How a space adventurer's identity was erased to escape a pirate syndicate
In short: In the far future, an office worker discovers his mundane life is a lie. After a dream triggers a repressed past, he realizes he is actually Cobra, a space adventurer with a cybernetic arm-laser gun, hiding from a criminal syndicate that has been hunting him for years.
Created by Buichi Terasawa, the Cobra manga series is a stylistic fusion of Spaghetti Westerns and Japanese samurai stories. Terasawa drew inspiration from various cinematic sources, including the 'phlegmatic style' of French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and the science-fiction aesthetics of films like Barbarella. The protagonist's characterization was also influenced by James Bond, particularly in his attitude and the presence of various women circulating around him. The creator's work was also inspired by the animations of René Laloux. Additionally, the character's name for his partner, Lady Armaroid, was originally conceived as Armaroid Lady.
The narrative follows Cobra, an adventurer who uses the Psychogun—a cybernetic arm-laser gun—to battle the Pirate Guild, an organized crime syndicate led by the powerful Lord Salamander. To escape his enemies, Cobra once underwent surgery to alter his face and had his memories erased. This precarious existence is disrupted when a technology called the Trip Movie Corporation allows a man named Johnson to experience a dream so vivid it triggers Cobra's subconscious, forcing his true identity to resurface. The villainous Lord Salamander is later revealed to be an incarnation of the soul of Adolf Hitler. During his travels, Cobra's life is complicated by a recurring enemy named Crystal Bowie, whose body is made of highly resistant glass.
Running in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump between November 1978 and November 1984, the series achieved huge commercial popularity. It has sold 50 million copies, cementing its status as one of the magazine's best-selling series of all time. The franchise's reach extends far beyond the original manga, spanning anime films, television series, video games, and multiple sequels, including the digital release of Cobra: Over the Rainbow in 2019. The series has been published in numerous international markets, including Brazil, Italy, and Thailand. Furthermore, it has seen various special editions, such as the kanzenban releases by Shueisha.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Cobra (manga)
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