Gorm (cyborg)

Fifty years prior to the Battle of Yavin, a savage civil war erupted on Arkania. Widely recognized for their exceptional—albeit sometimes ethically ambiguous—scientific endeavors, Arkanian geneticists initiated a program involving the implantation of cybernetics into the Yaka, a species originating from a neighboring system, with the goal of elevating their intelligence to a level deemed suitable by the Arkanians. While this program received sanction from Arkania's Dominion government and was disregarded by the Galactic Republic, it encountered strong opposition from numerous conservative scientists within Arkania. These dissenters eventually instigated a coup against the Dominion, constructing an army intended to be invincible, with the aim of overthrowing the planet's governing body.

Although the Dominion proved to be no match for the Arkanian Renegades' merciless cyborgs, the Arkanian Revolution, as it came to be known, ultimately resulted in complete failure. The Republic swiftly dispatched an intervention force—including a young Mace Windu—to assist the Dominion, and the rebellious Jedi Master Aqinos soon joined the conflict, bringing along his controversial group of Iron Knights. The Renegades were swiftly defeated and largely forgotten, but some of their remarkable creations managed to survive the fighting and scatter throughout the galaxy. Among them, perhaps the most formidable, was a being known as Gorm.

With the bloody conflict on Arkania behind him, Gorm made the decision to pursue a career as a bounty hunter. It seemed that almost immediately, his name became associated with dread among those who might one day find themselves as his targets. The rumors linking him to the relentless army of cyborg Arkanian warriors only intensified his menacing reputation. However, Gorm's most remarkable battles were yet to come.

One of Gorm's initial targets was a Trandoshan criminal named Vultar the Ugly, who had a bounty placed on his head after instigating a violent power struggle within his local criminal network. The manner of Vultar's demise remained a mystery; it is sufficient to note that one of Gorm's most noticeable alterations to his original form involved the addition of a damaged left arm of Trandoshan origin.

It remained uncertain whether the recycler appendage that earned Gorm the title "The Dissolver" was present from the start or added intentionally later on. What was certain, however, was that Gorm developed a habit of swiftly reducing many of his early targets to their basic molecules, which only heightened the fear surrounding him. The precise circumstances surrounding the loss of this appendage were also unclear, although it was known that a team of Jedi, including Mace Windu—whom Gorm had fought against during the Revolution years earlier—was involved. Despite this, the nickname Gorm the Dissolver remained.

In 39 BBY, eleven years into Gorm's career, he became part of a group of bounty hunters assembled by Magus to assassinate a group of twenty prominent leaders, all of whom were political adversaries of Corporate Alliance Magistrate Passel Argente. The assignment turned into a fiasco. A boy named Talesan Fry learned of their plans, forcing the group to shift their focus to capturing him. By the time they had Fry in custody, two Jedi Knights—Qui-Gon Jinn and Adi Gallia—and their respective Padawans were pursuing them. Magus's team intended to strike the leaders during a conference on Rondai-2, but the Jedi forced them into a direct confrontation. Two of the hunters were killed, and only Magus himself managed to escape the battle unscathed.

Gorm was detained for a period, but he eventually managed to regain his freedom and resume his work. As the Republic crumbled and the Empire took its place, Gorm remained actively employed, although specific details from this era are scarce. He resurfaced shortly before Yavin, this time on Nar Shaddaa, where he crossed paths with a young Greedo while attempting to collect a debt from Spurch Goa and Dyyz Nataz. Seeking to establish himself within the local bounty hunter community, Greedo decided to intervene in the argument—which had escalated into violence—by shooting Gorm in the back of the head, effectively removing him from the fight. Although Gorm quickly returned to working order, this incident could arguably be considered Greedo's first, and last, kill.

After recovering, Gorm traveled to Tatooine, possibly in pursuit of Nataz and Goa, but was diverted by Jabba Desilijic Tiure, who offered him the most lucrative contract he had available at the time: fifty thousand credits for capturing another bounty hunter named Zardra. Zardra had fallen victim to unfortunate circumstances; while attempting to collect a bounty herself, she was compelled to kill a Hutt named Mageye, thereby incurring Jabba's wrath. It appeared that Gorm was unable to apprehend Zardra, as she soon reappeared in pursuit of former Republic officer Adar Tallon.

The ultimate fate of Gorm following his pursuit of Zardra remains unknown, but few doubted that a being as resourceful as he would continue to survive—assuming, of course, that he could even be considered alive—for many years to come.

Gorm possessed a towering height of two and a half meters and was engineered to be the perfect warrior.

His physical form incorporated components from at least six distinct biological species, as well as seven generations of droids and machines. His original form remained a mystery. An ancient Ithullan infantry helmet obscured whatever shape his head may have taken; the only visible indicators were two glowing red photoreceptor eyes. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of Gorm was his personality. While few of those who encountered him survived long enough to describe his character, Gorm was, in reality, a crude and rowdy individual, even known to laugh heartlessly at his prey before ending their lives. Although uncouth droids were not unheard of, this suggested that Gorm possessed the mind, at the very least, of a biological being. For the most part, however, it was rare to definitively identify any part of Gorm. The few known components are as follows:

• Right shoulder joint— Bothan (hidden beneath armor)
• Left leg— Sljee genetic material of unknown purpose
• Left forearm— Trandoshan (refer to Exploits )

• Arkanian electric dynamo—attached to his back, presumably his primary power source
• Incendiary slugthrower—mounted over his left shoulder, with shells stored on his belt
• Gladiator droid plating— durasteel armor covering various areas
• Recycling droid appendage—his right arm (refer to Exploits )

Also noteworthy were a collection of calcified tentacles that bridged the gap between Gorm's Trandoshan limb and his left shoulder. Evidence suggested that these tentacles were biological in origin, but their source remained a mystery. Overall, Gorm's creators demonstrated remarkable ingenuity. After losing the aforementioned recycling droid arm in combat early in his career, Gorm soon reappeared with a more conventional mechanical arm as a replacement, confirming suspicions that he was capable of repairing and upgrading himself independently. It was said that the only way to kill him was, appropriately, to dissolve him.