Unveiling Rare Dragon Ball Art
A rare piece of Dragon Ball art has been officially revealed, showcasing Goku's original Super Saiyan transformation during one of its earlier manga appearances. The artwork, drafted by Akira Toriyama, features Super Saiyan Goku in his full original color, without any other characters or text present on the published magazine cover.
As the Dragon Ball manga ran in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, the artwork was initially black-and-white and only colored in certain collected editions. This rare piece, however, offers a unique glimpse into the creative process behind the series.
Super Saiyan Goku vs. Cell
The official Dragon Ball website regularly uploads rare pieces from Akira Toriyama's archive, which are available for 24 hours only. The latest piece comes from one of the manga's most celebrated arcs: the Cell Saga. The artwork originates from the cover of Weekly Shonen Jump #21/22, dated April 28, 1992, depicting Goku facing off against the original form of Cell before he absorbed Android 17.
For most international Dragon Ball fans who read the manga via collected editions, this is likely their first time seeing this picture of Goku. The image from the archive also showcases more of the artwork than was published, as the Weekly Shōnen Jump cover was zoomed in, cutting off most of the left side of Goku's body.
"Super Saiyan Goku and Cell are depicted squaring off against each other on the front cover. The menacing threat of Cell's First Form is on display on the opening color page," reads the Dragon Ball site's official English description of the image. "The intensity of this draft is so powerful that you can practically hear Goku's soul crying out as he devotes himself to training, recognizing the vast difference in strength between him and Cell."
A Fight That Never Happened
The cover of Weekly Shonen Jump from April 28, 1992, technically shows a scenario that never really happened in the Dragon Ball manga or anime, as it depicts Super Saiyan Goku facing off against Cell's first form. However, at this point in the story, Goku was still recovering from his heart virus and never fought this version of Cell.
By the time Goku encountered Cell, the latter had already absorbed Android 17 and transformed into his Second Form, though he had not yet become Perfect Cell. The only people who fought First Form Cell in the main timeline were Piccolo after he fused with Kami, and Android 17 and 16 (although Future Trunks later defeated another version of him in his own timeline).
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