The BEST episodes of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman season 1
Every episode of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman season 1!
In the future, earth is attacked by Galactor with a series of mechanical menaces. Each with their own vehicle and unique weapons, only Gatchaman's high tech group of five young people can defend the earth from Galactor's repeated attacks as they attempt of fulfill their mission to find Galactor's hidden headquarters and finally defeat Galactor. Gatchaman originated the concept of teams of 5 members, with their own vehicles, which has been reused in many incarnations, including the ranger series (which came over to the US as Power Rangers). Gatchman spawned two sequel series: Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter. Gatchaman was brought to US audiences in a heavily edited form known as Battle of the Planets Battle of the Planets and later as G-Force. The information for all the episode synopses was generously contributed by Veronika Henkels. Please visit her web page. Veronika's Gatchaman Page
#1 - The End of the Crescent Base
Season 1 - Episode 92 - Aired 6/30/1974
One after the other, the torpedoes hit right on target.The props of the camouflaging coral reef get stuck in the base which loses its balances and starts sinking towards the bottom of the sea.Inside, the engineers don't want to just leave their research, but Ken and Jun convince them the really important thing is their lives. They make them escape. Meanwhile, while Nambu is destroying the data a big computer falls over and traps his leg, rendering him immobile.
#2 - The Mysterious Red Impulse
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/10/1972
While flying, Ken is surprised to encounter the plane of the Red Impulse commander. He pursues him, but Red Impulse gets away using some superb flying technique; Ken longs to be able to use similar techniques. The Science Ninja Team gets order to guard the super powerful plane "Blue Hawk", pride of the country Toritan. But the crew of the plane has been killed before take-off and has been replaced with Galactor members. Nambu learns of this situation after take-off. He mobilizes Red Impulse in order to protect the Science Ninja Team from the Blue Hawk, since it is more powerful than the God Phoenix. The God Phoenix continues to accompany the Blue Hawk without knowing the situation onboard. Red Impulse appears, attacking the Blue Hawk and, after shooting a timebomb into it, disappears again. Ken sees that and firmly believes that Red Impulse is actually an enemy. Ignoring Nambu who wants to stop him, he pursues Red Impulse alone in the G-1. While Ken is away, the other four members get abducted and taken to a base located in a volcano. Ken however follows Red Impulse, who in turn is following the signal emitted by the time bomb. They arrive together and save the team just before they're executed. Nambu tells them that Red Impulse is a friend battling on their side. The G-1 and the Red Impulse plane fly through the sky wing-to-wing, reminiscent of bird parents flying with their children. Nobody at the time knows the meaning of the tear appearing in the Red Impulse commander's eye.
#3 - A Reversal! Checkmate X!
Season 1 - Episode 102 - Aired 9/8/1974
A message comes in that a mecha has appeared, but since he can't contact Nambu, Ken goes out based on his own decision. But that mecha is bait to lure the team away from Nambu. Meanwhile, Joe visits an unlicensed doctor. The Female Commander appears, unnoticed by Joe. The doctor watches Nambu, who has locked himself up in his house, pushing his analysing work. Nambu is abducted by Galactor. Joe, who has visited the doctor again, sees the commander, follows her and arrives at the mecha where Nambu is held.
#4 - G-2 Risks Death
Season 1 - Episode 103 - Aired 9/15/1974
The illness progresses and Joe goes racing at the track in order to shake off his fear. There he is captured by Galactor and dragged before Katse. Katse presses him to reveal the true faces of his comrades. Because he declines, Joe goes mowing down the Galactor members who assaulted him, but he is attacked by another blinding. On the way to the cell he escapes by jumping off the mecha, but he collapses on the street and is brought to a hospital. After regaining consciousness, Joe hears Nambu and the doctor talking on the phone and learns that he has still about a week or ten days left to live.
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#5 - The Evil Grand Black Hole Operation
Season 1 - Episode 104 - Aired 9/22/1974
The mecha serving as bait is destroyed by the God Phoenix. Then, the order from Nambu to search Joe comes in. X is agitated because of the disappearance of Selector. He accidentally tells he will have the Earth extinguished and orders Katse to set the timer in the mantle.
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#6 - Farewell, Red Impulse
Season 1 - Episode 53 - Aired 9/30/1973
The Galactor rocket explodes in the Van Allen belt and humankind enters the worst crisis ever. Upon the message from Galactor saying that a rocket restoring the belt will be launched if the world surrenders within 24 hours, the representatives of all countries assemble. They feel the time pressure and want to come to a conclusion. Nambu tells them to believe in the Science Ninja Team and puts an autolock on the doors so that they won't open until the following morning. The Science Ninja Team is mobilized to take away the Galactor rocket and to restore the Van Allen belt. At approximately that time, Ken sneaks alone into the construction facility for the rocket. In order to complete the rocket within the timeframe, it is changed from automatically controlled to manned. Ken, in the middle of Galactor members who are sleeping, tired from the now finished incessant work, emits a bird signal. But then Katse's gun is pointed at him. Ken transforms into birdstyle. The gun of the Red Impulse commander, who sneaked in as well, is then pointed at Katse. The God Phoenix breaks in and Katse escapes and the defense minister falls to his death. Taking the responsibility, Ken says he will get into the rocket himself. Jun then tells him that Red Impulse himself is Ken's father. The dream of Ken to reunite with his father also becomes their eternal separation at the same time. The Red Impulse commander throws Ken away and gets into the rocket himself. Ken runs after him, calling for his father. In Red Impulse's mind, the figure of Ken in his youth is turning around. The rocket disperses across the sky and Earth is saved.
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#7 - Gatchaman Burns with Rage
Season 1 - Episode 54 - Aired 10/7/1973
Katse, who got into his stride by the funeral of Red Impulse, plans to destroy institutions related to uranium in the whole world.
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#8 - The Bracelets Exposed
Season 1 - Episode 76 - Aired 3/10/1974
When the mobilisation order from Nambu comes in, Joe is in the middle of a race. Because he finishes it, he is too late. On the way to the meeting he transforms. The electrical waves emitted while transforming are intercepted by Galactor and Joe is targeted by the completed Megazainer. His leg is hit by the high frequency and its transformation is undone. Joe falls behind a rock, Dr. Misuno however is afraid of an explosion because of the continuous use and retreats.
#9 - Duel on Galactor Island
Season 1 - Episode 81 - Aired 4/14/1974
BC Island is an island ruled by Galactor. A man visits the grave of Giuseppe Asakura and his wife, which has not been visited by anybody for ten years. Because the man on the photo transmitted is disguised and looks like Giuseppe, Katse goes to the island. It is said that Giuseppe's child died in the hospital it was brought to, but when Katse learns that the man who brought that child was Nambu, he has the child's grave opened. It is empty. The order to capture the man is issued to the whole island. While escaping Galactor's continuous pursuit, that man, Joe, encounters his friend from childhood, who is now Father Alan. At midnight Joe, who has been wounded, appears at the church and asks him to shelter him. While Alan is treating him, Joe learn's from Alan's words that the Devil Star girl he killed earlier was Alan's fiancé. Slipping by Alan, who left, Galactor enter the church and Joe collapses because of the bullets. At that time, the Science Ninja Team has learned of Joe's past and hurries to him. The Science Ninja Team has defeated Galator, but then Alan appears holding a gun. Alan points the gun at them, asking who Joe, the Condor is. Ken answer that it is him. When Alan's finger touches the trigger, Joe's bullet penetrates Alan's chest. However, Alan's gun did not hold a bullet. Joe wails that Alan was the most needed man on this island. By the hand of the inhabitants of the island, a solemn funeral is held for Alan. Behind the rows of people, the God Phoenix takes off.
#10 - The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/1972
A secret base. In order to resist their terrible enemy, Nambu thinks about a base for the Science Ninja Team. But fearing enemy intervention, he gives the Ninja Team orders to fly a patrol at Point G in the southern Pacific Ocean. Following orders not to intervene there, the God Phoenix leaves a smoke screen and flees when it encounters a sea anemone mecha. That night, Jinpei is with the other four team members, but he is not tired at all. He takes the G-4 and dives to the bottom of the sea. Children in the park had told him that G-4's popularity is the lowest of all the team members, and he intends on gaining their favour by being the best. Despite the worries of the other team members, he wanders around the sea bottom searching for the mecha. He never notices that he is being tailed by the mecha he seeks.
#11 - Completion of the Plan to Destroy the Crescent Base
Season 1 - Episode 91 - Aired 6/23/1974
Galactor has a spy infiltrate a passenger ship with a lot of ISO engineers onboard. He attaches a homing system to the ship and it is then blown up by firing torpedos into it. Nambu, afraid that such a incident may happen again, sends the Science Ninja Team on a patrol. The God Phoenix dives at the spot where the ship sank and encounters crab-shaped tanks. Seizing the opportunity when the Science Ninja Team is distracted by the tanks, a submarine attaches itself to the belly of the God Phoenix. When the crab-shaped tanks are sure of this, they retreat. The Science Ninja Team doesn't trust this move, but they nevertheless go back to their base when Nambu orders them to do so. The Galactor submarine manages to easily sneak into Crescent Coral. The crew kills some engineers disguise themselves and install the homing system in the base.
#12 - Gatchaman, 20 Years Later
Season 1 - Episode 100 - Aired 8/25/1974
A by-product of the Mantel plan is the Mantel condensation energy formula whose immense destructive power is kept a secret. In order to bury that equation forever, Ken goes together with Dr. Maxim towards the North Pole Sea in a cargo plane. Underway, a screw in the throttle comes loose and they get into trouble steering the plane. However, Ken puts in a clip as replacement and makes a forced landing. But the cargo plane is swallowed by a sudden crack appearing in the ice field.
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#13 - The Fearsome Ice-Kander
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/31/1972
It is reported that all kind of nuclear ships (cruise ships, submarines, battle ships etc) are disappearing. It is the deed of the Galactor mecha Icecander, aiming at nuclear energy. While investigating these incidents, the Science Ninja Team gets a message that a suspicious iceberg is moving forward against the current of the sea. The God Phoenix follows the iceberg, going to the north pole, where they discover a base in the middle of icebergs. Ken and Jun sneak into the base.
#14 - The Wounded G-2
Season 1 - Episode 99 - Aired 8/18/1974
The Science Ninja has pursued Katse and arrives at a base. X orders Katse to terminate the Science Ninja Team. They want to reciprocate when missiles are shot at them from the base, but Joe can't focus properly and therefore can't decide on a target either. The bird missile he shoots blindly destroys the upper part of the fortress. The five of them break into the base, but they are guided into a trap and are about to be buried under sand. They escape with the tornado fighter, but because of Joe's blinding, they fail the first time. Ken notices Joe's condition and orders him to stay on the alert in the God Phoenix. Joe goes back to the God Phoenix and is irritated because he has the enemy before his eyes and can't do anything. He punches a panel and causes his fist to bleed.
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#15 - Gatchaman in the Valley of Death
Season 1 - Episode 46 - Aired 8/12/1973
Ken is maintaining his beloved plane at the airport when a man with a gun forces him to fly a plane. Since Ken's plane has only a single seat, the man makes him fly another plane made for two people. During the flight, Ken seizes an opportunity and tries to take away the man's gun. However, the man fires a bullet which hits a wire in the fin tails of the Cessna, making it impossible to control the plane. The man, using the only parachute on board, escapes, saying that he will go to sell information to the ISO. Ken makes a forced landing, but because of that shock the radio device in the bracelet ceases to function. Ken sees a Galactor Mecha and follows the man who heads towards a valley. There is an abandoned Galactor mine there. Ken and the man are captured and hung up in an old well. The man has betrayed Galactor for money and has hidden a tape in the well which contains an overheard discussion between Katse and the Prime Minister of a certain country. Ken transmutes and rescues the man, defeating all the Galactor members in the building. But in an explosion occuring at that time, the man, who has seen Ken's true face and has followed him, is badly hurt. The Galactor commander, who got out alive, is about to attack them with a mecha. The man entrusts the tape to Ken, along with a message to his mother living in Hontwall, then he throws himself and the Galactor commander towards the bottom of the valley. What remains is the tape, which was smashed by the commander, and one name. "Kelly, Arthur Kelly is my name".
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#16 - Galactor's Challenge
Season 1 - Episode 44 - Aired 7/29/1973
Galactor's Arkeo attacks the Moroi City. But Nambu judges that the Science Ninja Team is no match for the mecha's shock wave, therefore they don't receive orders to move out. Even when an announcement sent by Galactor arrives, the Science Ninja Team only gets an order to stand by. The Team ignores Nambu trying to stop them and gets mobilized. But they end up in a dangerous situation when they're hit by the mecha's shockwave. They are saved by Red Impulse.
#17 - The Camera Iron Beast, Shutterkiller
Season 1 - Episode 48 - Aired 8/26/1973
Galactor plans to use the Shutterkiller to copy data from ISO institutions and to then destroy those institutions. The ISO institutions are attacked one after the other. The Science Ninja Team guards the institution which is most likely to be attacked next and, shortly pretending to have been defeated, follows the mecha in the G-4. Jinpei finds the Galactor base in the middle of the desert and goes on digging into the earth with his G-4. In addition, the other four team members follow him and sneak in. But when they enter the base, the G-4 machine is left unmanned. They start looking for Jinpei, and find a factory which restores the copied ISO data. Splitting up, they continue with destroying the factory and looking for Jinpei.
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#18 - Cata-Roller, the Revolving Beast
Season 1 - Episode 51 - Aired 9/16/1973
The Science Ninja Team follows Nambu's orders to come to Huntwall to spend their free time there. Only Ken doesn't trust those instructions. At that moment, a man in a white suit, being pursued by the police, appears and Ken helps him. But when they hear from the police commander that that man is a Galactor, the Science Ninja Team is on alert. While flying his Cessna, Ken is attacked, but saved by the Red Impulse commander. The man in the white suit is the Red Impulse commander. He asks Ken for help to get the legal proof that the defense minister of that country concluded an agreement with Galactor. He then tells Ken that he spent 10 years to stop Galactor's plan, abandoning his family.
#19 - The Daring Mini-Submarine
Season 1 - Episode 55 - Aired 10/14/1973
The sea takes up 70% of Earth. Galactor makes Nambu and the Science Ninja Team chose between their lives and pollution of the seas by PCB. Pretending to agree, the God Phoenix goes to the pre-defined area in the sea, but when they blow up the approaching mini submarines, the pollution matter streams out and the Tarushia Sea ends up polluted. Ken discovers three tankers which seem to control the mini submarines and, using the mini submarine loaded into the God Phoenix, sneaks in. There, cleaning work is done for the returning mini submarines. Ken is discovered by Galactor. He defeats them and heads towards Katse's whereabouts, but in the meantime the tankers have transformed into one huge tanker which emits a magnetic force attracting the God Phoenix whose hull starts to crack.
#20 - The Evil White Sea
Season 1 - Episode 57 - Aired 10/28/1973
Mike Miller, a sniper, has been released from prison after 35 years. Galactor gives him a small tank with a freeze gun on board and orders him to eliminate the Science Ninja Team. Three observation satellites high above the south pole are shot down. Guessing that this is Galactor's fault, the Science Ninja Team heads towards the South Pole. Katse is awaiting their arrival, accompanied by a small tank. Joe tells Ken to pursue Katse and goes after the tank, but the freeze gun freezes him along with the G2 car. The rest of the team heads out in order to fight in their individual machine, but when Ryu sees how Jinpei is done for, he heads towards the tank without thinking and the G-5 gets frozen as well. But when Mike aims at Jun, he hesitates one moment and the bullet misses. Besides, the gun is starting to burn because of the continuous use. The fire is fanned by the G1 and the fallen over tank goes up in flames. Ken and Jun approach Mike. He asks them why they didn't fight using weapons. Ken answers him that their individual machines are not equipped with weapons. Mike shows Ken the cores of the bullets he secretly took away and tells him that his comrades are not dead. He also says that he missed the shot at Jun because he saw in her figure his daughter from whom he was separated 35 years ago. Then he dies. Inside the God Phoenix, which is on its way home, Ken says that if they wished for weapons, it wouldn't be them to try outdoing Galactor.
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#21 - Hell's Mecha-Buttha
Season 1 - Episode 58 - Aired 11/4/1973
The Jet Cutter, developed by the ISO to gain energy without causing pollution, is stolen. Nambu gives the order to recover it. Ken opposes him, asking whether they have to pay for the faults of the ISO. It's because of a lack of reason which makes him think that he wants to attack the enemies of his father. Jinpei starts crying at the argument between the two men. When Ken sees this, he reluctantly agrees to be mobilized.
#22 - Super Bem, the Composite Iron Beast
Season 1 - Episode 65 - Aired 12/23/1973
The conserved brains of famous doctors keep getting stolen. A monster also steals the brain of Dr. Yamashina, an expert in robot engineering. The Science Ninja Team follows it, but lets it get away. But Nambu gets a hold of one of the tentacles from the monster. Analysis shows that the monster is the low life form Bem from space. Nambu fears that if Galactor's scientific powers can control space life forms, they may be able to revive the dead brains.
#23 - Mortal Blow! Gatchaman Fire
Season 1 - Episode 67 - Aired 1/6/1974
Katse, opposed to Sosai X's orders to destroy the Mantle Plan, asks whether it wouldn't be better to conquer Earth after the Mantle Plan was finished. X promises to Katse the rank of President Z and lets him start the operation. But behind his back, X laughs and says that Z is a symbol for murder. Institutions of the Mantle Plan are attacked one after the other by a jellyfish mecha. The God Phoenix faces it, but its missiles have no effect. On the contrary, the launching ramp gets hit. The God Phoenix wants to escape with the multiple firebird. But mines are released upon the God Phoenix and it is wrapped in flames in no time at all. The God Phoenix makes a forced landing in the desert and explodes in the end.
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#24 - The Invincible Leader X
Season 1 - Episode 71 - Aired 2/3/1974
The ISO discovers a new energy source in the Himalaya, but an investigation troop sent there is annihilated by the Yeti. Because of several rumours about Yetis, Jinpei goes to the Himalaya alone. There he is attacked by the Yeti, but it is a Galactor Yeti Mecha. The God Phoenix goes to the Himalaya to look for the missing troop according to Nambu's orders. They get the message from Jinpei about the apparition of the Yeti and head towards the location this message came from.
#25 - Pursue Katse!
Season 1 - Episode 73 - Aired 2/17/1974
The Science Ninja Team vanquishes another mecha and has let Katse escape yet again. With Nambu's transmission, they follow the course of Katse's rocket. However, Katse has switched to a car and heads towards a jungle. The Science Ninja Team descends towards the jungle as well in his pursuit and separates into three parties, searching for Katse. X receives an SOS signal from Katse and, together with sending a commando unit, takes additional steps by setting traps in the jungle. Joe criticizes Ryu for approaching a trap unprepared. But when he distrusts a wounded young deer, Ryu retorts that there's nobody more insensitive than Joe. Meanwhile, Jinpei discovers Katse and corners him, but is in turn caught by the commando unit. Before an ice covered mammoth, Joe and Ryu discover Jinpei about to be turned into a human sacrifice. They save him and additionally corner Katse, who changed into a shinto-priest. But Katse seeks refuge in the mammoth mecha and attacks Joe and the others. They are saved by a hair's breadth by the God Phoenix and Joe wants to shoot a rocket into the mecha. But when he sees a group of deer below the mecha, he hesitates. Luring the mecha into the mountains, they shoot at the ground below the mecha with a rocket. The mecha disappears into an avalanche. The Science Ninja Team is wrong in assuming that, because of the jungle with the traps set, the headquarter is nearby. Its existence is however still shrouded in the fog.