I KATSUHIRO OnOMO

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BY KATSUHIRO OTOMO

kChapter 19

TO SAVE THE CHILDREN

WHAT HAS a powerful religious with

GONEprecoqnative gifts, Lady

Miyako.

BEFORE TheColoaelhasanumberof

psychic children like Number 26

under his control. Each child

^Twenty-thirtv. The world possesses a distinct set of

1 stands poised ai the edge psychic talents and is identified

1 of World War IV An by a number marked on the

ExplDsiorofthermchnjclear hand. At one time Lady Miyako

prnportiDns has been set off was Number 19 in this series.

in Neo-Tokyo. The world, Numbar28isAkira,so

particularly the sjperpowers, powEriiil that since the war he

wonders v<Mat has happened. In has been suspended in cryogenic

Neo-Tokyo, in a aeulion taown sleep.

as Ihe "old city", a bard of The Colonel's staff conducts

teenaged delinquenls lad by experiments which awaken

Kanada encounters Number tremendous telepathic potential

26, e child named Takashi who in Tetsuo, who is redubbed

used extraordinary lelekinetic NumbH 41, Able to shrug

abilities to injjre Tetsuo, one of off the most serious injuries.

Kaneda's close triends. Tetsuo goes on a killing spree,

As a result, KBneda and murdering one of Kaneda's

Tetsuo become entangled in a friends and even attacking

power struggle between a Kaneda, Then, followed by Kay

mysterious military and scientific and Kaneda, Tetsuo sats out in

organi?ation led by the Colonel search of Akira, wiiose powers

and an underground resistance he thinks may rival his own.

group bent on putting a stop to Even in hibernation, AJtira's

the Colonel^ activities. power responds to Tetsuo's

Among the resistance. psychic energy When Tetsuo

Kaneda meals Kay—a girl he nsaches Akira's resting place, the

alternately maddens and tries to cryogenic chamber cracks from

seduce— Kay's "brother" within and Akira—dazed and

Ryu, and a formidable woman docile following his long sleep-

named Chiyoko. Other emerges.

important resistance leaders Terrified of what may occur,

include Ryu's superior—the the Colmiel summons the

opposition leader Nezu—and powerful SOL military satellite

Chiyoko Kaori LL\^rnada Tetsuo

VWfPW^lM^^^J^ijt j^Wl^If^lpllland orders tliat its lasor cannon trained by Lady Miyako, whobefiredatTetsuoandAkira. now knows that Nezu has

wlio are separated by the blasts. betrayed her. The Colonel, with

Akiraia saved by Kay and his troops and his psydiic

KanedabulTetsuoisless children, is also frantically trying

lQrlunate,Tlie laser strikes bis to find Akira before he fully

left arm. awakens. Sakski hides Akira

Neo-Tokvo is placed in a in a dumpster There is be found

state of military emergency by Ryu—one of the few people

following tbe disaster. "Caretaker who doesn't recognize the child.

robots" patrol the streets, Ryu and Mira encounter Nezu,

dealing harshly wUh looters and who blurts out the boy's name.

restoring order. The Colonel Ryu realizes that his fomiar

uses the emargercy as an master is a traitor When Nezu

excuse to bunt down and destroy tries to kill them, Ryu guns bim

his enemies. With the aid of his down and leaves him for dead.

inner circle, the Colonel stages Ultimately, Sakaki, Ryu,

a successful coup d'etat. Akira, Kaneda, Kay and

Nezu, planning to explait Chiyoko are surrounded by the

Akira for bis own purposes, Colonel's troops, Sakaki is killed

kidnaps the child and orders his trying to escape, but all seems

staff to kill Kaneda, Kay, and well when Takashi fondly

Chiyoko, who manage to greets Akira and reintroduces

escape and free Akira, He is, him to Iheir fellow psychics

boweyer, stolen from tliem Kiyoko and Masani Then

again, this time by young Neoi, dying and detennincd for

psychics headed by Sakaki and revenge, arrives and tries to kill

Ryu Masani

Akira, killing Takashi instead. happening inside the city

TlielfaumaofTBliashi'sdealh lUlasaru and Kiyoko are sick

galvanizes Akira, who fully Mth withdrawal from the dmgawaltens and unleashes a light which augments and channels

blast powerful enough to their psychic powers, and

devastate the entire cIlvAcHng Kiyoko tells Kay to find

quickly, Masani and Kiyoko Numberlft They meet with

sweep most of the people in the Lady Miyako, who gives them

area upward, into the shelter of medicine to help Kiyoko and

a skyscraper. Kaneda is last Masani. and asks that Kay

seen vanishing toward the sky. In bring the other psychics to her

the wake of the disaster, Ladv when they are well.

Miyako opens hertemple and Most of the spies from (he

offers shelter and comfort to outside ate hunted down by a

those in need. clain/oyanL and killed by other

Aflenwards, as Akira sits chemically created psychics.

alone. lelekiieticallv playing with Only their leader, LtTfemada.

bits of mbble,Tetsuo finally kills one ofthe monsters and

reappears. Neo-Tokyo is escapes. Tetsjo's followers are

completely cut oft from the rest on the verge of catching him

of the outside world, and in the again, when Ryu who has been

western part of the city the

GreatTokyo Empire is following the recent deaths

fornied—a monarchy with of many of his friends in the

Akira on the throne and Tetsuo resistance—appears and leads

as his prime minister Together him into the safety of an

the pair use their powers. underground shelter

healing Ihe sick, wielding control Meanv^ile, Tetsuo's aide

of the faithful, and organizing picks three pretty girls out of the

ihair subjects into fighting units Empire's bnsadline for what he

that destroy caretaker robots and thinks will be a fatal orgy

conquer military and medical Tetsuo orders them to swallow

relief parties sent from the diluted, recreational strength

outside world. In addition, capsules of the mind-altering

Tetsuo conducts deadly tests on drugs. As the orgy begins, so

special followers, hoping lo find does an odyssey into Tetsuo's

more psychics fit for training. The mind, and he relives his past

Empire is eventually infiltrated recalling moments of his

by teams of spies sent from the friendship with the cocky,

outside to leam what is maddening Kaneda.

Seer Kay

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NEXT ISSUE. REVELATIONS

Neo-Tokyo is about to E»X»P«L «0«D'E

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Ml RBased on the Graphic 1

Art Oirsctor TOSHIHAnU MIZUTAN

Jovel by KATSUHIRO OTOMO

Scenario IZO HASHIMOTO • Music SHOJI VAMASHIRO • ProducBP RYOHEI SUZUKI

Charactar DsEign / Script / DirBction KATSUHIRO OTOMO

M Mkira. the animated feature film based loosely on the Akira comic, has beenplaying at many repertory and art cinemas around the U.S. for the past few months.Readers who have seen the film know that although the comic and movie are similar in

characteri?ation and atmosphere, there are vast differences in the storyline. Drastic plot

changes were made in order to accommodate thousands of story pages into a tvuo

hour movie. Also, the comic itself is not yet complete in Japan, leaving even Akira's

Epic Comics staff unaware of the eventual route the ending will take.

Now, courtesy of Epic Comics, Streamline Pictures and your local comic book store,

Akira fans who read the comic AND attend the movie, can receive a free 11x17 poster!

The poster, printed in red, black and white, advertises Akira #16 and the second

Check the list below for this month's Akira playdates. Remember to save your ticket

stub! Take this stub, along with a coupon available from your local comic book store

with the purchase of an Akrra comic, to participating comic stores and you will receive

an Akira poster as long as supplies last.

For more information on when Akira vvill be playing near you, the Streamline

Pictures "Making of Akira" videotape, or on the Streamline Pictures lobby poster[J

shown on the previous page, write to STREAMLIIWEST HOLLYWOOD. CA 90069.

Confirmed s owings of Akira during the month of April are a

Salt Lake City. UTCinema In Your Face

March 30—April 5

Chicago, IL

Music Box Theater

[Vlarch 30—April 5

Hinsdafe. IL

Hinsdale Theater

Apriie—April12

Pittsburgh, PAFulton Theater

Apriie—April 15

The Academy TheaterApril 20—21

Cleveland, OHThe Cleveland Cinemateque

April 26—29

follows:

Akira will play i T San Luis Obispo, CA during the month of May,New York City during the summer

and will play

VASUMITSU SUETAKE

MAKOTO SHIOSAKSATDSHI TAKABATAKE

t 1 M 01

HIROSHI HIRATA

AKIRA SAITO

YOKO UMEZAWA

NOHirUKI QKAZAKImiinaoing ^liiinr Nevj Vnrl-

[|iic [ginic:

JOOUFFVr ] pi i mSTEVE OLIFF

OLYOPTICS COMPUTER CREW

MICHAEL HIGGINS

STEVE ALEXANUnOV

MARIE JAUINS

MARGARFT ClARK

CARL pons

HAi 1(1 It's ,s

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