Frankenstein [Astro Boy] (Manga)

Astro Boy (1952-68), Chapter 003  ‘Frankenstein’ (フランケンシュタイン), was originally serialized on a monthly schedule between November 1952 and April 1953 in Shonen.

What it’s about?

In a robot factory in which all the human engineers have become lazy and quit their jobs letting robots take over completely a disaster is created. While the robot workers are trying to complete a large, strong robot he awakens prematurely and goes out of control smashing everything in his path. Astro is passing nearby and hears the commotion. He finds the factory wrecked and all the workers smashed. Reassembling one of them and awakening him he is told about the renegade robot who is known as Frankenstein.

While Astro attempts to search for him, Frankenstein crosses paths with some gangsters who decide to adopt him as a muscle man to assist with their crimes. When Frankenstein attacks a robot dancer just before she goes on stage the police realize that Frankenstein is involved as no human could smash a robot in the way that the dancer has been. Inspector Tawashi is furious and says if a human is attacked like this it will prove what he’s always been saying about robots being dangerous. Inspector Nakamura sticks up for Astro when his colleague snaps at him though.

Shortly after this Astro’s friend Tamao is kidnapped and the school bully, Shibugaki’s rich father is robbed by Frankenstein disguised as a valuable statue delivered to his mansion. Astro tracks him down at the scene of the crime and they fight just as Shibugaki Senior and his butler are attacked. Astro is in time to save their lives but just as the butler manages to call the police Frankenstein overcomes Astro and escapes. Before Astro can get to his feet and chase him the police arrive and he is arrested. Even young Shibugaki accuses Astro of working with Frankenstein though Nakamura is uneasy about this.

At the trial however Astro’s teacher, Mr. Mustachio, also known as the detective, Shunsaku Ban is his lawyer and he presents a good case. The jury declares Astro innocent due to lack of conclusive evidence.

As for Tamao it transpires he was kidnapped by different people not connected with Frankenstein. They contact Astro and arrange to pick him up at the Tokyo train station alone at noon. A masked man takes Astro by car to their hideout but on the way he plucks out and disables the radar gadget that Professor Ochanomizu had planted in Astro so they cannot be tracked. The gang tell Astro that they are all robots like him who are planning to make war on humans. Astro can’t believe that robots would think this way and refuses to join their cause however they threaten to hurt Tamao. If he does anything to interfere with them they will kill him. They blindfold Astro and Tamao and take them to safety.

Astro won’t say anything of course and neither will Tamao but Tamao does bad mouth Astro to the other kids at school, including Shibugaki. Even though Tamao knows Astro did it to protect him he tells everybody that Astro is a bad robot who has joined forces with human hating robots. Shibugaki and his friends give Astro such a hard time over this. Then robots are all declared to be dangerous and banished. The renegade robots encourage a bunch of the robots who are about to be transported to some far away island to join them in attacking the Ministry of Science. Ochamomizu and the other scientists are taken prisoner along with his friend Ken, but for Tamao’s sake Astro still does nothing.

Astro realizes he must find Frankenstein to put a stop to this madness. After searching he finally hears the noise he makes coming from the Shibugaki mansion. Mustachio has gone to visit Mr. Shibugaki to discuss how he believes Frankenstein is under control of humans who want to steal his artwork and valuables. While they were talking the villains were sneaking up on them and Frankenstein has seized Mustachio. Astro is just in time to save him. They knock Frankenstein out and tie up the gangsters. Then Mustachio calls for a robotic engineer to come out and repair Frankenstein to make him a good robot. The rest of the gangsters show up including the boss but Astro protects Mustachio and the engineer and Frankenstein is perfectly modified.

Astro subdues all the gangsters before Frankenstein is reawakened and then with a new found understanding of right and wrong Frankenstein goes to the Ministry of Science, captures all the robot rebels and rescues Ochanomizu and all the other hostages. The renegade robots take off their masks in confession revealing themselves to have been human revolutionists pretending to be robots. Mustachio announces on the media that everything was the fault of humans. Even the problem of Frankenstein himself was due to humans being lazy and leaving all the work at the factory to robots with no human supervision. Humans should feel ashamed of the way they treated robots in the whole affair.

Astro is hailed as a hero and everybody is reconciled to him. Even Shibugaki apologizes.