Space Adventure Cobra
Encyclopedia
is a space-opera
manga
series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa
of the Black Sheep studio. The serialized form of Cobra originally appeared the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
during 1978–1984. The individual chapters were collected and published in 18 tankōbon
volumes by Shueisha
.
Set in the far future, the series tells of a man called Cobra, who lived an adventurous life until his enemies began to hunt him down. Cobra surgically altered his face and erased his own memory in order to hide from his foes and lead a normal life. He soon regains his memories and re-unites with his old partner Lady Armaroid and his ship Tortuga. Cobra travels the galaxy, fighting the outlaw Pirate Guild, but also fleeing the law-enforcing Milky Way Patrol. Along with his charm and wit, Cobra survives thanks to his Psycho-Gun, a weapon embodied in his left arm.
The Cobra manga led to nine sequel series, as well as to one-shots serialized in Super Jump
and Monthly Comic Flapper. The manga later served as the basis for a feature-length film adaptation, a 31-episode anime series retelling the film's story, and two original video animation
s.
In 1990 Viz Media
published portions of the manga for the United States in twelve 48-page volumes. The full series was published in France by Dybex and later Taifu Comics, in Sweden by Epix Förlag, and in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing.
In his dream, Johnson becomes "Cobra", an adventurer who explores space with his android partner Lady Armaroid. Cobra wields the "Psycho-Gun" to fight against monsters from other planets and against the Pirate Guild. After a battle with the Guild, Cobra allows the leader, Captain Vaiken, to escape. Vaiken distributes Cobra's picture to all the other pirates, making him a wanted man. After the dream ends, Johnson describes the fantasy to an attendant, who is surprised since it should have been about being the king of a harem with no reference to pirates or the infamous Cobra.
On his way back home, Johnson crashes into a speeding car. Coming face-to-face with the driver, he is astonished to notice that the man looks identical to Captain Vaiken. When Johnson mentions the resemblance, the driver reveals that he is Vaiken! Vaiken asks Johnson about "Cobra" and even threatens to kill him if he does not answer. Johnson then unconsciously lifts his arm as if he has a gun, and shoots a ray out of his hand, killing Vaiken. The shot blows up his arm, revealing the Psycho-Gun embedded in it!
Johnson hurries home where Ben notices the weapon on his arm. Johnson then realizes that he does not remember anything from before the last three years in which he has lived in his house. After looking into a mirror, he finds and turns a knob to reveal a secret room. There he finds a revolver
which he used in his dream. At that moment, armed intruders break into the house and address him as "Cobra". In the course of the battle, Ben's robot shell breaks to reveal Cobra's comrade-in-arms, Lady Armaroid, and together they kill the intruders.
Johnson starts to remember that he really actually used to be Cobra. Hunted by the Pirate Guild for meddling in their criminal enterprises, he soon tired of his life on the run, surgically altered his face and had his memories erased. Lady Armaroid tells Cobra that the Trip Movie has apparently triggered his sub-conscious to bring back his old memories. Together, they resume their life of adventure.
's Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
originally serialized the Cobra manga during 1978–1984 and released it under the magazine's Jump Comics line in a tankōbon
format. Cobra also appeared in an aizōban edition under Jump Comics Deluxe entitled Cobra: Space Adventure. The manga series was only partially released in the United States by Viz Media
in 1990 in a twelve-issue series of books, with each issue containing 48 pages. This English language publication only covered the origin story and the Royal Sisters' saga, with dialogue adapted by the American comic book writer Marv Wolfman
. The comic book issues that were released by Viz Media
(then known as "Viz Communications") were published under their Viz Select Comics line. The complete manga was published in several other countries. In France, the manga was first published by Dybex in 1998, and later reprinted by Taifu Comics. The manga was also published in Sweden by Epix Förlag, and in Taiwan
by Tong Li Publishing.
Shueisha released Cobra in kanzenban form with the title Space Adventure Cobra: Handy Edition, which included volumes one through ten. Shueisha later created three kanzenban magazine series based on the Cobra manga under their Shueisha Jump Remix line: which spanned two volumes, which spanned two volumes, and which spanned three volumes. The magazines were issued in 2002 and 2003. Media Factory, in addition to the publication of Magic Doll for the manga's 30th anniversary, also released a kanzenban magazine based on the Cobra story, simply called . Cobra was also sold as an e-book
, for a limited time.
Cobra 30th anniversary whiskey bottles were sold by Charassyu for a limited time.
published several follow-up series of Cobra. The first was titled , which was serialized in the magazine in 1986 in an off-shoot special issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. It was then published in a single tankōbon by Shueisha in 1988 under the magazine's Jump Comics Deluxe line. The manga was reprinted in Japan by Media Factory
in 2008 for the series' 30th anniversary. Cobra: Seinaru Kishi Densetsu was published in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing. , a fully colored "computer graphics
" manga, was serialized in Super Jump in 1995 and was published in a single tankōbon under the same line. A "computer graphics" follow-up called was serialized in Super Jump in 2000. Space Adventure Cobra: Magic Doll was re-serialized in the Monthly Comic Flapper magazine by Media Factory, and was published under their MF Comics line as for the release. After the re-release of that manga, Media Factory published a single volume follow-up titled . Media Factory published several other Cobra one-shots: , , , and , all of which were also under MF Comics.
then released the film, adapted into English as Space Adventure Cobra by Urban Vision Entertainment
and translated by the original Japanese company. The Manga UK version's dub had an alternate soundtrack from the pop group Yello
. The movie was released in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment
, in France by Déclic Images, and in Brazil by Flashstar. Matthew Sweet
's Girlfriend
music video used footage from the movie. The series was later adaptated into an anime series with an alternate retelling of the movie. The anime
adaptation, was aired by TMS Entertainment beginning in 1982, the same year the anime was announced. The anime was directed by Osamu Dezaki
and produced by Tatsuo Ikeuchi. The Space Cobra anime was released in box-set form, sub-titled "Perfect Collection". In 2000, the series was released in a DVD box set. In addition to the movie, Space Cobra was released in English by Urban Vision Entertainment under the same title as the film. Space Cobra was licensed in French by Olivier Constantin and in Spanish by Roberto Alexander. The series has led to two follow-up original video animation
s and one TV series which were published under the Cobra the Animation line. The first of the series was , a sequel of the original anime series, followed by its sequel OVA , followed by the anime series . These three anime were created for the series' 30th anniversary.
Popy
and Bandai
included Cobra's ground vehicle, the Psychoroid, in the Japanese Machine Robo
toyline, where it gained the ability to transform into a robot. Japan later exported this idea to the United States as part of the Super Gobots
toyline under the shortened name "Psycho", designed by Murakami Katsushi.
in America) titled . This was followed by for the PC Engine, which was released in the United States and Europe for the Mega-CD (Sega CD in America) as The Space Adventure - Cobra: The Legendary Bandit. In 2005, Namco Bandai Games
developed a video arcade game based on the series, Cobra the Arcade. In 2008, many games were developed for the mobile phone
by WorkJam based on the Cobra storyline: , , , , and . Pachinko
developer Newgin created a Cobra-based pachinko game called CR Cobra, and for the 30th anniversary a sequel was created titled . Cobra, Crystal Boy, and Lady Armaroid served as newly included support characters in Jump Ultimate Stars
published by Nintendo
.
s. Concept designs of the manga were added to a Cobra artbook titled Cobra Wonder: Concept Design Arts of Cobra World. An artbook focusing on the female characters of the series was released as under Super Jump's Jump Comics Deluxe line.
plans to direct a live-action film adaptation of Cobra. On April 30, 2011 ComingSoon.net unveiled a teaser poster depicting promotional concept art for Cobra: The Space Pirate that was featured on the cover of the international edition of Variety magazine for the month of May 2011. Aja was inspired to create this film adaptation because the original sci-fi manga, was one of his childhood favorites.
, albeit somewhat on the silly side, and the costumes and bizarre worlds are but a shade shy of plagiarizing Barbarella
." She was impressed that the series "is surprisingly devoid of the sexual innuendo and exploitation that anime fans have come to associate with decorative female characters" in that it avoids the stereotypical random beautiful women, and instead creates its own "extreme" world that features "superhuman strength, superhuman senses, fantastically grotesque monsters, inhumanly powerful villains and gorgeous sidekicks." However, Upatkoon noted that modern readers might find the manga so dated they would be discouraged from reading it, despite a growing improvement in artistic quality as the series progresses. The English version of Cobra was also named as one of the "The Top 25 Translated-To-English Manga of All Time" by Wizard
magazine.
The anime film has received mixed reviews from many critics. Tim Henderson from Anime News Network
of Australia gave the film adaptation a generally positive review with an overall B-rating. He praised the English-translated film for staying very true to the 1978 manga series and "holding its own with a modern audience." Henderson stated that the series carries a "love as a power beyond compare" theme to it, which battles with the main character's playboyish air. Henderson said that the dub and the original Japanese voices are almost like a history lesson when compared. Overall, Henderson judged the movie to be a masterpiece and classic that is worth viewing to know the medium's foundations. The online Sci-Fi Magazine of the Sci Fi Channel
gave a fair review for the film. Tasha Robinson of Sci-Fi praised the movie for its psychedelic imagery and its energetic plot. Robinson approved of the movie's visual weight and texture. However, Robinson said that the characters are nothing more than shallow stereotypes. Robinson added that "magical-energetic-power-of-love" does not work with the movie, but it is a "classic head trip" and "the surface is only what matters."
Charles Packer of Sci-Fi Online gave the film adaptation a negative review. Packer regarded the plot as pure nonsense. He explained that the animation looks like a saturday morning cartoon
. Packer did say that the animation also crosses between that of an old anime and a new one, complete with interesting "psychedelic moments." He said the dialogue is almost laughable, however the voice actors are decent in both languages. Packer complained that the disc contained no extras aside from the trailers, one of which looked as if it came from a bootleg
. Matt of the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival website gave the film a very positive review. Matt explained that he should seriously hate the movie but stated that the movie has a "cheesy, easygoing charm" that made him smile. He stated that the movie has a very straightforward plot, screams "cliché" to him, and is old enough to have invented some of those clichés. Complimenting the film, he said that the main character is like the "animation equivalent of Han Solo
" with a similar personality. He praised the dubbing of the film and the animation.
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa
Buichi Terasawa
is a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include Goku Midnight Eye and Cobra.In the early days of his career when he was still unknown, he contributed materials of comics to a magazine that won him a prize, an event that led him into the world of comics.In 1976, he came to Tokyo and began...
of the Black Sheep studio. The serialized form of Cobra originally appeared the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
during 1978–1984. The individual chapters were collected and published in 18 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
.
Set in the far future, the series tells of a man called Cobra, who lived an adventurous life until his enemies began to hunt him down. Cobra surgically altered his face and erased his own memory in order to hide from his foes and lead a normal life. He soon regains his memories and re-unites with his old partner Lady Armaroid and his ship Tortuga. Cobra travels the galaxy, fighting the outlaw Pirate Guild, but also fleeing the law-enforcing Milky Way Patrol. Along with his charm and wit, Cobra survives thanks to his Psycho-Gun, a weapon embodied in his left arm.
The Cobra manga led to nine sequel series, as well as to one-shots serialized in Super Jump
Super Jump
, is a biweekly manga anthology published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. Released in Japan on December 20, 1986, the magazine provides serialized chapters of various seinen manga series. The manga series are published under the Jump Comics Deluxe imprint.- History :The magazine...
and Monthly Comic Flapper. The manga later served as the basis for a feature-length film adaptation, a 31-episode anime series retelling the film's story, and two original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s.
In 1990 Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
published portions of the manga for the United States in twelve 48-page volumes. The full series was published in France by Dybex and later Taifu Comics, in Sweden by Epix Förlag, and in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing.
Plot
Some time in the far future, an office worker named Johnson leads a dull and mundane life. One Sunday morning his robotic servant, Ben, suggests that he go to the Trip Movie Corporation, a company that enables their customers to experience a dream as if it were real. Johnson asks to be the king of a harem, surrounded by beautiful women, and commanding a battlestar.In his dream, Johnson becomes "Cobra", an adventurer who explores space with his android partner Lady Armaroid. Cobra wields the "Psycho-Gun" to fight against monsters from other planets and against the Pirate Guild. After a battle with the Guild, Cobra allows the leader, Captain Vaiken, to escape. Vaiken distributes Cobra's picture to all the other pirates, making him a wanted man. After the dream ends, Johnson describes the fantasy to an attendant, who is surprised since it should have been about being the king of a harem with no reference to pirates or the infamous Cobra.
On his way back home, Johnson crashes into a speeding car. Coming face-to-face with the driver, he is astonished to notice that the man looks identical to Captain Vaiken. When Johnson mentions the resemblance, the driver reveals that he is Vaiken! Vaiken asks Johnson about "Cobra" and even threatens to kill him if he does not answer. Johnson then unconsciously lifts his arm as if he has a gun, and shoots a ray out of his hand, killing Vaiken. The shot blows up his arm, revealing the Psycho-Gun embedded in it!
Johnson hurries home where Ben notices the weapon on his arm. Johnson then realizes that he does not remember anything from before the last three years in which he has lived in his house. After looking into a mirror, he finds and turns a knob to reveal a secret room. There he finds a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
which he used in his dream. At that moment, armed intruders break into the house and address him as "Cobra". In the course of the battle, Ben's robot shell breaks to reveal Cobra's comrade-in-arms, Lady Armaroid, and together they kill the intruders.
Johnson starts to remember that he really actually used to be Cobra. Hunted by the Pirate Guild for meddling in their criminal enterprises, he soon tired of his life on the run, surgically altered his face and had his memories erased. Lady Armaroid tells Cobra that the Trip Movie has apparently triggered his sub-conscious to bring back his old memories. Together, they resume their life of adventure.
Characters
- (TV anime, OVA, Cobra the Arcade), Shigeru Matsuzaki (movie), Yasuo YamadaYasuo Yamadawas a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan.Yamada left the faculty of literature of Waseda University, and had performed in many stage, radio, and television productions. His most famous role was Arsène Lupin III from the Lupin III series, starting in 1971 and ending in 1995...
(PC Engine games), Yūsaku YaraYusaku Yarais a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with Vi-Vo. His real name is ', and his former stage name was .He is best known for his roles in Chibi Maruko-chan as Hiroshi Sakura, Kiteretsu Daihyakka as Kiteretsu's Papa, the 1989 version of Sally, the Witch as Sally's...
(PlayStation games), Naoya UchidaNaoya Uchidais a male seiyū, actor, and singer born on May 1, 1953 in Tokyo. He has played several minor roles of authority in various TV dramas. He debuted in 1972 to the NHK and continued acting in theater and TV dramas until the late 90's...
(Cobra the Animation), Dan WorenDan WorenDaniel E. Woren is an American voice actor who is also known as Jackson Daniels, Warren Daniels, Dan Warren, Daniel Woren, and Dan Worren...
(English dub), and Doug StoneDoug Stone (voice actor)Douglas David Stone is a voice actor who is most notable for his representation of the character Psycho Mantis from the popular video game Metal Gear Solid, as well as the voice of Matt Trakker and several other characters in M.A.S.K., and Dragonborg in Beetleborgs Metallix...
(Mega-CD game). - Cobra is the main protagonist and eponymous character of the series. Buichi TerasawaBuichi Terasawais a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include Goku Midnight Eye and Cobra.In the early days of his career when he was still unknown, he contributed materials of comics to a magazine that won him a prize, an event that led him into the world of comics.In 1976, he came to Tokyo and began...
drew his inspiration for the figure from the French actor Jean-Paul BelmondoJean-Paul BelmondoJean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
due to the roles Belmondo played in the 1960s and 1970s. Cobra's signature weapon, the "Psycho-gun", is a cybernetic arm-laser which connects directly to his brain. The Psycho-gun can target putative enemies without having a line-of-sight. Though using the Psycho-gun drains his mental energies, Cobra's superhuman stamina makes up for it. He also carries a "PythonColt PythonThe Colt Python is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver formerly manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. It is sometimes referred to as a "Combat Magnum". It was first introduced in 1955, the same year as Smith & Wesson's M29 .44 Magnum. The now discontinued Colt Python...
77 MagnumMagnum ResearchMagnum Research Inc. is a privately held corporation based in Fridley, Minnesota which manufactures and distributes firearms. The majority owners, Jim Skildum and John Risdall , have been with the company since its founding in 1979...
" revolverRevolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
as a backup weapon.
- (TV anime, movie, OVA, Cobra the Arcade, Cobra the Animation), Etsuko Ishikawa (PC Engine games), Toshiko FujitaToshiko Fujitais a Japanese seiyū. She currently works at Aoni Production.-Roles:*Bonobono in the first Bonobono film*Cross in Ginga Nagareboshi Gin*Corazón Muto in Allison & Lillia...
(PlayStation games), Joan-Carol O'ConnellJoan-Carol O'ConnellJoan-Carol O'Connell is an American voice actress and voice director who also goes under the names Joan Carol O'Connell, Joan Carrol O'Connell, Joan Carol, Carol O'Joan, Joan Carol Kent, and Jenny Haniver....
(English dub), Carrie Gordon (Mega-CD game). - Lady Armaroid is Cobra's long-time partner in the story, representing the serious half of the duo. She and Cobra share an unspoken deep trust, and each always comes to the other's aid in times of need. As a top-class Armaroid (a mechanical cyborg), Lady is derived from advanced technology recovered from an ancient lost civilization of MarsMars in fictionFictional representations of Mars have been popular for over a century. Interest in Mars has been stimulated by the planet's dramatic red color, by early scientific speculations that its surface conditions might be capable of supporting life, and by the possibility that Mars could be colonized by...
. She possesses superhuman strength, but does not carry a weapon and is rarely involved in direct physical combat. When Cobra is away on adventure, Lady typically supports him as the pilot of their spaceship, the Tortuga.
- (TV anime), Akiko Nakamura (movie), Masako KatsukiMasako Katsukiis a Japanese voice actress who was born in Hachinohe, Aomori. Formerly from Theater Echo, she is currently employed by 81 Produce and has voiced in several notable films and tv series...
(PC Engine games), Barbara GoodsonBarbara GoodsonBarbara Goodson is an American actress known mostly for her versatility in voicing original and dubbed cartoons. She is voted one of the ten best women to do the voices for young males in cartoons...
(English dub), Edie MirmanEdie MirmanEdith S. "Edie" Mirman is an American voice actress best known for the voice of Fujiko Mine from Tales of the Wolf, and also for both Miriya Parina Sterling and Nova Satori from Robotech. She is also the voice of Teryx in Dinosaucers and Gatomon and Angewomon in the Digimon series. She is credited...
(Mega-CD game). - Jane Royal is the first of the triplet daughters of Captain Nelson that Cobra meets. Each of the three sisters has a unique tattoo on their back which, once assembled in a chromatic sequence, form a map leading to a hidden treasure of gold, diamonds, and the fabled Ultimate Weapon.
- (TV anime), Toshiko FujitaToshiko Fujitais a Japanese seiyū. She currently works at Aoni Production.-Roles:*Bonobono in the first Bonobono film*Cross in Ginga Nagareboshi Gin*Corazón Muto in Allison & Lillia...
(movie), Manami Maruyama (PC Engine games), Mari DevonMari DevonMari Devon is an American voice actress who is also known as Jane Alan.-Anime roles:* 8 Man After - Sachiko* Babel II - Juju* Battle B-Daman - B-DaMage* The Big O - Vice-President Mari Devon (born 1960) is an American voice actress who is also known as Jane Alan.-Anime roles:* 8 Man After -...
(English dub) - Catherine Royal is the second of the triplets that Cobra meets, after a request from Jane to rescue Catherine from the Sidoh Penitentiary. As a timid school teacher, Catherine is the only sister who is not involved in a violent line of work.
- (TV anime), Jun FubukiJun Fubukiis a Japanese actress. She received a Japanese Academy Award Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Muno no hito, and won at the Hochi Film Awards. This role also won Fubuki the "Best Actress" award at the Yokohama Film Festival...
(movie), Kazue KomiyaKazue Komiyais a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Theater Echo.-TV anime:*Aim for the Ace! *Ashita no Nadja *Combat Mecha Xabungle *Fullmetal Alchemist *Hiatari Ryōkō!...
(PC Engine games), Wendee LeeWendee LeeWendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any...
(English dub) - Dominique Royal serves as an officer in the Milky Way patrol. Dominique possesses great strength and co-operates well with Cobra, often looking the other way when her professional duties would require her to arrest him. She hires him to resolve an unpleasant matter of drug trafficking involving the Rug Ball Federation at the Rand Stadium.
- (TV anime, Cobra the Arcade), Gorō MutsumiGoro Mutsumiis a Japanese actor with more than 25 films to his credit. He has also appeared in numerous television shows, especially jidaigeki, in which he specializes in villains, and in tokusatsu...
(movie), Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
(PC Engine games), Koji TotaniKoji Totaniwas a veteran seiyū born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Totani worked at Aoni Production. His nickname was "Totani-chan". On February 6, 2006, at the age of 57, he died from acute heart failure...
(PlayStation games), Hiroki Tōchi (OVA), Jeff WinklessJeff WinklessJeffrey Alan Winkless was an American film and voice actor and music composer. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Two of his younger brothers, Terence H. Winkless and Daniel Owen Winkless, worked with him on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. He was also credited as Jeffrey Brock...
(English dub/Mega-CD game) - Crystal Boy is Cobra's archenemy. Crystal Boy sees Cobra as the only man worthy to become his adversary. He is a humanoid cyborg with a golden skeleton and a body made from indestructible polarizing glass. He works for the mysterious "Guild", led by Lord Salamander. Crystal Boy's signature weapon is a claw which he can attach to his right hand. The claw can crush anything, and he also uses it for slitting his victims' throats. The claw has a built-in laser gun which can also be used as a grappling hook or fired as a projectile.
- (Japanese), Catherine BattistoneCatherine BattistoneCatherine Battistone is a voice actress who has provided voices for several anime titles and video games. She is also well-known for having done the voice of Alpha 6 in the 1997 Power Rangers series, Power Rangers: Turbo....
(English dub) - Sandra's first serves as the ruthless and cold-hearted leader of the Snow Gorillas, the local branch of the Pirates Guild on her own planet. Later on, she hounds Cobra and tracks him down on the planet where the Ultimate Weapon is hidden. Originally ordered to retrieve the Weapon and turn it to the emissaries of the Guild, she uses it for her own ends and turns against the Guild itself until Cobra stops her in her tracks.
- Lord Salamander, a deep-voiced man dressed in samurai armor, is a creature of mystery. After he unites the Pirates' Guild under his command, Salamander's unquenched ambitions lead him to strive toward absolute control over the galaxy. While he rarely appears in person, Lord Salamander demonstrates a powerful telekinetic ability when he does. He can also teleport, incinerate an enemy by will alone and even trick their minds into seeing him as someone else. He uses this trick and his other powers to dispose of Doug, Pumpkin and Bud. It is revealed in the final episode that he is the spirit of Hitler revived 3000 years after his defeat.
- Ben originally seems to be Cobra's personal robot butler when he was still under the guise of Johnson: a clumsy, clunky and dull robot which actually was Lady in disguise.
Manga
ShueishaShueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
's Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
originally serialized the Cobra manga during 1978–1984 and released it under the magazine's Jump Comics line in a tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
format. Cobra also appeared in an aizōban edition under Jump Comics Deluxe entitled Cobra: Space Adventure. The manga series was only partially released in the United States by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
in 1990 in a twelve-issue series of books, with each issue containing 48 pages. This English language publication only covered the origin story and the Royal Sisters' saga, with dialogue adapted by the American comic book writer Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
. The comic book issues that were released by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
(then known as "Viz Communications") were published under their Viz Select Comics line. The complete manga was published in several other countries. In France, the manga was first published by Dybex in 1998, and later reprinted by Taifu Comics. The manga was also published in Sweden by Epix Förlag, and in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
by Tong Li Publishing.
Shueisha released Cobra in kanzenban form with the title Space Adventure Cobra: Handy Edition, which included volumes one through ten. Shueisha later created three kanzenban magazine series based on the Cobra manga under their Shueisha Jump Remix line: which spanned two volumes, which spanned two volumes, and which spanned three volumes. The magazines were issued in 2002 and 2003. Media Factory, in addition to the publication of Magic Doll for the manga's 30th anniversary, also released a kanzenban magazine based on the Cobra story, simply called . Cobra was also sold as an e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
, for a limited time.
Cobra 30th anniversary whiskey bottles were sold by Charassyu for a limited time.
Sequels
The seinen manga-magazine Super JumpSuper Jump
, is a biweekly manga anthology published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. Released in Japan on December 20, 1986, the magazine provides serialized chapters of various seinen manga series. The manga series are published under the Jump Comics Deluxe imprint.- History :The magazine...
published several follow-up series of Cobra. The first was titled , which was serialized in the magazine in 1986 in an off-shoot special issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. It was then published in a single tankōbon by Shueisha in 1988 under the magazine's Jump Comics Deluxe line. The manga was reprinted in Japan by Media Factory
Media Factory
is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...
in 2008 for the series' 30th anniversary. Cobra: Seinaru Kishi Densetsu was published in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing. , a fully colored "computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
" manga, was serialized in Super Jump in 1995 and was published in a single tankōbon under the same line. A "computer graphics" follow-up called was serialized in Super Jump in 2000. Space Adventure Cobra: Magic Doll was re-serialized in the Monthly Comic Flapper magazine by Media Factory, and was published under their MF Comics line as for the release. After the re-release of that manga, Media Factory published a single volume follow-up titled . Media Factory published several other Cobra one-shots: , , , and , all of which were also under MF Comics.
Anime
TMS Entertainment adapted the manga into a movie titled Cobra: Space Adventure (distinct from the previously mentioned aizōban). Manga EntertainmentManga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
then released the film, adapted into English as Space Adventure Cobra by Urban Vision Entertainment
Urban Vision
Urban Vision Entertainment Inc., an American based production/distribution company created in Los Angeles, California formed in July, 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the alternative animation genre known as anime or Japanimation to mainstream media....
and translated by the original Japanese company. The Manga UK version's dub had an alternate soundtrack from the pop group Yello
Yello
Yello is a Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. They are probably best known for their singles "The Race" and "Oh Yeah", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals, as does most of their music....
. The movie was released in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
, in France by Déclic Images, and in Brazil by Flashstar. Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
's Girlfriend
Girlfriend (Matthew Sweet song)
"Girlfriend" is a 1991 single by American power pop musician Matthew Sweet, released as the lead single from his third album, Girlfriend. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart....
music video used footage from the movie. The series was later adaptated into an anime series with an alternate retelling of the movie. The anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation, was aired by TMS Entertainment beginning in 1982, the same year the anime was announced. The anime was directed by Osamu Dezaki
Osamu Dezaki
, also known as , , or , was a Japanese director of anime born on November 18, 1943, in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. His older brother, Satoshi Dezaki, is also an anime director....
and produced by Tatsuo Ikeuchi. The Space Cobra anime was released in box-set form, sub-titled "Perfect Collection". In 2000, the series was released in a DVD box set. In addition to the movie, Space Cobra was released in English by Urban Vision Entertainment under the same title as the film. Space Cobra was licensed in French by Olivier Constantin and in Spanish by Roberto Alexander. The series has led to two follow-up original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s and one TV series which were published under the Cobra the Animation line. The first of the series was , a sequel of the original anime series, followed by its sequel OVA , followed by the anime series . These three anime were created for the series' 30th anniversary.
Popy
Popy
Popy Popy Popy (ポピー）was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971, and merged back into the parent company in 1983...
and Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
included Cobra's ground vehicle, the Psychoroid, in the Japanese Machine Robo
Machine Robo
is a Japanese transforming robot toyline first released in 1982 by Popy, a division of Bandai, then later by Bandai proper. The franchise was marketed as Robo Machine in Europe, and Machine Men in Australia...
toyline, where it gained the ability to transform into a robot. Japan later exported this idea to the United States as part of the Super Gobots
Gobots
Gobots was a line of transforming robot toys produced by Tonka from 1983 to 1987, similar to Transformers. In 1991, the Gobots range was acquired from Tonka Inc. by Hasbro.-History:...
toyline under the shortened name "Psycho", designed by Murakami Katsushi.
Original TV series
- The Great King of Bad Galtan
- The Friend of The Dragon's Crystal!
- In Hell! Rug-Ball!
- The Good-For-Nothing Team
- Death Game! At 0078!
- Will The Victory Home-Run Be Ours!?
- Mortal Fight! The Terrible Sand Sea
- The Two Kings of The Sword
- The Underground Visitors
- Tomb at the Bottom of the Ocean
- Would You Care for a Robot?
- Cobra Died!?
- Letting the war to others!
- Evil Emperor! Salamander
- Cobra returning the hate
- The North Pole Man — Warm blooded.
- How to defeat Salamander
- Bye! My Cobra!
Video games
In 1982 Popy electronics created "Space Cobra Professional" with a flip-out design (similar to travel alarm clocks), and 2 screens (http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Popy/Professional.htm, http://www.miniarcade.com/bandai/spacecobra.htm). The success of the series led to arcade and video-game adaptations. The first video game was developed in 1989 for the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
in America) titled . This was followed by for the PC Engine, which was released in the United States and Europe for the Mega-CD (Sega CD in America) as The Space Adventure - Cobra: The Legendary Bandit. In 2005, Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
developed a video arcade game based on the series, Cobra the Arcade. In 2008, many games were developed for the mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
by WorkJam based on the Cobra storyline: , , , , and . Pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
developer Newgin created a Cobra-based pachinko game called CR Cobra, and for the 30th anniversary a sequel was created titled . Cobra, Crystal Boy, and Lady Armaroid served as newly included support characters in Jump Ultimate Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars
is a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel to Jump Super Stars, also released for the DS. The game was released in Japan on November 23, 2006...
published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
.
Artbooks
The Cobra manga has become the basis of two artbookArtbook
An art book may mean a conventional book on art or art history, or an artist's book, which is a work of art in the form of a book, usually produced in a small limited edition, often not just using normal printing techniques. The term might also cover graphic novels, books of anime and other types...
s. Concept designs of the manga were added to a Cobra artbook titled Cobra Wonder: Concept Design Arts of Cobra World. An artbook focusing on the female characters of the series was released as under Super Jump's Jump Comics Deluxe line.
Film adaptation
Alexandre AjaAlexandre Aja
Alexandre Aja is a French film director who rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension .-Personal life:...
plans to direct a live-action film adaptation of Cobra. On April 30, 2011 ComingSoon.net unveiled a teaser poster depicting promotional concept art for Cobra: The Space Pirate that was featured on the cover of the international edition of Variety magazine for the month of May 2011. Aja was inspired to create this film adaptation because the original sci-fi manga, was one of his childhood favorites.
Reception
Ivevei Upatkoon of EX online magazine praised the Cobra manga series as a "rich fantasy" that was unmatched by any other. She felt the main character took "after James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
, albeit somewhat on the silly side, and the costumes and bizarre worlds are but a shade shy of plagiarizing Barbarella
Barbarella (film)
Barbarella is a 1968 Franco-Italian science fiction film based on Jean-Claude Forrest's French Barbarella comics. The film was directed by Roger Vadim and stars Jane Fonda, who was Vadim's wife at the time.-Plot:...
." She was impressed that the series "is surprisingly devoid of the sexual innuendo and exploitation that anime fans have come to associate with decorative female characters" in that it avoids the stereotypical random beautiful women, and instead creates its own "extreme" world that features "superhuman strength, superhuman senses, fantastically grotesque monsters, inhumanly powerful villains and gorgeous sidekicks." However, Upatkoon noted that modern readers might find the manga so dated they would be discouraged from reading it, despite a growing improvement in artistic quality as the series progresses. The English version of Cobra was also named as one of the "The Top 25 Translated-To-English Manga of All Time" by Wizard
Wizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
magazine.
The anime film has received mixed reviews from many critics. Tim Henderson from Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
of Australia gave the film adaptation a generally positive review with an overall B-rating. He praised the English-translated film for staying very true to the 1978 manga series and "holding its own with a modern audience." Henderson stated that the series carries a "love as a power beyond compare" theme to it, which battles with the main character's playboyish air. Henderson said that the dub and the original Japanese voices are almost like a history lesson when compared. Overall, Henderson judged the movie to be a masterpiece and classic that is worth viewing to know the medium's foundations. The online Sci-Fi Magazine of the Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
gave a fair review for the film. Tasha Robinson of Sci-Fi praised the movie for its psychedelic imagery and its energetic plot. Robinson approved of the movie's visual weight and texture. However, Robinson said that the characters are nothing more than shallow stereotypes. Robinson added that "magical-energetic-power-of-love" does not work with the movie, but it is a "classic head trip" and "the surface is only what matters."
Charles Packer of Sci-Fi Online gave the film adaptation a negative review. Packer regarded the plot as pure nonsense. He explained that the animation looks like a saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
. Packer did say that the animation also crosses between that of an old anime and a new one, complete with interesting "psychedelic moments." He said the dialogue is almost laughable, however the voice actors are decent in both languages. Packer complained that the disc contained no extras aside from the trailers, one of which looked as if it came from a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
. Matt of the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival website gave the film a very positive review. Matt explained that he should seriously hate the movie but stated that the movie has a "cheesy, easygoing charm" that made him smile. He stated that the movie has a very straightforward plot, screams "cliché" to him, and is old enough to have invented some of those clichés. Complimenting the film, he said that the main character is like the "animation equivalent of Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
" with a similar personality. He praised the dubbing of the film and the animation.