018 – The Midoro Swamp [Astro Boy] (Manga)

Astro Boy (1952-68), Chapter 019 ‘The Midoro Swap’ (ミドロが沼), was originally serialized on a monthly schedule from August to November 1956 in Shonen.

What it’s about?

Astro is involved with investigating reports of a monster or monsters sighted around the area of the Midoro Swamp. Professor Ochanomizu obtains permission as part of the proceedings to drain all the water in the swamp. Several large tank trucks are slowly sucking all the contents up.

But in the meantime the humans are attacked. The monsters turn out to be a species of giant intelligent lizards. They are able to speak human language and apparently are the last living descendants of the predominant race of creatures that ruled the world before the evolution of human beings. They can squirt a liquid from their tongues that turns humans into docile slaves and they force the workers to return all the water to the swamp.

Astro and his brother Cobalt capture one of the lizards alive so that the Ministry of Science can examine it. They also discover that the lizards are eating herds of cows and even some of their human slaves when human bones are found in addition to cow bones.

Unfortunately a riot is caused at the ministry when a couple of foolish eager newspaper reporters sneak inside and slip the muzzle off the captive lizard in order to attempt to interview it. They get turned into slaves and free the lizard. In turn security guards are converted and start shooting other people. Astro starts a fire with his armjets to drive the lizard out of hiding. He captures it and forces it to call the other lizards by phone to gather for a showdown at the Ministry of Science. Astro intends to put the lizard into the ministry’s pool but it dies of extreme dehydration as soon as it finishes the call.

Astro waits for the lizards but when they arrive they bring a huge robot built by their human slaves. Since the liquid they shoot out of their mouths cannot work on Astro they intend to use this robot to destroy him. It has anti-proton rays built into its mouth. The armed forces hear about this attack and come to help Astro but they are slowly wiped out till only a quarter of them are left. Finally Astro has an idea to fly around behind the robot, climb up inside its mouth and swing the firing device around so that the anti-proton ray fires down its throat. The robot thus blasts itself to pieces and killing all the lizards in the explosive crossfire. Astro discovers one of them not killed immediately and while it is dying it tells Professor Ochanomizu, Mustachio and other nearby humans that the day will come when all humans will be destroyed by something more powerful that rises up to take their place on earth just like they wiped out all the lizards. Ochanomizu bows his head and admits that this is probably true. What has taken place it Midoro Swamp may have been a prelude of a future survival of the fittest battle.

What you should know

Tezuka drew inspiration for this story from alleged sightings of the fabled Loch Ness Monster in Scotland.