Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for redrawn chapters of One-Punch Man not yet released in English
One-Punch Man’sartist Yusuke Murata continues his gorgeous redrawing of recent chapters of the manga, poised to catch up to the original release within the next chapter. Readers become increasingly familiar with the latest villain threatening Saitama and the world,Empty Void. In addition to being comparable to S-Class Rank 1 hero Blast,Void’s powers are dangerously infused with the mysterious God’s cubes inOne-Punch Man, and anyone, even Saitama, could be threatened.
But Saitama is not present in the current Ninjas Arc inOne-Punch Man,focusing instead mainly on Flashy Flash and Speed-o'-Sound Sonic as the series dives into their connection to Void.Void finally catches up with these characters inthe redrawn chapter that essentially lines up with the events ofOne-Punch Manchapter #199, as available through VIZ Media.
But the villainous Void’s latest demonstration involvesthe mysterious cubes linked to God inOne-Punch Man andVoid’s chilling ability to use them as a weapon.
One-Punch Man Villain’s Weapon is a Nefarious Threat
God’s Cubes in Void’s Hands Can Terrorize Even Saitama With a Touch
After finally appearing in the latest redrawn version connecting toOne-Punch Manchapter #199,Void disguises himself as Flash to trick Sonic into touching the cube. Sonic winds up touching the cube, as does Flash, sending them into a dream dimension where they reflect on their past, asGod tries to tempt them to take his powers, with only Flash’s dream sequence shown so far. As shown in the original release ofOne-Punch Manchapter #200, Sonic will also experience a flashback where he recalls the monster cell he ate but successfully fights the temptation.
As part of Yusuke Murata’s ongoing redrawn chapters ofOne-Punch Man, fans may finally see the plot advance as the story is recontextualized with a greater focus on Speed-o'-Sonic’s growth and rivalry with Flash.
While this is already visited in the released initial chapters, the sinister combination of this and Void’s ability to infiltrate opponents disguised as them is terrifying, especially considering his other powers inOne-Punch Man. He essentially forces Sonic and Flash to touch the cube, which can corrupt others throughout the series;it could also be how God tries to influence Saitamasince all he has to do is get him to touch the artifact. However, Void must leave the battle alive as soon as Blast intervenes.
Saitama’s Allies Can Potentially Resist God’s Cube
A Mysterious Weapons in One-Punch Man Appear to Affect Willpower
In the latest redrawnOne-Punch Manchapter, Sonic is tricked first into touching the cube, sending him into a yet-unseen trance, whereas Flash is sent to a flashback where his younger self speaks with a young Sonic. At first, the dreams feel benevolent,but lurking just out of view is the twisted vision of God pulling the strings, the cubes being a way to draw them into this dreamlike dimension.However, as the next chapter will soon show,Sonic’s strong willpower and focus on surpassing Saitamaby his means trump any desire to use God’s powers inOne-Punch Man.
It is challenging to say whether the same can be said about Saitama, as it doesn’t always appear to be active, such as when he finds one in chapter #136 and immediately dismissively drops it. It could be Saitama’s ignorance and lack of driving desire or ambition, as he never stated his deepest desires to the cube to activate it.
However,the idea of Empty Void being able to activate the cube and influence mighty heroes, particularly Saitama, is chilling. After all, just sending a powerful hero to a “dreamscape” while leaving them in a trance would be enough. EvenSaitama’s unbreakable body would not protect him from this technique, but it’s simply possible that his legendary ennui will be enough to overpower God himself in future chapters ofOne-Punch Man.
