The Golden Bat (Ogon Bat)
was first a super hero comic book in Japan that came out in 1931. One source
says it was the first super hero comic. I have no idea if that is true. It
later became a manga, an animated TV series and there were three films of
him - in 1950, 1966 and 1972. He is certainly one of the oddest looking super
heroes around - with a gold skull, dead man's creepy teeth, a red cape and
a cane to beat up the bad guys. He also has a really evil laugh.
This is a pretty cheesy looking film with special effects right out of a
1930's film serial but it stars Sonny Chiba - still before he became a big
action star. He isn't The Golden Bat but a scientist who is part of a secret
United Nations group. He doesn't do much action wise other than use his tippety
top ray gun. The evil Nazo (who is costumed for the huge amount of about $5
with a burlap bag cut to look like a rat) has plans to conquer the universe
and the Earth is his first target by changing the trajectory of the planet
Icarus to destroy the earth.
Only Chiba and his band of scientists can stop it with a powerful weapon.
Them and the Golden Bat! He has been sleeping In Atlantis in an Egyptian tomb
for 10,000 years but with the Earth in peril he wakes up, brushes his teeth
and goes to business. This was clearly meant for children but is rather corny
enough to be fun with space ships, ray guns, evil doers, human copying machine
and a really cute girl. Btw, Golden Bat was a Japanese cigarette.
