We didn’t have Cartoon Community in Canada, however due to the magic of licensing, we obtained a lot of the collection that American children have been watching, too.

Together with one essential collection: Teen Titans.

Cartoon Community’s Teen Titans ran from July 2003 to September 2006, ending a five-season run with the made-for-TV film referred to as Teen Titans: Bother in Tokyo. The collection adopted 5 members of the Teen Titans workforce — Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg — as they went on adventures and lived collectively of their Teen Tower, positioned in Bounce Metropolis. The present was designed to offer a funnier, lighthearted take a look at the ragtag group of teenage crime fighters, with every hero simple to fall in love with.

For me, the character that I fell in love with after only a few episodes was Cyborg. The semi-robotic goofball with kick-ass dance strikes and a by no means flailing sense of bravado was one of many funniest characters on the present. He was cooler than Robin, smarter than Beast Boy, extra constructive than Raven and simpler to narrate to than Starfire. Out of all of the heroes Teen Titans launched us to, Cyborg was the one character I discovered myself rooting for.

I couldn’t place my finger on what it was that resonated Cyborg to me till the third season. Every season of Teen Titans centered on one of many characters. Though the hero wasn’t the only focus of the season, lots of the episodes handled a personality’s situation. For Cyborg, that was maturing. He wished to tackle extra accountability as he obtained older, however didn’t wish to lose his pals. He was decided to be a frontrunner, however was scared he could possibly be ostracized if he spoke out. Cyborg handled needing to be greater than he was, whereas not shedding his id within the course of.

By the point this season got here round, I used to be 13. I used to be in that tough spot of eager to be handled like an grownup regardless that I used to be nonetheless a toddler. The entire points Cyborg was coping with, I used to be going by way of, too. In contrast to Cyborg, I used to be frightened of confronting the non-public progress I wished as a result of the opportunity of change was too petrifying to take care of.

As an alternative, I’d spend my afternoons at my grandmother’s home consuming cookies, enchanted by Cyborg’s story on display screen. I got here to phrases with my very own teenage issues through Cyborg, and I didn’t understand how essential that was till Teen Titans went away. Cyborg was one of many first characters I encountered that was coping with low-key nervousness, one thing that might impression me later in life, too. His bravado and “boo-yah!” mentality stored him going, and whereas I didn’t have that, watching Cyborg all the time made me really feel higher. I by no means appreciated how nicely developed of a personality Cyborg was till lately, after I was enthusiastic about the character and his introduction to the mainstream world within the upcoming Justice League.

I haven’t seen the film, so I can’t touch upon whether or not or not Zack Snyder will get why Cyborg is such an essential character to so many children. I’m each excited and nervous to discover out. I fell in love with the world of DC superheroes due to Teen Titans, and Cyborg has all the time been one among my favourite characters due to that. I do know the Cyborg we get in Justice League isn’t going to be the happy-go-lucky, “boo-yah!”-yelling teenager we obtained in Teen Titans. I’m okay with that. Completely different iterations of Cyborg ought to exist.

However for me, getting Cyborg proper is extra essential than Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash and Aquaman. I simply need Cyborg to get his due.

Justice League can be launched on Nov. 17.