Gamagori Futaro (蒲郡風太郎) has been poor since the day he was born. As a child his recklessly wasteful and abusive father sunk the family into debt and disappeared, leaving Futaro and his sick mother to fend for themselves. With no money to pay for medical treatment for his ailing mother, she eventually died. After her death Futaro became obsessed with money and willing to do anything for it.

Zeni Geba was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1970 to 1971. Shōnen Sunday was once specified as "harmful" in some prefectures when the series has started, because of its violent and drastic depiction

Zeni means money in Japanese and Geba means Power.

The gekiga comic strip was serialized from No. 13 in 1970 to No. 6 in 1971 in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.

The story was released shortly after when Student activism was on in Japan and thus reflected such historical backgrounds as represented in its use of the word ゲバ (geba) in the title.