The U.S. DVD release Ultraman: Here He Comes From The Sky features episodes 1-10.
Ultraman: The Complete Series features all 39 episodes.
1999 release
2009 release
Ultraman: Here He Comes From The Sky
Ultraman: The Complete Series
Trivia[]
During the preparation stage of the series still tentatively referred to as Redman, the script for this episode was planned. In the script for this episode, the title during the draft stage was originally "Pagos Counterattack Operation" (パゴス反撃指令, Pagos Hangeki Shirei)[1][2][3] and in the preliminary draft stage, it was named "Lead Gabora!"(ガボラ誘導せよ！, Gabora Yūdō seyo!).[4][5]
Regardless of the script version, the conclusion was consistently designed to end with the monster being thrown toward Mt. Fuji and buried beneath the resulting landslide. However, the most significant change was the replacement of the Children Home with the Mountain Lodge of the Youth Mountaineering Club.[6][7]
According to Tsuburaya Productions, Pagos was meant to return in this episode, explaining why the police and other people knew about Gabora.
The decision to adapt Pagos into Gabora was closely tied to the nationwide monster craze at the time and the demands of toy manufacturers. During the early planning stages of Ultraman, there were intentions to reintroduce four monsters from Ultra Q: Pagos, Kemur, Peguila and Ragon. However, only Ragon ultimately appeared as planned. The Kemurian made a brief return in "The Forbidden Words," but the other monsters were largely left out.[9]
Yoichi Iwasa explained the rationale behind this shift, attributing it to a simple but significant factor: the toy manufacturer Marusan sought to expand the variety of monsters to enhance their product lineup. As a result, the initial idea of featuring Ultra Q monsters gradually gave way to the creation of new monsters.
Gabora was born out of budget constraints, resulting from the repeated repurposing of monster suits. Its design originated from Toho's Baragon suit, which was modified multiple times to create various monsters, including Pagos, Neronga, and Magular.[11] While there were initial plans to feature Pagos, the head model had been discarded, necessitating further suit modifications. Akira Sasaki adapted the suit into Gabora, adding dorsal fins made from a bamboo frame coated with lacquer.[12]
The plot of this episode later became a theme in the 2022 film Shin Ultraman, featuring a sequence that depicted the battle between Gabora and Ultraman.[13]
![Draft script of "Lead Gabora".[8]](/wiki/File:Lead_Gabora_2.png "Lead Gabora 2.png (1.61 MB)")
