Roboids

Roboids ("Roboido" ロボイド) is a chapter of the Astro Boy manga which originally ran in Shonen magazine in January 1965.

Plot Summary
Once again Earth is threatened by an alien invasion, Professor Ochanomizu has discovered information from a secret source that the invaders are called roboids. They physically resemble robots but they're not true robots. There are five of them involved and they are planning to annihilate the human race via infiltration of Earth's robot population. The professor has recruited four of the world's major robot secret agents: Zair-A, Box, Dop OO and Cyrano to assist Astro Boy in the mission to defeat the roboids. With five robots against five roboids, it seemed like an even match.

During the course of their battles Astro learns that the roboids come from a far distant star where all the humans being become extinct hundreds of years ago leaving behind only the robots they had built. The robots kept building new robots and slowly evolved into beings that were born and died just like humans and even developed male and female genders and could give birth to children. Then some roboid scientists wanted to claim Earth's resources, so an invasion force travelled in a spaceship disguised as a meteor. They crashed into the sea, burrowed down into the Earth and lay hidden to orchestrate their plans. Eventually Astro and his companions are able to destroy all five roboids, however the cost is very high. Cyrano, Box, Dop OO and Zair-A are also destroyed one by one, leaving Astro is the only survivor of the robot team.

Furthermore there are actually more roboids on Earth. There is a chief commander who the other roboids answered to, and he also has his wife and their young son, Lolo, living safely underground while they fight the war above. Lolo actually tricks Astro into stepping onto the transporter device sending him to his playroom deep underground because he's lonely. When Lolo's dad finds Astr,o he challenges him to duel up above, even though Lolo protests that he wants Astro to be his friend. As they prepare to fight, Lolo's mom suddenly appears and cries out that Lolo had ran away. She shows her husband a note that says Lolo can't stand it anymore, he promised to show him many interesting things when they came to Earth but he's never taken him to the surface so much as once. The last straw was just when he made friends with Astro dad drove him away. So he's gone to the surface by himself.

The commander reluctantly agrees to send Astro to bring Lolo back when he swears that robots never lie and by his honor he can be trusted. He realizes that Lolo has broken into military grounds and rescues him from the automatically activated guns and bombs triggered off by intruders but he is broken in the process. When he lands on the ground outside the complex he is still and lifeless. Lolo's dad appears and begs his son's forgiveness for neglecting him. He tells him they're going home and his mother is waiting for them. He assures Lolo that Astro can easily be repaired and sends Lolo back underground via the transporter. Then he repairs Astro himself. Shortly after Astro awakens the spaceship takes off on automatic pilot. He explains to Astro that he has sent his wife and son back to their own planet but he has stayed behind to finish their duel. It's for the sake of honor. His troops have been destroyed and his conquest thwarted but he must fight to the end. Astro is compelled to attack but the commander deliberately blows himself up during the initial attack. He really was grateful to Astro for saving Lolo and had no desire to destroy him.

Astro realizes that this must have been his intention all along to send his family home and lay down his life in battle. He hopes with all his heart that if Lolo ever returns to Earth when he grows up that they will be able to be true friends and have no reason at all to fight such a senseless battle.

Characters

 * Astro Boy
 * Professor Ochanomizu
 * Zair-A, Box, Dop OO and Cyrano\
 * Lolo

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


 * Astro Boy, Volume 14 (Kodansha)
 * Astro Boy, Volume 12 (Dark Horse)