The Animatrix and The Matrix Comics: Limitless Potential for Imagining New Cyborg Technology

This chapter covers three stories in The Animatrix, the set of animated short films that came out in 2003 as well as the two volumes of comics, and bridges the gap between the first and second movies. These stories add more depth to the world of the Matrix: in “Kid’s Story,” we are introduced to a pivotal character who returns in The Matrix Reloaded to save Neo’s life; in “Program,” the main characters who embody ideas of transness; and in “A Detective Story,” we get more backstory on Neo’s love interest, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). Concentrating on these three allows a deeper exploration of the themes of the universe of the Matrix that can be more thoroughly explored via the realm of animation, and transness. Regarding that last theme—the Wachowskis have indeed confirmed that The Matrix is a trans allegory, and that the plot and themes are related to their own feelings regarding their transitions. In addition to discussing the media in light of transgender theory, the chapter will also be addressing the transhumanism movement, and the concept of ‘human enough’ in relation to our desire (or lack thereof) for relationships with cyborgs in sci-fi and in reality.