Gatchaman episode 36: “Little Gatchamans”

[Thank you, Saturn, for the screencaps!]



Gatchaman episode 36: “Little Gatchamans”

BOTP episode: “Siege of the Squids”





The episode begins at night, with a lighthouse sending its beams of light out into the darkness. Further out from shore is a small boat.





On board is a father and his two sons. One boy is definitely younger than Jinpei, but the other one might be slightly older. The youngest boy has a fishing rod and he’s just gotten a bite that “feels like a big one!”





“It’s gotta be a tuna or something, Jiro,” says his father, who also has a fishing rod. The older boy thinks it’s a shark.





But Jiro insists that it’s a whale. So, they’re all bickering about what it is, and Jiro’s still struggling to reel it in. The father grabs onto the rod to help Jiro, and he too is struggling. He’s sure it must be huge and he tells Jiro that his mother will be proud. In the ADV dub, the two boys have accents that I guess are meant to be that of the Gulf coast in the southern U.S., but the father sounds more “Cajun.”

Finally, they’re able to pull the big catch out of the water and it lands on the deck of the boat. But it is not a tuna, or a shark or a whale. Quite anticlimactically, it’s just a relatively small squid.





Jiro is disappointed, but does remark to his father that the squid is “awfully heavy.” His father isn’t interested in holding it, though, and tells Jiro to put it in the well (a water-filled basin in the deck of the ship). So, the squid goes into the water, but we get a close-up view of it as the soundtrack takes a turn for the ominous and sinister…

Later, the lighthouse is still sending its rotating beams out into the night, and Jiro, his father and his brother have all resumed fishing from their boat. Jiro is ready to call it quits and wants to go home, but his father disagrees as they’ve only caught the squid so far and he reminds Jiro that they promised his mother they’d get ten tuna. “You’ve always gotta talk big, dontcha Pa?” says the older boy, a bit gloomily.

Now a much larger ship –clearly not a fishing vessel- is sailing through the water too. At the helm, two men in some kind of naval uniforms are commenting on the heavy mist that’s making it hard for them to go into port. “We’re just going to have to depend on the lighthouse,” says the man at the wheel.

Everything seems to be going well, and he reports that “radar and sonar are normal,” but suddenly the other man (the Captain) goes “Huh, where’d the lighthouse go?” They’re at a loss, but suddenly the lighthouse reappears –right in front of their ship.





“We’re about to run aground, man! Take her hard to port, hard to port!” shouts the Captain.

Back at the small fishing boat, the older boy remarks to his father that it looks like the lighthouse has moved. “What? In these parts the tide wouldn’t make us drift. The lighthouse must have moved,” says the father, quite puzzled.

But now, dozens and dozens of squid are speeding through the water, all in the same direction –towards the large ship.





“The squid,” cries the father, “A big bank of squid is heading for that boat!”

When the squid all hit the boat’s hull, there’s a big explosion. On board the ship, crewman cry out and go tumbling as the ship pitches and water bursts in through a breach in a wall. On deck, numerous crewman are running around in a panic. As one man tries to radio an SOS call, a giant red crustacean claw bursts through the window in front of him as he cries out in terror.





Flames are spreading, and crewmen continue to run around in a panic. More giant claws are piercing different parts of the ship as one man looks up and yells, “Oh no! It’s a monster!” Some kind of skinnier crustacean arm smashes a small window of the ship and reaches inside.

Now we get a larger view of the ship. It’s burning, while in the clutches of a giant mecha.





Jiro, his father and brother are watching this in alarm from their fishing boat. “That’s some big crawfish!” says the father, as the crawfish mecha pulls the large ship beneath the water’s surface and disappears.

“In the blink of an eye, the sea returned to its quiet state as if nothing ever happened,” says the narrator now, “News of the strange incident was reported to Dr. Nambu immediately.”

So now we get the stock footage of the Crescent Coral Base’s exterior with the ubiquitous schools of fish. Inside, the whole Team is there, in birdstyle, waiting to hear what Dr. Nambu has to tell them. Well, what he has to tell them is that another research vessel has gone missing –the fifth one so far- “and we have yet to figure out the cause.”

Ken is sure it’s Galactor, and Dr. Nambu agrees, and says that the ship that just vanished was carrying “important data on our new uranium resources at the bottom of the sea.”

Ken is instantly concerned, and Dr. Nambu goes on that “if Galactor gets hold of that data, then the Mantle Project, which uses uranium for peaceful purposes, would be ruined.”

Ken declares that the Team will figure out what’s causing the disappearances, and recover the lost data. “Leave it to us!”

Dr. Nambu, of course, prays for their success and they all shout “Roger!”





It’s daylight now, and we’re back at the fishing boat, which seems to be lost and drifting aimlessly. “Pa, what’s going to happen to us now?” asks Jiro, resting on his back with his arms behind his head, “We ain’t got food or water. What are we going to do?” His father, however, thinks they should at least be grateful that they didn’t sink. But Jiro now spots something in the air flying towards them. They all realize it’s an airplane and they start shouting and waving their arms to attract attention.

The plane, of course, is the God Phoenix. Ken sees the fishing boat first, and zooms in the viewscreen on its three frantically gesturing occupants.





“They’re lost at sea,” remarks Ryu, and Ken tells him to make a water landing.

So, the God Phoenix lowers down onto the water’s surface, near the fishing boat. Staring, Jiro says “That’s one crazy airplane!” “I wonder if they’re the ones that sent the monster last night,” says the father. The Team (minus Ryu) appears on the dome of the God Phoenix and they all leap over to the deck of the fishing boat.

The father and his sons are now hiding around the side of the boat’s cabin. “They clothes is freaky,” whispers the older boy, peering around the side. “Maybe they’re alien pigeons,” replies the father as Jiro also briefly sticks his head out to take a peek.

“Please don’t be afraid,” says Ken, “We’re the Science Ninja Team. I am Gatchaman.”





Well that’s enough to reassure Jiro. He comes rushing out, excitedly declaring “I’ve heard of y’all!” The father and the older boy come out next, and the father declares he’s relieved they’ve been saved and will be able to get home now.

But first Ken wants to know if any of them have “notice anything peculiar,” as they’ve come to investigate some “strange incidents.” The father and the older boy exchange a look, but then the father says “I ain’t seen nothing.” Ken asks him if he’s sure about that, but now Jiro has taken hold of Ken’s wings and is admiring them.





“This is so cool! So this is what birdstyle looks like, huh?” He then turns his attention to Jinpei, and impudently remarks “You’ve got one ugly face, dontcha?”





Jinpei is too appalled to make a coherent reply, but now the older boy is admiring Jun’s wings, or rather what is under her wings.





“Wow, you kind of look like a sparrow,” he says. Is that supposed to be a compliment? Turning to face her, he adds “And a mighty cute sparrow at that,” staring up into her face.





Yes, I guess it’s supposed to be a compliment. Jun isn’t impressed, however, but either she knows they still want to get information out of him, she’s humoring him because he’s a kid, or she’s too stunned by his lame attempts at flirtation to immediately take offense. “Um, thank you?” she manages to say, as he smirks “I’m gonna keep my eyes on this birdie.” Interestingly, Joe is the one who seems irritated by this kid’s overtures to Jun. “We’re too busy to be dealing with these nimrods right now!” he thinks to himself, while staring. Maybe he’s annoyed that no one admired his wings.

Everyone’s still standing around Ken. Arms folded, Joe says “We won’t be able to recover the uranium resource data if we don’t hurry up.” Striding up to Jiro and his brother, Joe adds “I hope you boys have learned your lesson. Now, you’ve got to know something about what’s going on. We need you to tell us everything you know.”





The ever-impatient Joe then adds “If you don’t tell us, Galactor might kill you both.”

Yes, I could see how saying that might hurry things along, but unfortunately these two idiot boys have an agenda. They’re willing to tell all that they know, on the condition that they’re allowed to join the Science Ninja Team.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen, kid!” snaps Joe, with another great expression on his face. (Maybe he’d have felt differently if both kids weren’t wearing white wings and number “1”s!)





“Come on kids,” says Ken, more ingratiatingly, “If you know anything, lay it on us.”

Jiro’s willing to tell “a little bit,” and his brother says “If you’re nice, maybe we’ll tell you about the secret passage to the lighthouse.”

These words sure get Ken’s interest, and he asks about this passage.

“Wanna get in the lighthouse? We’ve got that figured –we’re pretty sharp like that,” brags the older boy. “Yup,” pipes up Jiro, “And if you put us on the Science Ninja Team, we’ll tell you everything!”

At this, Joe turns away from the boys –he is done! The deadpan way he says “Your turn,” to Ken is pretty funny too. I’m almost surprised he hasn’t tried hitting them to get them talking –they should be very, very glad they’re children!

“Ah, we’re getting nowhere!” thinks Ken, staring.

But now we’re seeing the lighthouse from far below the high cliff that faces the sea, and the Team is there, with the two boys, looking up the steep rock face. It seems that the “secret passage” involves some treacherous rock climbing. Ryu looks nervously down at the water, far, far below and groans “I finally get to see some action, and this is what I get stuck with –I’ve got some kind of luck!”





“It’s right here, says the older boy, shoving away some vines on the rock face to reveal an entrance to a tunnel of some kind. They get inside, and are walking through a tunnel carved out of the rock, dripping with water.





“There’s definitely something going on here,” says Joe grimly, “I can feel it all around me.”

With the two boys leading the way, they continue on, but soon Ken sees a narrow beam of light shining through a small gap in the rock wall of the tunnel. He shakes the rocks loose around it, and as they fall to the ground a bigger gap is created and light pours into the cave. Ken and Joe both gasp as they peer in. Below, in a large chamber, is the crawfish mecha and armed Galactor goons are standing around it.





Ken immediately recognizes that this is a Galactor base, as the two boys say that that’s the monster that they saw before.

Below, on the crawfish mecha, a sort of transport tube is rising from the mecha, elevating a goon who’s carrying a metal case and talking to someone else with him that we can only see from behind.

“We seized this box from the ISO’s research ship, Sir,” says the goon to his companion. “It charts all the uranium resources at the bottom of the sea.”

Now, we get to see who “Sir” is:


, this is one of the truly classic Captains of the Week.





So, um, Captain Cyclops takes the case from the goon and says “Good work, we can use this to make sure that the largest uranium mine in the world will become the property of Galactor. Lord Katse will be pleased.”

Now a large, round door high up in the ceiling of the chamber is opening up as the transport tube elevating the goon and Captain Cyclops nears it.

Seeing this, Jiro loudly blurts out that the lighthouse is up there, and gets shushed by Ken and pushed down out of sight, but not before he dislodges a small rock that falls down…





“Damn it, kid,” mutters Ken, as he and Joe both glare in consternation. The rock lands behind a goon with a machine gun, who immediately turns and looks up. “Is someone hiding up there?” he shouts. “I don’t care who it is, open fire!” shouts Captain Cyclops from within the transport tube. So, the goon and his other gun-toting companions do just that, firing at the gap where the Team and the boys had entered through, but no one is to be seen up there now. Inside the transport tube, the Captain tells the goon that he’ll take the rocket to the secret base, and that the goon is to follow in the crawfish mecha. With that, the transport tube reaches the circular opening in the ceiling.

It turns out that Ken and the others aren’t gone; they’re just crouched down so low that the goons far below can’t see them. But seeing the transport tube reaching the ceiling, Jiro and his brother yell “They’re escaping!” and run back into the tunnel even as Ken demands they come back and Joe glares in outrage. But immediately, gunfire loosens rock over Ken and Joe’s heads and they have to duck and cover and can’t immediately pursue the boys.

So now, Jiro and his older brother have found a way into the lighthouse and realize that the lighthouse now contains one very large rocket. So, of course these two idiot kids run inside the rocket as its doors close behind them.





“Sorry, Gatchaman,” gloats Captain Cyclops, sitting at the rocket’s controls, “But no matter how hard you try, it’s all over now,” This Captain, it seems, has been studying Katse’s phrasebook. He pulls a lever and the rocket’s engines begin firing.

Still in the chamber below the lighthouse, Ken and the others hear the noise and feel everything shaking. “What’s happening?” says Ken.

The entire lighthouse is now lifting off from the ground –that’s what’s happening.





As it gets higher in the air, the lighthouse itself crumbles and falls away, leaving only the undisguised rocket now.





The Science Ninjas are rushing now the way the boys went earlier, but the rocket is gone and now they’re standing in the open air where the lighthouse once was. Behind them, Jun cries “Ken, what happened to the kids?” as Ken replies that they must have somehow gotten inside the rocket.

“Ken, we’ve got a problem on our hands,” says Joe as Jinpei shouts “Big Bro, the crawfish mecha is getting away!” Everyone rushes over to where Jinpei is standing and looking down at the sea below.





Sure enough, the crawfish mecha is visible below the water’s surface, moving away and deeper into the sea.





Ken decides they’ll follow it, as it’s surely heading for its secret base now.

With that, everyone is now in the God Phoenix, and it’s flying fast and low over the sea.

Ken reports in to Dr. Nambu that they haven’t recovered the uranium data, but that they are in pursuit of the crawfish mecha that is hopefully returning to its base.





Dr. Nambu again repeats the importance of the uranium data, but Ken has to add that he thinks there are two boys on board Galactor’s rocket that he also has to rescue. Dr. Nambu understands, and tells Ken to proceed with caution. So, the God Phoenix keeps flying along.

Meanwhile, on board the rocket, Captain Cyclops catches a brief glimpse of two white, bird-like figures running past an open doorway. “Is that the Science Ninja Team? How did they sneak in?” he asks himself. “Fools, I’ll make sure they never make it off this rocket alive,” he concludes, with an evil chuckle. Yup, he’s stealing Katse’s lines.

Now we see some kind of area of the sea that’s thick with seaweed and other vegetation. But as the rocket nears, panels slide away, revealing that it’s just camouflage, and the rocket plunges into the clear sea where the panels had just been. I guess this is the secret base.

Berg Katse is there; he turns to see that Captain Cyclops is now entering into the room behind him.





He holds out the case of uranium data to Katse, who is sure that Leader X will be pleased and that “the Earth and its people will finally belong to Galactor.” Captain Cyclops goes on that “I have a surprise for you that I’m sure you will appreciate,” and proceeds to explain that he has two captured members of the Science Ninja Team on board the rocket. Katse is very pleased to hear this, and notes that the rest of the Science Ninjas are bound to show up too, looking for their teammates. “Use the crawfish mecha to lure them into the sea,” orders Katse, smiling.

On board the God Phoenix, the skies outside are dark, and now Ken is seeing what appears to be a lighthouse’s beams. Realizing that there can’t really be a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, Ken instructs Ryu to approach it with caution. Just as they’re getting close, Ken suddenly calls for Ryu to turn on the God Phoenix’s floodlights. He does so immediately and they’re all startled to see the large tail of the crawfish mecha, about to bash the God Phoenix.

Great stuff LB, and Saturn.

I guess we once again see Jinpei as the "Mascot" since he is the one to go flying as he is thrown around the Phoenix. You would think after the first 30 missions or so SOME ONE would have mentioned this safety fact to Nambu and the problem would have been fixed.

These two boys came up with a much better creation than I did when I played BOTP and used a white bathing towel for my "wings"

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

Another great job LB and Saturn thank you!

Of the annoying kids that show up in this show these two take the prize. With all the lying and being in the way these kids do I was half hoping they couldn't be rescued!

The Captain of the Week is pretty awesome too!

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Old age is a high price to pay for maturity.

I would still say that Makoto from episode 3 is the most annoying, 1-episode kid in the first series (I say first series because I've seen some in Gatch II that are worse!). Giro and Toro certainly do some annoying things in this episode (rudely ogling Jun, withholding info from the Team, mistreatment of chickens, making noise that alerts Galactor goons' attention, sneaking onto the rocket for no good reason etc.) but I will admit that they, unlike Makoto, did sometimes amuse me too.

Something I did wonder about was why both the father and the boys, when they first met the Team on the fishing boat, wouldn't say anything about the mecha they'd seen even though they were directly asked if they'd seen anything peculiar, but then later they were quite willing to tell all the people gathered at the pier all about it.

I could see why they might have been reluctant to talk if they were nervous about the Science Ninjas and uncertain if they were the "good guys", but once Ken explained he was Gatchaman, they all seemed to trust the Team -but they still wouldn't talk. Of course, later, the boys were prepared to tell all, as long as they were allowed on the Team. Was that the father's angle too, on the boat -don't say anything until you can be sure that you can get something worthwhile in return for telling what you know?

Good job.

I liked this episode, mostly because it's funny.

I can't help but wonder though, if Joe would have tolerated the kids at all if they were imitating him instead of Gatchaman; some how, I don't think he would have.

And CD, you were allowed to use towels! My brother and I would've been skinned or using my mother's towels. So we used our blankets instead.

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Perspective Alters Reality

I thoroughly understand! It was rough being an 8-year-old in a brand new town, 3 hours from friends and family, not knowing anyone or how to get anywhere except for the school or the Safeway (and we couldn't go there as we weren't allowed to cross Main Street), but we had a big back yard and Channel 44 (anyone in the Bay Area will remember that channel) so G-Force became very good friends.

As for the fishermen not telling the SNT about what they say, these are ignorant people and most likely afraid that they wouldn't be taken seriously (the reaction of their peers at the dock) or that they'd be taken away (they didn't seem all to familiar with the team).

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Perspective Alters Reality

Hi all!

Mark calls the team to the boat. He’s holding up the unfortunately-colored squid by the tip of its head [and I will not apologize for the yaoi images I have just put in your head, because I certainly did not intend to put them into mine]. Jason notes that it’s a squid. Mark says it’s no ordinary squid. Princess takes the squid [okay, now the animation puts hentai images in my head!], and says that it’s too heavy. She yanks on the tentacles, the squid comes apart, and a missile falls out. [Not going there. Really.]

Cue the upwards-pointing shot of the team standing in a dismayed circle, except that Keyop looks like he’s trying to keep from barfing as he says, ‘Bomb’ in between burbles.

Mark says the squid is electronic, and is somehow connected to the lighthouse. Jason agrees they should check it out.

Zark voice-over, agreeing with Mark that if a ‘squid isn’t really a squid, then maybe a lighthouse isn’t really a lighthouse.’ Okay, so the audience has ADHD and is as dim as the Watson of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies.

Cut to the woods near the lighthouse. Some bushes start moving, then Keyop (bareheaded) pokes his head out of them. As he continues to sneak closer, the scene cuts to G-Force, in civvies, watching him. Princess hopes he’ll be okay. Mark assures her that Keyop is small, not easily seen. Tiny still doesn’t see how a lighthouse can move around.

All goes well for the plan until a goon walks right past the concealed Keyop, who then sneezes. The goon turns, and spots Keyop’s blue-and-white striped butt sticking out of the bush. He grabs Keyop and demands to know what he’s doing. Keyop says he’s hunting butterflies. The goon says the property is restricted, and to get out. Keyop shakes his fist and calls him a butterfly-hater.

Tiny now agrees with Mark that there’s something going on.

And now we have Zark again. Again. We can never, ever escape Zark. His antenna are drooping, then perk up a bit as he speaks. He was as nervous as the team. If he had a heart, it would be in his mouth. If he had a mouth. [Bleargh!]

Now he has some heavy work in front of him. When he finds out what happened to the command ship, he will have to design a whole new Phoenix. What? When was there a problem with the Phoenix in this episode? Then he wonders when he will be redesigned with all the latest components.

Keyop throws himself onto a couch. He burbles something about things could be worse, and then –

A glitch in the episode. Was it the fault of the person loading the episode to the Veoh site?

Suddenly, the two boys, wearing chicken feathers and cookware, are running through the woods, playing G-Force.

Back to Zark (unfortunately). He has called Mark about these two. Mark is the leader of G-Force (thanks for reminding us, Z-egg: we almost forgot that little detail), and should be able to handle two small boys. [Parents, is there a flaw in Zark’s logic? I think there is, but my children go ‘meow.’]

Suddenly, overhead shot of G-Force and the boys. There’s something on the ground, obscured by Mark’s body. Mark and Jason try to get the boys to tell what they saw last night. Jason says the village could be in danger. The boys won’t tell, unless they’re made members of G-Force.

Jason says they never take new members. Especially, Mark points out, anyone who withholds information. The older boy offers to show them the secret way into the lighthouse.

I hope Jason is merely playing along when he asks Mark if they should sign them up.

Cut to the lighthouse, and the team below on a narrow ledge on the cliff. The boys lead the team to a vine-covered passage into the cliff. They creep through tunnels until a thread of light attracts Mark’s attention. He pushes on some rocks, enlarging the opening. They look through.

Below is a giant crayfish mecha, which the boys identify as the ‘giant squid’ which attacked the ship.
The back of the mecha opens up and a sort of elevator (lift) rises out of the back. Inside is a Captain of the Week who’s wearing a black mask with a single eye in the middle and two horns drooping to either side. [Casey Kasem – I think it’s him -- adopted a very peculiar, sort of Irish-y sounding, accent for this guy (and needed a throat lozenge).] He’s carrying a briefcase with the solodium formula. He says that his goons have done a fine job, and that Zoltar will be very happy to have the formula placed in his hands.

The lift enters a portal in the cavern ceiling. Poco jumps up and says the lighthouse is above. Mark pulls him down while telling him to be quiet, and they dislodge a small rock. The goons are alerted. Captain One-Eye tells his main goon that he will be leaving in the main rocket, and to join him in or by the giant squid later.

The boys are still in ‘G-Force mode’, and run after Captain One-Eye, all the way up to his rocket. Then they run inside. Before he launches, he congratulates himself on obtaining the formula and G-Force’s failure to stop them.

Cut to Mark, who says that the rocket is launching.

Cut to the lighthouse, which shakes, spews exhaust, and takes flight before it crumbles to pieces around the rocket.

As Mark and most of G-Force realize the boys are on the rocket, Keyop continues the general zoological blunders of the episode. The ‘squid’ is escaping, and visible under the water is the CRAYFISH MECHA!!! He even says ‘squid.’ [Honestly, how the scriptwriters could do that is beyond me.]

Mark says they’ll tail it to the main base.

Cut to the Phoenix, hauling ass over the ocean. The mysterious malfunction does not seem to have hurt it much.

Zark calls, and our next scene is Zark in his nerve center. The usual four screens are gone, replaced by one large screen showing an absolutely wretched head-shot of Mark. [I guess the technology of 1978 didn’t allow the Sandy Frank animators to borrow a head shot and use it. The Zark animation is not up to the rest of the show, anyway. This just makes it obvious.]

Crappy-headshot Mark reports that Spectra has the energy formula and is rocketing off with it. Zark asks what else could be wrong.

Gatchaman head-shot Mark reports that two boys are on the rocket. He asks how they can zap the ‘space pirates’ without hurting the kids.

Zark says that doesn’t compute, and that he needs to be reprogrammed. Wow! Zark doesn’t have an answer. He doesn’t know what’s going on! Yay! [No, I don’t know if I’m being happy or sarcastic. Why do you ask?]

The chase continues.

Captain One-Eye spots the kids, and thinks they’re G-Force. [This actually makes sense. This is early in the G-Force/Spectra conflict, and all many commanders would know is that G-Force had winged capes. A flash of motion could be easily mistaken. On the other hand, they do catch the boys, and should have figured it out.]

The rocket dives into a concealed water-entrance.
Next scene is One-Eye entering Zoltar’s presence. Zoltar asks for a report. One-Eye tells him he has the energy formula. Zoltar praises him, and says that the ‘Supreme One’ will be pleased.

One-Eye then tells Zoltar that he also captured two members of G-Force. This pleases Zoltar, who says he will recommend One-Eye for a medal when they return to Spectra. He also advises One-Eye to be careful, since the rest of G-Force will attempt a rescue. Have the giant squid decoy them into the sea.

Now it’s foggy and dark, with an apparent lighthouse. Mark wonders what a lighthouse is doing in the ocean, and orders Tiny to buzz it. Then he orders Tiny to turn on the lights. They see a crayfish mecha’s tail, but it’s just the giant squid again. The tail swings at them, and they dodge.

Jason figures out that it flashes like a lighthouse and lures ships into trouble.

Mark orders Tiny to follow the ‘squid’. Princess warns of danger ahead, even as missile-squids (still unfortunately colored) attack. Tiny tries to dodge them, and does a pretty good job of it. Princess still warns him that the squids could sink them.

Briefly cut to One-Eye’s control room, where he informs Zoltar that he’s managed to trick G-Force into following him.

The Phoenix follows the rocket into what looks like a kelp forest. The fronds curl around the warship. Said metal fronds have metal suckers on them.
Mark announces that they’re trapped by magno-electric kelp. Tiny tries to obey his order to escape, but the magnetic kelp is preventing it.

The Phoenix starts cracking. The ‘giant squid’ attacks from one direction, and missile-squids attack from another. Just before the Phoenix is destroyed, Mark orders ‘superjet’, and the ship tears free. Instead, the Spectra machines destroy each other in a collision.

Mark spots the underwater base. He calls it Spectra’s main base, and orders Tiny to ram it.

Zoltar orders the two hostages brought in. When he sees them, he sees right away that they’re children and chews One-Eye a new one. The poor sap’s only defense is that he has only one eye.

Before much else can happen, the Phoenix breaks through the wall. Mark announces that he won’t let Zoltar have the energy formula. As Zoltar grabs it, Mark throws his sonic boomerang, and Jason fires his cable into the case to retrieve it.

Zoltar hauls ass, G-Force hot on his heels. Jason’s breathing down his neck. A transparent barrier prevents Jason from grabbing Zoltar.

Now that he’s safe, Zoltar taunts them. They will never defeat the superior forces of Spectra. Spectra’s supply of weapons is inexhaustible, and their genius unequalled. [I thought Spectra’s resources were used up? It could just be bluster and bravado.] With his trademark evil laugh, Zoltar escapes.

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Benefits, not features; benefits, not features