Gebalga

Gebalga
Data
Category	Kaiju
Height	49 m (Standard) 150 m (Brood)
Weight	25,000 t (Standard) 55,000 t (Brood)
Home World	Space
Affiliation	V99
First Appearance	Ultraman Blazar episode 11 "Escape"
Latest Appearance	Ultraman Blazar episode 19 "Light and Flame"
Roar(s)	Gebalga/Brood Irugo

Gebalga is a Kaiju who first appeared in the eleventh episode of Ultraman Blazar.

Numerous Gebalga larvae named Irugo later appear in the eighteenth episode, and were found to be the offspring of the subspecies Brood Gebalga , which is three times larger than the the regular Gebalga.

Subtitles:

• Irugo: Pollution Kaiju
• Gebalga: Space Electromagnetic Kaiju
• Brood Gebalga: Advanced Space Pollution Kaiju

Conception

Design

Gebalga and Irugo were designed by Tetsuya Kawaishi , who was not only in charge of the storyboarding for the Gebalga two-parter but is also known for illustrating the Fight! Sevenger manga.

History

Ultraman Blazar

Gebalga

GGF has detected Gebalga heading towards Earth.

A mysterious meteor from space was headed towards the Earth, and with less than 30 hours until atmospheric entry, the GGF, who were on high alert following the confrontation with Garamon, reacted promptly with preemptive protocols to deal with the possibility of a space kaiju. The SKaRD, who were deployed to coordinate with the GGF's interception unit, stood by with the Earth Garon Mod.2 near Tsukubuko City, the meteorite's projected landing point, as the operation commenced.

The interception unit first responded with kinetic energy missiles (KEMs) to intercept the incoming meteor before switching to thermobaric missiles as the meteor entered the atmosphere, both of which ended in failure. As it closed in on the surface, Earth Garon Mod.2 locked onto its target with its multipurpose laser, but the meteor somehow changed its trajectory, swerved past the laser, and landed safely nearby, before opening up to reveal its true form of Gebalga.

To buy time for the third missile assault, Earth Garon engaged Gebalga in close-quarters combat, and managed to restrain the kaiju. In an unexpected turn of events, Gebalga unleashed a powerful electromagnetic pulse field, disrupting the trajectory of the armor-piercing guided missiles and causing Earth Garon, who had attempted to flee via flight, to crash land nearby. With all communication and operating systems down, Gento had no choice but to transform into Ultraman Blazar.

Gebalga's EMP field rapidly expands over Tsukubuko City, contaminating its electrical systems and causing a progressive blackout.

The fight between Gebalga and Blazar began evenly matched, but the kaiju's frequent electrical discharges and physical attacks were gradually wearing the Ultra down, and even the Spiral Burrade had no effect. Moreover, Gento and Blazar struggled for control yet again, which gave Gebalga the chance to counterattack before Blazar forced Gento to flee, leaving no one in the kaiju's way as it marched on towards Tsukubuko and discharged a large-scale EMP field that disrupted the city's network infrastructure, entering a state of inactivity afterwards. ^Escape

Fearing an imminent global network blackout if Gebalga were to be left unattended, a major-joint operation between the SKaRD, the 1st Special Mobile Brigade, and the Special Equipment Research Center was promptly put into action, with the experimental Tilsonite spear (created from the Garadama remains) as the key element to penetrating and disabling Gebalga's EMP-emitting organ. Soon after, the joint forces established and enacted a plan to rouse the kaiju from its slumber and lure it to a location where the Earth Garon would be able to take aim with the Tilsonite spear-loaded Mega Shot. Enraged, Gebalga began charging up its EMP field, but in that decisive moment the Earth Garon made its shot, firing the Tilsonite spear directly into the kaiju's bud-like mouth with pinpoint accuracy.

With its the main threat eliminated, Gebalga was dealt an aggressive missile assault and faced the Earth Garon in close combat, but even without its EMP-emitting powers the kaiju still proved a tough opponent to beat. The Earth Garon attempted to use its Earth Fire to take down the kaiju, but this was effortlessly deflected and the mecha was soon pinned down by Gebalga. Unable to bear witness to this merciless beatdown, Gento transformed into Ultraman Blazar yet again, now stronger than ever after a moment of mutual resonance.

Blazar now managed to hold his own against the kaiju, but its unpredictable fighting style and irksome electrical discharges still proved a challenge to beat. But as both giants were locked in a hold, the Ultra grasped this opportunity to extract the Tilsonite spear lodged into Gebalga's abdomen, which was charged with the kaiju's electrical powers, and turn it into a new power, just as he had done with Nijikagachi before, and the Tilsonite Sword was formed With this new weapon, the Ultra easily cut through Gebalga's lightning, and broke through its defenses with the Inazuma Slash. Helpless, the kaiju was finally dispatched of by Blazar in an extravagant display of his new finishing move, the Overload Raimeizan.

But as the joint operation wrapped up, the Chief of Staff Haruno, who was overseeing the entire operation, was contacted by an anonymous caller and reported that Gebalga, who he referred to as the second wave after the first, had been repelled, as if an ominous premonition of what was about to come.^{Let's Go, Blazar!}

Later, according to Yasunobu's investigation from his amateur astronomer friend, Bazanga and a mysterious meteorite back in 1999 (which eventually led to the creation of Leviera) invaded Earth from the exact same path as Gebalga. Combined with the fact that Garamon's coming was from a different trajectory, this spawned the rumor that these three came from the same planet; to make matters more bizarre, said topics would be immediately deleted from social media. ^{SKaRD Nocturne}

During an attack on Teaterium facilities by a group of Taganulars, the SKaRD found that the first Taganular that appeared before Gebalga's arrival wasn't sporadically attacking Teaterium facilities; instead, its fusion beam was meant to deter Gebalga before it arrived on Earth. ^{Visitor 99}

Trivia

• Suit actor: Shun Takahashi
• Gebalga's name and design are coincidentally very similar to Gibaaroga from The☆Ultraman.
• Gebalga is one of very few kaiju that an Ultra refused to fight out of fear or lack of confidence, the most famous example prior being Zetton II.
• Initially, the suit modeling team came up with the idea of depicting Gebalga's rolling scenes through wire action or puppetry work due to the physically intensive nature of the stunt work, but suit actor Shun Takahashi's adeptness and ability to roll "more than expected" meant that many shots could be filmed without such additional equipment.

Irugo / Brood Gebalga

One day, a mysterious kaiju appeared in Nijino ward and began spewing toxic gas, which soon spread to other districts. Given the name Irugo, the GGF's attempts to dispose of the kaiju were futile and only led to an increase in its Irugo Gas. The SKaRD moved in to investigate, but were ordered by the top brass, who after Bazanga and Gebalga suspected that Irugo was the Third Wave, to stand down.

In its next operation, the GGF attempted to close Irugo's mouth shut with a high-tensile wire and sever it at the base with a laser cannon, but this was met with retaliation from Irugo. With the operation deemed a failure, the SKaRD sortied with the Earth Garon and planned to purify the surrounding air to weaken the kaiju. But nothing could have prepared them for what was next, as Irugo then evolved into an orange Gebalga. Taken aback, Earth Garon could not react in time as another Irugo rose from the ground and tangled around them from behind. Seeing his team in danger, Gento transformed into Ultraman Blazar.

But yet another Irugo appeared, and the duo were initially overwhelmed by the kaiju until Earth Garon managed to gain the upper hand and grab hold of an Irugo. On Earthy's suggestion, Teruaki instructed Blazar to use the Tilsonite Sword to generate plasma via a vacuum discharge. This purified the surrounding air and weakened the monsters, giving Earth Garon the opportunity to destroy an Irugo with its guns as Blazar grabbed hold of the Tilsonite Sword and defeated the remaining kaiju with the Overload Raimeizan.^{The Towering Terror}

With Irugo seemingly defeated, pollution levels began to decline. But this was only the preamble to the terror that was about to come, as more Irugos began to sprout from beneath the city. The GGF traced them back to the communications facility which the first Gebalga hijacked, and found that the Irugos were multiplying at a rapid pace. The SKaRD's suspicions that the first Gebalga was sent to plant its seeds in preparation for a full-scale invasion were proven shortly after as the colossal Brood Gebalga rose from the underground and brought its offspring along to the city.

The SKaRD deployed Earth Garon to intercept the kaiju, but were stopped short by the Irugos and Brood Gebalga's powerful EMP field. Gento then transformed into Ultraman Blazar and attempted to use the Tilsonite Sword again, but it shattered under the sheer mass of Brood Gebalga, who then proceeded to pin the Ultra down until the timely arrival of Firdran. With their powers combined, Brood Gebalga and the Irugo were quickly disposed of by Blazar Firdran Armor's Tilsofird Enraizen, Earth Garon, and the Enryu Wave, finally ending the Second Wave.^{Light and Flame}

Trivia

• Suit actor: Shun Takahashi
• The English translation for Irugo's subtitle is "The Pollution Kaiju", but the Japanese subtitle is not Kaiju , but simply Ju .
• The Irugo suit was designed to be controlled by wirework, but suit actor Shun Takahashi instead stuck his arm into the suit and controlled it like a hand puppet. To make this work, the crew had to hide the actors in buildings or through compositing.
• Irugo is the first kaiju that Earth Garon defeated on its own.
• Brood Gebalga's Irugo heads were given nicknames by the staff to differentiate between them during filming. The on-site production crew named the right head Takumi and the left head Otojiro . On the other hand, the scriptwriters named the right head Ichiro and the left head Jiro .

Data

• Irugo
• Gebalga
• Brood

Irugo

• 1
• 2

Irugo

Irugo (immature Gebalga)

Stats

• Height: Unknown
• Weight: Unknown
• Weakness: As its cells grow weak in normal air, Irugo introduces its Irugo Gas into the surroundings to maintain its activity. If the surrounding air were to be purified somehow, Irugo will become susceptible to damage.

Powers and Weapons

• Irugo Gas : An invisible toxic gas exhaled by Irugo to keep itself active in Earth's environment. It poses serious health risks to the human body and was likened to photochemical smog. Its base components are sulfur oxides and sulfates.
• Evolution: Irugo curls up and metamorphosizes into an immature Gebalga in a burst of light.

Irugo Gas

Evolution

Gebalga

• 1
• 2

Gebalga

Gebalga (meteor form)

Stats

• Height: 49 m
• Weight: 25,000 t
• Origin: Space
• Weakness: While the source of its EMP, Gebalga's mouth is also its weak spot, as destroying the organ within will render it unable to use said attack.

Powers and Weapons

• Hide: Gebalga's rugged hide is strong enough to withstand the explosive power of thermobaric missiles.
• Electricity Manipulation: As per its subtitle, Gebalga can make use of electromagnetic energy in an assortment of ways.
  • EMP Field: From the bud-like mouth on its chest, Gebalga discharges a green electromagnetic pulse field that spans several hundred meters. The electromagnetic interference disrupts the trajectory of guided missiles and can even dispel Blazar's Spiral Burrade.
    • Network Contamination: After Gebalga triggers an EMP, the effects gradually expand outwards instead of affecting a whole area at once, progressively interfering with and shutting down electrical devices and computer networks in the monster's surroundings. This ability leads to Gebalga being described as "a living computer virus". If left unattended, the SKaRD speculated that the entire world's network infrastructure could easily end up in Gebalga's control.
  • Electrical Discharge: Gebalga discharges electrical bolts from its entire body. These can also be directed through the tips of its appendages as focused beams.
  • Electrical Barrier: Gebalga curls up and encases itself in an electrical barrier that exceeds 30,000 degrees Celsius and is powerful enough to melt down the GGF's kinetic energy missiles (KEMs) and withstand Blazar's Suppressive Sprite.
    • The barrier can also be deployed in a localized form, as a shield in front of Gebalga's body.
• Meteor Form: Gebalga can curl itself into a ball-like form to travel through space or to hurl itself towards opponents. In this form, it can change its flight trajectory through jet propulsion, such as for atmospheric entry, giving it impressive maneuverability in the air. Curling up also seems to build its electric charge for its special attacks.
  • Jaw Formation: By bringing its arms together and hunching forward, making use of its curling flexibility, Gebalga can use the tooth-like spikes on its neck and arms like a pair of jaws to ‘bite’ opponents.
  • Electric Rolling Attack: Gebalga can discharge electricity while curled up in its meteor form to shock and smash through anything in its way.
• Teleportation (Unused): In Ultraman Blazar's opening, Gebalga is shown disappearing in a burst of light.

EMP Field

Network Contamination

Electrical Discharge

Electrical Barrier

Electrical Barrier (Small)

Meteor Form

Flight

Jaw Formation

Electric Rolling Attack

Brood Gebalga

Brood Gebalga

Stats

• Height: 150 m
• Weight: 55,000 t

Powers and Weapons

• Strength: Brood Gebalga possesses strength that is proportional to its size, such that it could even destroy Blazar's Tilsonite Sword.
• EMP Field: From the bud-like mouth on its chest, Brood Gebalga discharges a green electromagnetic pulse field. It has a wider range and is even more powerful than the first Gebalga's EMP field, being able to temporarily stun a modified Earth Garon with EMP-resistant circuitry.
• Heat Wave: Brood Gebalga can release bursts of heat to weaken enemies that it pins down.
• Propagation: Brood Gebalga's main purpose is to produce offspring for a full-scale invasion. As such, it can reproduce at a rapid pace.
• Hive Control: All Irugos are connected to Brood Gebalga and can be controlled to parasitize network infrastructure or attack opponents. This included the two giant Irugos on Brood Gebalga's back, which serve as extra limbs of a sort.

EMP Field

Heat Wave

Merchandise

Ultra Monster DX

• Gebalga (2023)
  • Release Date: September 23, 2023
  • Price: 3000 yen
  • JAN/ISBN: 4570117973710
  • Materials: PVC

Ultra Monster DX Gebalga is a soft vinyl figure that stands 180mm tall and includes 1 point of articulation at its tail.

• Brood Gebalga (2023)
  • Release Date: September 23, 2023
  • Price: 3000 yen
  • JAN/ISBN: 4570117973710
  • Materials: PVC

Ultra Monster DX Brood Gebalga is a soft vinyl figure that stands 200mm tall and includes 3 points of articulation at its tail and the two Irugo heads.

It was packaged with Ultra Hero Series Ultraman Blazar (Tilsonite Sword ver.) in the Ultraman Blazar Great Decisive Battle Set.

Gallery

Ultraman Blazar

Gebalga

Irugo

Brood Gebalga

Miscellaneous

ウルトラ情報発信部「ゲバルガ」-shorts

ウルトラ情報発信部「イルーゴ」

ウルトラ情報発信部「ブルードゲバルガ」