Galaxy Express 999 Chapter 004

## *タイタンの眠れる戦士*

**Titan's Sleeping Warrior**is the fourth chapter of the manga series *Galaxy Express 999.* It was first published on **14 March 1977** in Weekly Shonen King.

## Summary

The 999 arrives on its next stop, Titan. One day on Titan is equal to 16 days on Earth, which surprises Tetsuro. Tetsuro is again surprised shortly after departing the station when he sees a man killed right in front of him and Maetel is kidnapped! Tetsuro tries to chase after the kidnappers but is shot.

He wakes up under the care of an old woman. She says that Maetel has been kidnapped by warriors of the Grape Valley, and that he should just forget about her since they aren't a group to be messed with. Titan has "Paradise Law", allowing people to do whatever they want, whenever they want, no matter how outrageous something may be. The old woman gives Tetsuro and hat and pistol that used to belong to a space warrior and he sets off to rescue Maetel.

He takes off on a boat to the Grape Valley but notices a giant mecha bug flying directly towards him! He realizes that one of the warriors is using the bug just as a normal hunter would use a falcon. He uses the gun given to him by the old woman and destroys the bug in one shot. He then finds the warrior and shoots him as well. He finds Maetel's clothing in the water and finds her nearby.

They return to the surprised old woman, who tells him to keep the hat and gun. She claimed that they belonged to her son, a space warrior who went on many adventures. The two return to the 999, and the next stop is Pluto!

## Stop

Titan

Stop Time: 16 days

A planet bluer and greener than Earth, Titan is home a to bustling ecosystem and fresh air. However, there are no rules on the planet, allowing residents to do anything they please, including killing someone for no reason, or a poor person living in a luxurious hotel. A planet once settled by courageous, pure-hearted heroes, Titan has become overrun with those who don't understand what freedom truly is.

## Characters

**The following characters appear and are exclusive to this episode/stop:**

Old Woman/Setsuko Oyama

A resident of Titan, this old woman finds Tetsuro after he's been knocked out by thugs who kidnapped Maetel. She gives him a warrior's gun and a hat that belonged to her son to help him find her, and allows to him keep it when he returns. She is unnamed in the manga/TV series continuity, but in the 1979 film is revealed to be Setsuko Oyama, mother of Tochiro Oyama.

Mecha Insect

This large beetle-looking mecha insect is used by one of the warriors of the Grape Valley to try and capture Tetsuro. He manages to evade it and shoots it down with his cosmo gun. Tetsuro then kills the soldier who was controlling the insect shortly after. Tetsuro is then able to rescue Maetel from the Grape Valley.

## Collected Availability

* Hit Comics Volume 01: "Titan's Sleeping Warrior" (15 August 1977)
* Gentei Volume 1 (24 December 1978)
* Sousho Volume 01: "Formless Planet" (10 December 1988)
* Bunko Volume 01 (05 April 1995)
* Big Comic Gold Volume 01: "Departure Ballad" (01 June 1997)
* My First Big Volume 01 "Setting Off" (26 July 2002)
* My First Wide Volume 01: "The Song Of El Alamein" (01 August 2009)