Dramatization of the events who lead to the creation of the live action tokusatsu series Kamen Rider and its multimedia franchise.

Cyborg 009 is the story of a half-Japanese juvenile delinquent, Shimamura Joe AKA "Cyborg 009." "Black Ghost," a top-secret organization bent on promoting global warfare, kidnaps Joe along with eight other unwanted members of society from the four corners of the world and turns them into cyborgs. Though the organization intends to turn the group into super-powered killing machines, it's not long before Joe and his new companions rebel against Black Ghost and make their escape with the help of an old scientist. 
 
Once Joe and friends have freed themselves, Black Ghost sends a series of other cyborgs and giant robots in hot pursuit. Using their new powers and abilities, our heroes stay one step ahead of Black Ghost and its evil machinations, but can they save the world from its diabolical scheme?
 
(Source: Tokyopop)
 
Note: Volume count is taken from the "Ishinomori Shoutarou Manga Daizenshuu" edition, which compiles all serializations from various publishers.

Fans the world over have long been enthralled by tales of Kamen Rider, the masked, motorcycle-riding superhero who protects the world from injustice. Kidnapped and experimented upon by the evil terrorist organization known as Shocker, Hongo Takeshi manages to escape their clutches and use his newfound strength to fight against their schemes. These are the first adventures in a legacy that spans dozens of television series and films, drawn and written by series creator and manga superstar Shotaro Ishinomori. 
(Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)

The hero, orphaned when his parents were murdered, grows up to use his peculiar powers to take his revenge. The original Skull Man was one of manga's first anti-heroes, someone who would sacrifice the lives of innocents in his quest for vengeance. This darkness is what made the Skull Man so magnetic and successful. 
While the TV series Kamen Rider (Masked Rider) was still in development, Ishinomori, who created that series with producer Toru Hirayama, made this manga as his own personal version, which the producers at Toei Company Ltd. used as the basis for the show. Several changes in content were made, as this 100-page one-shot story was too dark and gruesome (even cerebral) for a children's show. 
(Source: Wikipedia)

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