Kaiki Romanesque Gekiga: Skull Man

When the looming Cold War shrouded Japan, mysterious murders were reported there. The suspect was a man with a skull-like helmet and a cape and clothing as black as the inside of a grave. Accompanied by a shape-shifting beast named Garo, the Skull Man terrified Japanese society—without giving the people a clear reason why. (Source: MU)

Skull Man was one of manga's first anti-heroes, someone who would sacrifice the lives of innocents in his quest for vengeance. While the TV series Kamen Rider (Masked Rider) was still in development, Ishinomori, who created that series with producer Toru Hirayama, made this manga as his own personal version, which the producers at Toei Company Ltd. used as the basis for the show. Several changes in content were made, as this 100-page one-shot story was too dark and gruesome (even cerebral) for a children's show. (Source: Wikipedia)