Science Ninja Team Gatchaman — Season 3
A surviving fragment of Sosai X mutates into Sosai Z and recruits megalomaniac Count Egobossler to create an army to conquer the world. To combat this new threat, the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman once
About this season
A surviving fragment of Sosai X mutates into Sosai Z and recruits megalomaniac Count Egobossler to create an army to conquer the world. To combat this new threat, the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman once again return with newer weapons and a new ship - the Gatchaspartan. But with the new weapons comes a heavy price: the more Ken the Eagle uses his weapon Gatchafencer as part of the Gatchaspartan's ultimate weapon, the weaker he gets as the weapon mysteriously and slowly drains his life force.
Episodes (48)
1. New Dark Clouds
Aired 7 October 1979 • 24 min
Weeks after the dust settles from Sosai X's destruction, a tiny fragment of the alien revives and begins to rebuild itself into Sosai Zed. Using the remains of an old shipyard, Zed builds a vast mechanical pyramid fortress and levitates it over the ocean. Meanwhile, the rest of the world quits rebuilding from the wreckage of the thwarted Solar Shift Plan and go back to what they do best: waging war. We meet Count Egobossler, successful ruler of a growing number of territories, and an aspiring megalomaniac. Egobossler meets Sosai Zed, who decides to use Egobossler's brilliant military tactics to his own advantage, and the two strike a deal. In the wake of Chief Anderson's death in Gatchaman II, Nambu is promoted to Chief Administrator of the ISO. The Kagaku Ninjatai cope with the unusual peace. Feeling useless during peacetime, Joe wallows in boredom and self pity while Nambu tries to find a way to recharge him after his near-destruction in G-II.
2. Debut! Gatcha Spartan
Aired 14 October 1979 • 24 min
Egobossler's first attack, backed up by one of Zed's giant mechs, completely startles out heroes. Ken, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu rush to the scene of the battle (leaving Joe behind to quietly expire). The mech is too powerful, and the New Godphoenix is completely trashed in the first skirmish with Egobossler. Fortunately, Chief Engineer Saburo Kamo is waiting in the wings with brand new mechs. With only one problem: the new vehicles need five operators to combine. It's up to Joe, who upon hearing the phrase, "Gallactor has returned," will crawl on his final strength to rejoin the team. TheGatchaspartan saves the day.
3. A Tainted Oasis
Aired 21 October 1979 • 24 min
4. The Challenge of the Iron Commandos
Aired 28 October 1979 • 24 min
5. Charge! The Terrible Soldiers
Aired 4 November 1979 • 24 min
6. Burn! Gatchaman Fencer
Aired 11 November 1979 • 24 min
Ken asks the same question viewers have probably been asking since the beginning: "Enough battling the little guys--why can't we meet Egobossler head on?" The Team does, but fails miserably. This episode ends in a very disturbing role reversal scene with Ken--now beyond reason--raging at a laughing Egobossler, and Joe finally having to bring all his strength into play to drag Ken back into the Gatchaspartan.
7. Steal the Giant Iron Beast
Aired 18 November 1979 • 24 min
The Kagaku Ninjatai continue their tries at direct confrontation by stealing aboard Zed's tower and facing him directly. This doesn't work either (can we say "outnumbered"?), though they do get in a few good punches.
8. The Desperate Outlaw Squad
Aired 25 November 1979 • 24 min
9. Fear of the Extinction Ray Gun
Aired 2 December 1979 • 24 min
10. Danger! Gatchaman Base
Aired 9 December 1979 • 24 min
11. The Saturn Limited Express Z-Press
Aired 16 December 1979 • 24 min
12. The Order to Destroy the Mantle Base
Aired 23 December 1979 • 24 min
13. Violence?! The Decisive Battle of Agrika
Aired 30 December 1980 • 24 min
14. Destruction by Fire! Egobossler's Palace
Aired 6 January 1980 • 24 min
15. Hell's Burning Ambition
Aired 13 January 1980 • 24 min
16. A Deadly Butterfly Dances in the Dark
Aired 20 January 1980 • 24 min
17. Horror of the Evil Smoke City
Aired 27 January 1980 • 24 min
18. The Spectacular Crash of G-1
Aired 3 February 1980 • 24 min
19. Don't Touch the Super Stuff!
Aired 10 February 1980 • 24 min
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.
20. Appearance! Terror of the Triple Iron Beast
Aired 17 February 1980 • 24 min
21. Angry Joe! Fright of the Flaming Bird
Aired 24 February 1980 • 24 min
22. Order to Blast the Satellite
Aired 2 March 1980 • 24 min
23. The Evil of Mechaland
Aired 9 March 1980 • 24 min
24. A Warrior's Pride
Aired 16 July 1980 • 24 min
25. Sky Riders from Hell
Aired 23 March 1980 • 24 min
One of Egobossler's old friends and colleagues Oncain, is also the last man on Earth who knows Count Egobossler's deep, dark secrets. The Kagaku Ninjatai get to Oncain first and try to convince him to stay away from Egobossler, but the man will have nothing of it. He invites the Team to go fox-hunting and with his two children, Michael and Mary, and as they're distracted, arranges to meet with Egobossler. The inevitable showdown with Egobossler and his special Skyrider command is spectacular, but even Ken and Joe at their best can't prevent Ego from gunning down his man. Joe comes round the corner just in time as Ego shoots Oncain right before Michael and Mary's eyes (triggering a flashback where you almost see the faces of Joe's parents). In the final scene, Joe kneels down and has a little heart-to-heart talk with Michael. You don't hear what he says, only Michael's reactions.
26. G-1 Enraged! A New Way to Kill
Aired 30 March 1980 • 24 min
27. The Mystery of Egobossler's Birth
Aired 6 April 1980 • 24 min
28. Desperate Fight! Valley of Betrayal
Aired 13 April 1980 • 24 min
29. Cruelty! The Separation of Brother and Sister
Aired 20 April 1980 • 24 min
30. The Creeping Alien
Aired 27 April 1980 • 24 min
31. Runaway! The Great Train Chase
Aired 4 May 1980 • 24 min
32. Mystery of the Space Pulse
Aired 11 May 1980 • 24 min
33. A Promise Kept
Aired 18 May 1980 • 24 min
34. Egobossler's Strategy
Aired 25 May 1980 • 24 min
35. The Shadow of Death Approaches G-1
Aired 1 June 1980 • 24 min
36. Hypershoot Crisis
Aired 8 June 1980 • 24 min
37. Revive Gatchaman
Aired 15 June 1980 • 24 min
38. Bracelet of Friendship
Aired 22 June 1980 • 24 min
39. Downfall! Count Egobossler
Aired 29 June 1980 • 24 min
40. Surprise Attack of the Mecha Waterspout
Aired 5 July 1980 • 24 min
41. Collapse! Gatchaman Base
Aired 12 July 1980 • 24 min
42. The Death of Chief Nambu
Aired 19 July 1980 • 24 min
43. The Destruction of Gallatown
Aired 26 July 1980 • 24 min
44. The Space Devil Draws Near
Aired 3 August 1980 • 24 min
45. Threat of the Antimatter Planet
Aired 10 August 1980 • 24 min
46. G-1 Desperate for High Power
Aired 17 August 1980 • 24 min
47. Earth Extinction! 3 2 1
Aired 24 August 1980 • 24 min
48. Gatchaman Eternal
Aired 31 August 1980 • 23 min
The Team searches for Zed in his tower, and are thrown around like playthings. When they finally meet up, they discover what happened to Egobossler: his corpse is pinned against a wall in Zed's main chamber, run through by his own sword. At this point, Joe picks up on Zed's vital signs (as Rafael had designed him to) and tracks the alien to his last refuge, where the Kagaku Ninjatai battle to destroy him... and fall. Chief Nambu's mysterious pendant (an unanalyzed device he'd instructed Kamo to give to the Team before the last battle) comes into play then, activating the Gatchaspartan and swallowing the fallen ninjas with light... The final scene is of an enormous firebird breaking free of Zed's exploding tower and flying around the Earth, leaving us to analyze the wide open ending. (Chances are high, though, that they aren't dead--they're still under contract, after all.