Beta Capsule

The Beta Capsule (ベータカプセル) is Ultraman's transformation device, given to Hayata. It became temporarily unusable when Ultraman left earth, but sometime in between the original series and Return of Ultraman, Ultraman returned to Hayata and it became usable again.

Ultraman
Shin Hayata, the Executive Officer of the Tokyo, Japan, Headquarters of the Science Patrol, was patrolling in the vicinity of the Ryugamori Lake and Forest when he noticed a U.F.O. flying over them at a speed of Mach 2. The UFO, a large blue sphere, was the "Travel Sphere" used by the then unseen monster Bemular. When Hayata flew closer to investigate, another UFO, this one a red Travel Sphere that had been in pursuit of the first, crashed into Hayata's "Delta VTOL." The being inside the red Travel Sphere, which was damaged in the collision and subsequently self-destructed, was the hero known as Ultraman.

Ultraman telepathically informed Hayata that he had been pursuing the monster Bemular, and had accidentally crashed into Hayata's ship when he was trying to follow Bemular. He then gives the Beta Capsule to Hayata, merging with him to provide the dying human with his own life force. After that, using the power of the Beta Capsule, Hayata could transform into Ultraman.

Later on, after Ulraman's defeat at the hands of Zetton, Zoffy appears to retrieve Ultraman. Knowing he could not take the Human back with them to the Land of Light, Zoffy pulled out his own Beta Capsule and separated the bodies of the two beings, but Hayata was apparently left with no memory after his plane crash. (Please do note that Hayata only lost his memory in the Japanese dub. In the English dub, he gets to keep it and his memories as Ultraman).

Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero
Ultraman Powered gave Kenichi Kai a device, which in the English version was called a Beta Capsule, instead of holding it upright it was held in a clenched fist and had two LEDs, one on each side. It was perhaps a newer version of the same device.

Trivia

 * In Japan this version of the Beta Capsule was called the Flash Prism.

Project Ultraman
In the cancelled Thai, Project Ultraman, the three Ultra Hosts of Millenium, Elite and Dark all possessed Beta Capsule like transformation devices.

Ultraman X The Movie
In Ultraman X The Movie: Here Comes! Our Ultraman, Alien Fanton Guruman created Ultraman's Cyber Card along with Ultraman Tiga's Cyber Card in Xio's lab, they were transferred to Mamoru Mikazuki & Rui Takada to be given to Ultraman X human host, Daichi Ozora. He scanned both Cyber Cards to receive the X Beta Capsule and the X Spark Lens to form the Beta Spark which allowed Ultraman X to wear the Beta Spark Armour.

Employment
To employ the Beta Capsule, Shin Hayata holds it in his right hand, with its clear emitter dome pointing upwards, and depresses the red button on its side with his right thumb. This triggers his transformation into Ultraman. Merely exposing the Capsule is not enough to employ it; when he faced an enemy who sought to possess, rather than destroy, Earth, that enemy paralyzed him before he could depress its button, and he had to allow himself to fall down face forwards, which caused the impact to make his thumb depress the button. This can be described as "igniting" the Capsule.

The means by which the Beta Capsule functioned, once ignited, was never detailed in any of the Ultraman stories.

Trivia

 * The fact that Zoffy himself carried a Beta Capsule, implies that 'Beta Capsules' were a widely used device on the Planet of Ultra. In fact, Ultraman Powered's transformation device, although different in appearance, was called a Beta Capsule in the English Version, granted called a Flash Prism in Japanese, to avoid confusion.
 * The Beta Capsule, for the sake of comedy or plot, has been mistaken for a children's toy, while Hayata once mistook a spoon for the device.
 * As the first transformation item in the series, the Beta Capsule has the most succeeding devices based upon its archetype. These include, the Spark Lens, Reflasher, Pikari Brush, Cosmo Pluck, Evolthruster, Max Spark and the Spark devices in Ultraman Ginga.
 * Beta Capsules were originally the only transformation item shown at different sizes, first when Ultraman held his and dropped it to Hayata where it landed at its more common size and another wielded by Zoffy at his giant size. It is the first item shown being used by both an Ultra and a human host/form.
 * As expected of alien technology the Beta Capsule is sturdy, as shown in Ultraman's first fight with Gomora when he dropped it at a rather great height.
 * The Beta Capsule seems to have more functions than a normal transformation item as it was once used to separate an Ultra from his host instead of using it to transform its common function.
 * According to the Japanese/orignal theme song, the capsule shine with the power of a Million volts when used. This would explain how its use killed the Underground People.