Tsubasa Nishikiori (錦織 つばさ, Nishikiori Tsubasa) is a major character in Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!. Originally an assistant to Dr. Hell and friend to Juzo Kabuto; she became the proprietress to the Kurogane House years later and became the main ally to the Mazinger Corps. It is later revealed that Tsubasa is in fact the mother to Koji and Shiro Kabuto and wife to Kenzo Kabuto. She is also the sister to Tetsuya Tsurugi.
Background[]
Tsubasa was under Dr. Hell's assistance for a very long time, learning biochemistry from him. She was once engaged to Schtroheim Heinrich but their relationship had ended quickly. Eventually she and Hell met Juzo and his son Kenzo. They traveled to the Mediterranean Sea to find the fabled island Bardos.
On the island, she assists her teacher in trying to get answers out of a couple mummies by reviving them as Baron Ashura. However, it attacked them so Tsubasa put controls in Ashura's body that would subconsciously prevent him/her from doing any harm to Tsubasa.
She grew very close to Juzo and Kenzo on the journey and was there when her brother Tetsuya piloted the Energer Z. However as the expedition continued Tsubasa saw her teacher's true colors with Kenzo supposedly joining him in his efforts and took measures to stop him, detonating bombs around Bardos to force Hell into seclusion and killing Kenzo along with Tetsuya.
During the next few years she secretly collaborating with Juzo in the creation of Mazinger Z. At some point she founds the Kurogane House and recruits the Kurogane 5.
Appearance[]
Tsubasa is a woman in her late thirties with short brown hair and green eyes. Her clothing usually consists of a purple kimono with a green obi-age with red outlines. Over this she wears a light blue haori with a dark blue outline and white diamond emblems near the neck area.
Personality[]
Tsubasa is very quiet and reserved, keeping secrets from several people including the Kurogane 5 and the Kabuto brothers so as not to send them into severe shock. She does everything in her power to assist Koji and his allies in the battle against Dr. Hell. Tsubasa is also greatly troubled by her past of killing Kenzo and Tetsuya.
Relationships[]
Kabuto Family[]
After Tsubasa's marriage into the Kabuto Family, she does anything to make amends for her past mistakes. She was very close with Kenzo, marrying him and had two sons with him. Tsubasa was greatly saddened when forced to kill Kenzo after he began working for Dr. Hell. After this event, she worked closely with Kenzo's father Juzo in creating the Mazinger. As soon as Koji began to pilot Mazinger Z, she supported her son with the equipment Juzo gave her and taught him how to effectively pilot the robot. When it came to her youngest son Shiro, although there were tensions between them Tsubasa not only cares for his well being and continues to do so even after her transgressions were revealed.
Dr. Heinrich[]
Tsubasa was once engaged to Dr. Heinrich while working as an assistant to Dr. Hell. However, she was unable to forge a lasting bond with him due to his similarities to Dr. Hell and left Heinrich after eloping with Kenzo.
Kurogane 5[]
Tsubasa recruited the Kurogane 5 in order to help her and her allies. They all have total loyalty towards Tsubasa, supporting her and doing anything she says.
Tetsuya Tsurugi[]
Tetsuya was Tsubasa's brother and test pilot of the Energer Z. They appear to have been very close in their childhood as Tetsuya proclaimed he would protect her. When Tsubasa was forced to kill Tetsuya in order to take down a supposedly defected Kenzo, she was greatly saddened.
Abilities[]
As mistress of the Kurogane House, Tsubasa has full authority over the staff. She is also a highly skilled biochemist, able to use various formulas to pull of amazing feats such as completing the body of Baron Ashura and even bring dead members of the Kurogane 5 back to life. After seeing several secrets about the Mazinger with Juzo, Tsubasa has more than enough knowledge of the robot. Tsubasa is armed with a variety of weapons from a small tanto to a rocket launcher.
History[]
Tsubasa helps Koji fight against the invading Mechanical Beasts by giving him pointers about the Mazinger's strengths. She also comes face to face with her creations: Baron Ashura and Viscount Pygman. After Koji and Shiro move in, the Kurogane House is attacked by the Gamia Q and after they are defeated, Tsubasa notices that only a few scientists could make androids as advanced as the Gamia including Kenzo and Dr. Heinrich. With Dr. Heinrich in mind, Tsubasa travels to his castle in Germany. While there she encounters Shiro who had came with Heinrich's 'daughter' Lorelai. However, Dr. Heinrich used this chance to inform Shiro that Tsubasa is his mother and the one who killed his father. When Shiro asked, Tsubasa only replied that what Heinrich said was true. Shiro was frustrated at this revelation and ran off.
Later the castle is attacked by Baron Ashura and his Ashura Corps. to get a robot that Heinrich had promised Dr. Hell. Tsubasa had to evacuate as the castle was collapsing especially when the Mazinger fought against the robot, Danube α1. Afterwards, Tsubasa's relationship with the Kabuto brothers weakened after the revelation. But Tsubasa still assists Koji when the Kedora took over Mazinger and went to chase after it all the way to a pillar on Bardos where they travel to the past during the time of Zeus. As they are spotted by Archduke Gorgon, the Garadoubla MK01 was sent after them. As the Kurogane 4 fight it off, Koji and Tsubasa watch as Zeus and Hades battle it out only for the Garadoubla to come back and Koji activates Mazinger to fight it. After Zeus destroys Hades' body and Bardos begins to sink from Hades' new state, Tsubasa and Koji escape from the tower.
With the tower behind them, Tsubasa becomes sick from Viscount Pygman's powers and starts to hallucinate about Tetsuya. Later the Kurogane House is attacked by the Energer Z, piloted with who appeared to be Kenzo. Koji fought the Eneger with Mazinger but was starting to lose with 'Baron Ashura' demanding to know where Zeus' arm was while re-telling what happened on Bardos. She later figures out that Ashura was actually Pygman as the real Ashura was unconscious during the time on Bardos. Tsubasa then calls out Zeus' arm as it restrains the Energer. The Kurogane 5 then appear to capture Pygman with Tsubasa revealing she brought them back to life through her biochemistry skills. As Count Brocken ditches his Kenzo disguise as the Energer was about to blow up from colliding with Zeus' arm, Pygman escapes and tries to kill Tsubasa until Shiro shielded her, acknowledging Tsubasa as his mother. When Pygman is driven away, Tsubasa saw Zeus' arm become the God Scrander and combine with Mazinger to knock the Energer away as it exploded.
Even when the fight was over, Tsubasa still felt uneasy about the inevitable return of Kenzo as Dr. Hell had Koji challenge Baron Ashura and his Mechanical Beast. Koji is confused on what to do as his friends to him to and not to fight. Tsubasa helps Koji come up with a plan before he heads out. As Mechanical Beasts attack Atami, Tsubasa sets off explosives destroying several of them to help her son while Kenzo Kabuto appears to Tsubasa. Tsubasa then tried to kill him with a tanto, but Kenzo was revealed to only be a robot that was sent to guide Tsubasa to the real Kenzo. Kenzo reveals to Tsubasa that Dr. Hell had infected him with a Kedora and forced him to work for the mad scientist. Tsubasa forgives him as she returns to the Photon Lab in the form of the Photon Power Fortress. The new weapon appeared to give an advantage in battle but the Hell King Gordon absorbed their photon attacks. Kenzo had Gamia Q3 reverse the polarity of the Photon Power to damage the giant robot. As Koji and Mazinger prepare to attack, Kenzo tells Tsubasa with his last breath that with Dr. Hell's death will come the rise of the Mycenae Empire. Tsubasa tries to warn Koji but the Mazinger had already unleashed the 100 Rocket Punches they planned, destroying the Gordon and Dr. Hell. Unfortunately the Mycenae Empire rise to the surface after Baron Ashura performed a ritual. What happens then is unknown.
Production Background[]
Tsubasa in Gakuen.
Tsubasa was originally a character from Gakuen Taikutsu Otoko as a high school student opposing the oppressive teachers with great physical strength and becomes the proprietor of a bathouse with strong fighters to help out. She also appears in Susano Oh with a similar role.
Tsubasa also appeared in several other Go Nagai manga such as Violence Jack's City of Gold arc where she is the leader of a yakuza gang that assist the title character, here Tsubasa is portrayed as an adult bearing the age and appearance that would be used in Shin Mazinger.
Etymology[]
- The name Tsubasa means "wing" (つばさ) in Hiragana.
- Tsubasa's surname Nishikiori means "brocade" (錦) (nishiki) and "weave, weaving" (織) (ori).
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