Image Comics, Top Cow - Aphrodite IX (Issues 0-4)

Aphrodite IX (2000)





Publisher: Image/Top Cow

File Type: .CBR

Format: 5 Issue Limited Series



Photo:

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Featuring: Aphrodite IX, Burch, Neville Stewart, Grazno Floyd.

Written by David Wohl.

Penciler David Finch.

Inker Joe Weems, Victor Llamas.

Letterer Robin Spehar, Dennis Heisler.

Colorist Steve Firchow.

Artwork by David Finch.

Cover Art: David Finch, Joe Weems, Steve Firchow.

Editor Renae Geerlings.





Aphrodite IX is a strikingly beautiful self-aware android designed to "be" human in order

to carry out undercover missions of infiltration and assassination. Although she has been

"trained" to kill (her synthetic brain learns like an organic brain and does not require

traditional programming), Aphrodite IX retains no memory of her actions; her brain is

designed to experience an episode of amnesia at the end of each mission, apparently to

protect her masters if not herself. This leads to ongoing confusion about what she does

and for whom, exacerbated by subsequent episodes of amnesia. Although she becomes aware

that she is intended as a killing machine (capable of taking out a single high security

target or destroying a squad of armored government soldiers singlehandedly), she finds

the idea increasingly distasteful and experiences dreams and desires like a human. This

begins to undermine her morale but not her efficiency, as her conditioning takes over as

her masters or survival circumstances require. When she seeks out clues to her past and

true identity, she stumbles onto a conspiracy involving a secret society of cyborgs

attempting to undermine the legitimate An agovernment.



Although tough as nails when the situation requires it, her personality in private moments

seems more like that of a child-woman. She is like a lost wide-eyed teen trying to find her

way in the world, trapped in the body of an amazon sexpot bombshell. The character's

appearance is her trademark: kelly green makeup and hair (including an oversized kelly

green beauty spot on one cheek), skimpy form-fitting outfits ringed with ammo belts,

thigh-high lug soled boots. She typically carries a very large knife on her belt and one

or more large guns.



An android similar to Aphrodite IX (identified as Aphrodite VI) most recently appeared in

Top Cow's ongoing series Cyberforce, spying on the heroes from within the ventilation

system of their base of operations. At this time, no clue is given as to why she is there

or what she intends to do.