The
Overview[]
UGM is a specialized defense team within the global military organization United Nations Defense Army , which is directly governed by the United Nations. It is specifically responsible for handling monsters and mysterious events in the Far East region. This elite force was selected from over 2,000 candidates and is tasked with investigating, analyzing, and searching for incidents caused by aliens and monsters. Once an anomaly is detected, they promptly proceed to the scene to conduct an investigation.
UGM and UNDA have bases located in various regions around the world, including Canada, the United States, Northern Europe, Central Europe, Asia, the Far East (Japan), Australia, and Africa, as well as a base on the moon's surface. UGM does not possess advanced technology, relying instead on existing technology to maintain its military strength. The team also includes various departments such as the Science Team, Meteorological Observation Team, and Public Relations Team.
History[]
Ultraman 80[]
In response to Crescent's destruction of the city, UGM carried out its first mission to counter the monster.
Since the destruction of MAC and the defeat of the Black Star creatures by Ultraman Leo five years ago, Earth has experienced five consecutive years without the appearance of monsters or attacks from aliens or cosmic monsters. This has led humanity to believe that the "era of monsters" was over. Even the newly formed UGM members believe that such events are a thing of the past and consider any abnormal occurrences to be insignificant.
One day, an earthquake struck the city. Although the tremors quickly subsided, the only UGM captain with real combat experience, Kazuki Oyama, sensed something unusual and went to the scene alone to investigate. Subsequently, Crescent appeared in the city. UGM launched its main combat aircraft, Sky Higher and Silver Gull, to attack, but due to a lack of experience in confronting monsters, the UGM's initial mission encountered difficulties. At that moment, a teacher evacuating students, Takeshi Yamato, secretly transformed into Ultraman 80 and successfully defeated Crescent.Ultraman Teacher
To address the increasing monster threat, UGM deployed Space Mammy as a large aircraft carrier and a mobile frontline command base.
Following this, Oyama invited Yamato to join UGM. Yamato agreed to join the team and decided to participate in UGM only after school and on Sundays. In the subsequent series, UGM members gradually accumulated experience, responding quickly to suspicious sightings or reports of monster disasters. They would promptly arrive at the scene to engage in close combat with monsters or aliens and assist Ultraman 80 in battle. Additionally, some UGM members frequently changed positions, leading to the reassignment of team members.
After more than a year of continuous battles, one day, a mysterious cold wave struck Nanbara City in Kyushu, freezing the elephants and giraffes in the zoo into blocks of ice. Then, Margodon, which caused the cold wave, appeared in Nanbara City. UGM quickly mobilized to confront the threat. Oyama, through his long interactions with Yamato, had already secretly learned that Yamato was actually Ultraman 80 in disguise. He told Yamato that humanity cannot rely on Ultraman's power forever.
UGM ultimately succeeded in defeating Margodon through its own strength.
In the final engagement, Oyama piloted Skyhire to carry out the strategic mission, regaining balance and executing the giant ball strategy with the help of his team members. The team applied freezing liquid to Margodon to immobilize it, followed by a strike with an iron ball, thereby successfully defeating Margodon without needing to rely on Ultraman 80's power.
After the true identities of Yamato and Ryoko were revealed to the other members, the entire UGM team gathered and held a farewell party, bidding farewell to Yamato and Ryoko, who were about to leave Earth.Ah! The Giraffes and Elephants Turned to Ice!!
Base[]
Far East Area Base
The UGM and UNDA Far East Area Base is located on the outskirts of Tokyo. This base is equipped with the most advanced electronic devices that integrate the latest scientific technology, including the command center for UGM members, known colloquially as the "Paddock." It also features a space observation center and analysis room containing information from the entire universe, as well as a training center and outdoor shooting range for use by UGM and defense force members.
The base's notable facilities include various mechanical storage depots located both above and underground, an airfield runway shared by defense force aircraft, a control tower and maintenance facilities, the Space Mammy launch gate, and military equipment such as tanks and artillery for use during enemy attacks.
In episode 14, part of the facilities were destroyed by Zarudon. Afterwards, the core functions of the UGM base were relocated to a newly constructed three-building office complex, shaped like the letters "UGM" in English.
Members[]
Early Members[]
Kazuki Oyama
- Main article: Kazuki Oyama
Kazuki Oyama is the captain of UGM and the only member in the team with experience in fighting monsters. As a former leader of a military special training base, he is vigilant about the signs of monster activity that have not been seen in the past five years.
Takeshi Yamato
- Main article: Takeshi Yamato
Takeshi Yamato is Ultraman 80's human form. He joined UGM at the invitation of Osamu, becoming the team's new member.
Tokihiko Harada
- Main article: Tokihiko Harada
Tokihiko Harada is one of the elite members trained by Oyama and held the position of vice-captain before Ito joined the team. He often commands battles on the front lines.
After the episode 27, he was transferred to work in the Australian branch.
Emi Jono
- Main article: Emi Jono
Emi Jono is the only female member of the team and one of the elite members trained by Captain Osamu Daisan. Her main responsibility is communication work. Her father is Dr. Shigeo Shiroji, a space biologist.
In episode 43, she was mistaken for Yullian by Alien Galagala and captured. In the end, she was killed by Alien Galagala while trying to protect Takeshi. Before she passed away, she learned that Takeshi was the secret identity of Ultraman 80.
Hiroshi Tajima
- Main article: Hiroshi Tajima
Hiroshi Tajima is one of the elite members trained by Captain Oyama and partners with Harada as a sharpshooter in the team, with a shooting accuracy rate of 99.9%.
After episode 27, he was transferred to work in the Australian branch.
Later Additions[]
Junkichi Ito
- Main article: Junkichi Ito
Junkichi Ito is the new chief transferred from the Paris branch to the Far East branch and also a junior of Daisuke.
When he was a trainee in the Earth Defense Force in the past, he once went alone to chase after the aliens who participated in the Earth invasion plan, and was promoted to chief by the headquarters due to this achievement.
Noboru Ikeda
- Main article: Noboru Ikeda
Noboru Ikeda is a new member of UGM and a student of the 6th training class. He is also the successor to Harada and Tajima. He usually works with Emi on data analysis within the team and has a strong interest in mechanics.
Shinhachiro Fujimori
- Main article: Shinhachiro Fujimori
Shinhachiro Fujimori is a new member of UGM, and also a student of the 3rd training class. He is the successor of Harada and Tajima. He is a shooting expert and sometimes replaces the chief Ito to command the battle on the spot.
Ryoko Hoshi
- Main article: Ryoko Hoshi
Ryoko Hoshi is the human form of Yullian. After she arrived on Earth, she became an intern female team member of UGM by inheriting Emi's will.
Other Members[]
Teruo Sera
- Main article: Teruo Sera
Teruo Sera is a member of the UNDA Public Relations Team, often accompanying UGM members to the scene of an incident for interviews.
Yuriko Kosaka
- Main article: Yuriko Kosaka
Yuriko Kosaka is a member of the UNDA Meteorological Observation Team and often appears at the headquarters to explain the weather forecast information of the week to the UGM members.
Nango
Nango is the chief of UNDA Far East Branch and also the superior leader of UGM. He has great trust in Ooyama and the members of UGM.
He is portrayed by Yoshiro Kitahara .
Ishijima
Ishijima is a subordinate of Nango and a staff-level person. He once made a unilateral decision to issue attack orders out of fear of the Underground Men, and was eventually shot with a tranquilizer gun by Nango, and has not appeared since then.
He is portrayed by Yasuo Miyadera .
Arsenal[]
Attire[]
UGM standard uniform
- UGM Suit : Made from special synthetic fibers it can withstand 100 degrees below zero and 1500 degrees Celsius. When worn under clothes it maintains a constant 26 degrees Celsius temperature. It holds the member's ID card and also block harmful rays and radiation. In addition, the uniform includes a white short-sleeve shirt paired with a dark blue tie and military-style pants. Members of the Australian branch wear yellow uniforms. Ryoko Hoshi wears a junior member uniform with a red and white pattern.
- UGM Helmet : Made from plastic and special metal, it was designed to not break even from a monster attack. It is light weight and has a built in Ultra-High performance transceiver.
- UGM Spacesuit : These special suits are housed in the Space Mammy and allow members to operate in space.
Other departments, such as UNDA's Public Relations and UNDA Meteorological Observation Team units, wear their own specialized uniforms or workwear; ordinary UNDA soldiers wear military combat attire, while high-ranking officers don special uniforms.
Equipment[]
- Riser Gun : A small gun the UGM team carries works as a flame or laser gun and tranquilizer gun by exchanging the cartridge.
- Dynamic Shot : A medium-sized rapid beam shooting gun with excellent quick disassembly capabilities, capable of continuously firing powerful thermal light projectiles. By attaching Ultraman 80's transformation device "Bright Stick," it can emit Beta rays.
- Monster Sensor : A sensor for tracking monster deep underground or alien activity.
- Oxygen Mask : Equipment used to protect members from toxic gas hazards. The oxygen tank can be mounted on the belt.
- Alien Detector : A high-performance sensor capable of detecting alien life forms, providing precise information on their actions and locations.
- Communicator : A communication device carried by team members for long-distance communication with the command room, "Paddock."
- M16A1 Rifle: The weapon carried by ordinary UNDA members.
- Planet-Destroying Missile : A large missile developed through the "Rose Project" to intercept the giant rogue star "Red Rose" approaching Earth. The missile carries all the nuclear weapons from countries worldwide, with five rockets, "Red Satan," combining to form the "Red 1" configuration to attack the target. After docking at point UUV248, it destroyed Red Rose at point UUV261. The explosion destroyed four nearby planets, and the radiation from one of the destroyed planets caused its life forms to mutate into the monster Gaus.
- R1 Missile : A multi-stage large missile used to intercept Space 7, which was controlled by Amoeza.
- Balloon : A special device that can attack targets from high altitudes.
Mecha[]
The Sky Higher is a multi-purpose VTOL fighter attack aircraft. It is equipped with a Laser Cannon and a Body Research Ray that can research the bodies of monsters. It also has a nuclear jet engine. In the original concept, it also possessed a land tank mode, which was kept in the toy.
In Ultraman Mebius: Anderes Horizont, a series of redesigned successors known as Higher Type based on it would serve as GUYS' training craft.
- Stats
- Length: 19 m
- Width: 17.7 m
- Height: 6 m
- Max Speed: Mach 5.5
- Crew: 1
The Silver Gull is a VTOL army plane that can split into two parts: α and β. They both have nuclear jet engines.
In episode 13, the Silver Gull was used for the tactic "Formation Yamato" to stop Saramandora. The tactic was used again in Ultraman Mebius; also, Silver Gull α would be modified into one of the early METEOR testing crafts.
- Stats
- Length: 12 m
- Width: about 16 m
- Height: 5.7 m
- Max Speed: Mach 6.3
- Crew: 2
Space Mammy
Space Mammy was originally built for exoplanet exploration but was used as a battle carrier and a mobile front-line command base. It uses auxiliary nuclear-powered jet engines and has its wings opened for atmospheric flight. In space, its wings are closed, and the ship uses three photon rocket engines. With the help of the photon engines, the ship can travel between Earth and Mars in a couple of hours. It can also make long-distance space travels for six months without the need to resupply.
The Space Mammy can store and launch both the Silver Gull and the Sky Higher while in-atmosphere. There is also a small reconnaissance fighter docked at the bow. The ship is armed with photon laser cannons and a large missile launcher. It can also be additionally equipped with two plasma missile launchers and two bow-mounted missile launchers.
- Stats
- Length: 150 m
- Hull width: about 60 m
- Wingspan: about 120 m (opened)
- Height: about 50 m
- Maximum cruising speed: Mach 5 (in-atmosphere); a few % of speed of light
- Crew: 6
- UNDA Fighter : A single-seat, twin-engine combat attack aircraft operated by UNDA, with three aircraft forming one squadron. This aircraft is based on the F/A-18 Hornet and has been modified. Its main weapon is air-to-ground missiles mounted under the wings.
- Ace Flyer : This is a custom single-seat combat jet designed for commanders and based on the UNDA fighter jet, with added vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. In the Far East region base, it is often used as Chief Ito's personal aircraft. The primary weapon is a laser shock cannon, but missile launchers are mainly used in the series.
- UGM Australia Aircraft : The aircraft used by UGM Australia branch, which is a customized aircraft based on the A-4 Skyhawk.
- Orion : A high-performance space observation vessel that regularly conducts surveys in space. It once recovered Snow Art from Alien Ruria between Neptune and Pluto and brought it back to Earth.
- Moon Serenade : A large UNDA spacecraft carrying 50 crew members returning to Earth from the Moon base. It disappeared after being attacked by numerous Bloodsucking Balls in outer space.
- Space 7 : A UNDA space probe ship primarily used for exploring exoplanets. The ship was attacked by Amoeza while returning to Earth from its energy resource exploration on the planet Amoeza in the T28 Nebula.
- Gorgon UGM : A specialized armored vehicle equipped with a small computer and various radars that can be used as a mobile base. The mecha is only mentioned in the setting and does not appear in the series.
- Red Scooper : An underground exploration tank that seats two people. The mecha is only mentioned in the setting and does not appear in the series.
- Dolphin ATM : A small nuclear submarine that seats two people. The mecha is only mentioned in the setting and does not appear in the series.
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon: The fighter jet that Chief Ito piloted when he arrived in Japan from Europe.
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II: A UNDA-owned fighter jet that attacked Gomora II.
- Leopard 1: A UNDA tank used to combat Robo-Fo.
Gallery[]
Ultraman 80[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- The Ultra Super Weapons Manual revealed several facts between the fall of MAC and the dawn of UGM:
- Following the annihilation of MAC, the remnant forces were restructured into the United Nations Defense Army.[3]
- Many of the reverse-engineered Over-Technologies[3] of extraterrestrial origin accumulated through age were lost after Silverbloome consumed the MAC Station.[4] This led to UGM's drastic technological downgrade compared to previous defense teams.
- One of UNDA's generals, Ishijima, became a minor antagonist in episode 22 by being paranoid about the Underground Men attacking the Earth, so he shot some UGM and UNDA members to launch the missile causing Gomora II to appear.
- Parts of the UGM base were taken at the Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science School of Pharmacy. One episode even shows students at that school in the background.
- Takeshi Yamato and Captain Oyama are the only characters that do not change positions in the series.
- According to Tsukamoto, one of Takeshi's students who would become a teacher himself in Ultraman Mebius, he learned the fact that Takeshi was working at UGM from another member's child.
References[]
- ↑ https://hicbc.com/tv/mebius/document/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/character/utm/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Perfect Archives Wide Ultra Super Weapons Manual pg 59
- ↑ Perfect Archives Wide Ultra Super Weapons Manual pg 49
| Defense Teams | |
|---|---|
| Showa Defense Teams | SSSP | TDF (UG, MAT, TAC, ZAT, MAC, UGM) | Science Guard Party |
| Heisei Defense Teams | UMA | WINR | HEART | Mydo | TPC (GUTS, Super GUTS, Black Buster Corps, Neo Super GUTS) | GUARD (XIG) | GOKAZOKU | SRC (EYES, Team SEA), JADF | BCST | TLT (NR) | UDF (DASH) | GUYS | DEUS | ZAP SPACY | Team U | UPG | UNVER (Xio) | VTL | AIB |
| Reiwa Defense Teams | EGIS | GAF (STORAGE) | TPU (GUTS-Select) | SSSP | GGF (SKaRD) | KDF | GDF (SKIP) |
| Other Defense Teams | Inter Galactic Defense Force | Space Patrol | MIGHTY JACK | SRI | SGM | Team Mouri | SAT | SAF | PAT | Koseidon Corps | MAT | SWORD | SSSP | USP | GIRLS |