Even before space travel was possible, the concept of a cybernetic, or living, self-sustaining and self-repairing, vessel has intrigued science. The unfortunate Cyborg Manta is the result of an attempt to develop just such a craft. Though most of the facts are lost in the haze of history, it is known that these massive beasts originated from the watery planet of Nhandu, where they dwell harmlessly on the sea floors, grazing on plant life. It is also known that some time shortly before the First Great War, a number of these animals were captured for use by Dr. Theula Illen, who merged metal and flesh, wires and neurons; and by replacing the manta's need for oxygen with the need for hydrogen, the resulting monstrosities were no longer bound to the sea. Torn between instinct and programming, tortured by metal woven through flesh, the Cyborg Mantas proved completely uncontrollable, savagely attacking anything in their path. Now scattered throughout the Pardus Core, they continue to present a serious threat to spacefarers.