His Highness Deadcross

His Highness Deadcross ("Deddokurosu Denka" デッドクロス殿下) is a chapter of the Astro Boy manga which originally ran in Shonen magazine in September 1960.

Plot Summary
One evening, a robot representative from the country of Guravia comes to the home of Astro Boy and his robot family. He urgently requests Astro to secretly come to Guravia to help with a very serious matter. Astro bids his family farewell and sets off in disguise with the strange robot to board a plane for Guravia. On the way they happen to meet Astro's teacher, Higeoyaji. He suspects and recognizes Astro and follows them undercover all the way to their destination.

Guravia is the world's first country to have elected a robot for their president. But there is also a sinister society led by a masked man known as Lord Deadcross, it has been threatening the new President and his supporters. After Astro destroys some giant crab-like robots sent to attack President Rag at his home, Astro first meets him and solemnly promises to do everything he can to protect him. Meanwhile, Higeoyaji is captured by the society where Deadcross tortures him for Astro's return to Japan.

Eventually, Deadcross manages to capture the President and remove his electronic brain turning him into his puppet so he'll publicly renounce the presidency. He also destroys Astro, but not before he was able to set free his Higeoyaji, who helps the President's right-hand man recover Astro's body. Professor Ochanomizu suddenly turns up to help repair him. Thus, Astro is able to overcome the evil society, help arrest Deadcross and force him to return the electronic brain he stole. It turns out that Deadcross was actually the man who originally created the President. He wanted his robot to help him become president but the robot ran against him promising to make life easier for his fellow robots who were traditionally viewed as humans slaves. When he lost the election to his creation that was when Deadcross had formed his society vowing revenge. But of course justice triumphs and Astro and his friends go home with the Robot President established in office.

Characters

 * Astro Boy
 * Rag
 * Lord Deadcross
 * Higeoyaji
 * Professor Ochanomizu

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


 * Astro Boy, Volume 8 (Kodansha)
 * Astro Boy, Volume 2 (Dark Horse)