Cerebro in X-Men #7 (September, 1964 Marvel Comics). Art by Jack Kirby.
Cerebro first appeared in X-Men #7 (September 1964), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Professor Jeffrey J. Kripal, in his 2011 book Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal, calls Cerebro "a piece of psychotronics" and describes it as "a spiderlike, Kirby-esque system of machines and wires that transmitted extrasensory data into Professor Xavier's private desk in another room". Kripal notes that Cerebro made multiple subsequent central appearances, including Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), where Cerebro senses and locates a supermutant across the globe, resulting in the recreation of the X-Men team.
Use and function
Cerebro amplifies the brainwaves of the user. In the case of telepaths, it enables the user to detect traces of others worldwide, also able to distinguish between humans and mutants. Depictions of Cerebro's strength have been inconsistent; at times in the storylines it could detect mutated aliens outside of the planet, when at others it could only scan for mutants' signatures in the United States. It is not clear whether it finds mutants by their power signature or by the presence of the X-gene in their body; both methods have been used.
Using Cerebro can be extremely dangerous, and telepaths without well-trained, disciplined minds put themselves at great risk when attempting to use it due to the psychic feedback that users experience when operating Cerebro. As the device greatly enhances natural psychic ability, users who are unprepared for the increased psychic input can be quickly and easily overwhelmed, resulting in insanity, coma, permanent brain damage, or even death. The one exception has been Magneto, who has been said to have minor or latent telepathic abilities.
Cerebro was a device originally similar to a computer that was built into a desk in Charles Xavier's office. This early version operated on punched cards and did not require a user to interface with it. The device was later upgraded to the larger and more familiar telepathy-based technology with its interface helmet.
Cerebro is stolen by Bastion and hybridized with nanotechnology, creating a self-aware entity called Cerebro Prime, otherwise known as the Founder and the Professor. It creates two minions, Cerebrites Alpha and Beta, through which it can act without exposing itself. Cerebro uses records of the powers of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants to create its own team of X-Men whose members possess the combined powers of specific members of each of the two teams. Cerebro intends to put human beings in stasis so that mutants can inherit Earth; to this end, it hunts down a group of synthetic children called the Mannites who possess vast psychic powers. Cerebro is destroyed by the X-Men with the help of Professor X and the Mannite Nina.
Cerebra (referred to as Cerebro's older sister) is a replacement machine the size of a small room held in the basement of Xavier's School For Higher Learning. Cerebra is later transferred into the body of a Sentinel and given the capability of human emotion. Cerebra accompanies the X-Men on many missions to help find mutants and bring to X-Haven, where they will be safe from the toxic Terrigen Mist. Cerebra is destroyed during a battle between the X-Men and Inhumans and subsequently transferred into a new body.
The Krakoan Age reveals that Forge created a portable version of Cerebro that can create copies of mutant minds, allowing them to be resurrected. Xavier has five working Cerebro cradles: one main unit and four backup units.
Other versions
In Chris Claremont's X-Men: The End storyline, which takes place some 20 years ahead of standard X-Men continuity, Cerebro was replaced with the disembodied brain of Martha Johansson.
In the universe of Marvel Zombies, zombified versions of Beast and Mr. Fantastic reprogram Cerebro to help them and the other zombies track down the last remaining humans on Earth. In Marvel Zombies Return, the surviving zombies escape to another world where many of them restart the original infection, fusing Professor X's body with Cerebro so that he can find humans for them.
In the MC2 universe, the X-People carry "mini-cerebros" that can detect mutants just as well as the full-size version.
Cerebro appears in X-Men (2000), voiced by Amy Leland. This version is a device that fills a massive spherical room in the X-Mansion's basement. The helmet interface is similar to the version seen in the comics, although the bulk of Cerebro's machinery is contained in the surrounding walls. While in use, three-dimensional images of the humans whose minds are being scanned by the device appear around the interface bridge. Unlike the comics' version, the film version can detect both human and mutant minds with ease.
In X2, Colonel William Stryker uses a version called Dark Cerebro in a bid to kill all mutants.
In X-Men: First Class, an early version of Cerebro exists in an unnamed CIA science facility, created by Hank McCoy to amplify brainwaves (a slight departure from the source material). Cerebro is later destroyed by Riptide.
In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Cerebro appears in the X-Jet as a built in extension to Charles Xavier's hoverchair and is made up of three sensor-pads and a 3D holographic projector.
Cerebro appears in X-Men: Apocalypse, where it is destroyed by Havok after Apocalypse uses it to take control of Xavier's powers.
In this alternate timeline of Logan, the remains of Cerebro are used as a covering at Logan and Xavier's home at an abandoned smelting mill in Mexico, as it is the only material capable of containing Xavier's psychic seizures.
Cerebro appears in Deadpool 2 when Wade Wilson tries and fails to use Cerebro to "look into the future".
Cerebro appears in Dark Phoenix when Xavier uses it to navigate Jean Grey's mind and later to locate Grey, Magneto and Beast.
Cerebro appears in X-Men: Evolution. This version is a computer console with custom peripherals. A portable version is also constructed for the X-Men's travel and field missions.
Cerebro appears in Wolverine and the X-Men. The present version is used by Emma Frost; a possible future version is salvaged by Professor X to send messages to the past.
An early version of Cerebro appears in the Legion episode "Chapter 22", voiced by Helene Cardona.
Cerebro appears in the M.O.D.O.K. episode "The M.O.D.O.K. That Time Forgot!", where it is found by the titular character in a storage facility for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Video games
Cerebro appears in X-Men Legends. This version is modeled after the device's film incarnation.
12"Cerebro Voices (X-Men)". Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
↑"X-Men: The Cerebro Experience (2014)". Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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