Othon the Great-Great-Grandfather

Othon the Great-Great-Grandfather is the first issue of The Saga of the Metabarons (the main series of The Metabarons franchise). It was written by Alejandro Jodorowsky, illustrated by Juan Giménez and released Les Humanoïdes Associés in 1992. In the english version it was released in two issues: The Stonecutters and The Last Stand, both released in 2000.

This issue chronicles the beginnings of the metabarons, explaining how their secret of the sacred oil was revealed (unleasing a galactic battle for it), and how Othon lost his wife, Edna, and accidentally killed his son Bari.

The Stonecutters
In City Shaft, Tonto and Lothar, the Metabaron’s robots, have been waiting for the return of their master for three months. Lothar is bored, so he asks Tonto for a story. Tonto explains the initiatory tradition of the meta-warrios, and why their master has a bionic ear and lobe: When he was a child, his right ear and part of his brain was destroyed by his own father as part of the initiation, in the same way that the Metabaron’s father had his left hand cut off by his father before that, it’s a tradition that goes back centuries. Lothar becomes intrigued, wanting to know more about the traditions of the metabarons and their mutilations. Tonto agrees to narrate the history of the caste of the metabarons, it all started with the Metabaron’s Great-great-grandfather, Othon Von Salza.

The story continues in a flashback: Othon Von Salza, the pirate, has married Edna, the daughter of Baron Berard of Castaka, who rules over the planet Marmola, made almost entirely of marble. They live without robot assistance and prehistoric words are their only means of defense. They have an only son, Bari. The Castaka clan lives from the trade of the precious marble, skillfully cutting the massive blocks with laser-tools, then levitating them to the transport ships in record time by using epyphite, a sacred oil with anti-gravity powers unknown to the rest of the universe. One day, when the family is cutting marble Othon becomes trapped beneath a huge block of marble right before the eyes of dignitaries, the clan votes to save Othon, thus revealing the secret of the epyphite that has been theirs for generations. Berard dislikes Othon because he’s not of noble birth, but when he sees that Othon himself disapproves that his family has made such a sacrifice, he acknowledges Othon as a worthy successor. Berard wishes no part of the coming turmoil that is to engulf the galaxy, and transfers the family’s legacy and the Castakan birthmark onto Othon before dying and being tossed into the great Azure ocean. Still, his prediction of disaster comes true. Hundreds of ships appear in the skies over Marmola and commence a terrible space battle against each other for control of the epyphite. The battle is won by the treacherous black endoguards after they turn against the Empire. Othon does not wish to confront them directly, but Edna, who will do anything to preserve the honor of her clan, goes out to face the powerful army at their door.

The Last Stand
Othon, baron of Castka, is unable to prevent his wife’s death when she faces the black endoguard. Othon breaks his son Bari’s legs to prevent him from joining his mother in certain death, accuses him of cowardice, but Othon soon proves him wrong –thanks to his cunning and the help of Hohenhole and Konrath, the valiant Castakas vanquish their treacherous foes, although most of them perish in the battle. Othon himself slays 1.5000 troops armed with only a small dagger. After the battle is over, he pays a final tribute to Edna and bandages Bari’s legs.

The news of the victory quickly spreads across the galaxy and the Imperial Couple, now accompanied by a new purple endoguard, arrive in person to negotiate with Othon and Bari. In exchange for the epyphite, Othon requests a percentage of the sales, a new planet for the Castaka fortress, and a gift for Bari, who has lost the use of his legs. The Imperial Couple accepts the terms, and Othon and Bari settle on the fertile planet Okhar, with their servant Iku-Itta. There Bari receives his magnificent gift: a horse, extinct for 20.000 years, genetically recreated by the Empire’s best scientists, which Othon names Shazam. But their peaceful days on Okhar are short-lived; the horse is stolen by a band of thieves and Othon, mistaking Bari for one of the thieves, runs him through with his lance. As he lifts the body of his dying son, the last bandit shoots him, obliterating the Metabaron’s groin and hips. The horse carries Othon back to be healed by servants. Alas, they cannot restore his manhood. At one blow, he has lost not only his son, but also any hope of continuing the clan. Thus, Othon Van Salza turns his back on pure martial arts, and invests a large part of his fortune in the development of the first metabaronic weapons, and also began the tradition of cybernetic implants when he incorporated a multi-protonic pelvis to his body.

Other Issues

 * 1) Othon the Great-Great-Grandfather (1992)
 * 2) Honorata the Great-Great-Grandmother (1993)
 * 3) Aghnar the Great-Grandfather (1995)
 * 4) Oda the Great-Grandmother (1997)
 * 5) Steelhead the Grandfather (1998)
 * 6) Doña Vicenta Gabriela de Rokha the Grandmother (1999)
 * 7) Aghora the Father-Mother (2002)
 * 8) Nameless, the Last of the Metabarons (2003)