Neo Cortex



Dr. Neo Periwinkle Cortex is the main antigonist in the Crash Bandicoot series. In Crash Bandicoot, he is voiced by Brendan O'Brien, along with all the other characters. From Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back to Crash Nitro Kart, he is voiced by Clancy Brown. As of Crash Twinsanity, he has been voiced by Lex Lang.

Early History
It is made apparent that he was educated at Madame Amberly's school, which appears in Crash Twinsanity. He also has a niece named Nina.

However, in the very back of Crash CTR's strategy guide, it revels that Cortex was from a family of cirrcus performers. Bullies from that time had originally tattooed Cortex's head with the N symbol for "nerd".

Making his debut in Crash Bandicoot, Cortex planned to take over the world using superanimals evolved using his Evolvo-Ray which was created by Dr N Brio (although it is later claimed he himself built it as a child). His plans were thwarted when a failed experiment defeated him and destroyed his castle. Falling into the castle's basement (Or more likely, through the castle to it) he discovers a larger purple crystal...

Returning to Power
Afterwards, he recreated the Cortex Vortex into a space station, with his new assistant Dr N.Gin, Brio having long ditched him to serve drinks at a bar. His new Super Cortex Vortex requires the power of the Master Crystal, which he has, and 25 "slave crystals", and having no more friends left on Earth to find them, he resorts to an enemy. He lies to Crash, telling him the fate of the world is in peril and Cortex needs the crystals to put everything right. Luckily, Brio jumps in at the right time, and Crash gathers the gems instead of the cystals. Using a laser built by Brio, the gem power destroys the Cortex Vortex space station. In this appearance, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, his skin is notably less yellow than other games.

The Great Uka Uka
The Cortex Vortex hurtles towards Earth and destroys a temple. It is revealed that Cortex was working on the orders of Uka Uka, a legendary powerful witchdoctor whose soul was placed in a mask much alike his brother Aku Aku. Cortex is joined by Dr N. Tropy who bends time in order to gather ancient crystals. Crash and Coco intervene however, and destroy the Time Twister machine in the process.

Cortex later joins the good guys to fend off Nitros Oxide, a racer who plans to turn the Earth into a giant parking lot. Oxide is defeated, and Cortex returns to working for Uka Uka.

Not long afterwards, he is summoned to partake in a battle between good and evil. Lasergun in hand, and old buddies on his side (including oddly enough N Brio, who is supposed to have gone to the good side), the games commence. These events happen in Crash Bash, and are not to be considered as canon for the series.

Superweapon
Straight after the events of Warped (Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash do not count), he is seen at a meeting for the villains in the series, it is decided that Crash Bandicoot must be eliminated. Cortex unveils his perfect bandicoot warrior, Crunch. However, Crunch is defeated by Crash at every turn, even with the assistance of The Elementals on the evil side. Crunch is taken to the good side after Cortex's defeat.

Vicarious Visions games

 * Cortex decides to shrink the planet. Crash fights to return the planet to normal, and Cortex fails again.


 * Cortex is side-noted for N.Tropy at one point, Crash Bandicoot: N.Tranced. This does not last long.


 * Emperor Velo the 27th eventually kidnaps him and Crash, and force them to race for the fate of the world. Cortex intends to save the world only to enslave it.


 * Cortex would later team up with Ripto from the Spyro series to create a series of high-powered gnorcs. Both Spyro the Dragon and Crash team up to defeat the two villains.

Uneasy Alliance
Cortex teamed up with Crash once again to help stop his demented former pets Victor and Moritz (two parakeets he tested his early Evolvo-Ray on, which sent them an alternate dimension). He often ends up in embarrassing situations, cross-dressing as Coco (and apparently enjoying it), being captured by a native tribe, thrown in the open mouth of an animated tiki idol, used as a snowboard (and later a skateboard), trapped in a pipe (before farting in it), having his brain forcibly removed from his head (while still alive) and getting into a pay dispute with former henchmen, to name a few.

In Crash Tag Team Racing, Cortex raced against the good guys to gain control of a race park where his new plans for evil could possibly commence, not to mention all the churros he could eat.

Aligment

 * In all Games he has been evil except for Crash Twinsanity.
 * After the player defeats him in Twinsanity, he becomes good (or not).

The Mojo Afair
In Crash of the Titans, Cortex uses Mojo to mutate the island's residents into Titans. After the Yuktopus failed to kill Crash after the first boss fight, Uka Uka replaces him with Nina. At the end of the game, Nina is defeated and Cortex forgives Nina for what she did.

NVasion
In Crash: Mind over Mutant, Cortex has sent Nina to Evil Public School as punishment for betraying him, then reconciles with his old colleague Dr. Nitrus Brio to invent the NV, a personal digital assistant that controls whoever uses it by transmitting bad Mojo, unwillingly supplied by Uka Uka through the use of a milking machine. He later engages in a fight with Crash inside his new Space Head space station, empowering himself with the use of a mutagen formula stolen from N. Brio. Upon losing the fight, Cortex throws a tantrum, causing the Space Head to plummet towards Earth. Returning to normal, he escapes the Space Head in a smaller shuttle with an unnamed Znu.

Trivia

 * Crash Bandicoot: N-Tranced is the only game not to feature Cortex because he failed to stop Crash again.
 * Cortex appeared in all Crash games as a final boss except Crash Bandicoot: N-Tranced, Crash Twinsanity, and Crash of the Titans.
 * Cortex has been voiced in "Crash of the Titans" "Crash Twinsanity" "Crash Tag Team Racing" and "Mind Over Mutant" by Vetern voice actor Lex Lang. Lang's previous credits include being that guy with the deep voice in many movie trailers such as "The Matrix, numerous other games and cartoons and even Seasme Street.

Neo Cortex