Chapter 1

Behold the Man is the first chapter of the manga Choujin X.

Characters

 * Tokio Kurohara
 * Johnny Kiyoshi Takeyama
 * Azuma Higashi

Summary
The chapter begins in a plane, where Ely and another elderly passenger are seated. Ely drops a tomato, and the old woman picks it up, prompting a discussion on Ely's destination, which is a produce fair. Another passenger, Chandler Hume, wakes up and needs to get out into the aisle. The elderly woman, unable to unbuckle her seatbelt, accidentally infuriates the man and is about to be hit by him, until Ely intercepts his fist. After a short-lived argument, the man is revealed to be a Choujin and expulses fire from his fingertips, burning the plane and everyone in it alive. The plane loses altitude in the sky and black plumes of smoke billow from the back of it.

Tokio Kurohara, a 16-year-old high school student from Tsuru High in Yamato Prefecture, notices the plane fall from the sky as he is daydreaming. After getting reprimanded by his teacher, he goes out and notices a young woman getting harassed by a group of thugs led by Johnny Kiyoshi Takeyama. Tokio calls his friend Azuma Higashi to come and help defeat the thugs. Azuma breaks both of Johnny's arms and rescues the young woman, gaining her thanks. The duo walk away and discuss the terrorist attack on the plane that occurred earlier, and how it was committed by a Choujin. Azuma goes on to say that Choujin should use their power for good instead of yielding it selfishly. They then discuss roly poliies (also known as pill bugs), and the metaphor between them and Choujin.

Later, Johnny, now with arm casts, laments on his condition after having been defeated by Azuma and is apprroached by a mysterious man who offers him a mysterious syringe that would supposedly fix his arms. Tokio, now at home, reminisces about his childhood and how Azuma consoled him after getting bullied. The next morning, he and Azuma are volunteers helping with the cleanup of the plane crash, but note that the plane is almost intact and that there were 200 survivors.

That night, as both boys are going back home, they are ambushed by Johnny and his gang. Johnny attacks Azuma and knocks him to the floor, and his arms are completely healed. Azuma fights back, but when he punches Johnny, he realizes that his body is now elastic and has rubbery skin, making him impervious to physical attacks by Azuma. He has become a Choujin. Johnny extends his neck out to beat Azuma up with ease. The frightened goons plead for their boss to stop, but he doesn't, but gives Tokio a window for running away and save Azuma. Tokio swims away with Azuma in his grip and land on a concrete riverbank, where they notice a syringe. Azuma wants to take the syringe himself to become a Choujin and defeat Johnny, but Tokio can't bear watching from the sidelines any more and wants to help. He injects himself with the syringe and goes to fight Johnny. Tokio transformed into a vulture-like form and swiftly defeats Johnny. Tokio saved the person that ha been saving him all along.