Norse Necktall – easily identifiable by both his long neck and strangely shaped face, as well as by the large cigar held in his mouth at all times – would, at first glance, appear to be a solely comedic character. However, despite his rather goofy appearance, Norse Necktall usually plays either administrative or media-related roles. He is a somewhat shady figure, and often misguided in his support of the “wrong” side, though rarely if ever outright evil. This is evident in his role in Metropolis (1949), where he appears as a minor member of the Red Party, but not as someone who does great harm through the politics of the group. Besides this role, he is a near-constant presence in important Tezuka works. He has appearances in Next World (1951), Lion Books (1956-57), Astro Boy (1952-68), Wonder 3 (1965-66), Dororo (1967-69), The Crater (1969-70), Alabaster (1970-71), Black Jack (1973-83), Three-Eyed One (1974-78), and Rainbow Parakeet (1981-82), among others. (Source: Tezukainenglish)