Fortresses (Mazinger)

Throughout the Mazinger saga, the evil enemy forces used several large flying and submarine ships called Fortresses in addition to their monsters to attack Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger and Mazinkaiser. They were armed with powerful weapons and their primary goal besides direct aggression was to carry the monsters and infantries of both Dr. Hell and The Mikene Empire.

ubmarine Fortress Salude

Salude "(Kaitei Yousai Salood)" was the first fortress built by Dr. Hell. It was commanded by Baron Ashura. It had a rounded shape, camouflaged with yellow and brown wavy patterns. On the top, there was a fake island, connected to the body of the fortress through and extensible upright supporting beam. The false island functioned as a disguise and could rotate at high speeds to create strong typhoons which could sink ships. It featured large hangars to store Mechanical Beasts and usually release them near the coast or launch them underwater or from the top of the dummy island. It was also used to contain smaller submarines Ashura used in battle. It was destroyed by Mazinger in chapter 39. It appears in the Mazinger Z series and in the Mazinger Vs. Devilman OVA.

Aerial Fortress Gool

When Salude is destroyed, Ashura founds himself without a proper vehicle to go into battle. Hell builds Gool "(Hikou Yousai Guuru)", a flying fortress, but despite Ashura's pleads to be in charge of it, Hell appoints Ashura's rival, Count Blocken as the commander. Blocken takes pride of his ship and mocks Ashura for not being allowed to guide it. Gool had all kinds of bombs, rays and projectiles, as well as the ability to generate clouds as a disguise. Due to its weapons and large size, it was also capable of bringing down large planes and even Mazinger. The ship had a lizard-like head and the monsters were released through the mouth. Count Blocken and Dr. Hell die on board when Mazinger destroys it in chapter 91. It appears in the Mazinger series and in the Mazinkaiser OVAs.

ubmarine Fortress Bood

Even though Ashura is dismissed as Gool's commander, Hell builds yet another subaquatic fortress for him, Bood "(Kaitei Yousai Buudo)". It had a more typical submarine shape, with a large face on its upper side that could be erected to open its mouth and release the mecha. Bood had torpedoes and other weapons such as immobilizing rays. Bood is destroyed during Ashura's final, desperate attempt to destroy Mazinger. It appears in the Mazinger series and Mazinkaiser OVAs.

Aerial Fortress Navalon

Navalon "(Hikou Yousai Nabaron)" was featured only in the Mazinger Vs. Devilman short movie. Commanded by both Ashura and Hell through a smaller detachable ship, it had weapons such as a tornado, projectiles and rays. It was winged and bulbous in shape. It was destroyed by Mazinger's breast fire.

Fortress Mikeros

The Multipurpose Fortress Mikeros ("Ban-nou Yousai Michelos" 万能要塞 ミケロス) was the first fortress that appeared in the Great Mazinger series. It had the shape of a flying saucer with four faces on the edges from where the Battle Beasts were released into battle. The necks of these heads were extensible and could fire projectiles from the sides. Like all its predecessors, it featured several more weapons. Mikeros was eventually destroyed by Great Mazinger in chapter 39 and succeeded by Demonika.

Technical data
* Height: 510 meters
* Diameter: 600 meters
* Weight: 200.000 tons
* Maximum speed: mach 2
* Speed on water: 30 knots

Other appearances

The Mikeros also appeared in the Deathmatch! Mazinkaiser VS the Great General of Darkness OVA. It was used by General Birdler to lead his troops in an attack on an aeroplane carrying Kouji Kabuto and Sayaka Yumi back to Japan. The escorting Million Alpha is no match for the Mikene General, but manages to kill him by ramming him into the Mikeros and self-destructing, sending the mighty fortress down in flames.

Mikeros also appears quite often in the Super Robot Wars series, normally commanded by Archduke Gorgon or (less frequently) the Great General of Darkness.

Fortress Demonika

Invincible Fortress Demonika ("Muteki Yousai Demonica" 無敵要塞 デモニカ) was able to operate on water, land and air. It was dubbed as invincible by the Great Marshall of Hell. Like Gool, it had a reptile-like head. It was commanded personally by the Great Marshall, featured all kinds of weapons, and was destroyed by the combined forces of Great Mazinger, Mazinger Z, Venus A and Diana A at the end of the series.

Technical data
* Length: 630 meters
* Height: 350 meters
* Weight: 325.000 tons
* Maximum speed: mach 1,2
* Water speed: 36 knots

Other appearances

Demonika also appeared in the Deathmatch! Mazinkaiser VS the Great General of Darkness OVA, this time under the command of the Great General of Darkness. It appeared towards the end of the OVA when the General attempts to use it to crush Mazinkaiser (and accidentally crushes the unlucky General Draydou). Kouji activates Mazin Power and hurls the ship into the air, then splits it in two using the Kaiser Scrander Boomerang. In this appearance, Demonika sports a modified color scheme compared to that of the TV series.