Nukes and Knives™: 'Probably' everything that James Cameron ripped off

He's brought us classics such as Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but there is a dark side to Canadian supremo.

The Terminator (1984)

Common knowledge, but hey ho.

Harlan Ellison accused all concerned of stealing plot from Soldier¹, an episode he wrote for The Outer Limits in 1964.

An undisclosed out of court settlement was agreed in 1986 and for subsequent home releases, filmmakers were forced to insert 'Acknowledgement to the works of Harlan Ellison' near the beginning of end credits.

Cameron vehemently denied plagiarising work and in 2009 said:

"Harlan Ellison is a parasite who can kiss my ass."

It's also entirely plausible that the concept of Skynet was lifted from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, as after achieving sentience, a supercomputer takes revenge against humanity for its imprisonment deep underground by bringing about a nuclear holocaust.

Allied Mastercomputer renames itself AM and tortures five survivors (Ted, Benny, Ellen, Nimdok and Gorrister) for 109 years.

¹Adapted from short Soldier from Tomorrow.

Dark Angel² (2000)

First season of TV series bears striking similarities to Argentinian comic Cybersix (1991-1999).

Max Guevera vs Cybersix

Donald Lyedecker vs Doctor Von Reichter

Nape barcode vs Arm tattoo

Logan Cale vs Lucas Amato

Genetically-enhanced superhumans were born inside a laboratory.

Lyedecker created the Chimera series for the military to build a superior army, whereas Von Reichter wanted to form a loyal army to help Nazi scientist conquer the world.

The Chimera are identified by a barcode tattoo, complete with serial number. The Cyber series are recognised by arm tattoo and individual's number.

Logan and Lucas enter romantic relationships with Max and Cybersix respectively.

Max's genetic flaw causes her to have seizures and tryptophan helps control them. In order to survive, Cybersix must drink sustenance liquids.

Max and Cybersix escaped when they were nine-years old.

Just... FUCKING INCREDIBLE.

Writer Carlos Trillo and illustrator Carlos Meglia filed a lawsuit against Cameron and Fox, but due to financial issues, legal proceedings never came to fruition.

'Changes' made to second season included the removal of Max's seizures and writing out Lyedecker very early on.

How convenient.

It bombed, and series was cancelled.

Robert Heinlein's 1982 novel Friday was no doubt another 'inspiration' for Dark Angel.

²ntbcw alternative title to 1990 Dolph Lundgren film I Come in Peace.

Avatar (2009)

One of the highest-grossing films of all time had a few things to thank.

Summary

In 2154, paraplegic naval officer Jake Sully is selected to participate in Project Avatar, a program which implants human genes into Na'vi natives so poisonous jungle planet Pandora and inhabitants can be exposed and researched.

Oh, superconductor unobtanium sells for 20 million a kilo.

As time marches on, Jake literally feels more at home with the Na'vi and becomes at odds with his own kind on Earth.

Prequel

Ubisoft Montreal developed video game in conjunction with Cameron while film was shot between 2007 and 2009.

Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi provided voice talent, but Sam Worthington and Zoë Saldana did not.

All versions were released a week or so before spectacle hit cinemas.

Films

Nothing like:

The Emerald Forest (1985)

Dances with Wolves (1990)

FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

Pocahontas (1995)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

The Last Samurai (2003)

Literature

Call Me Joe (1957)

Poul Anderson's novelette debuted in Astounding Science Fiction.

Wheelchair-bound astronaut Ed Anglesey telepathically connects with an artificially created lifeform (nicknamed 'Joe'), that enables him to explore Jupiter's harsh surface.

Geezer gradually goes native.

Noon Universe

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky named cosmos after first book Noon: 22nd Century (1961).

Of the planets that appear throughout ten-strong series, Pandora raises eyebrows, because it's a jungle out there and aliens are called the Nave.

Back in 2010, Boris was reported as saying, "The Americans have borrowed our idea - it's very unpleasant. But I won't take them to court. Or shall I?"

Borrowed? Stole more like.

Legal action never came to pass and Boris died in 2012. Sibling passed years before in 1991.

For shits and giggles, Navi is Link's guardian fairy throughout 1998 classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Did Nintendo have the Noon Universe in mind?

No.

Here's the story.

Yoshiaki Koizumi confirmed Navi began as a triangle to make the Z-targeting system work and make it easier for players to tell which enemy they were targeting. Shape eventually became the loud-mouthed fairy we've all come to know and love/hate.

The intention was to create a cute girl, but as that was beyond N64 hardware, Koizumi made a ball of light with wings instead, calling it 'Fairy Navigation System'.

When shown to Toru Osawa, he immediately came up with the idea of naming it 'Navi' because 'she navigates'.

The rest is history.

Comics

The Light and Darkness War (1988-1989)

Tom Veitch's first collaboration with Cam Kennedy concerns disabled veteran Lazarus Jones, (the only survivor of his platoon) who after a car accident is placed in a coma.

He's transported to the Outer Darkness in a star system called Abraxas, where war buddies (dubbed Light Warriors) are still alive.

They fight against Na, Lord of all Reality, and his motley crew of Deadsiders.

Mentep engineer Mu-Mun-Da-Mandra-Lu Urumm.

Name simply rolls off the tongue, right?

(Laughs).

Firekind³ (1993)

Botanist Hendrick Larson travels to Gennyo-Leil to study jungle planet's flora, fauna and indigenous race the Gennyans.

Locals attach symbiotic organism the lantrisant to domesticate huge dragons, with leech creature also being the source of valuable drug hexacrin.

Planet is frequently raided by ruthless poachers, who'll stop at nothing to acquire much sought after hallucinogen.

Aliens grow suspicious of Larson and cast him out, leaving ass to the mercy of unknown dangers.

John Smith writes and Paul Marshall deserves praise for impressive artwork.

Observe dragon rider.

And what about this?

Hmmm.

Cameron claims he wrote an 80-page treatment for blockbuster in 1994.

Leave it there.

³When originally serialised in 2000 AD, an editorial mistake (blamed on tight deadlines), saw Part 7 of hard SF to be omitted, with Part 8 run instead. Series was eventually published in the correct order in 2000 AD Extreme Edition #8 (2005).