Black Jack is a medical mercenary who sells his skills to the highest bidder. He is a shadowy figure, wearing a black cloak, with eerie black-and-white hair, a scar across his face, and partially black skin. Black Jack cures patients indiscriminately, ranging from common folk to presidents and yakuza leaders. He charges absurd sums to his VIP patients. All this has given him a reputation for callousness and greed, which he gleefully cultivates. However, it is clear to the reader that Black Jack is actually a good man: he is anti-wealth and anti-prestige, and believes he is actually doing rich people a favor by removing their material wealth. Opposition to wealth and power is a common theme in Tezuka's work: powerful men are almost always portrayed in a negative light.
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