Science Ninja Team Gatchaman - Season 3

First aired: 10/7/1979 48 episodes

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.

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Episodes

1. New Dark Clouds

Aired: 10/7/1979

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: 10/14/1979

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: 10/21/1979

4. The Challenge of the Iron Commandos

Aired: 10/28/1979

5. Charge! The Terrible Soldiers

Aired: 11/4/1979

6. Burn! Gatchaman Fencer

Aired: 11/11/1979

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: 11/18/1979

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: 11/25/1979

9. Fear of the Extinction Ray Gun

Aired: 12/2/1979

10. Danger! Gatchaman Base

Aired: 12/9/1979

11. The Saturn Limited Express Z-Press

Aired: 12/16/1979

12. The Order to Destroy the Mantle Base

Aired: 12/23/1979

13. Violence?! The Decisive Battle of Agrika

Aired: 12/30/1980

14. Destruction by Fire! Egobossler's Palace

Aired: 1/6/1980

15. Hell's Burning Ambition

Aired: 1/13/1980

16. A Deadly Butterfly Dances in the Dark

Aired: 1/20/1980

17. Horror of the Evil Smoke City

Aired: 1/27/1980

18. The Spectacular Crash of G-1

Aired: 2/3/1980

19. Don't Touch the Super Stuff!

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.

20. Appearance! Terror of the Triple Iron Beast

Aired: 2/17/1980

21. Angry Joe! Fright of the Flaming Bird

Aired: 2/24/1980

22. Order to Blast the Satellite

Aired: 3/2/1980

23. The Evil of Mechaland

Aired: 3/9/1980

24. A Warrior's Pride

Aired: 7/16/1980

25. Sky Riders from Hell

Aired: 3/23/1980

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: 3/30/1980

27. The Mystery of Egobossler's Birth

Aired: 4/6/1980

28. Desperate Fight! Valley of Betrayal

Aired: 4/13/1980

29. Cruelty! The Separation of Brother and Sister

Aired: 4/20/1980

30. The Creeping Alien

Aired: 4/27/1980

31. Runaway! The Great Train Chase

Aired: 5/4/1980

32. Mystery of the Space Pulse

Aired: 5/11/1980

33. A Promise Kept

Aired: 5/18/1980

34. Egobossler's Strategy

Aired: 5/25/1980

35. The Shadow of Death Approaches G-1

Aired: 6/1/1980

36. Hypershoot Crisis

Aired: 6/8/1980

37. Revive Gatchaman

Aired: 6/15/1980

38. Bracelet of Friendship

Aired: 6/22/1980

39. Downfall! Count Egobossler

Aired: 6/29/1980

40. Surprise Attack of the Mecha Waterspout

Aired: 7/5/1980

41. Collapse! Gatchaman Base

Aired: 7/12/1980

42. The Death of Chief Nambu

Aired: 7/19/1980

43. The Destruction of Gallatown

Aired: 7/26/1980

44. The Space Devil Draws Near

Aired: 8/3/1980

45. Threat of the Antimatter Planet

Aired: 8/10/1980

46. G-1 Desperate for High Power

Aired: 8/17/1980

47. Earth Extinction! 3 2 1

Aired: 8/24/1980

48. Gatchaman Eternal

Aired: 8/31/1980

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.