The WORST episodes of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

#1 - A Tainted Oasis

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/21/1979

#2 - A Christmas Present of Death

Season 1 - Episode 64 - Aired 12/16/1973

A year earlier, the northern country Flanbel escaped from the rule of the Dictator General Somure. But Galactor, who instructs Somure, appears in the mansion of the Prime Minister and tells him that he either obeys or dies. By the demand of the governor, the Science Ninja Team sneaks in through the secret back door. On the peace memorial day, presents are distributed to the children by the governor. But the Suimusa group, which Jinpei met, have their presents stolen by children from the upper city quarter.

#3 - The Magma Giant, Emperor of Hell

Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/18/1973

An ISO volcanic research center is attacked. The God Phoenix, starting the investigation, is surprised by the Magma Giant and escapes into the sea where the Giant cannot follow it. When Joe says that the Magma Giant's face resembles the face of Jesus Christ sculptured into a steep slope in the national park, the Science Ninja Team goes there to investigate. A girl climbing the Jesus Christ sculpture is suspected to be a Galactor agent by Joe and questioned, but she answers that she's here to sculpture the statue, continuing the tradition of her family in the third generation. Together with the girl they go into the cave found in the steep slope and discover a base. The Jesus Christ face sculpted in the slope, is plunged into lava seething in the interior of the base and comes out as the Magma Giant. Seeing this, Ken calls the God Phoenix. At the top of the base, there's a special glas which is actually at the bottom of a sea. The sea is used as a lense to heat the magma, using the sunlight. With a rocket, they break the glas and thus destroy the base. When a message comes in from Nambu that the Magma Giant is heading towards a city, the Science Ninja Team split up in their individual machines and lure the Magma Giant towards the sea. The Magma Giant cannot resist and steps into the sea. Through the sea water he's instantly cooled and becomes a black piece of rock, standing still. The girl then gets her chisel to begin sculpting again.

#4 - The God Phoenix Reborn

Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/25/1973

ISO ships are attacked one after the other by Galactor's black ray. And because Ryu is napping in the God Phoenix, he cannot be mobilized. Ryu feels responsible and gives Nambu his bracelet back, while shaking off his teammates who want to stop him. He then goes back to the fishing-village where he was born. During this time the fishing areas in the village become polluted through unknown causes. Since Ryu's father is the co-operative head, is blamed by the village people. Ryu tells his father to ask Nambu to analyse the sea water. In the analysis, a matter is found which results from a process to produce metal. Nambu thinks it's Galactor's deed and arrives in the fishing village with the Science Ninja Team.

#5 - Galactor's Witch Racer

Season 1 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/1/1973

The ISO gets a message from Lucy, one of the executives at Galactor, that she wants to reveal the location of their headquarters in exchange for $ 10 billion. Therefore they contact Lucy by having Joe team up with her in the world customer car endurance race across Africa. The other 4 team members are going to act as guards for their scout. After Joe gets into the car, he expects the information immediately, but Lucy says it's not possible until the rally is over. On the way, they are attacked by mechas camouflaged as animals. It is Galactor who have come to know of Lucy's treason. But with Ken and the other's help, they escape the attacks and continue the rally. As they approach the finish line, Lucy asks her old friend Joe whether they don't want to team up and take over Galactor. Evading all kind of obstacles, the team of Lucy and Joe wins the race and gets $ 100'000 in prize money. In the tea room, Joe demands that Lucy gives him the information as offered. When Lucy tries to answer, she suddenly starts to move strangely and finally breaks through a wall and falls to the ground where she explodes. She was a cyborg manufactured by Galactor, and a radio signal emitted by X caused her to self destruct. Joe is taken aback by Lucy who is now nothing more than a pile of iron fragments. His anger towards Galactor is ignited again.

#6 - The Invisible Devil

Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/8/1973

Children keep dissolving into thin air. Even the members of the Science Ninja Team become eye witnesses to one of the disappearances. Ken follows some tire tracks on the ground and enters a mirror maze. There he discovers some snail mechas, but they become transparent and disappear. Galactor is collecting children with strong brain waves in order to produce the brain wave monster Alphagila. The monster reads the secrets of the ISO in its institutions, and then destroys them. Nambu enhances Jun's brain waves for a while and makes her pose as a bait. The Science Ninja Team locates her radio signal, sneaks into the base beneath the mirror maze and saves the children.

#7 - Gallack X, the Demon Man

Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/15/1973

Jinpei and Ryu visit the Shirayuki orphanage where Jinpei grew up, in order to play with friends. The children beg them to take them to watch some kickboxing. At the same time, in a volcanic area, strange things are happening. Ken and the other two go to investigate, but don't find anything extraordinary. After watching the fight, the children go to ask the winner, Galack X, for an autograph. They learn however that he was trained with deadly weapons in his boxing gloves. They are caught by the female assistant and taken away. Ryu, following Galack X by Jinpei's request, battles with Galack X, but gets hurt. He contacts Ken and the others.

#8 - Kamisoral, the Guillotine Iron Beast

Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/22/1973

A water shortage is occurring everywhere. As if to pursue the beaten enemy, an invisible enemy continues to pound, destroying dams and water tanks. The Earth is put into a grave situation. The God Phoenix is mobilized and discovers the flying mecha Kamisoral which has become a white shadow. Merely flying past it causes great damage and missiles are useless since they can be cut apart by the mecha's sickle. The Science Ninja Team somehow manages to escape and report to Nambu. During this time, an announcement from Katse is received saying that tomorrow will be the last day for mankind.

#9 - Renzilla, the Electric Monster

Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 6/10/1973

Dr. Miwa is researching whether the surface of the Sanjo Lake, frozen over the whole year, can be used to produce strong energy from the sun, instead of using polarization glas. Now he has gone missing. He had questions because this year the lake wasn't frozen over and seemed to have started an investigation. Nambu orders the Science Ninja Team to look for him since he fears the misuse of the Doctor's research, but also because the Doctor is his friend. The Science Ninja Team, led by the Doctor's pet Taro who was able to get to Nambu with a camera, heads towards the snowy mountains. There they discover a Galactor base. The Science Ninja Team and Taro are tricked by the Doctor's reflection. Taro is washed away by water falling from the ceiling of the base where the surface of the lake is located. The Science Ninja Team is locked up by walls made of reinforced glass.

#10 - The Mysterious Mechanized Jungle

Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 6/17/1973

As part of the Mantle plan, a pollution-free city is constructed in the desert. Nambu and the Science Ninja Team have come into the city for the inauguration. In the middle of the parade, a man who introduces himself as the archaeologist Dr. Mukashiski is distributing leaflets for a dinosaur exhibition. That night, the city is attacked by dinosaurs, and Ken sneaks into the dinosaur exhibition from Dr. Mukashiski. It turns out to be a jungle from the dinosaur period. Ken is caught by ivy made of metal and can escape into a subterranean sewer, but his bracelet is taken away this time. The Doctor takes the bracelet and, in order to make this is own merit, hides it.

#11 - Murder Music

Season 1 - Episode 41 - Aired 7/8/1973

Invited by Jun, the Science Ninja Team visits a concert by the popular rock group Demon 5. The Demon 5 is kidnapped by Galactor right in front of them. Galactor has Demon 5 play the murder music composed by X. Using a Sonic Mecha, they start to play this music high above the city. The music destroys buildings and drives people crazy. The God Phoenix is mobilized, but meeting a counter-attack, it's forced to retreat for the time being.

#12 - Red Impulse's Secret

Season 1 - Episode 52 - Aired 9/23/1973

To be able to see his father! Carrying this wish in his heart, Ken follows the whereabouts of the mecha. Before him somebody is shot and wounded. It's Sabu, a friend from Ken's childhood. When Sabu sais that he saw Ken's father in Huntwall, they both go there. In Nambu's office, Katse makes a bold appearance in disguise. He leaves saying that if the world does not surrender to Galactor in Huntwall, the V2 plan will be realized. The V2 plan is the terrible plot to make the Van Allen belt descend with a special rocket, thus extinguishing mankind with radioactive flames...

#13 - Swarm! A Plague of Mini Iron Beasts

Season 1 - Episode 72 - Aired 2/10/1974

In Amazonia the old entemologist (insect researcher) Toda who is continuing his research, notices unusal behaviour in the locusts. He notifies every authority and department, but he is not taken seriously. Jinpei, who heard his story, returns with him to Amazonia.

#14 - Angler, the Electric Devil Beast

Season 1 - Episode 94 - Aired 7/14/1974

The Torasshuu power plant provides electrical power to the city of Utoland. Nambu charges its head, Dr. Komibe, with the testing whether a space capsule is fireproof or not. A test which requires the highly powerful incinerator of the plant. That evening, Ken and the others come to the station to say goodbye to Ryu, who is boarding the night train because his father is in critical condition. However, while Joe is heading towards the station, he hits a child and brings it and its mother, to the hospital.

#15 - Fear of the Extinction Ray Gun

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/2/1979

#16 - Cruelty! The Separation of Brother and Sister

Season 3 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/20/1980

#17 - G-1 Enraged! A New Way to Kill

Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/30/1980

#18 - The Evil of Mechaland

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/9/1980

#19 - Order to Blast the Satellite

Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/2/1980

#20 - Angry Joe! Fright of the Flaming Bird

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/24/1980

#21 - Appearance! Terror of the Triple Iron Beast

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/17/1980

#22 - Don't Touch the Super Stuff!

Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/10/1980

Mercenary scientist Professor Gordon develops an indestructible material called Neophryte and decides to sell it to the highest bidder. So he summons agents from both Gallactor (Egobossler's first officer, Kempler) and the ISO (the Gatchaman, naturally) to meet alone on a spot he specifies. Of course Kempler doesn't come alone, but much to both his and Ken's surprise, neither does Ken. While the Gallactors and the rest of the Kagaku Ninjatai take part in a snarling standoff outside, Gordon, Kempler and Ken negotiate. Kempler offers money, while Ken refuses to haggle, stating honor and decency as his reasons (and knowing as Gordon does that once he withdraws his protection, Gallactor will simply take what they want by force). Worried about his father, Gordon's son finally ends the standoff and uncovers the compound for both sides to fight over. Joe uses a bazooka loaded with Neophryte to blow a hole in the monstermech that appears at the end.

#23 - The Spectacular Crash of G-1

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/3/1980

#24 - Horror of the Evil Smoke City

Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/27/1980

#25 - A Deadly Butterfly Dances in the Dark

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/20/1980