The Universal Multipurpose Agency is a high-tech defense force with a huge base situated on an island off the coast of Australia. They appear in Ultraman: Towards the Future.[1]
Overview[]
UMA is an international organization established with the initial purpose of investigating and responding to unprecedented events on Earth, such as unusual weather, supernatural phenomena, meteorological changes, and other occurrences that often transcend national borders. Its mission is to maintain global security and stability through the "peaceful utilization of science."
According to the UMA charter, if a UMA branch is occupied by certain countries or military forces, the branch's power generation system will be destroyed, rendering the base equipment unusable. To initiate repairs, authorization and orders from all 12 UMA branch directors worldwide are required. This provision ensures the independence of UMA and prevents its misuse or manipulation by international political forces. Consequently, in the series, the South Pacific branch, which plays a significant role, sometimes conflicts with the Australian Defense Force regarding policies for monster attacks.
History[]
Ultraman: Towards the Future[]
UMA's radar detects unidentified object falling from space into South Pacific.
One night, due to a mysterious light appearing in the skies above cities all around the world, countless Gudis Cells fell to Earth. UMA noticed a supernatural phenomenon with numerous unidentified objects landing in the South Pacific and called upon its members to pilot fighter jets and military vehicles to respond.
When Bogun suddenly appeared in the city, causing destruction and chaos, UMA launched a counterattack. Ultraman Great emerged and defeated Bogun, but UMA still viewed Great as a potential threat. Subsequently, Jack Shindo, who had returned from Mars and provided various pieces of information about Gudis and his cells, became the newest member of UMA, collaborating with other members from the South Pacific. Although initially cautious about Great's presence, they eventually recognized him as an ally. Signs of Life
During the Gudis incident, Gudis impersonated Stanley Haggard and attacked UMA, leading to Australian Army taking over UMA's base under his command. UMA used an automated system to sabotage the power generation, rendering the base unarmed. When Australian Army's actions inadvertently accelerated the resurrection of Super Gudis, Captain Arthur regained command of UMA and devised a plan to cut off Gudis's energy by shutting down nearby power plants. After defeating Gudis, UMA temporarily concluded its battle against evil. The Showdown
Due to the severe environmental damage caused by the development of modern humanity, the will of the Earth summoned the incarnations Kodalar and Kilazee, who had destroyed civilizations two million years ago, in an attempt to annihilate modern human civilization. UMA, originally responsible for the ozone layer repair program, was forced to engage in a battle against these two monsters. The Age of Plagues
UMA members witness Ultraman Great's departure.
In an intense battle, UMA used the "Metal Plate Reflector Device," a combination of metal plates left by ancient humans in the sea and a laser cannon used for research, to attack Kodalar. With sustained attacks, Kodalar was struck by the reflected beams, resulting in a massive explosion that ultimately destroyed it. Kilazee was also defeated under the assault of Ultraman Great, bringing an end to this crisis, and UMA's members collectively witnessed Ultraman Great's departure. Nemesis
Base[]
The headquarters of UMA is located on the mainland of the United States, with 13 branch offices established in various parts of the world, including Siberia, the Sea of Japan, India, the South Pacific (Australia), South Africa, and the United Kingdom, among others. Among these branches, the South Pacific branch, which houses the Arthur Foundation, is one of the largest within UMA.
South Pacific Base[]
UMA South Pacific Branch Base
The South Pacific base is located on a remote island near Australia and is equipped with the world's most advanced scientific equipment, as well as earthquake-resistant and fire-resistant structures. Inside the facility, there are approximately 50 members and staff, providing facilities such as a main command center, rooms with large monitors and high-performance computers, private resting areas for team members, a medical room, and individual holding cells. Additionally, there is an underground parking lot and runway for storing Hammer and parking Saltop.
Multiple defense cannons are installed on the outer walls of the base to counter potential direct attacks from adversaries. According to Arthur Grant's testimony, the construction of this base took a lengthy period of 10 years.Blast from the Past
Members[]
Main Members[]
Arthur Grant
- Main article: Arthur Grant
Arthur Grant is the leader of UMA, a commander who can accurately command orders in emergencies.
Lloyd Wilder
- Main article: Lloyd Wilder
Lloyd Wilder is UMA's deputy captain and one of the few members of the team who has received military training. He's also the most skeptical member of the team, especially when it comes to Shindo's behavior.
Charles Morgan
- Main article: Charles Morgan
Charles Morgan is UMA's scientific/technical expert and the team's comedy relief. He has a thing for Jean.
Jean Echo
- Main article: Jean Echo
Jean Echo is a member of UMA and was a former engineer at the Space Development Agency in the past.
Kim Shaomin
- Main article: Kim Shaomin
Kim Shaomin is the ace pilot of UMA and the driving expert of Hummer.
Jack Shindo
- Main article: Jack Shindo
Jack Shindo is a new member of UMA. He used to be a Martian astronaut.
He transforms into Ultraman Great.
Other Members[]
Sandman
Sandman used to be a worker on the Johnson Farm. He wasn't skilled at socializing with people, but after providing UMA with a photo of a giant locust attacking a Cessna airplane, he closely assisted UMA during the Majaba incident. After leaving the farm, he became a member of UMA.Bitter Harvest
He is portrayed by Peter Dunn.
Some other unnamed members also appear in the series:
Arsenal[]
Attire[]
- UMA Uniform: UMA members often wear uniforms such as lined T-shirts or vests with the UMA logo.
- UMA Helmet: Pilot's helmet worn while flying a Hummer. Made of special resin and equipped with functions of high-performance communication equipment.
- Protective Suits: When performing missions, they will wear one-piece flight suits with the logo. The styling adopts different colors according to the style of each member.
- While stationed at the base, team members usually wear underwear T-shirts or tank tops with the UMA logo printed on them. The captain often wears a dedicated uniform. In addition, UMA members' clothing includes short-sleeved military shirts, sleeveless survival suits for missions in forested areas, and undershirts worn during rest periods.
- Chemical Defense Suit: Specialized gear that provides protection against threats such as radiation, highly toxic liquids, and gases.
- Heat shield: An essential piece of equipment that provides facial protection in high-temperature climates, it boasts excellent durability and multifunctionality.
Equipment[]
- Communicator: Handheld board communication device for UMA members. Use special radio waves to stay in touch.
- UMA Gun: A small standard laser gun used by members of UMA. Often used in melee combat against monsters.
- Black Launcher: A laser rifle with several times the destructive power of UMA guns.
- Pulse Cannon: Also known as the Talsar Cannon, it is a large pulse laser weapon capable of continuous firing. It is sometimes installed on Saltop 2.
- Wrist Transmitter: A portable signal transmitter typically used by members during solo operations.
- Gudis Sensor: A detector capable of automatically detecting and tracking Gudis Cells across all of Australia, including the base.
- Extraterrestrial Lifeform Detector: A detector used to search for life forms originating from beyond Earth.
- Robot Camera: An unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with mechanical arms and a camera, often used for deep-sea exploration.
- Beam Satellite: A artificial satellite orbiting Earth, it was launched into satellite orbit for Arthur's "Ozone Layer Restoration Project" and equipped with a powerful laser cannon capable of ground attacks.
Mecha[]
There are two main vehicles, which are mass-produced, along with a handful of unique robots from the comic book spin-off published by Nemesis.
- Hummer: The red-colored jet vehicle. Equipped with analysis equipment, excimer laser cannons and missiles. A total of 10 are deployed in the South Pacific sub-base.
- Saltop: The tech-equipped jeep. Has an energy cannon. According to the purpose, it can be divided into three vehicles: patrol, combat, and research.
- UMA security robots: Dual robots guards exclusive to the American comics.
- Cofinas Lancer: An experimental giant robot exclusive to the American comics.
- UMA Service Truck: A small vehicle used for transportation within the UMA base's aircraft hangar.
Gallery[]
Ultraman: Towards the Future[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- The micro model of UMA was initially assembled in Sydney, and the interior space of the base was designed and constructed by David Rutherford and Adam Grace. According to the plan, the interior space of the UMA base is located in an underground cave, designed in a hexagonal shape with a central elevator that can lift two Hummers into the launch tunnel above the main garage.[2]
- The elevator was constructed on a device supervised by Neville Maxwell's mechanical effects team and incorporated a portion of a miniature model built by model maker Philip Colville for the unfinished 1987 film Total Recall.
- Most of the indoor shots of the UMA base model were captured using an Arri ST 16mm camera, filming the micro model at a lower frame rate.
- The model of the Hummer Launch Tunnel is equipped with a linear bearing track to allow the Hummer to travel along its length. During filming, a specialized rig was constructed for the camera, allowing it to move along the front and rear tracks of the Hummer. All of these devices are pulled by endless loop cables located on each track, powered by variable-speed drives on remote electric axles.[3]
- "UMA" is typically interpreted as an abbreviation for "Unidentified Mysterious Animal," which corresponds with the name of this organization. In fact, it was a deliberate choice by the creators to create a pun with the name.[4]
- Due to Australia's multicultural nature, UMA members are designed to represent a variety of different races and backgrounds. As mentioned by series composition supervisor Sho Aikawa, this was influenced by the trend in foreign television dramas at the time, such as L.A. Law, which had started to address and focus on racial issues.[5]
References[]
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/character/uma/
- ↑ https://rcscifi.blogspot.com/2020/10/ultraman-towards-future-aka-ultraman.html
- ↑ https://rcscifi.blogspot.com/2020/10/ultraman-towards-future-aka-ultraman_11.html
- ↑ 『テレビマガジン特別編集 新・ウルトラマン大全集』ISBN 4-06-178418-8
- ↑ Spaceship Vol. 155 pg 94–95
| 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 |