Extra Content from Volume 14 (Vigilantes).
Number 6, Hi-Crawler Style#
The Rough Design#
Operation Anonymous 6
Six mufflers
Details will be filled in bit by bit...
He'll be dark/shaded on the actual pages.
Behind the Scenes#
I was asked to make him clearly powerful, with an exoskeleton, like the xenomorphs from the Alien movies. I think that metaphorical underwater scene came about because somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I drew upon a memory of the swimming xenomorph in Alien: Resurrection.
-Furuhashi
I wish I'd included more details from the start, but I ended up using a version that hadn't fully come together as a design. Afterward, I saw the Deviant creatures in the Eternals movie and immediately regretted not taking this guy's design in that direction.
-Betten
Phase 6#
The image burned into my mind when Koichi is being pursued by the mob of villains was one of the fast-moving zombies that were so popular during the 2000s. Also, Eyeshield 21!
-Furuhashi
Needless to say, drawing a bunch of Anons is a pain. (LOL) The vaguely electric-looking effects around them are just there to symbolize the psychic link that Number 6 uses to give them orders. They're not actually emitting lightning bolts.
-Betten
Sniper#
The key point here is that the only preexisting items he had to bring were the rifle barrel and the bullets. I wanted to avoid the impression that he could just magically do anything and everything on the spot, so it was essential to show that planning went into his sneaky schemes.
-Furuhashi
This one? Oh yeah, you guessed it - also absolutely a pain to draw.
-Betten
Master: Final Battle Version#
The Rough Design#
Knuckleduster Final Design Version (Chain)
Either collar or handcuffs with stun function
All beat-up
Taping
Cane
Lots of stuff packed in here
Metal parts
Supportive brace
Burn scars
Behind the Scenes#
At first I was imagining an overly choreographed battle where he whips out one weapon after the other in quick succession, but as we've seen before, time spent switching weapons gives the enemy a chance to flee. So instead, I decided his strategy should be to rattle his opponent's brain with that first hit and then beat him down with a nonstop flurry of blows.
-Furuhashi
At last, Master is back on the scene. When I received the rough draft and saw that he wayback, I got so excited I started shaking. (LOL)
-Betten
Tamao Oguro#
Tamao: Shooting stars? Meh. How 'bout this new gear?
Number 6: Lightning Style#
The Rough Design#
Number 6 Lightning Mode
Naruto + Pyron + Crystal Bowie, etc.
All flickering flames
Not picturing this guy standing on the ground
Tail
Behind the Scenes#
Because he can fly and launch energy blasts in this mode, it's almost like Rock has adopted Koichi's natural advantages in battle. The concept is that he's burning away his very life force.
-Furuhashi
Though it's not what I was consciously going for, I think it's neat how those head tendrils came out looking like All Might's hair tufts.
-Betten
Background Heroes#
Probably transforms
Probably flies
Reptile-ish
Love this dude
With just about every chapter, I put in an order for four or five notable unnamed heroes or citizens to stick into the background. I work Betten-san pretty hard.
-Furuhashi
There are all sorts of background heroes who only appear in a single chapter and then never again. In this chapter, these guys showed up in Koichi's imagination as the heroes who might theoretically arrive on the scene with All Might. I was so happy with how they turned out that I decided to draw them in full detail for this page. Was there any reader demand for this? I doubt it! (LOL)
-Betten
The Vigilante Team in "What-If" World#
Soga and Koichi as Buddies
Illustration: Betten Court
The Breakdown#
The following three pages debuted in the promotional pamphlet known as Jump+Blue in 2018, as a quick way to introduce the series.
It's meant to be like a short commercial focusing on the vigilante phenomenon.
The Pro Heroes' reactions are a way to showcase their different personalities and draw attention to the delicate position that vigilantes hold in society.
It's not a long comic, but I think it sums up the concept well.
-Furuhashi