Borg (species)

The Borg were a cybernetic species from a parallel universe.

Biology
The Borg appeared as humanoids, including humans and Klingons, enhanced with technology with varying implants according to each drone. As demonstrated by the case of Jean-Luc Picard, the assimilation process was reversible. While the Borg were capable of being upgraded, they could not assimilate the Cybermen. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

Culture
Organised into the Borg Collective, the Borg reproduced by forcefully integrating others into the collective in a process known as assimilation. These assimilated individuals became Borg drones. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

Technology
Like the Cybermen, the Borg possessed a fleet of starships used to assimilate other life. Borg ships were modelled on geometric shapes, such as cubes and spheres. Unlike the Cybermen at the time, the Borg were able to assimilate different species instead of just humans. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

History
In the 24th century, the Borg, who came from Borg space in the Delta Quadrant, assimilated Federation Captain Jean-Luc Picard (renaming him Locutus of Borg) and attacked Starfleet at Wolf 359. Starfleet suffered heavy losses in the battle, but eventually Picard was rescued by the crew of the USS Enterprise-D and regained his original personality.

Later in the same century, the Borg entered into an alliance with the Cybermen from the Doctor's universe, due to their completely identical motives and goals of assimilating organic species. On Stardate 45635.2, their joint assault force attacked the Federation planet Delta IV.

Although their alliance became short lived because the Cybermen betrayed the Borg. It was because the Doctor arrived in the other universe and a power struggle ensued. The Borg were not victorious and soon the Cybermen began destroying their former allies, but also wanted to reach the Delta Quadrant where the Borg homeworld is thought to be located. Soon the Borg reached out to Captain Picard or Locutus as he was once known, but the captain refused.

It was the Doctor showing Picard the future that made him give in and an alliance to eradicate the Cybermen commenced. A plan was forged when a Borg drone called the Borg Conduit agreed to aid the Enterprise crew and the Doctor in boarding a Cyber-Ship. The Cyber-Controller was defeated and the Borg was reactivated thanks to the Doctor who along with his companions went back in time to the battle of Wolf 359. There they managed to take a copy of Borg sub routines and cycle them through the Borg Conduit, granting the Borg access to the Cyber-web.

The Cyber-Ship was then set to self destruct and all the Cybermen were destroyed. The Conduit though attempted to assimilate the TARDIS, but its energies possessed Data and stopped the Conduit. Worf then sent it to its doom in the time vortex. Once the two universes were saved, the Doctor and his companions went back to their own universe. However with the Borg reactivated they soon realised the only way to assimilate the Doctor was to master time travel itself. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

Alternate timeline
In an alternate future shown to Picard by the Doctor, the Borg were conquered by the Cybermen, who thus became powerful enough to cyber-convert all major civilisations of both universes until only a small group of humans were left in what remained of the Federation until they themselves were forced to surrender and became Cybermen themselves. This timeline was averted when the Doctor and Picard defeated the Cybermen and Borg before this could happen. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

Behind the scenes

 * Works by Assimilation² artist J. K. Woodward depicted a Borg-assimilated Face of Boe, Spock, Vashta Nerada, Silents, Ood, Prisoner Zero, Bannakaffalatta the Zocci, Raxacoricofallapatorians, Sontarans, Judoon, Silurian scholars and warriors, Cybus Cybermen, CyberTelosian Controller and CyberMondasians.