Great Mazinger (グレートマジンガー Gurēto Majingā?) is a manga comic book and anime television series by manga artist Go Nagai, made as a direct continuation of the successful Mazinger Z series. It was aired on Japanese television in 1974, immediately following the end of the first Mazinger series, and ran for 56 episodes.
The story centers on Tetsuya Tsurugi(剣 鉄也 Tsurugi Tetsuya), an orphan raised by none other than Kenzo Kabuto (兜 剣造 Kabuto Kenzō?), the once thought dead father of Mazinger Z pilot Koji Kabuto. Kenzo Kabuto is the creator of the new, improved version of Mazinger, made by refining his father's Chogokin Z (Super Alloy Z) into a new, stronger form, designed to fight against humanity's new enemy, the Mycenae Empire, led by the Great General of Darkness and his army of Warrior Beasts. Kenzo gives the Great Mazinger to Tetsuya to pilot, who is accompanied by a new token female companion, Jun Hono(an orphaned half Japanese, half Black girl), in her feminine robot, Venus A (Venus Ace).
Both Great Mazinger's and Tetsuya's training are completed just in time to come to Kouji's aid as the Mycenae Battle Beasts overwhelm Mazinger Z. With the original Mazinger destroyed, Kouji went to America to study space travel and left Japan's defense in the hands of Tetsuya and the Fortress of Science. Tetsuya battles the Mycenae Battle Beasts and even their mighty generals, cumulating in a bitter final battle with the Mycenae's military leader, Ankoku Daishogun (Great General of Darkness). After the Great General of Darkness' defeat, the Mycenae forces are led by Dr. Hell, the villain from Mazinger Z, back under the guise of the Great Marshall of Hell.
Produced as a direct sequel to Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger also includes some cast members the original series, including Shiro Kabuto (Kouji's little brother), and comic-relief robot Boss Borot. While Great Mazinger did not achieve the same astronomical ratings as Mazinger Z, but was still highly popular to run a very successful 56 weeks, and spawned a line of best-selling toys and merchandize as did its predecessor, as well as several spin-off theatrical featurettes, and allowed for the creation of UFO Robo Grendizer.
Originally, Great Mazinger was to be included in Jim Terry's Force Five series, but was eventually swapped out with Spaceketeers, and was never aired in the United States. It was however successfully broadcast, unedited and in its entirety, as was Mazinger Z, in Italy, Mexico, and other Latin American countries. Eventually, footage from Great Mazinger's sole appearance in the final episode of Mazinger Z, was aired as part of the US version of Mazinger Z, known as Tranzor Z. But, Great Mazinger had already been introduced to millions of American children under the name of Mazinga as one of the imported, 24" Jumbo Machinder toys released in the US by Mattel as part of their Shogun Warriors line in 1976.
Great Mazinger was also the star of the short theatrical "team-up movies" features released in Japan like UFO Robot Grendizer vs. Great Mazinger, Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo G: Clash in The Sky and Grendizer, Getter Robo G, Great Mazinger: Monster of The Ocean Floor, based on anime crossovers of the manga creations of Go Nagai.
Tetsuya and the Great Mazinger are featured, along with Jun in the Mazinkaiser OVA and movie Mazinkaiser vs The Great General of Darkness. The characters have been also a mainstay in Banpresto's Super Robot Wars, a popular battle-simulation/RPG series of video games based on many anime mecha shows, including the original Mazinger Z and many others like Getter Robo, the Gundam series, and Neon Genesis Evangelion (which was emo) among others. Tetsuya also appears in Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen. Tetsuya also pilots an earlier version of Mazinger Z called Energer Z.
Modern version[]
In the 2002 OVA Mazinkaiser: Tetsuya again fights alongside Kouji against Dr. Hell's forces. The OVA version of Great Mazinger is physically identical to the original, but with black coloring on the arms and legs instead of blue. Great is seriously damaged during the initial battle in the series, and later, when the captured Mazinger Z attacks the Photon Power Lab, Tetsuya does his best to defend the lab against Mazinger Z and later the rampaging Mazinkaiser, leaving him badly injured and Great Mazinger a complete wreck. Afterwards, he leaves together with Jun for treatment for his injuries.
Near the end of the OVA, Tetsuya returns with a new, much more powerful Great, discovered in Doctor Juzo Kabuto's laboratory; this is said to be the real Great Mazinger (or "Shin Great Mazinger"). The "true" Great is structurally the same as the earlier version, but the color scheme for the forearms and legs is blue, as in the original 70's version. It is explained that the Great Mazinger made by Doctor Kenzo Kabuto (Kouji's father) is the prototype version, seen in the early episodes, whereas Doctor Juzo Kabuto (Kouji's grandfather), secretly working in an underground laboratory, managed to finish the final version of Great Mazinger. It has tremendous power compared to the prototype version, and its armor is almost identical to the new Z Alpha armor used by Mazinkaiser. This Shin Great Mazinger was able to defeat an entire army of Doctor Hell's super robots single handedly, including the possessed Venus Ace (although most of the battle was not shown). It suffered no damage and after the battle, Great Mazinger decided to find and help Kouji in the Floating Fortress of Dr. Hell. The concept of Shin Great Mazinger is to bring Great to the ranks of modern and more powerful robots such as Mazinkaiser and Shin Getter Robo.
Great also returns in the 2003 movie Mazinkaiser: Deathmatch! Ankoku Daishogun, where Tetsuya once more fights the Mycenae Empire (using the prototype Great Mazinger for unknown reasons). This time, however, Great is incapacitated rather quickly, surviving battle but unable to continue fighting. However, the battle did display Tetsuya's skill, as he was the only member of the Mazinger Army (made up of Great, Venus A and three mass-produced and significantly weaker versions of Mazinger Z) to defeat his attackers and survive.
Manga[]
Chapter 1[]
So Gennosuke Yumi wants to make a Mazinger Army to take on Dr. Hell at his last base. Its days from being finished and Koji Kabuto wants to end the Dr for slagging his grandpa and other people. Somehow Dr H hears of this and vows to crush Japan in 10 days. He sends Baron Ashura and Count Brocken to send all his forces to Japan to waste it. Ghoul is flyed by Brocken and Budo by Ashura. Koji uses his upgraded Jet Scrander to fly but it comes off in da air and Mazinger lands on his feet. Sayaka Yumi hugs Koji worried of him and the curvy blonde twists Lori and Loru show up. Koji nearly slags em thinking they are Gamia Q and they are former Pro Racers (Like Danica Patrick??). He also meets Shun Azuma and Masao Ooide who are gonna pilot other Mazinger Army Veritechs. Koji don't think Ooide is a mechanical beast like Azuma as he reminds him of Sayaka and Sayaka chases him as women spazz out at minor jokes. We get a look over of the robots and pilots.
Chapter 2[]
Then Dr H's forces attack and take out a warship and Ghoul launches Birdon B7 which falls to the jets. Jeiser J1 comes next and grinds up the jets. The Scrander needs 3 days to finish the upgrades and both of the Dr's battle fortresses are probably full of monsters. Dr H sends a message broadcast to Japan saying he's called that as he's gonna send everyone in Japan there. At night the Ghoul attacks Japan like its the Allies in WW2 and the Japan sends the Mazinger Army. Sayaka uses Venus A and its equipped with Mazinger Z's attacks and they battle the Mechanical beaSTS. The other Mazinger Army homies each have an attack from Mazinger and all 3 robots(4 pilots) get slagged. Sayaka is then saved by Koji in the incomplete Scrander equipped Mazinger, who then tears up Ghoul from inside. So Baron Ashura in Budo is landing on the beach like the Allies in WW2 and Ghoul comes down after being f'd from within and slams in the sub and all on both get sent to h e double england! Ghoul seems to survive and returns to Dr H Holes base and Mazinger and Venus follow.
Chapter 3[]
He vows to beat Mazinger and pulls a SDF 1 by turning his Castle into a giant f--kin robot that was somehow under all that rock all this time! Koji blows off its head but like Black Zarak in Transformers Super God Masterforce, it keeps on fighting and blasts Mazinger with Gordon Fire! After taking a chop with a sword and damaging his breast fire thing (At least Honey Kisaragi's b00bs weren't hit) Sayaka attacks, does diddley d0ng and gets blown out! After Mazingers other attacks do Jack and Sh-t, Koji tries to Kamikaze with his Photon Core having the same power as a Nuke(And Japan's gov just lets Koji have it? Bada55! In soviet england you can't own nunchaku or knifes for cutting bread!) The H base, Black Devil Gordon (When I hear Gordon I think Shining Time Station) spins like a freakkin Beyblade and makes a Phantom Hurricane Twister like Dragoon! Then sets it on fire like its Soviet California! Koji think's he's f'd but his grandad Juzo Kabuto's spirit encourages him in a scene Totally not ripped off by Yugioh. Koji realizes the center of the Twister is clear and tries to fly but the twister is in the same direction as his jets. so he detaches it and goes in the neck hole (Akira Fudo in Devilman:Demon Bird Sirene: I'll rip off your head and sh-t down your neck!) and Gordon blows apart! Koji survives and they bring him back and fix up Mazinger.
Chapter 4[]
Later Koji chats with Sayaka about how he only fought for peace and now its over. Then Archduke Gorgon goes to his base and reports to his boss the Great General of Darkness that their enemy Dr H was slagged and now all in their way of the Mycenae Empire taking over da urth is Mazinger Z! So General sends Grantonios and Biranius. Later, Koji, Boss, Mucha, Nuke. Shiro Kabuto and Bikini Sayaka are at the beach and Sayaka don't want tan lines so she stays under a parasol. So Koji swipes her Bikini Top, but the Photon Power Lab alls Koji to deal with new monsters attacking. Mazinger Z, Diana A and Boss Borot go to face it and Grantonios tells em its not some metal puppet but was sent by the Great General of Darkness to slag him. Diana gets f'd by Biranius's fish (with 1 biting the b00b) and Grantonios whips off Mazingers right arm and crumbles Borot with vibrations. Koji tries a Rocket Punch and Koshiryoku Beam but they get rebounded and bust his cracked Mazinger. So Mazinger Z just got f'd dead and somewhere else, Kenzo Kabuto somehow senses his kid needs him and sends Tetsuya Tsurugi in Great Mazinger to save him. He arrives and slags both baddies with fancy moves and carries the busted Mazinger off (As Sayaka and Boss and just stay there). Later Koji, Sayaka, Shiro and Dr Yumi are in a Limo wondering who made a Superer Robot Than Mazinger Z. They go to the ocean and a base rises up and in it is Kenzo Kabuto who Yumi sez died in a lab accident. Kenzo sez he did bite it but got better after his dad made him into a cyborg with only his head being alive (And this is like 15 years before Robocop 1). Also he made Great Mazinger with help from an Electronic brain (Like Bionic Bunny having a Bionic Brain in Arthur?) and his dad warned him of the Mycenae Empire comming back and he spent years making this lab and training Tetsuya. He tells Yumi to help his son become a better scientist than him as he's got scientist ancestry and Kenzo will probably bite it so he needs a back up. Koji and Sayaka are written out sent to study in America.
Chapter 5[]
So Jun Hono is in a girly outfit and Boss comes on to her being feminine instead of a Tomboy and she runs as guys finding chicks sexy is offensive. She is caught by some guys and meanwhile, Japan has a cold front from the USSR Siberia and Shiro chats with Tetsuya about Jun going Shopping as there were good deals. Then the base is under attack and Great Mazinger comes out and fights a Spider Yokai in mean Mycenae and its got Jun drugged as a hostage and if Tetsuya(Which I really wanna spell Tetsuja cuz I'm Slovenian) can't fight back and takes a pounding. Kenzo sez if he bites it then Jun will too and think like she's already dead. The base gets f'd and Tetsuya charges in which shocks the monster. Boss uses dyno mite (Which if Mazinger Z couldn't beat em,, how does a stick of Dy Mo Mite?!) to blows off its hand (Like Harold Lloyd) and drop Jun and they hide under a White Sheet in the snow. Tetsuya spikes it to the ground with a sword and slags it.
Chapter 6[]
So Great Mazinger tests his weapons and Jun sez Tetsuya is great and Kenzo sez they were born to pilot the mechs Venus A and Great Mazinger. Then Kenzo thinks about taking them in after their fams bit it and trained em to stop the Mycenae. Meanwhile, the Great General of Darkness rags on Minister Argos about how Argos otta know where Great Mazinger is. He sez its in the costal waters of Izu (Like in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue?) and G G O D sends General Angoras to cause a storm there to lure G M out. Later its night and Boss is pretending to have a Takoyaki date with Sayaka and he sees a sexy chick comming outta the sea. Turns out its Venus A and Jun comes out. Boss comes on to her and sez he pilots the Borot. she introduces herself (even though he seemed to know her last chapter) and sez he likes her big b00bs. She throws him and sez she's been training all her life to be the pilot of Venus A and she's too much for him. Boss trys to charge her but Tetsuya stops him and sez he and Jun are close like Bro and sis and Boss don't care as he's totally gay for Jun and wants to fight ads the cool robot guys get all the hot chicks (If you've seen Mazinger Z Infinity you'll know they get b0ned by em). Suddenly, a tidal wave made by battle beast Mamerugosu happens and Jun/Boss get in their bots (Mucha and Nuke ride with Boss) and are hosed by the wave as Mamerugosu uses gravity to make waves(like da moon?!). Angoras and G G O D talk about how this looks good for em but where's Poochy I mean Great Mazinger? Tetsuya is trying to dock with Great Mazinger but the Tsunami might stop it. Her equips and slags Mamerugosu but Angoras sez he was just the bait to lure him out and sends in his real warrior: the Mcconnell! A bullet shaped Fish Type Battle Beast! In Attack mode! It plows Great Mazinger into a wall and blows as its full of asplosives but Great Mazinger survives at the last second.
Chapter 7[]
So Great General is b--ching about how they aint conquered Japan yet and Archduke Gorgon sez they otta try something different. He sez its cuz their commander s-cked and Angoras tries to stomp him but Dark General sez no and gives Gorgon a chance to beat Great Mazinger by daybreak. If he does, he can become a General. He suggests Probing Great Mazingers surroundings (Which sounds like a proctology thing). So this Octopus battle beast Zerangia and Jun thinks it would be cool if she could fly her Venus 5 thing. Great Mazinger uses its boomerang but it but its all sticky and oozy so it don't work. Same with the Rocket Punches. Gorgon cheers as without his hands, Mazinger can't use Thunder Break or his sword and Jun bashes him for getting into this mess. Naval missile is stopped by a thunder shield and it sticks to the ground so Great Typhoon don't blow it away. Gorgon comes out and gloats but Great flies up on the Typhoon and kicks a sword through the Zerangia. Then slags Gorgon and his Jellyfish with Electro Thunder Spark (What if he just used Great Thunder at the start? Gorgon's whole plan depended on Mazinger using both Rocket Punches at the start!) General of Darkness b--ches that Gorgon was wasted and they gotta beat Great Mazinger. Later maybe, Boss trains by driving his Borot along the beach to beat Koji I mean Tetsuja and Marquis Janus shows up in there and turns her head around to show a 2nd face on the back. She hypnotizes him and his droogs to push a button when Tertsuya sez "unbelievable". Also she has her goons mod Boss Borot with charges to blow and mind wipes Boss to forget she did that. Later a Battle Beast attacks and Boss Borot Beats it as Great Mazinger Arrives. Tetsuya sez Boss Borot is unbelievable and this triggers Boss to push the button and fire a missile from Borot at Great Mazinger(Didn't the Manchurian Candidate do this first?). Janus sez Great isn't invincible when attacked from nearby(Das f--k?!) and sends Merutazu out. Great Mazinger had its Right Arm blown off by the missile and it gets splashed by Acid from the Beast Machine that will melt it from inside leaving it a hollow doll(Like how wasps plant eggs on things and they hatch and eat em alive while leaving the vital organs last). Great Mazinger chops off its arm and slices off the monsters head as it sprays acid, The head flies and spins and soaks the body in acid and slags it, Janus is amazed at Great Mazingers power and Boss has no memory of it but Jun don't buy it. So the Emperor of Darkness b--ches at Great General of Darkness over not beating Great Mazinger and he decides to go himself to beat Tsurugi.
Chapter 8[]
So Kenzo is making that thing Mandark used in Dexters Lab to beat the Japan Monster but only made it stronger. Then Great General of Darkness comes himself and Jun and Tetsuya take off in their Hetero EVA Units. General launches a buncha Battler Beasts and Venus and Great fly up as Kenzo zaps the Beasties with a hypno ray and makes em attack the Great General. Kenzo sez he studied Marquis Janus's hypnosis on Boss and friends (F--kin how?! There was no cameras and Boss snapped outta it after he was triggered!) but not everything can be hypnotized. So G G O D slags his troops like he's Megatron and faces Great Mazinger. Great General's Sword absorbs energy attacks and the punches bounce off. He slices off Greats arm and Venus sh00ts her t-ts at him but he eye beams her out. Boss Borot goes to save Jun and Kenzo is gonna use Photon Force Guns on G G O D but Great Mazinger is too close. Great flies fast and cuts by him holding the boomerang but the 2nd try he gets grabbed and spun around and thrown into the lab, which makes it asplode for some reason. So G G O D is gonna take off Greats Head but Great kicks him in the torso face and Naval Missiles him a lot. And takes off his head like Black Zarak in Transformers Super God Masteforce. As his head is in his body (Like Black Zarak) he grabs Great Mazinger ands strangles it (But it don't got lungs or a throat!) and is gonna bring Tetsuya to Hell with him! Great Mazinger jams his fingers in his chest eyes and Thunder Breaks him from inside (Kinda like how when Narumi strangled Riki-Oh with his guts and Riki-Oh slugs him out with one of his 2 free arms). so the General Asplodes like the Leprechaun in those so bad its good 90s movies.
Chapter 9[]
So the Emperor of Darkness says to his remaining dudes to slag Great Mazinger and later Batttle Beast Igo attack a plane like its The Giant Claw. Later Tetsuya is working out and is called in to fight Battle Beast Grongo. Jun is gonna take the other one but then they get a message from Dr. Hell saying he's been revived as the Grand Marshall of Hell and wants Great Mazingers weapons in exchange for the hostages he took. Jun begs him not to but Tetsuya consents. They give up their weapons and the passengers are returned but the staff and crew of the vehicles captured aren't. G M O H says they'll be returned if he fight 3 mechanical beasts in a dual. Jun begs him not to but Tetsuya consents and he goes out. Battle Beast Spice puts an iron mask on him to stop the Great Typhoon and they bring him chained up to a place where GMOH sez he's gonna torture him dead and won't give back the people. Tetsuja launches off and they slice off Great Mazinger head, to reveal it was Venus A in a fake Great Mazinger(Cosplay!!) and the weapons were fakes too(you mean he didn't check em?!). Great Mazinger comes outta a volcano cuz its cool and dont need to make sense about how it got there or launched out, and he and Venus slag the beasts. He comes for GMOH but I guess he planned for this like he's Xanatos from Gargoyles and he has the remaining Generals attack! He takes off GMOH's head but it was too easy and he gets f'd hard by the other 7 evil ex bf's. The Real GMOH comes in to finish him and Tetsuya realizes the controls say everything ok and the 7 chaos emeralds aint appearing on radar, so they are fighting 1 on 1 somehow. He uses Breast Burn and blasts him and sez he knows its all just an illusion as Great Mazinger wouldn't fall that easy and its really General Hadias he's fighting! Tetsuya slags him and tells Jun, who saw the same thing, that it was electromagnetic waves that made their brains thing it was like that.
Chapter 10[]
So Kenzo Kabuto is gonna revive Mazinger Z with Prof Yumi and a new Super alloy Z and have Koji return. Marquis Janus sees this with her science or witchcraft or w/e and Grand Marshall of H-ll sez to stop em but Koji is already in Japan. Koji is driven with Sayaka and Battle Beast Ruby Ghilas shows up and blasts the car. But its really a flying saucer made In America and flies off(Da f--k?!). It follows them but Great Mazinger slags it and Venus flies on a Scrander of its own to guard them. At da base Koji reunites with his dad and Koji, Sayaka, Jun, Tetsuya and Boss vow to work together like the Power Rangers. Grand Marshall goes all out and launches all his sh-t at Japan and slags Tokyo. They also attack the Photon Power Lab and Jun and Tetsuya go there as Mazinger and Sayaka fight the other area. Great Mammoth and General Julicaesar attack Mazinger Z and Diana A buyt Great comes in and slags em. The enemy runs after their leader falls and they f--k em up. Even Boss Borot and Shiro in his own kiddy mech come in as Kenzo said Shiro could come. Jun realizes that Kenzo planned to nuke the base and take Dr H to h-ll with him! He uses the nuke in the base to wipe the area and says sorry for not being a great dad to Shiro and Koji(Couldnt you do this by remote?! Did you have to be there to set it off?!) and Dr H survives as he wasn't close enuff. The Double Mazingers attack GMOH and he's resistant to missiles with his mantle like he's Enma-Kun or some sh-t. He blasts them with fire and Great Mazinger uses Thunder on its blade and throws it through the GMOH's mech eye and slags him(At least until Mazinkaiser or Mazinger Z Infinity). Later Koji and friends say bye to Kenzo and thank him for helping them beat the Mycenae Empire. Now Koji can grow up to be a scientist but not be a beta male like those big bang theory dinks! The end!
Robot[]
Weapons and Attacks[]
Super Robot Wars Z - Great Mazinger (All Attacks)
Great Mazinger: All attacks in SRW Z
Navel Missile Just like Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger mounts a missile launcher in its stomach.
Atomic Punch Great Mazinger also possesses a Rocket Punch-like attack, though its fists spin while in flight, giving them extra force.
Drill Pressure Punch It is like the Atomic Punch, except that the forearms sprout drill-like blades that add to the damage as well as the speed of rotation.
Great Boomerang Great Mazinger can take the heat sink fin off of its chest and throw it as a giant boomerang.
Scramble Cutter Just like Mazinger Z's Scrander Cutter, Great Mazinger slashes the enemy with the Scrander's wings while flying at high speeds.
Great Typhoon Just like Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger uses turbines to generate powerful wind attacks. However, Great Mazinger's attack is simply a wind-based attack, lacking the corrosive properties of Mazinger's attack.
Knee Impulse Kick Great Mazinger can sprout a spike from its knee, making its kick attacks more lethal.
Backspin Kick Great Mazinger can also sprout a curved blade on the front of its leg for stronger kicks.
Mazinger Blade The flanged compartments on Great Mazinger's legs hold a pair of swords. Tetsuya typically uses the Blades for melee combat, but on several occasions he threw them at the enemy.
Breast Burn Like Mazinger Z, the fin on Great Mazinger's chest doubles as a heat sink and a weapon, unleashing incredible thermal energy.
Thunder Break Great Mazinger can release energy into the atmosphere, stimulating the process that creates natural lightning. Great Mazinger then calls the lightning down onto the antennae on its head and redirects the energy towards an enemy. In the Super Robot Wars series, Tetsuya can perform this alongside the Grendizer's Space Thunder or another Great Mazinger unit's Thunder Break to perform the Double Lightning Buster.
Thunder Blade A one-time attack where Tetsuya channeled the lightning from the Thunder Break through one of his Mazinger Blades.
Double Thunder Break Similar to Thunder Break but Great Mazinger uses both hands to redirect the lightning.
Breast Burn Special Basically a powered-up Breast Burn, almost akin to the Kaiser Nova of Mazinkaiser but with detrimental effects to Great Mazinger. Used in the manga to destroy Gilgilgan from within.
Double Burning Fire In certain Super Robot Wars games, Tetsuya and Kouji can use their chest beam attacks to cause an even more powerful, faster burn for their opponents.
Brain Condor[]
Like Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger is operated by a separate vehicle that docks with the Mazinger's head. It emerges from an underwater launch bay connected to the Fortress of Science and docks with Great, which rises from a whirlpool in the nearby waters.
Length 5 meters
Maximum Speed Mach 1
Maximum Dive Depth 8 kilometers
Power Source Photonic Energy
Armor Materials Chogokin New Z (New Super-Alloy Z)
Weapons Lasers, Missiles
Great Booster[]
A supplemental craft, the Great Booster functions much as the Jet Scrander did for Mazinger Z (Great already had some flight capability "out of the box", thanks to its collapsible Scramble Dash). Though rarely used, the Great Booster was incredibly powerful and was instrumental in Tetsuya's defeat of the Mycene.
