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Wikipedia / The Golden Bat

, is a Japanese superhero created by Suzuki Ichiro and Takeo Nagamatsu in the autumn of 1930 who originally debuted in a kamishibai (paper theater).

Golden Bat is considered by some to be not only the first-ever superhero in Japanese media, but also the first modern-day superhero anywhere in the world. The Golden Bat also predates later superhero characters such as the Japanese kamishibai character Prince of Gamma (debut early 1930s), and the American comic book characters Superman (debut 1938) and Batman (debut 1939).

The franchise's storylines generally depict Ōgon Bat, a mysterious cackling, albeit heroic skull-faced warrior fighting against the evil Dr. Nazō and his gang who wants to dominate the world and destroy all order.

Ōgon Bat later appeared in numerous Japanese pop culture media, including manga, anime, and Japanese films, as well as toys (including by Marusan Shōten in 1998-2001) and postage stamps dating back to 1932. It was adapted into various live-action films and a popular anime television series in 1967.

History

Before Ōgon Bat debuted, in 1930, a villainous protagonist was created known as Kuro Bat (黒バット "Black Bat"), a phantom thief depicted committing robberies until Ōgon Bat debuted and defeated him. Since Ōgon Bat was more popular with children, Kuro Bat was reworked as the series' main villain, Dr. Nazō, with Ōgon Bat becoming the titular protagonist.

Ōgon Bat was created by 16-year-old Takeo Nagamatsu and 25-year-old Suzuki Ichiro in 1931, and was named after the Golden Bat cigarette brand and about 440 volumes were released over a two-year period starting in 1931. The two were inspired by drawings of mythological characters in Tokyo's Ueno Royal Museum to create a new hero based on science rather than mythology. The franchise was also co-illustrated and written by Koji Kata, a friend of Nagamatsu. The character debuted in a kamishibai, a type of traveling show in which a sequence of pictures are shown, narrated by a storyteller. The character was popular enough to survive the decline of kamishibai following World War II, and was eventually adapted into manga by Shōnen Gahōsha that ran from 1948 to 1950 (including one by Osamu Tezuka) and anime.

Most of Nagamatsu's original works no longer exist due to most of them being lost or destroyed by fires in the war. What is known to remain of the original is 37 paintings of the original Ôgon Bat itself which were kept and preserved by Nagamatsu's eldest daughter Taniguchi Yoko. However, no known paintings of the original Kuro Bat also still exist.

The character featured in three live-action movies: Golden Bat: The Phantom of the Skyscraper (黄金バット　摩天楼の怪人), released by Shin-eiga Co., Ltd. and distributed by Toei in 1950 based on the manga adaptation by Shōnen Gahōsha; Golden Bat also released by Toei in 1966; and the comedy biopic Here comes the Golden Bat! (黄金バットがやってく), released in 1972 by Toho. He also appeared in a 52-episode anime series that aired on Nippon TV from 1967 to 1968. He was voiced by Osamu Kobayashi in both the live-action film by Toei and Anime version.

Since the character was so popular in South Korea, they made their own mockbuster versions without authorization, such as featuring Golden Bat modeled on D.C's Batman with a yellow suit colorization to match Golden Bat's characteristics in movies such as Black Star and Golden Bat (검은별과 황금박쥐) released in 1979 and a live-action knock-off version of the latter known as Super Betaman and Mazinger V (스타 짱가 Z 마징가 V 슈퍼 베타맨) in 1990. And in 1991, another Korean live-action parody film was madeYoung-Gu and the Golden Bat (영구와 황금박쥐) as part of the Young-Gu and Taengchil comedy series starring comedian Shim Hyung-rae as Young-Gu.

In the late 1990s or early 2000s, a reboot for the anime titled The Golden Bat: Millennium Version (黄金のバット：ミレニアムバージョン) was planned but was scrapped and only a trailer so far ever aired. Garo, as shown in early concepts, was originally intended to be a modernized version of Golden Bat named "Skull Z".

In December 2022, a new manga adaptation illustrated by Kazutoshi Yamane was launched in Champion Red magazine by Akita Shoten.

Character description

Ōgon Bat has a golden skull-shaped head, wears a green and white swashbuckler outfit with a high-collared red cape, and carries a rapier. He lives in a fortress in the Japanese Alps. In the Shōnen Gahōsha comics, he retains a similar appearance to the original albeit with clothes including a hat with a feather designed after a Musketeer.

The Toei version of his character, created for the live-action movie and animated production has a design differing from the original of being an all-golden muscular skeleton wearing a black and red Dracula-like cape and holds a silver baton and has an appearance similar to Skeletor. He is a being from ancient Atlantis who was sent forward in time 10,000 years to battle evil forces of Nazō and his subordinates threatening the present day.

Ōgon Bat's archnemesis is Dr. Erich Nazō (ナゾー), formerly known as Kuro Bat (黒バット "Black Bat"), the leader of a crime syndicate bent on world domination leading tens of thousands of subordinates, who wears a black costume and mask with bat-like ears similar to that of Batman's, a red eye and a blue eye. The Toei version of Nazō also created for the Anime version has an updated look of having four eyes being red, blue, green and yellow and has a mechanical claw on his left hand.

In the anime version, Ōgon Bat also has an evil counterpart of himself known as Kurayami Bat (暗闇バット "Dark Bat"), another being hailing from ancient Atlantis who is identical in appearance to him albeit in dark blue.

His superpowers include superhuman strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly.

Media

Film

A live-action film version of Ōgon Bat was released theatrically by Toei in Japan on December 21, 1966, starring Sonny Chiba as . It was also released in Italy as Il Ritorno di Diavolik (The return of the Diavolik).

On February 12, 2024, Shout! Studios released the film on Blu-Ray for a limited time titled Golden Ninja. This marks the first known time Golden Bat was ever officially released in the United States.

Plot

When young Akira Kazahaya spots the rogue planet Icarus on a collision course for Earth, he is recruited by Captain Yamatone into the Pearl Research Institute in the Japanese Alps, secretly an U.N. organization that protects the Earth, who is searching for the final component to complete Dr. Pearl's Super Destruction Beam Cannon to destroy Icarus. When Captain Yamatone's unit, along with Akira and Pearl's granddaughter Emily, searches for the material for the lens on a mysterious island they soon realize is Atlantis, they are attacked by the evil forces of the Ruler of the Universe Nazō (ナゾー) in a drill-shaped tower ship, who is the one who sent Icarus towards Earth, and force Yamatone to retreat into an ancient tomb holding a sarcophagus with a prophecy that after 10,000 years, a crisis will inevitably come and to awaken the one within to fight it. Just as Nazō's men burst in and try and surround the institute's people, Emily places water on Ogon Bat's chest and revives him. Laughing, Ogon Bat sizes up the situation, defeats the alien attackers and sends a bat to Emily, which turns into a pin, allowing her to call him when there is danger. Ogon Bat then fights off Nazō's tower, allowing Yamatone and the institute people to return with the lens.

Undeterred, Nazō gathers his three top agents, Viper, Piranha, and Jackal, who he sends to infiltrate the Institute and retrieve the lens and the beam cannon using their own unique abilities. Nazō successfully captures Dr. Pearl, Emily, and the Super Destruction Beam, but is frustrated by his minions' inability to find the lens and Dr. Pearl's resistance to interrogation, Pearl realizing far more than Earth would be in danger if a villain like Nazō were to gain the weapon, until he realizes Yamatone gave the lens to Ogon Bat, and Nazō tricks Emily into calling for him, resulting in a climactic battle with the fate of Earth at stake.

Cast

  • Sonny Chiba as

  • Osamu Kobayashi as Golden Bat (voice)

  • Wataru Yamakawa as Akira Kazahaya

  • Hisako Tsukuba as Naomi Akiyama

  • Emiri Takami as Emily Beard

  • Andrew Hughes as Dr. Parl

  • Hirohisa Nakada as agent Shimizu

  • Kōsaku Okano as agent Nakamura

  • Kouji Sekiyama as Nazō

  • Youichi Numada as Keroido / Viper

  • Keiko Kuni as Perania / Piranha

  • Keiichi Kitakawa as Jackal

  • Yukio Aoshima as police officer

Anime

is an anime television series released in 1967. It was also one of the most popular anime shows during its run. The show itself's designs for the characters and elements are based on those in the previous live-action film version by Toei and Osamu Kobayashi reprised his role as Golden Bat. Before the show aired while it was still in production, a manga for the show was released by Daitosha and Shōnen Gahōsha on December 25, 1966, which was the same year the film premiered.

Plot

Lord Nazo, a German mad scientist, aims to conquer the world via various destructive criminal activities and leads tens of thousands of subordinates by his side. In search of the lost city of Atlantis, Archaeologist Dr. Mire and his daughter Marie on a ship leads an expedition that ends in disaster when Nazo finds them and attacks their ship with a mechanical beast. Initially unknown to them, Marie survived the attack ending up on a life boat, unconscious. Fortunately, she ends up found and rescued by Dr. Yamatone's son, Takeru, and joins their mission to find the lost city of Atlantis.

Once their aircraft has run out of fresh water, a fluid necessary for its operation, they land on an island in hopes of finding some. Much to their relief, the island turns out to be none other than Atlantis. Nazo turns out to have pursued them in order to kill them all. Once Nazo sends his mechanical beast to confront them, the crew scurries into the tomb, only to find a coffin. After reading the instructions of Dr. Mire's book Marie kept safe, they poor water on the golden skeletal-like creature located inside going by the name of Golden Bat, causing him to awake up after thousands of years. The monster saves them from the mechanical beast thanks to his astonishing superpowers. From then on, Golden Bat answers Marie's calls to fights against Lord Nazo.

Cast

International release

The anime aired in South Korea on the Tongyang Broadcasting Company and was one of the few works to be exempt from the latter's restrictions on Japanese-related media since it was a co-production and was in-fact one of the most popular anime shows in Korea.

The show also aired in a limited number of regions outside of Asia and under various different titles including in English titled Phantaman or Fantoma: Warrior of Justice dubbed by Frontier Enterprises and only aired in Australia on GTV-9. It also aired as Fantasmagórico in Latin America and was also one of the most popular anime shows there, Fantomas in Brazil and Fantaman in Italy. The show never aired in the United States.

List of anime episodes

Notes

  • Only the original depiction of the franchise is public-domain in both Japan and America. The movie and anime adaptations of the franchise are still protected by their own copyright holders.

References