Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #89 of Dragon Ball Super.

The new villains of Dragon Ball Super pay homage to Akira Toriyama's earliest success, Dr. Slump. Android Beta and his "battle jacket android", Beta no.2, are similar to the wacky robots used by Dr. Slump's comical villain, Dr. Mashirito, to defeat his rival Senbei and his unbeatable creation Arale.

Dr. Slump was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1980 to 1984, and it is considered the manga that launched Akira Toriyama's career, opening the way for Dragon Ball. Dr. Slump is a comedy series set in the fictional Penguin Village, where the scientist Senbei Norimaki creates Arale an overpowered robot that looks like a little girl (who also made an appearance in an episode of the Dragon Ball Super anime). Senbei also has a rival, Dr. Mashirito, who tries to take over the world with his robot creations, called Caramel Men. Dr. Slump's light-hearted style, which was also a feature of the early part of Dragon Ball, has clearly returned in the current Super Hero Arc of Dragon Ball Super, starting with the wacky androids created by Dr. Hero.

Related: Trunks Just Created Dragon Ball's First New Attack in Decades

Dragon Ball Super Is Showing Toriyama's Classic Passion For Robots

beta n.2 battle jacket in dragon ball super

In chapter #89 of Dragon Ball Super, Android Beta infiltrates Trunks and Goten's high school, trying to retrieve the disc containing Cell's blueprints that Trunks stole. Beta looks like a regular boy, but when he attacks he summons his "battle jacket android" called Beta no. 2. This is a full robot with rocket launchers and the ability to detach its lower half, which can act autonomously. While Beta no. 2 does not pose a real threat to Trunks and Goten, its design will certainly inspire a nostalgic feeling for fans who remember Dr. Slump and the earliest chapters of Dragon Ball.

Dr. Mashirito's Caramel Men were wacky robots who, despite their strength and weapons, ended up being beaten by Arale in a usually ridiculous fashion. Toriyama's passion for robots is also shown in Dragon Ball through the robots and androids of the Red Ribbon Army. In particular, the Battle Jacket used by Commander Black to fight against Goku looks like the inspiration behind the one used by Beta in Dragon Ball Super. This is an interesting callback, as it proves that Dr. Hedo was somehow able to access the research of his grandfather, Dr. Gero, who was the Red Ribbon's scientist.

While Dr. Gero's deadly androids may make him Toriyama's most famous "evil scientist", Mashirito is surely the funniest one. Not many fans know that the character was inspired by the mangaka's editor at the time, Kazuhiko Torishima, who would often shut down his ideas and push him to work faster. Toriyama has always been a fan of robots and mechas, as he often mentioned Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka as his favorite manga as a kid. It's clear that he had a lot of fun drawing robots and other wacky inventions in Dr. Slump and the early part of Dragon Ball, and it's good to see that this old passion of the author is coming back in the most recent arc of Dragon Ball Super​​​​​​.

More: Dragon Ball Super Teases the Return of Goku’s Greatest Ally

The latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super is available from Viz Media.