TV Special
Description
Maetel, born on the dying planet La Metal to Queen Promethium and Dr. Ban, shares a twin sister, Emeraldas. Facing environmental collapse, La Metal embraced full mechanization under the cyborg Hardgear's influence. Maetel and Emeraldas rejected this transformation, survived Hardgear's ambush, defeated him, but failed to reverse their mother's mechanization. Recognizing her lost humanity, Promethium urged her daughters to escape and warn Earth, leading them to depart aboard the Galaxy Express 999.
Her appearance reflects Leiji Matsumoto's signature style: tall and willowy, with long blonde hair, long eyelashes, and melancholy brown eyes. She typically wears a dark dress, coat with fur trim, boots, and an Astrakhan hat, calling them "clothes of mourning." The color of her outfit varies symbolically: white in youth, blue in *Cosmo Warrior Zero*, red in *Space Symphony Maetel*, and black in the main *Galaxy Express 999* narrative, reflecting her emotional state and maturity.
The nature of her body remains ambiguous. An X-ray under duress revealed a human skeleton, yet other instances provoke shock or fear. On Pluto, she wept over an ice-encased body identical to her own, implied to be her original organic form, which she later suggested she might return to. Her mother gifted her "the most beautiful body in the world," leading to speculation about cloning or advanced android technology, fueled by her resemblance to Tetsuro's mother. Matsumoto stated she is "human," though the concept's vagueness in his works leaves the question unresolved. Camouflage technology in her clothing or pendant may conceal mechanical elements.
Maetel intercepted Tetsuro Hoshino's dying cries after his mother's murder, offering him a ticket to obtain a free mechanical body on Andromeda aboard the Galaxy Express 999, conditional on accompanying her. Unbeknownst to Tetsuro, she operates under conflicting mandates: Queen Promethium tasks her with recruiting strong youths to strengthen the Machine Empire, while her father, Dr. Ban, whose consciousness resides in her pendant, directs her to bring candidates to destroy it. This dual loyalty creates internal conflict, intensified by her developing maternal affection for Tetsuro. Dr. Ban monitors and pressures her via the pendant, threatening incinersion for failure.
Her personality blends calm compassion with steely resolve. She admires genuine courage and despises bravado or self-preservation at others' expense. She guides Tetsuro to understand different perspectives on mechanization, often expressing regret about her role while fulfilling her mission. Her relationship with Emeraldas remains close despite their differing temperaments; Emeraldas favors direct conflict, while Maetel seeks understanding. She respects figures like Captain Harlock and Tochiro Oyama for their self-determination and optimism.
As a La Metalian, Maetel possesses an extended lifespan, immunity to illness, and negligible aging. Her brain interfaces directly with complex machinery like the 999, enabling control or communication. She exhibits enhanced physical capabilities, dodging lasers and breaking superalloy chains. Her combat proficiency includes expert marksmanship with weapons like the Gravity Saber rifle and the Dimension Recoil Gun, and skilled use of the Blitz Whip, capable of destroying thick walls or functioning as a sword. She carries a trunk storing belongings and serving as a communication device, alongside earrings functioning as explosives and a dream sensor. Her pendant, containing Dr. Ban's consciousness, can disrupt La Metal's central computer systems and aids in healing injuries.
In *Space Symphony Maetel*, summoned back to La Metal by Promethium, she encountered Nazca, a youth seeking vengeance against the Machine Empire. Promethium attempted a coronation ceremony to mechanize Maetel's heart, thwarted by Nazca. Maetel discovered Promethium used body doubles. During a revolt, Promethium seemingly died, but Maetel later confronted and destroyed her, witnessing her body disintegrate. Promethium's consciousness survived, continuing the empire's expansion. Nazca sacrificed himself during a subsequent attack, turning into an energy conduit for Promethium's forces. Maetel departed alone after Promethium vowed she would return.
Her journey with Tetsuro culminated on Planet Prometheum. Learning Maetel is Promethium's daughter, Tetsuro felt betrayed. With Dr. Ban's guidance via the pendant, Maetel triggered the planet's destruction. She then parted ways with Tetsuro, boarding the Galaxy Express 777 to mentor another boy, implying a cyclical mission against mechanization. In *Adieu Galaxy Express 999*, set years later, she reconnected with an older Tetsuro amid renewed Machine Empire threats and confronted Promethium's consciousness on Great Andromeda, revealing the empire's energy derives from drained humans.
Matsumoto describes Maetel as a manifestation of the "woman who travels with an adolescent boy's dreams," representing countless encounters across the cosmos. Her unresolved body, shifting loyalties, and symbolic attire underscore themes of humanity, loss, and maternal duty.
Her appearance reflects Leiji Matsumoto's signature style: tall and willowy, with long blonde hair, long eyelashes, and melancholy brown eyes. She typically wears a dark dress, coat with fur trim, boots, and an Astrakhan hat, calling them "clothes of mourning." The color of her outfit varies symbolically: white in youth, blue in *Cosmo Warrior Zero*, red in *Space Symphony Maetel*, and black in the main *Galaxy Express 999* narrative, reflecting her emotional state and maturity.
The nature of her body remains ambiguous. An X-ray under duress revealed a human skeleton, yet other instances provoke shock or fear. On Pluto, she wept over an ice-encased body identical to her own, implied to be her original organic form, which she later suggested she might return to. Her mother gifted her "the most beautiful body in the world," leading to speculation about cloning or advanced android technology, fueled by her resemblance to Tetsuro's mother. Matsumoto stated she is "human," though the concept's vagueness in his works leaves the question unresolved. Camouflage technology in her clothing or pendant may conceal mechanical elements.
Maetel intercepted Tetsuro Hoshino's dying cries after his mother's murder, offering him a ticket to obtain a free mechanical body on Andromeda aboard the Galaxy Express 999, conditional on accompanying her. Unbeknownst to Tetsuro, she operates under conflicting mandates: Queen Promethium tasks her with recruiting strong youths to strengthen the Machine Empire, while her father, Dr. Ban, whose consciousness resides in her pendant, directs her to bring candidates to destroy it. This dual loyalty creates internal conflict, intensified by her developing maternal affection for Tetsuro. Dr. Ban monitors and pressures her via the pendant, threatening incinersion for failure.
Her personality blends calm compassion with steely resolve. She admires genuine courage and despises bravado or self-preservation at others' expense. She guides Tetsuro to understand different perspectives on mechanization, often expressing regret about her role while fulfilling her mission. Her relationship with Emeraldas remains close despite their differing temperaments; Emeraldas favors direct conflict, while Maetel seeks understanding. She respects figures like Captain Harlock and Tochiro Oyama for their self-determination and optimism.
As a La Metalian, Maetel possesses an extended lifespan, immunity to illness, and negligible aging. Her brain interfaces directly with complex machinery like the 999, enabling control or communication. She exhibits enhanced physical capabilities, dodging lasers and breaking superalloy chains. Her combat proficiency includes expert marksmanship with weapons like the Gravity Saber rifle and the Dimension Recoil Gun, and skilled use of the Blitz Whip, capable of destroying thick walls or functioning as a sword. She carries a trunk storing belongings and serving as a communication device, alongside earrings functioning as explosives and a dream sensor. Her pendant, containing Dr. Ban's consciousness, can disrupt La Metal's central computer systems and aids in healing injuries.
In *Space Symphony Maetel*, summoned back to La Metal by Promethium, she encountered Nazca, a youth seeking vengeance against the Machine Empire. Promethium attempted a coronation ceremony to mechanize Maetel's heart, thwarted by Nazca. Maetel discovered Promethium used body doubles. During a revolt, Promethium seemingly died, but Maetel later confronted and destroyed her, witnessing her body disintegrate. Promethium's consciousness survived, continuing the empire's expansion. Nazca sacrificed himself during a subsequent attack, turning into an energy conduit for Promethium's forces. Maetel departed alone after Promethium vowed she would return.
Her journey with Tetsuro culminated on Planet Prometheum. Learning Maetel is Promethium's daughter, Tetsuro felt betrayed. With Dr. Ban's guidance via the pendant, Maetel triggered the planet's destruction. She then parted ways with Tetsuro, boarding the Galaxy Express 777 to mentor another boy, implying a cyclical mission against mechanization. In *Adieu Galaxy Express 999*, set years later, she reconnected with an older Tetsuro amid renewed Machine Empire threats and confronted Promethium's consciousness on Great Andromeda, revealing the empire's energy derives from drained humans.
Matsumoto describes Maetel as a manifestation of the "woman who travels with an adolescent boy's dreams," representing countless encounters across the cosmos. Her unresolved body, shifting loyalties, and symbolic attire underscore themes of humanity, loss, and maternal duty.