The first time I saw Deku, I kept wondering, “why is this kid crying so damn much?” I didn’t realize at the time, that it was part of the point. Deku is not only the star, but he’s the emotional center of one of the most highly touted anime/manga productions, My Hero Academia. There’s no end to the memes that show Goku and other top-tier anime passing the torch to My Hero and Fire Force and Dr. Stone. It’s truly a great time in anime. As if there was ever a bad time.
As a quick aside…
With the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the 7 others on the fateful helicopter, My Hero’s author, Kohei Horikoshi shared a special illustration with Deku wearing the Nike Zoom Kobe 1’s. That’s an awesome show of admiration and hits at the emotional tethering that My Hero is known for. But I digress.
One thing I’ve always loved doing is connecting different properties or franchises to make a cohesive story. If you watch iRobot, Terminator and The Matrix, you get the timeline (some good and some bad) of the entire Man vs Machine war. It takes a little imagination sometimes, but it’s a pretty fun thing to do. Imagine how excited I was when I scoured the internet and found that someone had already started a thread that featured My Hero. Wait. If you can believe it, it gets even better. Not only does it feature My Hero, but it also features everyone’s favorite bald, mild-mannered hero, One-Punch Man! Yes, there is a theory that connects My Hero and One-Punch Man. And it’s (not surprisingly) very plausible. (Read Here)
The story goes that Saitama (the titular On-Punch Man) is just the latest wielder of One for All. It makes sense, as his powers seemingly pop up from nowhere. And his explanation of 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and running 3 miles a day is a little flaky. Also, he’s used this regimen to “break his limit.” Doesn’t that sound like “going beyond… Plus ultra,” to anyone else? I think so. Also, the planet is overrun with villains and the world’s governments have created the Hero Association. That sounds a lot like an alternate timeline/extended timeline where the League of Villains won and the power had to be passed on. Even the “hero-hunter” Garou reminds me of a certain hero-killer, Stain. It’s more than a coincidence, but it’s also so much fun.
But what if it didn’t begin there? What if, like my unofficial Man vs Machine Saga, I’ve found the secret origin of One for All? Now before you try to kill me, chill out. I know that My Hero has explained how One for All was born and what’s brought us to our current time. But let’s have some fun.
The 2011 anime, Tiger & Bunny, produced by Sunrise entertainment chronicles the early days of heroes and villains. Here, the heroes fight crime while promoting sponsors and competing for the title of “King of Heroes” on Hero TV. It’s not far-fetched to think that when quirks first began popping up, that the fascination with them grew to rock star status. In an age of media glute, it makes sense that they would be watched and adored in a competitive format. But let’s delve a little further. Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. have similar powers. Powers that augment their physical capabilities, but only for a limited amount of time. What’s interesting is, that once Barnaby shows up, Wild Tiger starts to gradually lose his powers. Coincidence? Let’s add another layer. The previous top hero, Mr. Legend was a holder of the “100 power,” now possessed by Barnaby and Wild Tiger. Mr. Legend's powers also faded in time for Wild Tiger to take over. Now it might be a stretch, but it’s a fun one.
The next is the hero Fire Emblem and the “dark” hero, Lunatic. Both of them use flame powers. Fire Emblems are traditionally red, whereas Lunatic wields blue and green flame with greater control. Sound familiar? Even though his quirk isn’t passed down like that, is it possible that Endeavor learned to use his fire to run up walls and make spears from watching Lunatic? Or Fire Emblem? It’s completely possible.
Just imagine, watching Tiger & Bunny, you’re seeing the beginning of the Golden Age of Heroes. You’re watching the world before All for One nearly brought the world to its knees. You’re watching a more naïve world, that has yet to need All Might. Then as My Hero Academia begins, you see the aftermath of All for One and All Might. You see the fall of heroes and the eventual rise of Deku as THE hero. Then fast-forward into the future and One-Punch Man shows us what the world became if villains were let to flourish as Deku passed One for All down another generation. I know, I know... It’s not canon, it’s a little far-fetched even. But a guy can dream, can’t he? With a little imagination, you have a great successor to the Prequel/Original Series/Sequel format that deep in our nerdy hearts, we want.
Brian Joseph Lambert is the lead contributing writer and editor at Wingless Entertainment LTD. He specializes in bringing diversity to action/adventure, fantasy and sci-fi worlds. In 2017, while earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Full Sail University, he published his first novel, ASCENSION- THE CHRUSION SAGA BOOK 1. In 2019 he earned a Master’s degree in Entertainment Business and released JUSTICE- ISSUE #0 for Wingless Entertainment LTD and Konkret Comics. Brian's current projects include WAR FOR THE SWORD- THE CHRUSION SAGA BOOK 2, a CG animated feature film entitled, RUBICON and JUSTICE- THE FALL, an ongoing graphic novel with KONKRET COMICS. Brian recently was selected as a Reader's Favorite Book Award Finalist in 2019 for, ASCENSION- THE CHRUSION SAGA BOOK 1. Brian has edited numerous independent works including, Is’Nana the Were-Spider by Greg Anderson Elysée, Akolyte by Derek Allen, Nia Caler by Dorphise Jean and the upcoming Beyond 13th by Michael Ralph. When not writing or editing, Brian works on creating a functioning lightsaber so that he can pass the Jedi trials.
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