MovieChat Forums > Cyborg (1989) Discussion > What is Fender? SPOILER

What is Fender? SPOILER

posted 18 years ago by lakic_matija
22 replies | jump to latest

Many ask what's up with the Fender. There are few clues in the movie that point for him not being entirely human:

1. His eyes. They are sky blue, almost white, but most interesting is that pupils don't dialate.

2. Superstrenght, superreflexes and endurance. In the last fight, not even the mightiest blow form Gibbsons leg/arm didn't do much damage. NOTICE, Gibbson tryed to brake Fenders arm 3 times, and didn't manage, before he stabed him in the guts. In very last fighting sequence Gibbson also tryed to brake Fenders neck and didn't manage altough in that position it should snap in two. Not to mention he avoided Gibbsons knife with no problem.

3. In costal village where Fender gets a boat, he shout to the guy defending is wife/girlfriend, "Do you think I'll swimm to Atlanta??!! I hate water!!!" This could refere that he has metal (iron) parts. He even avoided sewers/swamp when almost every gang member ran through. Then again it could be nothing, since last fight is in rain.

4. When Gibbson rescue Pearl (Cyborg woman), she tells him: "You are not strong enough, I wont go with you. Fender will catch us and kill us. He must be DESTROYED(!!!), and we have that means in Atlanta. Nothing can stop him in this world, not even you." Again, staitement that would be attributed to superhuman.

5. In last fight he growls, not screams. Even the way he fights or turns looks unhuman. Especially when his holding knives and suddenly turns to the girl.

BUT, you can see in Gibbsons flashbacks junger version of Fender, so he can age.
These are my clues, IMO Fender is: no1. Cyborg, or no2. cyberneticaly enhanced human.

What do you think?

[–] judosnc 18 years ago

I think what you said is plausible and a strong possibility. I haven't seen this movie in ages but remember him that way too. Seemingly powerful like an android or cyborg.

[–] silks-1 18 years ago

I always just assumed that his love of pain, and obvious high pain threshold, is what made him seem superhuman. I can't entirely agree with the cybernetically enhanced idea, but there is surely something peculiar about him.

[–] Daykin 11 years ago

I would also tend to agree with you here

[–] chrischristensen85 18 years ago

When I was a lot younger and watched this movie I thought he was a cyborg because of the way he acted. It wasn't until I was an adult and watched it again that I realized the cyborg was the female.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] perfectflaw007 18 years ago

lol you are overthinking it. He's just a big bad villian in the 80's body builder mold.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] royl123 18 years ago

the eye sequence with the girl with the possible cure for the plague also supports that fender may be enhanced because his eyes are weird.

seems you are probably right to me - "nothing in this world can stop him" , he can take a stab to the chest, i think even blocks a knife blade with his arm in the last fight.

This also i think could leave room for a sequel because they could repair him (little late for a sequel i know and how you gonna replace van damme in his prime and the villain)

this has rightfully already become a classic action flick

[–] royl123 18 years ago

also the movie title is "cyborg"

the girl at one point says about fender "i know how powerful you are" - maybe meaning he is more powerful than a normal human

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] brickbardo81 18 years ago

Actually Cyborg from what I remember, he was a mutant wasn't he? I mean he was freakishly big, his eyes were weird, (according the cover) he was cannibalistic and well the way he growled. My hunch is that Fender was a mutant. I always thought Van Damme was a robot too, because his character is so robotic like, as it turned out it was just his acting. Oh and don't get me wrong, I love Van Damme movies, but one must admit his performance in this wasn't very good. Especially compared to his now recent work.

[–] silks-1 17 years ago

I think that's just how Gibson is as a character. Silent, roaming warrior.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ricsim78 17 years ago

Interesting theory, and good points.

He seemed very inhuman in his actions, strength, ability to take punishment, and his movements as well. His eyes too.

I was kind of thinking he was too when I saw it, especially when he blocked the knife with his arm! Also, when Gibson kicks him onto the pitchfork, even the way he dies is kind of cyborg like. Sounded like a machine getting turned off and losing power. I hated the final fight only because of his stupid guttural growls he does over and over, but if he was a cyborg it would make more sense. Also, when he walks towards the girl that you mentioned, he definitely did not look human.

They should have stated why Fender was so powerful, but you might be right in what you say. I would say more cybernetically enhanced than a cyborg though.

[–] Gmork76 11 years ago

He was not a cyborg. Just a New York thug that rose in the post apocalyptic world..or just a far-out surfdude on the wrong side of the country..

I often wonder if the world that they live
in didn't lack food since most of Fenders gang flexes some big muscles and looks like they are healthy except the the teeth of some characters

[–] Leto II 9 years ago

In the official press materials released for Albert Pyun's prequel Cyborg: Rise of the Slingers, Fender is actually mentioned as being ex-U.S. Special Forces (Vincent Klyn was signed to reprise his role), which jibes with what we see during the first film's flashbacks (when Gibson and his family are in the well), with one of Fender's henchmen wearing a Special Forces T-shirt (saying "KILL 'EM ALL") and military fatigues.

Quite possibly Fender recruited several mates from his former military unit when civilization finally collapsed and formed the early nucleus of his pirate-gang from among these (he only has two other guys with him at the time of the well-flashbacks, including "KILL 'EM ALL" guy, who's still in the gang during the present-day sequences).

[–] Herreken 9 years ago

Is the prequel ever going to be made?

DISPLAY thy breasts, my Julia!

[–] Boromir (10126) 2 years ago

During the movie I always thought he is cyborg or other kind of inhuman creature for the same reasons the off-topic mention and they going to reveal that fact at the final stage but they never will.

One thing that no one has mentioned may lean in favor of the argument about Fender being human after all. In a strange way, his desire to destruction and sadistic personality make him more human for me. I would expect inhuman been less emotional and more nonchalant. There are people who thrive in moments of disorder and crisis by use them to their advantage to gain power.

No matter what, Fender is one of the best JCVD villain of all time.

[–] cyguration (3951) 2 years ago

No matter what, Fender is one of the best JCVD villain of all time.

Yup, him and Bolo from Bloodsport top the list for sure -- Dolph from two of the Universal Soldier movies is also a really good villain. But I think Fender still tops them all. He's such a top-boss villain, the kind of guy you would have to climb to the top of a tower to fight in a video game.

[–] Boromir (10126) 2 years ago

For me it is between Fender and Tong Po from Kickboxer.

I agree with you about Dolph and added Attila from Lionheart.