AKIRA

BY KATSUHIRO OTOMO

PHANTOM VOICES
 suo, once Kaneda’s friend but
WHAT HAS now his greatest enemy. Tet-
GONE suo lost his left arm to a laser
BEFORE blast from the Colonel's milit-
ary satellite SOL, and has used
cybernetics and telekinesis to
fabricate for himself a pros-
thetic replacement.
Most powerful of all the
children is Number 28—Akira
—a docile and enigmatic boy
who was placed in cryogenic
sleep almost 40 years ago,
after his mental blast started
the Third World War. Akira
was recently reawakened by
030. The world hovers on Tetsuo, and again he devas-
the brink of World War IV. tated the reconstructed city of
Kaneda, onetime leader Neo-Tokyo. Japan now exists
ofadelinquent gang, is caught ina state of emergency. The
up in the aftermath of apower forces of the army and the
struggle between a Japanese fesistance are scattered, and
military research organization the military's formidable
—led by a man known only as “caretaker robots” patrol the
the Colonel—and a resis- streets.
tance group whose members In the western part of Neo-
included Kay, Ryu, and a Tokyo, the Great Tokyo Em-
formidable woman named pire is formed—a monarchy
Chiyoko. with Akira on the throne and
The Colonel had a number Tetsuo as his prime minister.
of psychic children under his Together the pair use their
control. Each was identified by powers, healing the sick,
a number tattooed on the wielding control of the faithful,
hand. Among them were. and organizing their subjects
Kiyoko and Masaru— into fighting units to defend
Numbers 25 and 27. The blind their land. Their headquarters
Lady Miyako—Number 19— is Neo-Tokyo's Olympic
was once among their ranks Stadium. To the East, Lady
but now heads a great relig- Miyako welcomes refugees
ious cult. Number 41 is Tet- to her shrine. In this, she is

ey i
Kaneda The Colonel Lady Miyako
aided by Kiyoko, Masaru, their powers and strike as one,
and a number of loyal, psychic Kaneda, who's teamed up
monks, with Kai and Joker—a friend
The Empire is infiltrated by and a rival from his gang days
teams of spies of commando —vows to kill Tetsuo himself
units from the outside world, rather than let Kay face such
equipped with biochemical danger. He, Kai and Joker
armaments which take a tre- launch an assault against
mendous toll on Tetsuo's Tetsuo, using most of their
forces. A fleet of foreign ships men, as well as such state-of-
waits in Tokyo Bay, poised for the-art weapons as they've
action. Aboard an American salvaged, including laser
naval vessel, an international rifles, flying platforms, and
conclave ofscientists and one one caretaker robot. At the
Tibetan monk study the Akira Olympic Stadium, they find
phenomenon—which they've destruction and chaos. Their
codenamed Juvenile A. One enemy is already under attack
of the scientists—Stanley by Kay, the outside forces, and
Simmons—goes ashore even disloyal subjects of his
without military authorization, own empire.
hoping desperately to imple- In battle, Tetsuo loses
mentasecret plan. control, and his artificial arm
Meanwhile Lady Miyako, assumes a grossly mutated
Masaru and Kiyoko convince form. He runs amok, killing
Kay to join them in battle anyone who comes too close.
against Tetsuo, because Kay His power has grown beyond
is a powerful medium, through what his body can contain and
whom the others can project is now trying to absorb its

Lt Yamada
‘surroundings. His body begins another gang member, hoping
to alternate between a normal to find Joker and return to
human form and an immense, the fray.
uncontrollable, bloated Then, the international fleet
grotesquerie. in the harbor sends fighter
Kaori, the girl Tetsuo planes to rain death upon
loves, is murdered by traitors. Neo-Tokyo causing chaos
While Tetsuo is mourning her, among all the combatants.
he and his followers are Akira slips away from his
attacked by the armed infil- guardians and rejoins Kaneda
trators. Tetsuo’s supporters in the stadium, saying that
die horribly, while Akira looks he's been called by a power
placidly on. Tetsuo, shot by from above. The power is an
the biochem weapons, is orbiting laser cannon which
enraged, and his enemies, too, the admiral of the fleet has
die a hideous death. ordered fired at the stadium.
Ironically, the germs in the The laser pauses to recharge
weapons affect Tetsuo like a just before firing at Tetsuo,
drug, enabling him to reassert and Tetsuo transports himself
mastery over his powers. A to space, seizing control of the
duel in the stadium ensues, ‘weapon.
with Kay and Kaneda using Before the ships can be
lasers and telekinesis against evacuated, Tetsuo fires the
him. The fight goes on and on, cannon at the fleet. For a
with the advantage shifting finale, he brings the entire
time and again. Kaneda sends satellite crashing down upon
Kai to safety with Akira, and the bridge of the flagship
Kai hands the boy over to where the admiral commands.
 THERE'S MORE
WATER COMING
IN HERE!

THE SHIP'S GOING

DOWN.

TO THE
LIFEBOATS-
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BRING US
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WHATS BELOW,
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BEST WAY OF
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 KATSUHIRO OTOMO
writer/illustrator

SATOSHI TAKABATAKE
chief assistant to Mr, Otomo,
SATOSHI KON:
‘additional artwork.
HIROSHI HIRATA,
‘designer AKIRA calligraphy.
AKIRA SAITO
designer « Kodansha edition

Kodansha, Ltd,
YOKO UMEZAWA.
‘tvanslation
‘KOICHI YURI
HISATAKA NISHITANI
‘editor » Kodansha edition,
YUKA ANDO
editorial coordinator « Tokyo
NORIYUKI OKAZAKI
managing editor « New York
nic Comics
JO DUFFY
‘english script
‘STEVE OLIFF
with the
OLYOPTICS COMPUTER CREW
colorists:
MICHAEL HIGGINS
with LAURA BRADY
letterers
KEVIN SOMERS:
assistant editor
MARIE JAVINS:
editor
CARL POTTS
‘executive editor
 I.wagons have drawn into circles
‘on the rubble strewn plain of Neo-Tokyo, those still surviving forging lines of defense to hold
off the furies that rail ag them all. Aboard an American warship, fighting men trade
ordnance for escape in a desperate attempttostay alive, Within the weakening ramparts of
her temple, Lady Miyako shelters young children holding the secrets of powers older than
time. Beneath the city's labyrinthine infrastructure, the berserker named Tetsuo struggles to
hold himself together against attacks that tear at his body and soul.
A most terrible siege has set in across this metropolis-turned-battlefield. . .and the walls
have started to crumble.

KATSUHIRO OTOMO’'S

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