is a manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series by Osamu Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka

was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...

 that was serialized in Shogakukan

Shogakukan

is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...

's Weekly Shōnen Sunday December 18, 1960 to August 20, 1961. The published chapters were collected in two volumes

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

.

Plot

The series take place in the future, after mankind migrated to the planet Mars

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

, home to the Martian

Martian

As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...

s. Before long, the humans begin persecuting the Martians, and the two species form a mutual hatred of each other.

The action takes place Heden City, a frontier town and home to the Hoshino family. One day, Ken Minakami comes from Earth to visit her relatives, the Hoshino family. Not long after she arrives, a mysterious gunman calling himself "Captain Ken" appears in Heden City. Captain Ken is a human fights on the side of the Martians, protecting them from those who wish to exploit the them for their own gain.

Mamoru Hoshino, the eldest son of the Hoshino family, begins to suspect that Ken Minakami may be the mysterious gunslinger

Gunslinger

Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...

, Captain Ken.

Characters

Captain Ken
A strange space cowboy who fights for the Martians. While he does not wear a mask, his real identity is a secret.

Arrow
Captain Ken's horse.

Ken Minakami
A relative of the Hoshino family who has come to Mars from Earth. Mamoru Hoshino suspects that she might be the true identity of Captain Ken.

Mamoru Hoshino

Rock (manga character)

Rock is a recurrent major character in most of Osamu Tezuka's manga series, and he is an important part of Osamu Tezuka's Star System...

The eldest son of the Hoshino family who works on his family's farm. He is highly suspicious that Ken Minakami may actually be Captain Ken.

Governor Debun

Lamp

Acetylene Lamp

For the lighting device, see Acetylene lamp, also known as Drake, is a fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka who recurrently appears in his works, usually in a villainous role.-Description:...

Double

Sheriff Notaarin
Sheriff of Heden City.

Pavilion
A Martian native.

Napoleon

External links

• Captain Ken in the Tezuka World database