Mazinger Z (robot)

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Mazinger mecha
Mazinger Z
マジンガーZ
Creator Go Nagai
Weapons
Construction Super-Alloy Z
Energy Source Photonic Energy
Mazinger Mechas


Mazinger Z is a fictional mecha from the anime and manga series of the same name, created by Go Nagai. Within the story, Mazinger Z was created by Professor Juzou Kabuto and piloted by his grandson Kouji. Mazinger Z is often credited as the first piloted robot, making it the ancestor of the wildly popular mecha genre.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] History

Professor Juzou Kabuto was a brilliant scientist in his own right; during a mining expedition on Mount Fuji, he discovered a new element which he dubbed Japanium. Later, while researching Mediterranian legends of metal giants, one of his colleagues went mad with power and decided to use the ancient Mechanical Beasts to dominate the world. Kabuto only barely survived the newly-renamed Doctor Hell's assassination attempt and hurried back to Japan. There, he devised a defense against the Mechanical Monsters: a giant battle robot that would combine a super-strong alloy of Japanium (dubbed Chogokin Z, or Super Alloy Z) with the Photonic Energy that his friend Professor Yumi had discovered. Since this machine would have power rivaling even a god or devil, Kabuto named it Mazinger Z (from the Japanese words "Ma" (魔), demon, and "Jin" (神), god). Unfortunately, shortly after Mazinger Z's completion, Kabuto was found and murdered by Dr. Hell's hit squad. However, he managed to get word to his grandson Kouji Kabuto, who learned of his grandfather's death and of Mazinger Z. Learning to pilot the giant machine, Kouji swore to defend the Earth in his grandfather's place. Though Mazinger Z would serve Kouji to battle the Mechanical Monsters, he found himself outclassed by the stronger battle beasts unleashed by the Mycene Empire, and Mazinger Z was badly damaged until it was rescued by the Great Mazinger and its pilot, Tetsuya Tsurugi.

Later, the Mycene Empire revived Dr. Hell and they began a last-ditch assault while the Great Mazinger and Tetsuya were recovering from their final fight with Ankoku Daishogun. Both Kouji and the Mazinger Z returned, stronger than before, to save the Photon Power Plant, but failed to save the Science Fortress. Together with the returned Great Mazinger, Boss Borot, Diana A and Venus A, the Mycene were destroyed.

Mazinger Z was last seen locked away in the Robot Museum with a Great Mazinger as the Great Mazinger was being taken away to be used against Grendizer.

[edit] Statistics

  • Power Source: Photonic Energy
  • Armor Materials: Super-Alloy Z
  • Dimensions:
    • Height: 18 meters
    • Weight: 20 tons
    • Neck Circumference: 5.6 meters
    • Chest Circumference: 13.6 meters
    • Arm Circumference: 5.3 meters
    • Leg Circumference: 6.2 meters
    • Arm Length: 7 meters
    • Leg Length: 9 meters
  • Performance
    • Walking Speed: 50 Km/h
    • Running Speed: 360 Km/h
    • Swimming Speed: 20 knots
    • Flight Speed: Mach 3
    • Ceiling: 630 meters
    • Maximum Lift: 150 tons
    • Output: 65,000 horsepower

[edit] Weapons and Attacks

  • Koushiryoku Beam (Photonic Beam): Mazinger Z can channel pure Photonic Energy through its eyes, unleashing a pair of powerful lasers. This is considered Mazinger Z's weakest attack.
  • Missile Punch: Mazinger Z mounts a missile launch bay in its belly, which can store several missiles.
  • Rocket Punch: Mazinger Z's eponymous attack; it fires off its forearm like a missile, punching straight through an enemy before returning and docking with the elbow again.
  • Iron Cutter: An improved Rocket Punch in which the forearm sprouts a pair of axe-like blades, allowing it to cut and slash as well as bludgeon.
  • Kyoukagata Rocket Punch (Reinforced Rocket Punch): Mazinger Z's Rocket Punch was later reinforced with stronger armor, giving it a more powerful punch.
  • Daisharin Rocket Punch (Giant Swing Rocket Punch): Mazinger Z spins its arms rapidly, building up momentum before firing off both fists in standard Rocket Punch fashion.
  • Drill Missile: A barrage of small, needle-like missiles fired from ports in Mazinger's upper arms. This attack was typically performed after the Rocket Punch but before the forearm had returned.
  • Rust Hurricane: Powerful turbines in Mazinger Z's head create gale-force winds, launching them through the mouth grill. The attack includes highly corrosive particles, almost instantaneously causing an enemy to rust over and fall apart.
  • Breast Fire: The large red fins on Mazinger Z's chest act as heat sinks for its Photonic Energy reactor. Mazinger can fire off this stored thermal energy as a powerful, white-hot beam that melts almost anything.
  • Reitou Beam (Freezing Beam): Mazinger unleashes a blast of intense cold; this attack was alternately fired from the mouth grill or the spikes on the sides of Mazinger's head.
  • Finger Missiles: A rarely-used attack where Mazinger fires the last joint of its fingers as miniature missiles.
  • Boomerang Fist: A one-time attack where Mazinger Z fired a Rocket Punch with a chain attached to the forearm and used the combined weapon as a lasso.
  • Electromagnetic Wave: Mazinger can emit electromagnetic waves from its fingers; these have the dual purpose of detecting enemies and scrambling missile guidance systems.

[edit] Jet Scrander and Jet Scrander Weapons

Jet Scrander: With the Jet Scrander, Mazinger Z is given the ability to fly, giving it a defense against aerial enemies. When needed, it is launched from a catapult in the Photonic Research Lab and flies to Mazinger's location. In some cases Mazinger Z will run and jump into the air to meet it, in other cases it will slow and approach a stationary Mazinger Z. The docking is accompanied by the command "Scrander Cross!"

  • Wingspan: 12.8 meters
  • Weight: 1 metric ton
  • Maximum Velocity: Mach 3
  • Maximum Altitude: 20,000 meters

Jet Scrander's Weapons:

  • Scrander Cutter: The wings of the Jet Scrander are strong and sharp enough to be used as blades.
  • Southern Cross Knives: Contained Within the Jet Scrander's wings are shuriken which can be fired as missiles.

[edit] Hover Pilder

Hover Pilder: The control center of Mazinger Z, the Hover Pilder is a small, lightly armed flying hovercraft with outboard VTOL fans at the ends of its wings, that folds and lands inside the head of Mazinger Z. When it makes a link with the giant robot, its pilot yells, "Pilder On!" It is later replaced by the upgraded Jet Pilder, which had more normal wings and a single VTOL fan in the center of its underside.

  • Length: 5.6 meters
  • Width: 3.2 meters
  • Height: 3 meters
  • Weight: 260 kilograms
  • Maximum Altitude: 10,500 meters
  • Ascent Speed: 120 kilometers/hour
  • Maximum Speed: Mach 3
  • Output: 20,000 horsepower

Pilder Weapons and Equipment

  • Pilder Beam: Both the Hover Pilder and the Jet Pilder were equipped with a laser beam weapon.
  • Pilder Missle: The Jet Pilder could fire a pair of side recessed missiles.
  • Emergency raft: The Hover Pilder had a hatch in the center of its underside that could drop a self-inflating life raft. The Jet Pilder's VTOL engine was in this possition, and there was never indication that the Jet Pilder carried a raft in some other way.

[edit] Alternate Versions

Mazinger Z as it appeared in the Mazinkaiser OVA (box art from Soul of Chogokin toy)
Mazinger Z as it appeared in the Mazinkaiser OVA (box art from Soul of Chogokin toy)

-In the 2002 OVA Mazinkaiser, Mazinger Z received a redesign (courtesy of Keichi Sato, the mechanical designer for Big-O) to resemble the original look of Mazinger in the Go Nagai's manga. This Mazinger lacks the Jet Scrander, but retains the original's most famous attacks. Unfortunately, Mazinger Z is no match for the onslaught of Dr. Hell's Mechanical Monster army, and is destroyed in the very first episode. Captured by Baron Ashura, Mazinger Z is remade into the Ashura Mazinger and unleashed on the Photon Energy Labs. However, Mazinkaiser appears and readily dispatches the Ashura Mazinger.

-Toymaker Fewture has produced a series of toys called Mazinger 1901, which recast Mazinger Z, Aphrodite A and Garada K7 as turn-of-the-century steampunk designs. The 1901 Mazinger remains much the same as the original, but with bulkier proportions and large, visible screws on most of its surface.