011 – Electro [Astro Boy] (Manga)

Astro Boy (1952-68), Chapter 011 ‘Electro’ (電光人間), was originally published as a supplemental insert to the January 1955 New Years special edition of Shonen.

What it’s about?

The gangster Skunk Kusai has stolen a newly designed robot called Electro. He is built out of PH Glass and is invisible to the naked eye except when highlighted by special polarizing beams of light and Skunk uses him to commit robberies and blackmails the police saying he will return Electro if and only if they give up interfering with his crimes from now on. Mr. Mustachio agrees to help the police and gets them to agree to pretend to accept Skunk’s conditions and they sit back while Skunk uses Electro in his work for a month. The citizen’s all think they’re being incompetent but Skunk agrees to meet the police in the park to negotiate returning Electro.

But Astro has taken it upon himself to track down Skunk and he suddenly attacks while Mustachio is trying to set Skunk up into false confidence. Skunk vows to use Electro to strike terror all over Japan and escapes while Electro overpowers everybody, even Astro. Astro is severely rebuked by Mustachio and Inspectors Tawashi and Nakamura and forbidden to go after Skunk again.

Later that night Electro goes to Astro’s house to ask him why he felt different from all the other humans when he grabbed him earlier that day. Astro explains that he’s a robot just like him and is amazed that Skunk never bothered even telling Electro that he was a robot. Astro begins to teach Electro the difference between right and wrong and persuades him to take him to Skunk’s hideout. Astro captures the villain but the judge sets Skunk free on a bail of fifty million yen. Everybody is mad and the police realize there must be somebody protecting Skunk. Mustachio tries some undercover work but is ambushed by Skunk’s gang and shot dead by Skunk himself.

Electro still retains some sense of loyalty to Skunk though he is confused and when Astro next meets him he tries to paint him visible so Skunk won’t be able to keep using him. However Electro hates it and runs away with only his legs and lower torso painted. Skunk is furious but gives Electro a bomb telling him to plant it in Ochanomizu’s laboratory so it will kill the professor. Astro meets Electro once again and pleads with him to hand over the bomb before it blows up in another two hours. He decides instead to keep the bomb for himself and runs off with it. Astro, Ochanomizu and the police search for him but by the time they find him there is only two seconds to spare. They have no choice but to destroy Electro with mag-guns to neutralize the bomb. Astro is devastated and flies off to capture Skunk. In the meantime Inspector Tawashi receives a tip off by phone that a corrupt politician named Kurobe is the one who had Skunk bailed out. Skunk catches the spy who turns out to be Mustachio when unmasked. It turns out that the Mustachio Skunk had murdered was a robot actor in disguise. Before Skunk can shoot the real Mustachio Astro bursts in and knocks him out. Astro is overjoyed to learn his teacher is alive and Skunk faces trial and prison alongside Kurobe.

What you should know

This story was adapted for episode 12 of the 1980’s animated series, “The Light Ray Robot” and for episode 7 of the 1960’s series, “Zero, the Invisible Robot”. This is only the second time Astro’s most infamous enemy Skunk appears in the manga story collection.