The Prophecy Book

The Prophecy Book is a notebook collaboratively written by Kenji and his friends when they were kids, mostly in their secret hideout. The book predominantly records the group's childish, manga-inspired hero fantasies. These eventually converge into a narrative of events in which the group unite as adults to stop an evil organization bent on destroying the world with biological weapons and giant robots. The Prophecy Book is one of the original documents containing the unique eye/hand symbol designed by Otcho.

Many years after the book was written, the mysterious cult leader known only as 'Friend' orchestrated numerous criminal and terroristic events which eerily followed the narrative recorded in the Prophecy Book. The events of 20th Century Boys which begin in 1997 are largely caused by Kenji becoming aware of this pattern, especially after he draws the connection between the apparent perpetrators and the eye/hand symbol, supposedly known only to Kenji and his childhood friends.

The Prophecies:

At the end of the 20th Century, an evil organisation plotted world domination.

First they bombarded San Francisco and London with terrifying biological weapons.

Next they spread the germs in Osaka, famous for the 1970 World Fair. Japan was shivering in fright.

Then, the evil doers next aim was Haneda airport! Tokyo was overwhelmed with a fear it could not escape.

But this is where the real terror begins! The signal of world destruction is fired.

December 31st 2000! With loud rumbling and tremors, a giant shape appeared in Tokyo. A giant, atomic-powered robot! It laid waste to all as it spread out more deadly germs. Will the 21st Century come at all? Tokyo's... No, the world's fate is in the balance!

And then 9 brave warriors stood forth! How will they fight to keep the peace of the world?!

(Final pages of the book of prophecy are lost to time)