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Esdoc (エスドック Esudokku?), more commonly known as "Ed", was Alita's manager during her motorball career. He was a former Top League player himself and used to be Jashugan's rival.

Appearance[]

Ed always wore a full face mask leaving only his eyes, mouth and nose visible. His typical attire consisted of a cap, jacket, and pants. Although he had cyborg arms, to what extent he was cyberized was not specified. In Gunnm: Martian Memory he wears gray clothing, blue gloves, brown shoes, and has a red mask. An illustration by Yukito Kishiro for the 2003 Ultra Jump calendar shows him as wearing light khaki clothing and a blue mask.[1]

Personality[]

Having been a professional motorball competitor, Ed knew what it took to reach the top and would push himself (and those he managed) to do their best no matter what the cost. Even after he was forced to retire from active play, he still had a streak of competition in him, wishing to enjoy the perks of being a champion vicariously through his players.

Ed was also known to be a methodical planner, planning out the possibilities of who to watch out for and what the quickest way to get a championship match is. However, if something came up that went against his plans (such as a player of his not wishing to renew their contract), Ed could become quite possessive and even violent.

Relationships[]

Jashugan[]

Back when Jashugan started out in motorball, Ed saw him as a worthy opponent and the two began a fierce rivalry with the other once Jashugan entered the Top League. Even after the accident that ended his career occurred, Ed continued to follow Jashugan's career, harboring some slight jealousy over his former rival surpassing him and becoming champion; regardless, Ed managed to remain civil with him.

Umba[]

While the circumstances between Ed meeting Umba are not known, it is known that Ed was a good source of stability to Umba and would often help him interact with others. Ed would be amazed with Umba's technological prowess, showing off his mechanic's speed and efficiency numerous times on the competitive circuits.

Alita[]

After seeing some promise in Alita, Ed decided to become her motorball manager. He would provide some background on tactics and players to watch out for and the two had a strong mentor-apprentice bond. Even to his dying breath, Ed would keep pushing Alita to become the best player and work her way to the championship.

Abilities[]

A former Top League motorball player who specialized in the use of blades, in his prime Ed's techniques were rumored to be as good as his rival Jashugan's Maschine Klatsch. However the development of Terminal Frost in his right arm as a consequence of abusing an unnamed acceleration drug forced him to retire from active competition.

History[]

BAA04 113 Accident

The accident involving Ed and Jashugan in a flashback in Battle 20.

Ed had been a motorball player for some time and advanced to the highest league in the sport, the Top League. Here he developed a rivalry with Jashugan when the latter advanced into the league his rookie year. Both were severely injured in an accident, after which their careers diverged. Jashugan received reconstructive brain surgery from Desty Nova, who used the Tipharean technology Gehirn Umbao, enabling him to go on to become the champion. Ed, on the other hand, had to resort to acceleration drug injections to stay competitive. His abuse of the drug resulted in a permanent condition called Terminal Frost which forced him to retire from active play and required the use of medication to control his condition.[2] Although Ed's relationship with Jashugan stayed cordial, he never let go of his dream of one day surpassing him, and hoped to fulfill this dream vicariously through Alita after she proved her potential.

Plot[]

BAA03 62 Terminal Frost

Ed treating an attack of Terminal Frost in Battle 13.

Sometime after he founded Esdoc Motors and hired Umba, Ed found Alita mourning Hugo's death in Joe's Bar after she ran away from home. Seeing potential in her as a motorball competitor, Ed introduced himself and signed her to a 12 race contract with his racing team.[3] Reflecting his expertise in blade techniques and her Panzer Kunst background, Alita's motorball body was initially equipped with a pair of Damascus Blades, one on each forearm. Following her fourth Third League race, Ed downplayed Umba's praise of her performance and was about to comment on how things had changed when he was a player when his Terminal Frost acted up and he had to medicate. In response to Umba's question about a sponsor, he replied that her monitor ticket sales were good and that if her win average could be maintained and a sponsor obtained, she would be able to advance to the Second League. When Umba suggested that the Top League could be a possibility Ed nervously laughed. He was then about to mention how she had changed since he had found her but Alita shot him an angry glare and Umba reminded him that the topic was off limits.

During her fifth race, Alita recalled what Ed had told her about pure steel, which was surprisingly fragile, and how he had described the Damascus Blades. After Alita completed ten Third League races, she and Ed watched Jashugan's first race in a month. Soon after, Ed lined up a sponsor, the Trench Bloom Waste Reclamation Company, enabling Alita to make the jump to the Second League.

At some point during Alita's tenure with Esdoc Motors, Ed sold her old Berserker Body in an attempt to keep her on the circuit.

A week before her debut Second League race, the two were out in the Scrapyard where they unexpectedly ran into Jashugan, Shumira, and Daisuke Ido, who had become Jashugan's tuner. During the meeting, Alita issued a challenge to Jashugan to see which was better, her Panzer Kunst or his Maschine Klatsch. He initially refused, but after swiftly defeating the leader of a biker gang in an arm wrestling match, asked Alita if she would like to try him. In return, he would to accept her challenge if she won. Before he could name the prize if he won, Alita offered her artificial heart, telling Ed to destroy it if she lost. Acting as the referee, Ed was torn as he realized that Alita's loss would end his dreams, but before he could start the match, his Terminal Frost acted up, forcing him to withdraw. Afterwards, he noticed that Alita's attitude had changed, as she now had a purpose in the form of defeating Jashugan.[4]

BAA04 131 Ed's death

Ed's death in Battle 20.

After Alita's Second League race, she named the four other members of her challenge team. Ed took Alita's Damascus Blades to an old friend, Lam Dao, who forged them into a single blade. That night, Alita broke the news to him that she would quit after her race with Jashugan, as she would have fulfilled the terms of her contract. Ed violently opposed to this, dragging her off to have her contract renewed. When a junkie with a homemade gun suddenly blocked their way and tried to shoot Alita, Ed quickly shielded her and was grievously injured when the junkie shot him in the head. His last act was to give Alita the newly forged Damascus Blade. Before the race with Jashugan, Alita mused on her status as an outsider with Ed's cap on the sink of her dressing room. Esdoc Motors did not survive Ed's death, as Alita subsequently retired from motorball following Jashugan's defeat and Umba was forced to go his own way, eventually starting an engineering company with Thompson.

Other appearances[]

Ed appears in Gunnm: Martian Memory. He recruits Gally to play motorball after seeing her defeat a motorball player who challenges her to a fight on the street following Yugo's death.

Trivia[]

References[]

  1. "Calendar of GLO" Accessed 2011-03-28.
  2. Battle 15 - Ed reminisces on his motorball career.
  3. Battle 13
  4. Battle 16

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