Throughout the Mazinger saga, the evil enemy forces used several large flying and submarine ships called Fortresses in addition to their monsters to attack Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Grendizer, and Mazinkaiser. They were armed with powerful weapons and their primary goal besides direct aggression was to carry the monsters and infantries of both Dr. Hell, The Mikene Empire, and The Vega Empire.
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Salude (Kaitei Yousai Salood) was the first fortress built by Dr. Hell that first appeared in episode 1. It was commanded by Baron Ashura. It had a rounded shape, camouflaged with yellow and brown wavy patterns. On the top, there was a fake island, connected to the body of the fortress through and extensible upright supporting beam. The false island functioned as a disguise and could rotate at high speeds to create strong laser guns which could sink ships. In Shin Mazinger, it was shown that the island could be jettisoned (by firing it upward like a missile) in cases of emergency. It featured large hangars to store Mechanical Beasts and usually release them near the coast or launch them underwater or from the top of the dummy island. It was also used to contain smaller submarines Ashura used in battle. It was destroyed by Mazinger in chapter 1005. It appears in the Mazinger series and in the Mazinger Z vs. Devilman OVA. In Shin Mazinger, Baron Ashura detonates its nuclear reactor in an attempt to destroy Mazinger.
In Tranzor Z, the American adaptation of Mazinger Z, Salude is called Barracuda.
When Salude is destroyed is episode 39, Ashura finds himself without a proper vehicle to go into battle. Hell builds the Gool (Hikou Yousai Guuru), a flying fortress that first appears in episode 40, but despite Ashura's pleads to be in charge of it, Hell appoints Ashura's rival, Count Brocken as the commander. Brocken takes pride of his ship and mocks Ashura for not being allowed to guide it. Gool had all kinds of bombs, rays and projectiles, as well as the ability to generate clouds as a disguise. Due to its weapons and large size, it was also capable of bringing down large planes and even Mazinger. The ship had a lizard-like head and the monsters were released through the mouth. Count Brocken and Dr. Hell die on board when Mazinger destroys it in chapter 91. It appears in the Mazinger series and in the Mazinkaiser OVAs.
Surprisingly, Gool’s name was not changed in Tranzor Z, the American adaptation of Mazinger Z.
Even though Ashura is dismissed as Gool's commander, Hell builds yet another sub-aquatic fortress for him, Bood (Kaitei Yousai Buudo) that first appears in episode 43. It had a more typical submarine shape, with a large face on its upper side that could be erected to open its mouth and release the mecha. Bood had torpedoes and other weapons such as restrainer rings and whirlpools. Bood is destroyed during Ashura's final, desperate attempt to destroy Mazinger. It appears in the Mazinger series and Mazinkaiser OVAs.
In Tranzor Z, the American adaptation of Mazinger Z, Bood is called Tiger Shark.
Navalon (Hikou Yousai Nabaron) was featured only in the Mazinger Vs. Devilman short movie. Commanded by both Ashura and Hell through a smaller detachable ship, it had weapons such as a tornado, projectiles and rays. It was winged and bulbous in shape. It was destroyed by Mazinger's breast fire.
The Multipurpose Fortress Mikelos (Ban-nou Yousai Michelos 万能要塞 ミケロス) was the first fortress that appeared in the Great Mazinger series. It had the shape of a flying saucer with four faces on the edges from where the Warrior Beasts were released into battle. The necks of these heads were extensible and could fire projectiles from the sides. Like all its predecessors, it featured several more weapons. Mikelos was eventually destroyed by Great Mazinger in chapter 39 and succeeded by Demonika.
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The Mikelos also appeared in the Deathmatch! Mazinkaiser VS the Great Emperor of Darkness OVA. It was used by General Birdler to lead his troops in an attack on an aeroplane carrying Kouji Kabuto and Sayaka Yumi back to Japan. The escorting Million Alpha is no match for the Mikene General, but manages to kill him by ramming him into the Mikelos and self-destructing, sending the mighty fortress down in flames. Mikelos also appears quite often in the Super Robot Wars series, normally commanded by Archduke Gorgon or (less frequently) the Great General of Darkness.
Invincible Fortress Demonika (Muteki Yousai Demonica 無敵要塞 デモニカ) was able to operate on water, land and air. It was dubbed as invincible by the Great Marshall of Hell. Like Gool, it had a reptile-like head. It was commanded personally by the Great Marshall, featured all kinds of weapons, and was destroyed by the combined forces of Great Mazinger, Mazinger Z, Venus A and Diana A at the end of the series.
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Demonika also appeared in the Deathmatch! Mazinkaiser VS the Great Emperor of Darkness OVA, this time under the command of the Great Emperor of Darkness. It appeared towards the end of the OVA when the Emperor attempts to use it to crush Mazinkaiser (and accidentally crushes the unlucky General Draydou). Kouji activates Mazin Power and hurls the ship into the air, then splits it in two using the Kaiser Scrander Boomerang. In this appearance, Demonika sports a modified color scheme compared to that of the TV series.
Motherburn was a large pink battleship that appeared in UFO Robo Grendizer that first appeared in episode 1. Its primary function was to store saucer beasts and minifos. It was under the command of Gandal and Blaki. A smaller green variation created by the Vegan imperial officials called simply Mothership as used by a saucer beast captain named Gorman in episode 7 primarily to store his saucer beast, Gingin.
Sentou Bokokan was a large battleship that appeared in Grendizer that first appeared in episode 28. Much like the Motherburn before it, its primary function was to store saucer beasts and minifos, later storing vega monsters and midifos starting in episode 52 when King Vega moved what was left of the Vegan Empire to the base on the far side of the Moon. It was under the command of Gandal and Zuril.
Queen Spazer was the personal battleship of Zuril that often functioned as a fortress that first appeared in episode 60.
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