SSSP (Science Special Search-Party)

The SSSP, Science Special Search-Party (科学特捜隊 Kagaku Tokusō Tai), is a fictional organization from the 1966 tokusatsu TV series Ultraman. An International Science Police Organization, it is officially named the Science Special Investigation Team (科学特別捜査隊 Kagaku Tokubetsu Sōsa-tai). Abbreviated as "The Science Patrol" (科特隊 Ka Toku-tai lit. Special Department Team), it is described (in the English-language version of episode 1) as being part of the "Scientific Investigation Agency," but what international organization this is an agency of is not specified. Its basic designations are to seek out bizarre anomalies, and in special cases, protect the public from kaiju attacks. The organization has a headquarters situated in Paris and has other major branches located in India, New York, the Middle East, and Bolivia that are mentioned in the series, but it also has connections in Brazil, London, Moscow, and Turkey. Its telephone number is 999.^[1]

Overview

The members that most often appear in Ultraman are the five members from the Japan branch, Captain Muramatsu (referred to as a Cap), followed by Chief Shin Hayata, Daisuke Arashi, Mitsuhiro Ide, and Personnel Officer Akiko Fuji. The young boy Isamu Hoshino was also made a Special Personnel Officer in the middle of the series, and the title of special personnel was also awarded to the friendly kaiju Pigmon (in episode 37). The Japanese branch has also been visited by members from the Paris headquarters and Overseas branches. (Instances of these are found in episodes 7, 22, 23, 31, and 32.) ^[2]

While originally depicted as having an emphasis on research rather than as a combat organization, the Science Patrol has managed to defeat many monsters on its own; indeed, the number of successes it has enjoyed is the highest of that of any defense team.^[3]

History

Ultra Strategy

At the heart of the Japanese branch's establishment was Dr. Ichinotani and his colleagues, who appeared in Ultra Q. During the events of Tsuburaya Productions's certified PC game, Ultra Strategy, Mobilization of the Science Patrol!, which depicts the events between this work and Ultra Q, the Science Patrol had been fighting against alien monsters long before the first appearance of the original Ultraman on Earth.

Initially, the founder, Dr. Ichinotani, was seriously injured when the nuclear dew monster Gold King attacked the Science Patrol's operations in the Hexagonal village ("Ultra Strategy" episode 1 "Birth of Japan's branch of the Science Patrol") and subsequently retired from front-line work. In episode 31 of Ultraman, Cap Muramatsu mentioned that the Japan branch of the SSSP had existed for at least 20 years by that time.^[4]

Ultraman

TBA

Base

Japanese Branch

Founded 20 years ago by Dr. Ichinotani from Ultra Q and located in the Tokyo suburbs, the SSSP Japanese branch HQ is formed by two interconnected buildings. The one is a gray-colored trapezoidal shaped building, while the other is a black building with a parallelogram shape. The launch pads of the Jet VTOLs are a separate construct next to the main building.

The outer walls of the base are built using a special ferrol alloy steel concrete, to block all light ray and heat ray attacks.

The internal of the base includes the command room which is equipped with a large electronic brain. The bedrooms are on the upper floor with a fire pole leading down to the command room. A hotel section exists with well-equipped sleeping rooms for visitors. An analysis room is used to study items recovered from field missions and to assemble equipment and new weapons. An automatic water discharge apparatus has also been installed all around the base, for the purpose of suppression of structure fires.^[5]

Members

Japan Branch

Main article: Toshio Muramatsu

Toshio "Cap" Muramatsu (ムラマツ・トシオ（村松 利夫） Muramatsu Toshio) is the leader of the Science Patrol. He is very serious and is also highly intelligent. He is sometimes shown smoking a pipe. He is known as Captain Mura in the US version.

• Age: 36 years old
• Actor: Akiji Kobayashi

(does not appear in episode 30)

Main article: Shin Hayata

Shin Hayata (ハヤタ・シン（早田 進） Hayata Shin) is the Science Patrol's brave and no-nonsense chief. His life changed when Ultraman's Travel Sphere accidentally crashed with Hayata's Sub VTOL, destroying it, and killing Hayata. Ultraman, ashamed of what he did, decided to merge his life force with Hayata's, bringing the human back to life. Ultraman gave Hayata the Beta Capsule, which, when he presses the red button on its side, transforms him into Ultraman.

Ever since Ultraman, Hayata has been Ultraman's human host.

• Age: 25 years old
• Actor: Susumu Kurobe; Ultraman himself is played by Satoshi "Bin" Furuya

See Also

• Shin Hayata (ULTRAMAN)
• Shinjiro Hayata

Main article: Daisuke Arashi

Daisuke Arashi (アラシ・ダイスケ（嵐 大助） Arashi Daisuke), the Science Patrol's resident sharp-shooter; his favorite weapon, a two-handed rifle called the Spider-Shot in the original, is called the Gamma-Ray Gun in the English version. He is shown to have a tough guy personality, but he is very caring towards his fellow teammates, and has a soft spot for children.

• Age: 26 years old
• Actor: Iyoshi Ishii

Main article: Mitsuhiro Ide

Mitsuhiro Ide (イデ・ミツヒロ（井出 光弘） Ide Mitsuhiro) is a scientist, and the primary ordnance-and-munitions inventor of the Science Patrol. Sometimes he feels his weapons are useless because of Ultraman; however, sometimes his weapons saved the day. He is rather comical by comparison with the team's other personnel, and is very skinny and tall. He is called Ito in the English-language version. In episode 30, it is stated that his mother died when he was a child.

• Age: 24 years old
• Actor: Masanari Nihei, also known as Masanori Nihei

See also

• Mitsuhiro Ide (ULTRAMAN)

Main article: Akiko Fuji

Akiko Fuji (フジ・アキコ（富士 明子） Fuji Akiko) is the operator of communications of the Science Patrol, she is the only female on the Tokyo team. She is very intelligent, and can be presumed to have been born in June, as the pearl (as shown in "The Pearl Defense Directive") is her birthstone. In most adventures, Fuji proves to be the most level-headed and capable member after Hayata.

• Age: 21 years old
• Actor: Hiroko Sakurai

(does not appear in episode 30)

See Also

• Akiko Fuji (Ultraman F)
• Akiko Fuji (ULTRAMAN)

Main article: Isamu Hoshino

Isamu Hoshino (ホシノ・イサム（星野 勇） Hoshino Isamu) is the Science Patrol's unofficial mascot, he gets to hang out with the full-fledged members; later, he is even issued a Science Patrol uniform after the encounter with Bullton. He often gets into trouble, and sometimes Ultraman would have to save him. He is known as Hoshino Fuji in the US version, which describes him as Akiko Fuji's younger brother.

• Age: 11 years old
• Actor: Akihide Tsuzawa

(Appears in episodes 1 - 4, 6, 9, 11, 16 - 18, 21, 24, 25)

Other Members

Main article: Dr. Iwamoto

He was the designer of the Jet VTOL, and simultaneously the Phoenix No. rocket.

He took over for Dr. Ichinotani, from Ultra Q, as the Science Patrol's scientific adviser after the latter's retirement.

• Age: 40
• Actors: Akihiko Hirata, Toshi Morizuka (substitute in episode 36)

(Appears in episodes 5, 12, 13, 16, 25, 36, 39)

Liaison Jim (ジム連絡員 Jimu renraku-in) was a SSSP member from their France HQ. He was sent to Japan HQ to help them investigate the Arabian Desert's mysterious plane disappearances (that were caused by Antlar). Jim knows many languages, including Arabic and Hebrew. He also knows of the ESP ability that the princess of Baraj uses.

Actor: Edgar Keizer

Anne Morheim came from France HQ to show Hayata, Paris. Anne also had an underground twin, who took her place as an impostor and tried to corrupt Ultraman to the evil of the Underground People--but without success, as Shin Hayata's transformation instead killed them all. Anne then came back from Paris after realizing Hayata had been abducted and explained to the Science Patrol what had happened.

Actor: Annette Sonfers

Alan Birottsu came from France HQ to help the Japan HQ with Jamila's force field. Alan then told the Science Patrol about Jamila.

• Alan and other France HQ member actors had to learn Japanese, it is noticeable because of their accents.

Actor: Pierre Pirottsu

Gotoh was a member of the Bolivian base of the Science Patrol. 20 years before the series he and his father where sent on a expedition to the Amazon only to have them both killed by Keronia. Keronia disguised himself as Gotoh and tried to infiltrate the SSSP base.

The real Gotoh never actually appeared in the series; "his" only appearance was when Keronia was disguised as him.

Actor: Yoio Kirino

Patty is from the SSSP's India branch. Hayata was her escort while she visited Japan. She became unconscious due to Zambolar's combustion.

She was called Patra in the English dub.

Actor: Mari Anne

Main article: Shingo Sakomizu

Shingo Sakomizu (サコミズ・シンゴ Sakomizu Shingo) was originally a member of the SSSP that was on an away mission from Earth during the series of Ultraman Mebius. Originally, back during the time of the SSSP, Sakomizu was assigned to the Izanami, for test flights into FTL technology. During one of these flights he was attacked by a fleet of alien ships but saved by Zoffy. This incident made him realize how much the Ultras were actually doing for humanity, that the human race was unaware of the hidden dangers in the Universe and his testimonies upon his return were the reason GUYS was formed and maintained despite a lack of supposed threats from aliens or monsters for twenty-five years.

Due to the Rip-Van-Winkle effect, Sakomizu had only experienced a fraction of the time experience on Earth. The result of approaching the Speed-of-Light is that time stretches and the time outside the object moving at such velocities is faster than inside. This is why he is so young despite being of Shin Hayata's generation.

Arsenal

The Science Patrol is equipped with numerous special equipment, so they can operate according to any situation. Development of equipment is done mainly in the science center, by Dr. Iwamoto and member Matsuhiro Ide.

Gear

The Patrol personnel wear international-orange field uniforms under a regular duty blue business suit uniform with white trousers or skirts. When the order to go into the field is given, the outer suit is designed to be quickly removed in favor of the field uniform. Accompanying the field uniform are special helmets with ear fixtures that improve the reception of their communicator pins, and visors that provide visual aid, such as when using weapons. The field uniform/helmet combination also provides a degree of protection, such as from radiation, even enough to allow a human to operate in space without having to breathe or worry about the bends.

The uniforms of the SSSP are noteworthy, as they were international orange in dominant color, and based on those used in the film Forbidden Planet in having a mantle that descends from each shoulder in front with a curved hem. However, they wear white shirts and orange four-in-hand ties instead of a ribbed imitation of a sailor's striped shirt. Their tie tacks are emergency detectors; each flashes and beeps when a monster is near. They wear plastic airman's helmets with the insignia in the middle, which also appears on both descending parts of the mantle. As a precursor to the later Star Trek's communicator being incorporated into the insignia, theirs functions as a two-way radio once a tiny antenna is raised from the star on the insignia on the left.

Full SSSP attire

SSSP uniform

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Equipment

• Meteor Badge (流星バッジ Ryūsei bajji): Each Science Patrol officer is equipped with a small pin shaped as the organization's meteor emblem that has a radio transmitter of considerable power and range for its size--or, more likely, one that relies on a dense network of radio-communications relays. All the operator has to do is pull out the small antenna at the top of the pin to activate it and send a message.
  • Science Patrol Shuriken: Shin Hayata threw a shuriken or shaken shaped like the Meteor Badge at Alien Baltan in episode 2. (On the DVD, it can actually be seen bouncing off before the film is edited to show it sticking into the monster.)
• Monster Translator: Invented by Matsuhiro Ide to translate any monster's language. It was used to communicate with the friendly monster Pigmon, in the second of the two episodes in which he appeared.

Firearms

• Supergun (スーパーガン Sūpā Gan): the basic sidearm carried by each Science Patrol member. When unholstered, the barrel flips out from the handle and the gun is ready to fire. The weapon discharges either a wave of what looks like electricity or, alternatively in some episodes, a thin beam of energy. Three of them can be combined for a "triple shot," which is powerful enough to take down a (revived) monster. It returns for an episode of Ultraman Dyna as an "older model".
• Spider-Shot (スパイダーショット Supaidā Shotto): A heavy atomic gun that Daisuke Arashi uses frequently; it is his favorite weapon. Fashioned as a two-handed weapon—somewhat like a submachine gun with a massive barrel—it is clearly more powerful than the standard Supergun sidearm, and visually more impressive. It has at least three settings; stun, heat ray, and heavy damage. It is called the "gamma-ray gun" in the English dub.
• Mars 133 (マルス133 Marusu Ichi San San): A gun invented by Mitsuhiro Ide, that works on the same principle as Ultraman's Specium Ray, and is thus mortally effective against Baltans.
• QX Gun (QXガン QX Gan): A two-handed blaster, which attacks a monster's nervous system. Stands for "Quickly eXtinguish Gun." Called the "M-Ray Gun" in the US version.
• Mad Bazooka (マッドバズーカ Maddo Bazūka): A large shoulder-mounted bazooka, also created by Matsuhiro Ide.
• Spark 8 (スパーク8 Supāku Hachi): An attachment for the Supergun invented by Matsuhiro Ide, and used by him, that enables the gun to fire rapid shots. The effect is best described as a Gatling gun that disintegrates its target in parts. It is easily the most effective handheld weapon the Science Patrol has in its arsenal, yet Matsuhiro Ide/Ito only uses it twice; against a revived monster (Dorako II) and Geronimon.

Supergun, Mars 133, Spider-Shot

Supergun extensions

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Mecha

The SSSP operated many different vehicles, most of which are depicted by models. Their car was a customized 1961 rear engine air-cooled Corvair sedan, one of the smallest cars Chevrolet ever made.

• Jet VTOL: The Science Patrol's iconic principal craft, and is frequently just called the "VTOL." (The prop for the Jet VTOL was originally from the 1962 Toho SF epic, Gorath, but repainted and probably modified for this series. It should be noted that the Gorath prop was slightly pointier than the rounded VTOL.) Up to three are seen. A hydrogen-rocket modification is later built for it, allowing it to go into space. It is generally armed with missiles of varying quality, depending on the episode.
• Sub VTOL: A smaller, triangular version of the Jet VTOL, is actually an STOL with no VTOL capabilities. This was the vehicle piloted by Shin Hayata when he crashed it into Ultraman's "Travel Sphere" ship in "Ultra Operation No.1," the first episode, and destroyed both. It is generally not used to attack monsters, as it lacks the heavier firepower and carrying space of the Jet VTOL.
• Submarines S16, S21 and S25: The Science Patrol's short-range, high crush-depth underwater submarines, all of which are airlifted by the Jet VTOL to lakes or other bodies of water one at a time.
• Underground Tank Vellucidar: The Science Patrol's subterranean vehicle with a huge drill at the front. Similar to the Mole from Thunderbirds, it is named after the underground world from Edgar Rice Burroughs's At the Earth's Core. It appears to have its own incidental music when it is first used.
• Special Search-Party Private Car: A silver 1961 Chevrolet Corvair four-door sedan with the Science Patrol logo on the doors and roof.

Jet VTOL

Sub VTOL

S16 Submarine

Underground Tank Vellucidar

Science Patrol Car

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Other Media

Manga SSSP

Main article: SSSP (ULTRAMAN)

The manga version of the attack team from the 2011 manga from HEROES magazine.

Gallery

the Science Patrol with Liason Jim

A still from "Present from the Sky,"
immediately after Skydon has
supposedly been dispatched.
In the English version,
the narrator says ominously,
just as this still appears on screen,
"But it was still too early to celebrate."

Hayata with member Patty

SSSP with SDF Generals

SSSP alongside Ultraman and Eiji Tsuburaya

Inner Workings of the SSSP HQ

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References