Monster of the Month Doruge Demon: FRANKERUGE

ドルゲ魔人 フランケルゲ 「超人バロム・１」より


©Saito Productions/Toei Company

Height: 2.2 meters • Weight: 150 kilos • Origin: Abashiri, Hokkaido • Original Appearance: SUPERHUMAN BAROM-1 (1972) Episode 2 “Cursed Mutant: Frankeruge" • Design: Norio Maezawa • Fabricator: Keizo Murase • Voice Actor: Teiji Omiya

The evil Doruge facilitates the escape of a convicted murderer, Tetsu Kurosato, en route to prison, to convert him into a Dorugeman No. 2. Infected with the sinister Doruge Virus, spliced with the DNA of a Ligia oceanica (or Sea Slater), Kursato is mutated into the insidious Frankeruge. Carrying a police revolver stolen from Detective Kido in his escape, and his left arm alive with a one million-volt current, this grotesque agent of evil goes on a murderous rampage. Only Kentaro Shiratori and Takashi Kido, transforming into Barom-1, can stop the fiendish Frakeruge, whose only weakness is water.

Another of the bizarre "Agents of Evil" from BAROM-1, Frankeruge garnered his moniker from Mary Shelly's "Modern Prometheus"—the Frankenstein Monster—but save for their alchemic creation, the similarities end there. What really sells this monster for me is, not only Norio Maezawa's insane design, but also his human host, played by heavy Kyoichi Sato. A veteran of Toei's Yakuza eiga, Sato began his career as a bit player in several Toho films, including THE H-MAN (1958), but made his first notable appearance as a villain in Hideo Gosha's SWORD OF THE BEAST (1965).

But, at the end of the day, I don't know who's scarier, Frankeruge or Sato.

Monster of the Month Doruge Demon: OKOZERUGE

深海魔人オコゼルゲ 「超人バロム・１」より


©Saito Productions/Toei

Height: 2.2 meters • Weight: 100 kilos • Origin: Japanese Coast • Original Appearance: SUPERHUMAN BAROM-1 (1972) Episode 1 “The Devil’s Envoy: Deepsea Amphibian Okozeruge" • Design: Norio Maezawa • Fabricator: Keizo Murase • Voice Actor: Eiji Maruyama

The first of Doruge’s “Agents of Evil,” created to corrupt and enslave mankind. When infected with the “Dorgue Bacillus,” crossed with the cells of a poisonous Okoze (or Scorpionfish), the hapless Takaichiro Suzaki is transformed into Okozeruge. The monstrous mutant is able to spit a highly toxic liquid from its mouth which kills on contact, as well as infrared eyes allowing it night vision up to 1 km. Physically stronger than any mortal, this Dorugeman's only weakness is — besides Barom-1 — natural sunlight.

SUPERHUMAN BAROM-1 featured some of the most off-the-wall mutant creatures ever, who have recently created waves among Japanese toy collectors around the world, through a line of retro-styled vinyl figures from Rainbow Zoukei Kikaku. While Okozeruge is one of the more bizarre concepts for — ostensibly — a children’s television series, it is typical of the creative latitude prevalent in Japanese productions at the time (although complaints were lodged by the Japan PTA). Outwardly garish, Okozeruge is also suitably nightmarish.

I wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley. Would you?