Inazuman (イナズマン) is a fictional character created by Shotaro Ishinomori. First appearing in the tokusatsu series of the same name, the mutant superhero has gone on to appear in manga and anime.
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Inazuman is, in reality, young college student Goro Watari (渡 五郎 Watari Gorō), a mutant. He lost his mother as a child and had other dark moments in his childhood (he had a childhood girlfriend named Teresa who was taken away by an American soldier during the US occupation of Japan). But when the Neo-Human Empire (新人類帝国 Shinjinrui Teikoku) begins its attacks on mankind with its Fantom Army foot soldiers and mutated monsters, he puts his psionic powers to the test.
First, he performs a henshin pose (crossing his arms in front of his chest) and uttering the phrase, "Gōriki Shōrai!" (剛力招来, literally "Summon Mighty Power"), he is wrapped in a blue cocoon, which bursts, revealing the creature Sanagiman. He resembles an armored brown larva mutant with a white belt which has a biomechanical power meter on it.
Sanagiman is able to absorb the kinetic energy of any attack used against him, and when he gathers enough energy into his belt, he crosses his fists in front of his chest, uttering the phrase, "Chōriki Shōrai!" (超力招来, literally "Summon Ultimate Power"), and spreads them aside, with his chest emitting a swirl of colorful energy. Sanagiman's exterior then explodes to pieces, and in his place is Inazuman He is a moth-like mutant wearing the same power belt as Sanagiman and resembles a blue humanoid with huge colorful oval eyes, prominent lightning-shaped antennas, black gloves & boots, yellow lightning-shaped marks that stream down his body, and a yellow scarf he can transform into various weapons, including a whip-like chain.
As both Sanagiman and Inazuman, his kiai fighting cry is "Chest!" (チェスト！ Chesuto!'), which originates from the Japanese island of Kyūshū where the main character, Goro Watari, hails.
Goro is a member of the Youth League, a Science Patrol-style group of similarly psychic-powered young people, and has a telepathic link with the sentient flying car Raijingo which can fire missiles and bite bad guys with the teeth built into its mouth-like grill ("Raijin" is the Japanese god of thunder).
In the manga adaptation by creator Shotaro Ishinomori, Goro Watari is named Saburo Kazeda (風田 サブロウ Kazeda Saburō), and is nicknamed "Sabu" (サブ). The character first appeared in Ishinomori's manga "Mutant Sabu".
Inazuman appeared somewhat different than in the live action tokusatsu version, and was created when the series was in development as an animated series, provisionally titled "Mutant Z". In these versions, the character appeared to be naked, with a curled probiscis stemming from his forehead, and was even able to sprout moth wings from his back. The manga version of Sanagiman was also slightly different from the tokusatsu version. In the manga,Saburo has also a girlfriend named Miyo who is usually the victim of Saburo's jokes with his psychic powers.
Inazuman (イナズマン) was produced by Toei Company Ltd. and broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from October 2, 1973 to March 26, 1974, with a total of 25 episodes. It was followed by a sequel series, Inazuman Flash. The series starred Daisuke Ban (as "Naoya Ban") of Kikaider fame in the title role. In the following series, the main enemy is the Führer Geisel (ガイゼル総統 Gaizeru Sōtō), which was derived from the name of the Brazilian dictator of that time, Ernesto Geisel.
The entire 48-episode series was broadcast (with English subtitles) on KIKU-TV in Honolulu, Hawaii in the mid-1970s, during the height of the popularity of tokusatsu programs ignited by the success of Kikaider in 1974.
Inazuman Flash (イナズマンF（フラッシュ） Inazuman Furasshu) was produced by Toei Company Ltd. and broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from April 9, 1974 to September 24, 1974, with a total of 23 episodes. A direct and darker continuation of the first series, after the defeat of Emperor Bamba and his mutant minions Inazuman goes on to fight the evil robots of the Despar Army with the help of cynical cyborg Interpol agent Arai Makoto and the new ability to hurl lightning bolts.
Kikaider, Kikaider 01, Inazuman, and Zvatt made an appearance in OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders (オーズ・電王・オールライダー レッツゴー仮面ライダー Ōzu Den'ō Ōru Raidā: Rettsu Gō Kamen Raidā) in commemoration of the Toei Company's 60th Anniversary.
Inazuman finally appeared in anime form in the 2002 OVA special, The Boy Who Carried a Guitar: Kikaider vs. Inazuman, based on an issue from the Inazuman manga that teamed the insectoid mutant superhero with Ishinomori's android superhero, Kikaider.
In the Teen Titans animated series, the teen superhero Killowat superficially resembled Inazuman.