Astro Boy (NOW Comics) - Characters

Characters

• Dr. Boynton - Astro's creator and "father". Boynton went slightly insane, following his divorce and the death of his son Astor, and became a recluse. He built Astro as a replacement for his son, but soon became disappointed with the result. Boynton clashes with Astro Boy constantly, at one point putting a tracker named Bruno in Astro and selling him to a circus. Later on, he appears to regret his actions, and secretly shows up to help Astro. He is based directly on the character Dr. Tenma.
• Dr. Elefun - A scientist vying for Boynton's role as Director of the Institute, whom later saves Astro from the robot circus. In addition to teaching and taking care of Astro for a few issues, he enrolls Astro in school and builds him two parents and a sister. He is directly based on Professor Ochanomizu.
• Mr. Cacciatore - The ringmaster and owner of the Robot Circus. He buys Astro from Dr. Boynton and sets him through various jobs and dangerous stunts in the circus, threatening to activate a robot spider bomb that Boynton has implanted in Astro's chest cabinet. He is directly based on Osamu Tezuka's character Ham Egg.
• General Hawkins - A short, portly woman in charge of the local army base. Before the current storyline, Hawkins lends money to Boynton to help with building Astro. However, she expected Astro to be able to work with the military, and tries to recapture him at the cost of destroying a neighborhood.
• Tas Tamil - A man at the Institute of Science who is attempting to take Boynton's place as director. Tas begins working with General Hawkins and Cacciatore. Despite being much more meeker and scheming, he is based directly on the character Duke Red.
• Bruno - A robotic spider built by Boynton, which is a combined tracker and bomb. It is connected to a remote, and designed to give a disobedient Astro an electric shock at the push of a button.
• Simon - A male android at the Robot Circus. He befriends Astro immediately, and tells him of the horrible conditions he and the robots are in. Simon, later on, attempts to remove Bruno from Astro's system, but Bruno detonates in Simon's hand and kills him.
• Rebecca and Elmer - Two researchers at the Institute of Science. Elmer pines after Rebecca, only to neutral response from her. Late into the 10th issue, they are killed by a creature called the Cyber Shark, but rebuilt by Elefun as robots. They then go to live with Astro as his parents. The whole time, they look identical to Astro's robot parents in the 1980s series.
• Astro Girl - Astro's sister, built and given to him by Dr. Elefun. She is very much identical-looking to her animated version, there known as Uran. She is much more curious and willing to get into trouble.
• Dr. I.Q. Plenty - A short, arrogant scientist who tries to become the new leader of the Institute of Science. He is pushy and indignant about becoming the director, and on the side, he attempts to woo Rebecca. I.Q. lives alone, his only companion a dog named Spud, who wears a special collar that enables him to talk. I.Q. is based entirely on Dr. Fooler, an obscure character in Tezuka's manga.
• Astor Boynton - Boynton's deceased son. Astor did not get a lot of character development, but he was shown to be an energetic and loving boy. He sees firsthand the divorce of Boynton and his wife Jean. One day, Boynton breaks his promise to take Astor to the zoo, but programs a robotic car to take Astor there alone. Halfway through the truck, a large truck hits Astor's car and kills him. He is based directly on Tobio Tenma.
• Kristal Kleer - A young girl in Astro's class, whom he meets in issue #11. She is very friendly and, later on, affectionate to Astro, whom calls her "Kris".