Bionics is a science that combines "biology" and "electronics".[1] A surgery is performed to allow the biology of the recipient's body to control electronic implants or prostheses.[2] Once completed, a Bionic person has enhanced abilities. The Bionics Program; also called Bionic Sciences or Project Cyborg, was overseen by Dr. Rudy Wells, in conjunction with Oscar Goldman and his organization, the OSI. The Bionics Program, apart from overseeing the rebuilding of bionic agents, provided follow-up care and maintenance to the bionic systems of their agents, and also acted as a research and development program for various projects. It is unclear what role the Bionics Program played in the latter part of the 1990s apart from providing necessary care and maintenance, because no mention is ever made of ongoing research and development efforts into the next generation of bionics or new bionic agents.
History[]
Developed by Dr. Rudy Wells, in collaboration with multiple scientists.
Bionic Ability[]
Abilities bestowed upon recipients varied depending on the limbs replaced. Those with bionic arms were given increased strength with capabilities ranging from bending bars to overturning vehicles or punching through walls. Bionic legs allowed increased running speed and the ability to jump higher than normal humans, and withstand jumps down from greater heights.The maximum running speed achieved by Steve Austin is not definitively known, but is at least 60 mph.[3] Later bionic recipients, such as Michael Austin, are known to have well-exceeded Austin's speed.[4] Within the television series, there is also at least one incident indicating that Jaime Sommers was capable of exceeding 100 MPH while running.[5]
Depending upon the extent of the bionic replacement, recipients tend to enjoy greater stamina due to the fact their hearts and lungs only need to power their organs and remaining limb(s).[6]
Following the procedure, the time needed to recover varies per individual. Rehabilitation can take several months, during which time the body is trained to master the control of the bionic implants. Adjustments to the bionics may be necessary as the system adapts to the technology.
Arguably the bionic component with the most versatility is Austin's bionic eye. During the course of his adventures, aside from the restoration of vision it provided Austin (a major feature in and of itself), its abilities ranged from 20:1 telescopic zoom and night vision (the most common uses) to more esoteric functions such as the ability to see individuals cloaked by invisibility[7], targeting ability [8], and even detecting heat waves given off by an astronaut.[9][10] A bionic eye which, among other features, was capable of emitting a stunning laser was possessed by Michael Austin, while Jaime Sommers was also granted a form of bionic night vision later in her life, apparently without the need for her eyes to be replaced.
Another recipient-specific bionic replacement was Jaime Summer's right ear, which was replaced with technology that allowed her to hear higher and quieter frequencies than normal humans, including people speaking a long distance away or the tumblers turning in a safe lock.
Although the bionic default is to provide recipients with some degree of superhuman abilities (particularly strength and speed), it is possible to "dial down" bionic powers to a human level if necessary.[11]
Complications / Limitations[]
Despite the increased abilities that accompany bionic implants, the recipient may endure a variety of complications.
The most extreme of these is rejection, which occurred to Jaime Summers, to the point of causing injury to her brain and (so it was thought) her death; though Wells' team was able to revive her and solve the rejection issue, it was at the cost of some memories (though these were later restored).[12]
To remedy such effects, bionic recipients can be changed from bionic strength to normal strength, however following the operation, the body needs time to adjust fully before doctors can fine tune the bionics.[13]
Bionics do not function correctly in cold temperatures, such as that below 32°F or 0°C.[14] Bionics also give off trace amounts of radiation, enough to be detected by a Geiger counter.[15], and a danger of radioactivity existed were a bionic limb to be cut open improperly[16].
Steve and Jaime's bionic legs appeared to be "weak spots" for certain damage, with Steve nearly killed when his legs are damaged during a mission [17], and Jaime likewise nearly killed when her legs explode due to attempting a jump from a height that apparently exceeded her leg's parameters.[18] Both incidents incapacitate the agents to the point of requiring hosptialization and (in Steve's case) a period of rehabilitation.
However there's no indication that Steve or Jaime suffered ill effects from radiation by the time of their wedding in the mid-1990s, roughly two decades after their transplants.
Physical[]
- see also: Bionic Rejection
Bionic implants are powered by a compact nuclear power source. The power source can be best described as a nuclear battery as it resembles a watch battery. The useful lifespan of the power source is unknown. Whenever the battery is removed, the person in question must be placed on a life support system. The reason why life support must be used when the power source doesn't regulate or control vital life functions is never explained. It is possible that the use of life support systems is just a precaution to ensure that the individual undergoing treatment does not experience undue physical or psychological stress. Another reason for the use of life support systems may be that there is an implant of some sort in the subject's body that somehow assist in regulating necessary body systems in relationship to bionic functions which must be powered or lastly that there is a biological/bionic interdependence which exists and the systems, both biological and bionic depend on each other. It is possible to damage bionic limbs through use beyond their design specifications, or through various forms of trauma. Severe damage to the bionic legs has the potential to be fatal.[19]
The functionality of bionic limbs deteriorates at sub-zero temperatures. [20]
Austin also experienced an unexpected malfunction in his bionic systems during his first trip into space following his operation, but adjustments to his bionics afterward prevented this problem from recurring.[21]
Both series offer inconsistent accounts as to whether or not Steve and Jaime can feel pain through their bionic limbs, although it's clear that given sufficient damage, some form of pain is felt by them (i.e. Steve in "The Return of the Bionic Woman"; Jaime in "The Deadly Missiles").[22]
Above all, bionic limbs are not indestructible. While Steve and Jaime are able to deflect large and heavy objects with their arms without apparent damage [23], they can be damaged and disabled if struck hard enough or aggressively.[24] In printed media, Steve and Jaime are often depicted with arm or leg damage revealing bionic components under the skin; on TV this occurred rarely, usually in order to reveal their bionic nature to another character.
Cosmetically, the bionic limbs were designed to be indistinguishable from the human originals, including body hair, wrinkles, and fingerprints. One limitation, as noted by Jaime during a mission, was the fact her bionic limbs did not tan.[25]
Psychological[]
Steve Austin briefly experienced a stress-related malfunction in his bionic arm.[26] Jaime Sommers' rejection of her bionics was initially thought to be a manifestation of the same thing.
Psychological adjustment to being bionic is a potentially dangerous time. While Steve Austin adjusted almost immediately (not withstanding some initial anger), as did Jaime once her bionic rejection issues were resolved, and Michael, such was not the case for the second known bionic man, Barney Hiller, who turned rogue after his transplants.[27] Possibly due to this, Jaime Sommers later assisted the OSI in helping later bionic people Michael Austin and Kate Mason adjust to their new abilities.
Known Recipients[]
| Bionic Recipient | Arm(s) | Leg(s) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximillian | -- | -- | all four legs, jaw |
| Steve Austin | right | both | left eye[28] |
| Barney Hiller | both | both | -- |
| Salka Pal-Mir | -- | -- | heart transplant |
| Jaime Sommers | right | both | right ear; later, both eyes[29] |
| Andy Sheffield | -- | both | -- |
| Michael Austin | right | both | right eye, chest (a micro-chip computer interfaced with the legs),
spine, and ribs (ten) |
| Kate Mason | -- | -- | entire body |
| Alan Devlin | -- | -- | entire body |
Nomenclature[]
In Martin Caidin's novels, bionics are always referred to in the plural, whether referring to the science in general ("the science of bionics") or an individual prosthetic ("Steve Austin's bionics arm", "his bionics eye"). The TV series, comic books and novelisations, while still referring to the science as bionics, uses a singular form when referring to the individual replacements ("Steve Austin's bionic arm", etc.).
References[]
- ↑ Sommers, Jaime. Biofeedback. In a conversation with Darwin Jones.
- ↑ Austin, Steve. The Bionic Woman (episode). In a conversation with Jaime Sommers.
- ↑ This often-cited number is based upon a speedometer shown in the original pilot film, and later opening credits, reading 60 mph. In point of fact, a maximum speed was never definitively established for either Austin or Sommers, with non-canonical spin-off media (such as the Power Records release "The Man from the Future" suggesting much greater speeds were possible. On television the episode "Burning Bright" shows Austin reaching 66 MPH on a treadmill.
- ↑ Steve remarks on this in The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman in which he says he can't run as fast as Michael; Jaime is also outpaced by Michael.
- ↑ Winning Is Everything, in which she is explicitly shown outpacing a race car going 100 MPH
- ↑ As explained in the 1973 pilot, an evidenced in many episodes, though it's possible that as the recipients age this stamina decreases, as witnessed in Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman.
- ↑ The Secret of Bigfoot
- ↑ numerous episodes, including "Bionic Ever After?
- ↑ The Pioneers
- ↑ In Martin Caidin's novels, the bionic eye was somewhat more primitive and did not restore or enhance Austin's sight. Instead, it initially contained a miniature camera. In the first issue of the Six Million Dollar Man comic book, Austin had the ability to fire a laser from the eye
- ↑ Barney Miller's bionics are reduced in power in "The Seven Million Dollar Man" (see also "The Bionic Criminal"), and this option is also discussed as a possible way to address Jaime's rejection of her bionics in "The Bionic Woman (Part II)".
- ↑ The Bionic Woman (Part II); The Return of the Bionic Woman; Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman
- ↑ Wells, Rudy. The Bionic Woman (Part II). In a conversation with Oscar Goldman during which reducing Jaime's strength to human-normal is considered as a potential remedy for her rejection of them.
- ↑ "Population Zero," "Hocus-Pocus," "Bigfoot V," "Dark Side of the Moon," "The Martians Are Coming, the Martians Are Coming"
- ↑ "Population Zero"
- ↑ "Run, Steve, Run"
- ↑ The Return of the Bionic Woman
- ↑ Kill Oscar (Part I)
- ↑ Jaime's legs explode after she attempts a landing from a high building in of "Kill Oscar (Part I)", while Austin requires bionic reconstruction to this legs and rehabilitation after they are damaged in part 1 of "The Return of the Bionic Woman". Both occasions are depicted as having grave consequences for Jaime and Steve's health.
- ↑ Dr. Bacon. Population Zero.
- ↑ The Rescue of Athena One
- ↑ In Caidin's novels it is implied that Steve does have some form of sensation in his arm
- ↑ "Doomsday, and Counting", "Canyon of Death", for example
- ↑ "Dr. Wells is Missing", "The Pioneers"
- ↑ It is never explained in the reunion films how natural aging was handled with regards to Steve and Jaime's bionic limbs.
- ↑ Wine, Women and War
- ↑ "The Seven Million Dollar Man"
- ↑ This applies to the television version of the character only. In Martin Caidin's novels, Austin also received a reinforced jaw and skull, and several ribs were replaced, one of which housed a radio antenna. Also, Caidin's version of the character had his left arm replaced by a bionic limb, not his right.
- ↑ Jaime acquires bionic vision in Bionic Ever After? though it is not explained how this was accomplished other than it being described as an upgrade to her systems. It is assumed both her eyes were augmented, but this is not explicitly confirmed on screen; it may have been only one eye and may not have required replacement.