Real Name: Toru Tarakato
Identity/Class: Human technology user;
Japanese citizen
Occupation: Research scientist
Group Membership: Project: Delta
Affiliations: Communist China, Fujiko Watanabe, Goro Watanabe, Zoga the Unthinkable
Enemies: Iron Man (Tony Stark), Goro Watanabe;
Americans in general
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Monster of Death" (on cover only)
Base of Operations: A barren island in the Sea of Japan
First Appearance: Iron Man I#30 (October, 1970)
Powers/Abilities: The Monster-Master wore a suit of samurai armor and wielded a sword (...on the cover, at least). He designed and controlled Zoga, a giant mechanical dragon creature.
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black
History:
(Iron Man I#30 (fb) - BTS) - Toru sought to takeover Japan
and purge it of the invasion of "vulgar Yankees"; he became so fanatical
in this desire that he allied himself with Communist Chinese, who
financed his development of Zoga. Toru adopted the costumed identity of
the Monster-Master. The energies utilized in creating Zoga were detected
by Toru's research superior, Goro Watanabe. Feigning ignorance, Toru
helped Goro in establishing Project: Delta, apparently to investigate
these energies.
(Iron Man I#30) - Toru, Fujiko, and Goro were present in the laboratory of Fujiyama Electronics, where Iron Man demonstrated the power of his tractor beams and repulsor rays. Toru suggested that Iron Man might help with Project: Delta. Iron Man proved agreeable and accompanied them on a trip to the island. As they investigated, Toru got ahead of everyone else and then suddenly vanished, after which Zoga confronted and attacked the others. Zoga incapacitated Iron Man and drove off the Japanese who accompanied them, though they did take Iron Man with them. As the Monster-Master, Toru then guided Zoga back to the Chinese Communists for maintenance.
After changing from his costume, Toru returned to Goro and Fujiko, claiming to have been knocked out during Zoga's attack, but to have escaped. Later, Zoga appeared over Japan, attacking an oil refinery and easily shrugging off assaults by anti-aircraft cannons. Iron Man flew after Zoga, but it escaped his detection. Zoga was later attacked by the Japanese air force, and Iron Man followed the fight to confront Zoga again, but was again knocked from the sky.
However, Iron Man recovered and continued the assault, while Goro readied a weapon that Iron Man had instructed him to bring. Iron Man dodged Zoga's next laser blast, which struck the parabolic mirror Goro had brought, and the laser was reflected back at Zoga's eye, causing Zoga to overheat and crash to the ground. Iron Man pulled the Monster-Master from Zoga's head and unmasked him as Toru, who shouted out his mission before dying.
(Iron Man I#98) - When the Watanabes came to America and visited Stark International, Fujiko recalled how Iron Man heroically saved her and her father from Zoga, and how the Monster-Master (see comments) was unmasked and revealed to be Toru.
Comments: Created by Allyn Brodsky, Don Heck, and Chic Stone.
Is Allyn Brodsky Sol's wife?
Sol Brodsky's wife was Selma Cohen, and their children were Janice and Gary -- maybe Allyn was some other relative.--Ron Fredricks
Good plot. Toru suggested that they bring Iron Man in to assist in Project: Delta, the investigation of his activities as the Monster-Master. And, of course, Iron Man foiled his plot.
I'm not really certain what Project Delta was. Initially it seemed to be the investigation of the Monster-Master and his creation. However, the Chinese Communists called Zoga itself Project D, indicating that perhaps Project D was actually the development of Zoga...which would mean that Goro was allied with Toru?
During his initial battle with Zoga, Iron Man exclaimed, "Holy Hannah! That thing makes Godzilla look like an underfed iguana!"
The Monster-Master's costume was colored differently in the story than how it appeared on the cover (see the main image)--his shirt was RED and his pants were GREEN--but there were no other clear full images of him available in the story itself.
And when he was seen in Fujiko's memory flashback in Iron Man I#98, Toru's alter-ego was mistakenly referred to as "The Monster Maker".--Ron Fredricks
Thanks to Ron Fredricks for not only the new images, but also for adding the missed appearances of Fujiko and Goro...and for correction Monster-Master's last name.
Profile by Snood. Update by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Monster-Master has known connection to:
Project D and Project Delta have no known connection to:
Fujiko and Goro Watanabe have no known connection to:
Zoga has no known connection to:
Formed by Goro Watanabe and Toru Tarakato in response to the detection of highly sophisticated electromagnetic emissions coming from a barren island in the Sea of Japan. These emissions were, of course, released from the energies powering Zoga.
--Iron Man I#30
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Daughter and secretary to Goro, she was also the lover of Toru Tarakato. Like Toru, she also disliked America, and despised the idea of American technology overshadowing that of Japan; however, her opinion of America apparently softened after she learned Toru was secretly the fanatical Monster-Master. Some time later, Fujiko and her father arrived in America and visited Stark International; Fujiko recalled how Iron Man heroically saved her and her father from the Monster-Master (see comments). S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell (at the time, acting as Stark's personal security advisor) escorted the Watanabes on a tour of Stark International; but when Sunfire attacked the facility, Sitwell took the Watanabes to a place of safety while he went to assist Iron Man against Sunfire. During the battle between the combatants, Fujiko yelled at Sunfire, telling him that his actions had brought shame to Japan. --Iron Man I#30 (Iron Man I#30, 98-99 |
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A research scientist and father of Fujiko, his equipment detected the energies released by the creation of Zoga, and he formed Project Delta with his assistant, Toru Tarakato. He apparently did not know that Toru had created Zoga. He worked with Iron Man to defeat Zoga and the Monster-Master. He pleaded in vain to the Japanese Defense Conference about Zoga, and he brought the parabolic mirror at Iron Man's request, which destroyed Zoga. Some time later, Goro and his daughter arrived in America and visited Stark International. S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell (at the time, acting as Stark's personal security advisor) escorted the Watanabes on a tour of Stark International; but when Sunfire attacked the facility, Sitwell took the Watanabes to a place of safety while he went to assist Iron Man against Sunfire. --Iron Man I#30 (Iron Man I#30, 98-99 |
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It was a giant mechanical dragon designed by Toru Tarakato and built with the support of the Communist Chinese. Its construction was performed on a barren island in the Sea of Japan, which was rumored to be inhabited by Zoga, the Unthinkable Demon. Capitalizing on this superstition, Toru named his robot Zoga and used it in his plot to conquer Japan for himself, so that he could expel the Americans and bring Japan to the head of technological development. Zoga easily overpowered Iron Man on more than one occasion, but it was destroyed when its laser eye-beams were reflected back on it with a parabolic mirror. It was also known as Project D by the Communist Chinese. Zoga was approximately 12' tall, and over 100' long; it possessed superhuman strength (Class 75-100) and durability. It could fly at great speeds, and project laser beams from its eyes. It was piloted from a cockpit within its head, and it also had a sophisticated radar-blocking system. --Iron Man I#30 |
 
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images: (without ads)
Iron Man I#30, cover (main image - Monster-Master attacks Iron Man)
Iron Man I#30, p16, pan2 (headshot - Toru Tarakato)
Iron Man I#30, p10, pan6 (headshot - Monster-Master)
Iron Man I#30, p19, pan1 (Monster-Master in Zoga's cockpit)
Iron Man I#98, p4, pan4 (in Fujiko Wantanabe's memory, unmasking and death of Toru Tarakato)
Iron Man I#30, p11, pan7 (Fujiko Watanabe)
Iron Man I#98, p4, pan2 (Fujiko Watanabe)
Iron Man I#30, p3, pan6 (Goro Watanabe)
Iron Man I#98, p4, pan1 (Goro Watanabe)
Iron Man I#30, p6, pan2 (Zoga)
Iron Man I#30, p14, pan4 (Zoga in flight)
Iron Man I#30, p14, pan6 (lasers firing from Zoga's eyes)
Iron Man I#30, p10, pan4 (Monster-Master emerging from Zoga's cockpit; Chinese soldiers [foreground])
Appearances:
Iron Man I#30 (October, 1970) - Allyn Brodsky (writer), Don Heck (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jean Izzo (letters), Stan Lee (editor)
Iron Man I#98 (May, 1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), George Tuska (pencils), Don Perlin (inks), Roger Slifer (colors), Gaspar Saladion (letters), Archie Goodwin (editor) [flashback only]
Iron Man I#99 (June, 1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), George Tuska (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Phil Rachelson (colors), John Costanza (letters), Archie Goodwin (editor)
First posted: 07/07/2004
Last updated: 01/16/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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