The Eyes of Christ

The Eyes of Christ ("Kirisuto no me" キリストの目) - originally titled "Seven Silhouettes" - is a chapter of the Astro Boy manga which originally ran in a supplement in Shonen magazine in January 1959.

Plot Summary
A robotics company has developed an extremely dangerous robot capable of killing up to one thousand people in one second with a deadly laser. There are six members of this conspiracy, including the company's President and his daughter. They have hidden pieces of their robot in remote places such as warehouses and churches, now they are trying to collect and assemble them. They hope to illegally manufacture and sell these robots to the world's armies when a war is started.

However, when they go to one particular church, the priest recognizes the president when the wind accidentally blows his mask off. He tells them that if they plan bad things, Jesus is watching, pointing to a plaster statue of Him hanging on a cross. The boss tells him to blindfold the statue. and then they lock him in a side room. The bell ringer, Kashizo, sneaks into the side room and the priest instructs him to make his way to the bell tower from back and sound the alarm. Kashizo rings the bells, and the gang runs away, but the president shoots the priest.

One of the gang members turns traitor and steals one of the killer-robot's arms. Astro Boy sees his car zooming really fast and saves it from plunging over a cliff by the highway. However, he is dying from a gunshot wound and gives the suitcase containing the arm to Astro imploring him to keep it safe and give it to nobody. Astro takes it home, then the president's daughter demands that he give it to her. Astro refuses and she tries to threaten him with an electro-mag gun. He disarms her and she leaves telling his parents he's a thief and they should be ashamed of him. Astro dad demands that he give him the briefcase so he can return it, he his own son harboring stolen property. Astro makes up his mind to run away and sneaks out. Meanwhile, his dad is ambushed by the president's daughter on the way to the police station. His mom discovers his broken body while searching for Astro and takes him to Professor Ochanomizu for repairs. Astro dad realizes he should've trusted Astro when he said that woman was bad, but he is horrified to hear he ran away.

In the meantime, Astro's schoolteacher, Higeoyaji, has been working on helping the police with the case. He jumps down from a tree onto the President's car as he leaves his home. By misfortune, his daughter observes him through the window and follows in her own car. But luckily, Astro recognizes his teacher when the first car passes him. Higeoyaji realizes what's going on when the president meets his accomplices at a deserted warehouse where the robot is being put together. While he reports by phone to Inspector Tawashi, the woman gets the drop on him, and the criminals order the robot to kill him. Astro appears just in time to save Higeoyaji from being crushed by the robot's bare hands. When Astro fights it makes the robot so angry it prepares to use its killer beam. However, it suddenly dawns on the criminals that if that powerful beam is fired it will destroy all of them in addition to Astro. The robot refuses to listen to their pleas so in desperation they zap it and melt it with their electro-mag guns. Then Higeoyaji shoots their weapons out of their hands with a machine gun. He reveals to the president that he knew his company was the guilty party because when he had that priest, he murdered blindfold the statue of Jesus he cleverly scratched the symbol of his company on the right eye. The eyes of Christ exposed them! He arrests them all and marches them off at gunpoint to the police thanking Astro.

Collected Volumes
This story has been collected in the following volumes:


 * Astro Boy, Volume 6 (Kodansha)
 * Astro Boy, Volume 12 (Dark Horse)