Lord Alberto the Impact (also known as Shocking Alberto) is a major supporting character in Giant Robo: The Night The Earth Stood Still. This one-eyed aristocrat is a member of the Magnificent Ten, the commanders of the elite terrorist group Big Fire. Like his colleagues, Alberto possesses superhuman psychic abilities and the unique ability to absorb energy and release it as violent shockwaves, destroying anything that stands in his way.
While a ruthless criminal, Alberto is not entirely without compassion or honour. He regards the Magnificent Ten as his family and is the biological brother of Hanzui, the leader of the Ten. He also has a daughter, Sanny the Magician, and maintains a telepathic link with her. If something happens to either of them, the other becomes aware of it.
Japanese Voice: Yousuke Akimoto
English Voice (Manga dub): John Santacrose
English Voice (NYAV dub): Lex Woutas
History[]
Prior to the events of the OVA, Alberto had lost his right eye in a battle against Taisou, an Expert of Justice. As well as this, Taisou also killed Alberto's closest friend and colleague Cervantes the Dazzling. Alberto has despised Taisou ever since and has vowed to exact revenge upon him.
During the OVA, as Big Fire prepare to enact Operation: Earth Standstill, Alberto finds himself acting as a subordinate to Genya, the man in charge of the project. With Koenshaku observing him, Alberto is unable to overrule Genya's decisions. He does, however, keep a close eye on Genya's activities, suspecting him to be operating outside of Big Fire's interests. Meanwhile, he and his aide Ivan carry out Genya's instructions and attempt to seize the third Shizuma Drive sample from Interpol's base in Peking. While Ivan manages to kill Dr. Shizuma, the third sample remains out of reach due to Giant Robo's interference.
Four days later, Alberto travels to Shanghai where the Eye of Volger has been ensnared by the Experts of Justice. He attempts to take the third sample once more, holding Daisaku Kusama hostage, but is thwarted yet again. During the conflict in Shanghai, Alberto also witnesses Ginrei's teleportation ability, almost losing an arm to it. Later, as the Experts flee aboard Greta Garbo, Alberto confronts his arch-enemy Taisou who has remained behind to guard the magnetic webbing device holding back the Eye of Volger. The two fight and Alberto appears to win, but feels cheated of his revenge since Taisou allowed his comrades time to escape before the Eye of Volger fired its blast wave, destroying Shanghai.
Alberto escapes Shanghai and follows Genya and the Experts to the Himalayas, remaining in hiding while he listens in on Genya. Listening to his conversation with Ginrei, he learns that Genya is actually Emmanuel, the son of Franken Von Volger, and he has been using Big Fire to carry out his own vendetta. Alberto later confronts Genya and threatens to throw him before the Magnificent Ten to face judgement, but he is immobilised by Koenshaku. Whilst Alberto is bound, Genya uses the gun he took from Ginrei to shoot Alberto in his cybernetic eyepatch.
Alberto was not killed by Genya's shot, however. He merely feigned death and fell into the snowy chasm where Giant Robo had fallen after destroying the robot Garron. Alberto clung to Robo's right shoulder and entered a state of suspended animation, concealing himself with a strange white formation that appeared to be snow. When Interpol returned Robo to Ryozanpaku, they attempted to melt this white formation but none of their instruments had any effect on it. Meanwhile, the Magnificent Ten were uncertain if Alberto was still alive, until Hanzui received a strange communication from his niece Sanny, who spoke to him with her father's voice, indicating that Alberto did indeed still live.
Death[]
In the OVA's final episode, as Giant Robo launches its final attack against the Eye of Volger, Alberto emerges from his suspension. He begins absorbing the energy field emitted by the orb into his own body, draining the orb of its power and leaving it defenceless. As he absorbs the energy, Alberto addresses Daisaku and tells him that he's not helping him for the sake of saving the world; he intends for the world's fate to be decided in a final battle between the Experts of Justice and Big Fire rather than let Genya have his way. After several seconds, Alberto's body can no longer contain the Eye's energy and he crumbles to dust.