The protagonist in this story is an orphan after his parents were murdered. He later utilizes his unique abilities to seek revenge for their deaths. The original Skull Man was one of the first anti-heroes in manga, willing to sacrifice innocent lives to achieve his goal of vengeance. This dark aspect of the character was the reason for his captivating and successful nature.
Ishinomori created this manga as a personal version of the TV series Kamen Rider (Masked Rider), which he developed with producer Toru Hirayama. Toei Company Ltd. used the manga as the foundation for the show, making several changes to the content as the original 100-page one-shot story was too grim and intense for a children's program.
