An island-sized asteroid captures the Hawk-1 before landing on Earth, trapping Dan Moroboshi, Amagi, and Furuhashi. The asteroid slowly approaches the Terrestrial Defense Force's base, disabling its systems with powerful electromagnetic waves. With the asteroid on a direct collision course with the base, the trio must race against the clock to escape before the TDF destroy it with their new super weapon.
Plot[]
Terrestrial Defense Force Satellite V2 detects an unidentified object slowly approaching Earth, and Kiriyama sends Dan Moroboshi, Amagi, and Furuhashi to investigate. Flying out on the Hawk-1, they discover an island-sized asteroid that suddenly sucks them in. Kiriyama and Soga search for them in the Hawk-3 but find no trace of the team nor the asteroid.
The trio awake and explore the island, realizing that the asteroid has entered Japan. They discover an unmanned alien base receiving signals from an unknown location and are locked in while attempting to disable its machinery. Meanwhile, the asteroid begins emitting powerful electromagnetic waves that disabled the TDF's radars and electronic systems. Kiriyama, Soga, and Anne Yuri head out in the Pointer to investigate the asteroid but are prevented from entering by a strong electromagnetic barrier. Realizing that the asteroid is making its way towards the TDF base, they head back. With less than an hour before the asteroid collides with the base, Staff Officer Manabe orders its destruction using the TDF's newly developed missile.
Dan concludes that the asteroid must be a time bomb primed to destroy the TDF's headquarters. Amagi hacks into the alien base's circuity, freeing the trio. They return to the Hawk-1 but are unable to operate it due to the electromagnetic jamming. Dan leaves on his own to destroy the alien station with a bomb when a giant monster appears. Realizing that the jamming also affects his Ultra Eye, he summons the capsule monster Agira to distract the beast. Amagi and Furuhashi leave the ship to fire at the giant monster but are unable to harm it. It retaliates by destroying the Hawk-1, stranding them. Dan plants the bomb at the alien base and destroys the signal jammer but is knocked out in the process.
Furuhashi and Amagi re-establish contact with HQ and tell them to fire the missile anyway as they have no way of escaping. Dan wakes up and recalls Agira as its overwhelmed by the monster's attacks, then transforms into Ultraseven to fight it himself. Manabe calls off the missile launch, and Kiriyama, Soga, and Anne fly out in the Hawk-3 to rescue their teammates. They reunite with Furuhashi and Amagi and search for Dan.
Ultraseven decapitates the monster with his Eye Slugger and, realizing that the beast itself is the source of the signal controlling the base, flies into space with its head. Unable to find Dan, the team quickly boards the Hawk-3 and escapes as the asteroid explodes harmlessly.
This episode's concept came from an unused script idea by Kunio Torami for Ultraman, which went through multiple revisions.[2]
The earliest version dates back to July 1966 during the prep phase of Science Special Search Party: Bemular, originally titled "The Misterland Monster" (ミステランドの怪物, Misuterando no Kaibutsu).[3] It told of young people drifting to a mysterious island near Mikura-jima in the Pacific. There, Yuki (Sakamizu's sister) and others find a giant egg resembling a turtle's, which they bring back. The egg's owner, the ancient dinosaur monster Mandus (マンダス, Mandasu), attacks them. After escaping to the Frozen Crystal, the SSSP analyzes the egg, while Mandus tracks it to Tokyo, causing havoc. Bemlar then confronts Mandus.
Later, during the series' temporary title period as Redman, the story was reworked as "Mandus Island"(マンダス島, Mandasu Jima).[4][5] This draft involved Akiko Fuji, who after several shipwrecks, is taken hostage by smugglers hunting lost cash at sea. A mysterious island suddenly appears beneath their ship. The SSSP detects the island's abnormal gravity causing spatial distortions and "Time slip" effects. The island turns out to be the vanished Mars moon Deimos, now approaching Tokyo Bay. Mandus appears again, heightening the crisis. The story focused on Fuji's fearless investigation with spy elements.
Producer Ken Kumagai told Yoichi Iwasa that the “drifting planet approaching Earth” idea originated from Kunio Torami during the WoO era but was dropped due to direction changes. It was also considered during Ultra Q, but rejected for lacking connection to main characters. By Ultraman, the story shifted to monsters on Earth's islands like Tatara Island and Johnson Islands, abandoning the drifting planet idea except as "Mandus Island." The concept was finally integrated during Ultraseven.[6]
This episode is the only one crediting Kunio Torami as the "original concept" in the opening. Torami and screenwriter Masahiro Yamada were longtime friends. According to Shozo Uehara, they shared a close bond. Torami died unexpectedly in late March 1967, at about age thirty, shocking the team. Yamada finished the script, with Uehara adjusting it to fit Ultraseven's world. This episode honors Torami's sci-fi vision and serves as his memorial.[7]
During Ultraseven prep (then titled Redman), the initial draft featured:
Torami's concept had a plot about Jupiter's "development phase," where the Alien Mandala (マンダラ星人, Mandara Seijin) planned to use a drifting planet. The team gets trapped there, prompting an attack order leading to a fierce battle between the Capsule Kaiju monster and Riga (リガ). The Mandara aliens controlled Riga. Masahiro Yamada later adapted this into the Redman draft titled "The Drifting Planet" (漂流する惑星, Hyōryū Suru Wakusei).[8]
In Yamada's draft, the Alien Mandara were friendly aliens. Riga's design featured a small head and long neck. The drifting Jupiter satellite Dylan approaching Earth was caused by Riga. The final version removed the Alien Mandara entirely.
The draft opens with Dylan's disappearance triggering strange phenomena on Earth. A powerful electromagnetic wave hits Tokyo Bay's Pacific coast, disrupting communications and halting transportation, including planes and trains.
While testing the Pointer, Dan's team drifts to the Pacific and encounters the Alien Mandala, who say Riga caused the events. Riga appears gradually from light, causing Anne to shield her face in fear. It's revealed Riga is made of "light particle energy" and becomes visible when reflected.
Rigger's concept art
As the climax builds, Anne is caught in Riga's beam. Dan summons "Pagos" with a monster capsule, battling Riga as Dylan nears Tokyo Bay. Searching for his lost Ultra Eye, Dan commands Pagos. After retrieving the Ultra Eye, Dan transforms into Redman and defeats Riga, returning Dylan to its orbit.
In the final Ultraseven draft, the story was simplified. Riga became Rigger, and the suit was redesigned into a modified Dinosaur Tank.
This episode also marks Akira's first appearance,[9] whose name was reportedly chosen by Hajime Tsuburaya. The monster capsule concept changed through drafts: Pagos appeared early, but was replaced by "Windom" in the final.[10]
