Should the ALIEN series incorporate Cyborgs into CANON?

I don't know...The synthetics in the Alien verse pretty much act like cyborgs. Bishop, Call, David, Ash all act very human.

I could see some sci-fi angles though:

Clone the best soldiers, then remove their brains and install them in cyborgs.... With a guarantee that the government will return their brains to their cloned bodies after their tour of duty.

Offer an old man/woman (Ripley) a new lease on life? 

well Ash and Bishop weren't completely human-like since they still had limited emotional range.

David was a prototype model but even David wasn't completely human-like

Call was the most human-like of the synthetics but she was from the distant future compared to Ash, Bishop and David.

Edit: I just remembered Vassili Rykov from AVP2 is a partial cyborg since he has a synthetic spine

At the end of Aliens, if Bishop divulged he was a cyborg, I don't think it would have made a difference to the audience. Cyborg, synthetic, robot, mechanical man, probably be lumped into one. Probably just confuse them.

Alien: Project Syborg.

Dark Horse Comics 1993

A general clones his troops and uses the brains of each to fuel his Super Soldiers Cyborgs.

In order for the SSC's to take orders, they are promised their brains will be returned to their cloned bodies and then allowed to live a peaceful life.

At the end of the story, it is revealed the general used the clone bodies as hosts for the xenomorph species. All the promised clone bodies were destroyed. There are thousands of surviving syborgs left without bodies. Unable to maintain their synthetic bodies they are slowly dying.

They seek revenge on the military.

To be continued....

But there is a huge difference between a cyborg and a synthetic/android/robot/artifical person.

The former is born human that later gets robotical parts added on them be that an artifical spine, limb or even entire body...as long as they keep their brain/soul/consciousness human

The later is constructed at a factory. IIRC Bishop called himself an artificial person, not a cyborg. Unless you meant the T-800 from Terminator 2, who does refer to himself as a cyborg but he is more of a reverse cyborg since the T-800 is a regular robot covered in organic skin.

I think if they included cyborgs in canon, they would have a good opportunity to clarify the difference

I think this is a Interesting Topic....

In Context to the Franchise we have to REMEMBER we are talking about Science Fiction and SET in the Future, i think that Cybernetic Parts would be something we would SEE in REALITY we already have such NOW, but its NOT as Advanced as we have seen in SCI-FI but we would ONE-DAY reach that Level.

A LOT of Space Sci-Fi have Similar things and so Cybernetic Components to a Human would NOT be that ALIEN to the Franchise, as Technology Advances then YES surely we could have Cybernetic Enhanced Humans.

People who have LOST a LIMB or a EYE and have Cybernetic (Synthetic) Replacements would NOT be out of Place within the ALIEN  Franchise.

To get to the LEVEL that we have with Arnaud Eisenberg would be more complicated but its NOT BEYOND the Realms of Science when we look at Sci-Fi.

If we take ROBOCOP then the Original was a Cyborg... but in the Reboot they have MUCH MORE of their Body as Cybernetic/Synthetic (Artificial) all that was Organic in the Reboot was the BRAIN, HEART, LUNGS and Parts of the Nervous System... with Arnaud Eisenberg he was just a Organic Brain in a Completely Synthetic Body.  Should this be something we should-not or could-not see in the ALIEN Franchise?

I cant see WHY NOT.

Terminators are well just SKINJOBS  i would not say they were that much of a Cyborg.

The Interesting thing with a CYBORG that has ONLY the Brain as Organic is HOW does this Interface with the Synthetic Components, you would have to have some kind of IC/Computer/Software as a Bridge.... and so WHAT is Interesting and HORRIFIC... is IF that Software/Computer Component is HACKED so that your Brain has NO-CONTROL over the Body, Imagine being ONLY a Brain in a Body you have NO-CONTROL OVER!

It would be WORSE than being Paralyzed from the Neck Down.... because WHAT IF that Body is doing things that YOU DO NOT LIKE or WISH to do?

A Human Brain that is IN FULL CONTROL of its Synthetic Components and Actions would NOT be Classed as a ROBOT.. they would be Considered a Human to a Large Degree.

But HERE is a FLIP-SIDE Question......

WHAT IF.... a Synthetic Body and Brain was so ADVANCED you could Transfer a Humans Consciousness, Emotions and SOUL if you would into that Synthetic Brain/Body....

Would you be Considered a Human? would you have the same RIGHTS as a Human?  I am sure a Human Brain within a Synthetic Body would, but a Human Soul thats Contained in a A.I/Brain thats a Interesting thing to Ponder.

IF we look at Military Application then YES you would think in the FUTURE and so INDEED with Sci-Fi you would look at HOW you can Enhance a Human as a Combat Operative.  I think that YES that Autonomous Robots or Synthetics would make GOOD MILITARY Troops.... the Lack of Control could be a Worry if they are Autonomous, and IF they are Very Autonomous and become Sentient that would be a MASSIVE PROBLEM.

And do to Enhance your Troops with Cybernetics would make more Sense, and so YES i think there is ROOM to have Cyborgs within the Franchise.

And so the Question i Raised could be Interesting in another way, BECAUSE i think the Future of Robotics and Military would more likely be a Synthetic/Robot/Machine that are Remote Controlled by a Human so it would be say like AVATAR but the Avatars are Synthetic/Robotic Machines rather than Cloned Alien Species.

I know that may seem OFF-TOPIC but i was just looking at it as IF you was to PUT a Human Brain into a Synthetic Body, i think the BETTER THING to do from the Perspective of those WISHING to do this would be to have a Advanced A.I that cane be Interfaced with like we see in AVATAR... or where you Transcend your Memory, Emotions and Self Consciousness into the Robot/Synthetic.

But thats NOT to say you would NOT go and have Cyborgs... like a Army of Robocops etc... so YES i think that its LIKELY we could have CYBORGS within the Franchise.

BigDave

Great points.

"WHAT IF.... a Synthetic Body and Brain was so ADVANCED you could Transfer a Humans Consciousness, Emotions and SOUL if you would into that Synthetic Brain/Body...."

This reminds me of the classic anime movie Ghost in the Shell (1995) and the classic anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 

I think that Call is a Interesting Character... a Artificial Being that is Created by Synthetics, its HARD to say if Call is more Organic than the Synthetics.

When we look at Walter he seems to be more Organic than Bishop and Ash, who seem to be more like David.

Call does seem to be more Sentient/Free-Will than Bishop, Ash and Walter but with David i think he is 100% a Totally Sentient Being with FREE-WILL.

Maybe, it depends on how it's done. To be honest I'm not too much well-read about the differences between those kinds of things. I guess that I know fairly well what the difference is between a robot and an android though. Keep it about how humans react to it because it's about the human journey, but I'm not against having that in the alien-franchise.

Certainly the Human Impact is KEY.......

If you had some say Colonial Marines or the Sort who have Suffered Injuries and some are getting OLD... (in their 50's) if you had them SIGNED UP for a Chance to BECOME a Part of a Elite Military Unit... where they would be TOLD they can have their Ailments Fixed.....  Oh so you Private had Lost your Legs... well we can GIVE YOU some Legs, make you Better than you WAS... but you have to do a TOUR of Duty for us.... Serve us for 5-10 Years and we will FIX YOU FIRST!

So we can look at it as a MORE ADVANCED Version of the 6 Million Dollar Man, like a Robocop......  Every One who Signs up get NEW ARMS/LEGS they get Enhanced Sight  and Hearing and other UPGRADES....

They are like Super Human!

But then they DISCOVER they are either being CONED... they are Expected to Serve Beyond the Time they Thought or they are SENT on Missions that they then TOTALLY Disagree with as they are NOT MORAL!

But any Protest is MET with the Fact the Company can Dis-activate all the UPGRADES....  your Basically left with Arms/Legs you cant MOVE/USE, your Hearing and Sight goes..... 

They then Discover that as Cyborgs they Actually have as MUCH FREEDOM as a Synthetic Robot.... they DO as they are TOLD... or they become Imprisoned in a Shell that Can-not go and Move or See or Hear... a Nightmare... where they could SCREAM! but NO-ONE would Hear them as they get LOCKED AWAY in a POUND or something...

UNTIL they Submit to Serve and get Re-Activated.

But this Basically is Universal Solider meets Robocop... but you can be SURE that the Shady W-Y or/and USM have Conducted Similar in the Past/Future.

Again this is ANOTHER STORY/PLOT that you could TELL in a Anthology Series (One Season) which is WHAT i think the Franchise should do (become a Anthology Series a bit like American Horror Story).

I don't think Cyborgs should be treated like synthetics unless they are full body cyborgs like Dr. Eisenberg from AVP2 or Valerie from my fanfiction (who is partially based on Eisenberg)

Well looks like we are getting Cyborgs in the TV series...maybe?