Mazinger Series - Mikene Empire's Archduke Gorgon

Note: I tried and failed to find any information on Gorgon in the original Manga, if he appeared, so the information here is limited from the original Anime and onward in the franchise.

Archduke Gorgon was a lieutenant of the Mikene Empire and the first member of that faction that the belligerents in the Mazinger/Dr. Hell War would meet before learning full well of the existence of the slumbering Empire. Gorgon was an affiliate of the Intelligence Army and a subordinate of Prime Minister Argos. His human half resembled a Roman Centurion, wearing a blue helmet, a blue armor and battle skirt which covered his connection point to the tiger half, and bright and dark red cape, as well his skin was light Green. He always had whip in hand and a sword on the side, tho he had used a Spear and Shield in some episodes. However his most well known feature was the Saber-tooth Tiger half of his body, which terrified both his human opponents and underlings (either in the Mikene or Underground Empires). Much like every member in the Empire, Gorgon was a Cyborg, with the Tiger half been in fact a robot, but he was unique as he was not a giant as the other Cyborg hire-ups which made him insignificant at the eyes of the Generals, still his loyalty and duty to the Empire was absolute and unconditional.

After the Mikene Empire went underground and the population was converted to servitude (be as Storm Trooper or Warrior Beast), Gorgon would maintain an active role as the eyes of the Empire on the surface, waiting for the moment to awaken the slumbering Empire and conquered the World. He was given his own Battle Force of Monsters named the Ghost Mechanical Beasts – Gorgon's Ghost Beasts where part machine and part organic and had either a Greek letter or Roman numerical at the end of their name, rather than the modern serial number at the end of the name of Hell's Mechanical Beasts, and may have served as early prototypes of the Warrior Beasts, but lacking the sentience. His base of operation was settled under the Pacific Ocean, not far from the islands that would one day become Japan.

Gorgon maintain due diligence in keeping an eye on the surface world for centuries, waiting for the moment to strike, however he revealed himself earlier than planned when he learned of what had unfolded on Bardos Island – shortly after the Massacre of the Science Team and the escape of Juzo Kabuto, Gorgon met Hell on the shores and accused him of stealing Mikene technology and that he would be killed as punishment, Hell then made a deal to use the Mechanical Beasts to only conquer the world and if he ever needed help, he would seek Gorgon for it. Looking at the situation, and likely finding it useful for the goals of Mikene, Gorgon accepted. Years later and after many defeats at the hands of Koji and Z, Dr. Hell send Baron Ashura as envoy to seek out his help and Gorgon kept his word by sending out his Ghost Mechanical Beasts. While Gorgon's Ghost Beasts were more powerful than Hell's Mechanical Beasts, they were far from been indestructible and would be destroyed by Z, though with greater difficulty, eventually getting himself depleted of his Battle force, yet maintain allegiance to the Underground Empire as means to propel the Goals of the Mikene Empire.

For the most part, Gorgon view Dr. Hell as an useful tool, and showed great contempt for all the underlings in his command, except for one – Ashura. At first, he mistreated Ashura in the same way as any Underling, and Ashura was genuinely intimidated by Gorgon, but his/her loyalty for Dr. Hell and the lengths he/she would go through, to the point of costing victories, garner a level of respect from him in secret as Ashura's trials and struggle became harder. Gorgon would acknowledge Ashura's bravery after recovering his/her body from the wreck of the Bood shortly after failing to destroy Z in a suicidal attack.

Gorgon would continue to assist the Underground Empire before taking his leave as Dr. Hell and Count Brocken set out on their final mission at the end of the series, becoming the sole surviving antagonist of the war. Afterward, and with the world celebrating the demise of Dr. Hell, Gorgon reported to the Great General of Darkness of Dr. Hell's demise, thus re-awakening the Mikene Empire into action by sending out Gratonios and Pilanias, succeeding in taking out Diana A, Boss Borot and the still battle damage Mazinger Z, before their destruction at the hands of Tetsuya and Great Mazinger – thus the beginning the Great Mazinger/Mikene Empire War.

Archduke Gorgon would serve the Empire as a lieutenant and Field Intelligence Commander under Prime Minister Argos, and be a rival to the Military wing of the Great General for much of conflict, before been put in charge on the construction of a Missile Base on a Volcanic Island – the project saw a great deal of the empire's troops and resources been put to it, with a contingency of Mikenes and Talos Warriors working side by side, two Warrior Beasts (Gasrose and Dandaros) been put on patrol and the cooperation Generals Julicaesar and Angoras, both of whom begrudge the authority given to Gorgon, provoking a power struggle between both sides. The project of the Missile base had special significance, because it would give Gorgon leverage in the Empire for the first time, however, this ended when Great Mazinger destroys Gasrose and fought with Dandaros. Gorgon takes his leave to help the Warrior Beast by then wounded by the combine efforts of Great and Borot.

When Gorgon arrives he deflects the Great Boomerang with his whip (not bad for a tiny old Cyborg). As Dandaros stands up, Great turns around to destroy it with the Thunder break, but the Archduke launches itself and takes the direct hit for Dandaros, blowing the Saber tooth tiger to pieces and falling into the sea, but still Great finished Dandaros with a dual Rocket Punch attack.

Gorgon swims back to the island's shore, mortally wounded, barely walking and carrying the severed head of his Tiger in hand, he is found by Julicaesar and Angoras, who he blames for his situation. He is helped to the command throne and informs the Emperor of the completion of the base. Gorgon receives, really warm praises from the emperor, considering a true role model for the army and is ascended as the Commander and Chief of the base. Having achieve his goal, Gorgon celebrates, but succumbs to his wounds, falls from the throne and down the steps. With one last gasp of air, he extends his hand to reach the throne one more time but passes away. He was replaced by Marquis Janus, who became the new commander of the base he built until the base was destroyed close to the end of Great series. He was the first casualty on the Mikene High Ranks to die in battle.

While not stated in the anime, been the only antagonist to survive the Z/Hell War up until half way the events of the Great Mazinger/Mikene War, it may had been Gorgon who saved what was left of Dr. Hell from the wreck of the Gool Airship after his defeat at the hands of Koji and Mazinger Z, as Dr. Hell returns as the Great Marshall of Hell to replace the late Great General of Darkness.

Been a fan favorite in the Mazinger gallery of villains, Gorgon has maintain an active role across the franchise:

Mazinger Z vs the Great General of Darkness (1974): here he supervise the attacks across the world, and then reports to the Great General of the missions, just before Juuma is called in.

The MazinSaga Manga (1990-92) – Here is a minion of God Kaiser Hell, his tiger component is fully robotic and more taller and thinner, with longer limbs, his human half is more robust than any of the other versions of him before or since. After his many failures, he is thrown with Ashura and Brocken into the Gates of Hell, were his bio-mechanical parts fuse to create the Great General of Darkness.

Mazinkaiser vs the Great General of Darkness (2003) – a remake of the 1974 MzvsTGGoD, he hunts Koji since he escaped the destruction of Paris. He catches up to him in Siberia, but thanks to General Lygern's hubris, Koji escapes – Lygern shoved him away and called Gorgon a microbe. Prof. Mori Mori launches a barrage of missiles over the villains, killing Lygern, Mammothdon, Dolman and Gravalus – Gorgon warped on time, but his Tiger had lost one eye and was scarred. He catches to Koji again, this time at a Japanese gas station on road to the lab, beats Sayaka and Riki (a female truck driver they just befriended) and chokes Koji, but is stopped by Borot who beats Gorgon and is tossed into the gas station, causing an explosion. Gorgon survives the blast, but is gun down by Koji with one shot of his Photon Gun, the angle piercing the tiger and human heads, and Gorgon falls back into the fire. As the fire consumes him he sends one last message to the Great General of Koji's survival and finally succumbs to both his wounds and the fire itself.

Mazinger Angels Volume 1, Chapter 4 - Gorgon the Bodyguard from Hell (2004): here he is a human being with psychokinetic powers, and not attached to the Tiger as his original counterpart. The Tiger is still a robot, but created by Dr. Hell to observe Gorgon and is given Mechanical Beasts to command.

Shin Mazinger Z (2009): Here he is reveal to have been a servant of Zeus and was Captain in his army, defending Bardos from the forces of Uranus. He was friends with Tristan and Isolde (the man and woman who would be Baron Ashura). Disappointed with Zeus betrayal of the God Mycenaean Empire he betrayed him and jumped to Hades side, but was stopped thanks to the interference of Koji, his mother Tsubasa and the Kurogane 5 in the past. He reappears again in the present, and tries to claim Bardos Island and takes control of Hell's Golems, but is overpower by the many bodies of Brocken and escapes. He then reawakens in the in the finale and finds Ashura, who later sacrifices he/her self to reawaken the Mikene Empire in with him present. Here his helmet was golden yellow rather than blue, hair and beard were red rather then blue, his armor was dark gray rather than blue. His skin is more dark Green than the light Green in the 70's.

Robot Girl Z (2014): Here she is a small girl, wearing a Chubby Tiger costume, and the Human component that would be Gorgon, is a plushy on top of her. She wears stereotypical round glasses which you don't see the eye pupils. She is the constant Companionship of General Juuma, who is also a tiny girl in costume.

He has appeared as an antagonist along with many other Villains of the Sci-Fi Mecha Anime genre in the Super Robot Wars games.