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| The Golgo 13 logo; a skeleton wearing a crown of thorns. |
Deathstroke the Terminator is widely recognized, if not universally accepted, as the greatest assassin in the colorful and over-the-top history of the comic book medium. But just shy of 12 years prior to Deathstroke's debut in New Teen Titans (1980) #2, another elite contract killer exploded into comic book existence in Japan. On November 29, 1968, Takao Saito unleashed Goglo 13 upon an unworthy world in the pages of Shogakukan's Big Comic #196901. Describes by fans as "Japan's James Bond," Golgo 13's continued appeal is evidenced by his starring in the longest continually-running manga in history, which continues to this very day. This stone-cold killer plies his grim trade much the same way that Slade Wilson does by employing strict personal rules of engagement and a near-slavish adherence to his, somewhat twisted sense of professional ethics. This post will examine Goglo 13 as both a character in his own right and as a prototype for the kind action that Deathstroke fans have come to love.
Like Deathstroke, the mysterious Golgo 13's reputation as an assassin is sterling as he is described as the "professional's professional," referencing his uncanny success rate in fulfilling his contracts. His primary assassination method is sniping with a specially modified M-16. His sniping ability is preternatural as he has made shots from over a mile away, through a hotel room's bulletproof window, and even by ricocheting a bullet off of waves in a swimming pool to achieve an "impossible" killshot...twice. He also carries a Smith & Wesson snub nose revolver when the action turns up-close and personal. Hand-to-hand, Golgo 13 is a supremely conditioned athlete as well as is an elite-level boxer, wrestler, and judoka. He is also well-versed in Sambo, Kobudo, T'ai Chi Chuan, and other exotic martial arts.
The personal name he uses, Duke Togo, is almost certainly an alias devised to disguise his true origins. "Duke" is a Western name that brings with it connotations of nobility, while the surname "Togo" suggests that he is Japanese, though conflicting accounts, which are most likely circulated by him, serve to confound these notions. Even the professional nom de guerre, Golgo 13, carries dark and foreboding implications. "Golgo" is short for Golgotha (a Greco-Roman corruption of the Aramaic word "gulgulta," which translates literally as "place of the skull"), the mythic hill near Jerusalem where Jesus of Nazareth is believed by some to have been crucified. The number "13," of course, has been associated with bad fortune or other sinister happenings as far back as the ancient Persians. But, no matter what he is called, it means very bad news for some unfortunate soul.
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| Neither of these points of view is particularly healthy for the viewer. Art by Takao Saito and ACO |
I have no idea if Marv Wolfman was familiar with Goglo 13 before he created Deathstroke, but the similarities between the two elite killers are remarkable. Their professional reputations as assassins are unquestioned. Like Deathstroke, Golgo 13 carries out every contract he accepts, without exception doing whatever it takes to complete the job. But unlike Slade, Golgo only meets with a client once and is never in contact with them again, while Slade has no problem with repeat business. They both demand complete honesty from their clients as any dishonesty from them will result in fatal consequences. Both Deathstroke and Golgo13 command seven-figure fees, lead emotionally empty lives filled with the finest of material things and are unrepentant, serial womanizers. Both men have fathered multiple children, at least one of whom has died. Both assassins are independent contractors, but while they do take contracts offered by governments, neither man is officially aligned with any government because their particular distrustful of them (especially the U.S. government).
While Deathstroke is a very popular comic book character today, make no mistake; he is a villain. Without any doubt, this can also be said for Golgo 13. While Deathstroke and Golgo 13 occasionally work alongside "good guys," they are cold-blooded, remorseless killers who will murder anyone, for anyone, if the price is right. While these characteristics are usually incompatible with fictional protagonists, they are the lynchpins of these characters' successes, serving to separate them from the overcrowded roster of "white-hat" comic book heroes. While Golgo 13's and Deathstroke's actions are never admirable, they each possess a certain dark charisma that has attracted millions of fans for decades. If Deathstroke the Terminator is successful today, it is due in part to Takao Saito and Golgo 13 for showing the world that people were indeed ready and willing to root for the bad guy.
If anyone is interested in checking out the adventures of Golgo 13, Amazon.com and other retailers carry most of the English language media that feature him, which are listed below.
- Manga
- Golgo 13 volumes #1-13 by Viz Media (Be prepared to pay a pretty penny for vols. 1-5 as they are currently out of print and independent sellers have jacked-up the price tremendously.)
- Anime
- Gologo 13: The Professional (1983) Blu-Ray
- Golgo 13: Queen Bee (1998) OAV Special Edition DVD (Jacked-up prices too!)
- Golgo 13: The Complete Series (2008-2009) Blu-Ray 6-Disc Box Set (All 50 episodes)
- Live Action Films
- Golgo 13 (1973)
- Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977) DVD
- Video Games
- Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode (1988) for the Nintendo Entertainment System
- The Mafat Conspiracy (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System
For your perusal, profiles of both exceptional killers are juxtaposed below. For best results open the images in their own tabs. (Warning: Golgo 13's profile deals with some adult themes.)
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| Text by Carl Horn Art by Takao Saito |
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| Text by Marv Wolfman Art by George Pérez |
