Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero
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Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero is a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero series produced in the US in 1993 by Major Havoc Entertainment (later renamed Steppin Stone Entertainment) and Tsuburaya Productions (the creators of the Ultraman character), with a total of 13 episodes. Following the footsteps of the Australian-produced Ultraman: Towards the Future, this was the second live-action Ultra Series produced outside Japan.
Titled Ultraman Powered (ウルトラマンパワード - Urutoraman Pawâdo) for Japanese release, the show was released on home video there on December 17, 1993, and later aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 8 to July 1, 1995. This was the 11th Ultra Series.
However, despite being produced in America, the show was never broadcast therein. Many fans of the Ultra Series even believe this to be among the worst of the Ultra Series; Despite having impressive costume designs, the action was quite weak (due to the costumes being fragile). Some even say that the staff behind this series was quite disrespectful of the Japanese-produced Ultra Series.
After this series' failure, Tsuburaya scrapped their then-forthcoming plans to do an Ultra Series in China (based on the popularity of kung fu action films). They have since focused on domestic productions.
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[edit] Story
The members of WINR (pronounced "Winner") respond when members of the alien Baltan race attack Earth, but the Baltans are only fended off when a gigantic alien, Ultraman Powered, joins with WINR member Kenichi Kai and gives him the power to metamorphose into Ultraman in times of danger. At the end of the first episode Ultraman declares that the Baltans were not completely defeated and that he will remain on Earth to continue the fight.
WINR and Ultraman destroy numerous other monsters, but WINR learns that the Baltans were arranging all the battles to learn Ultraman's strengths and weaknesses. They also learn Kai's secret identity when Ultraman is injured by Dorako and Kai sports an identical wound. In the finale the Baltans unleash their most powerful monster, Z-Ton. Ultraman separates from Kai and takes on Z-Ton, but is overwhelmed. Before he can be defeated, other members of the Ultra race, appearing as balls of light, arrive and help to destroy Z-Ton and the Baltan mothership. Ultraman returns home with them.
[edit] WINR (Worldwide Investigation Network Response)
- Captain Russel Edlund
- Played by Harrison Page
- Theresa Beck
- Played by Sandra Guibord
- Julie Young
- Played by Robyn Bliley
- Rick Sanders
- Played by Rob Roy Fitzgerald
- Ken'ichi Kai/Ultraman (Powered)
- Played by Kane Kosugi
- Ultraman is played by Scott Rogers and voiced by Sho Kosugi
[edit] Episodes
- 1.) "On a Mission from M78"
- Monster: Baltan
- 2.) "Catch a Kemura by Tail"
- Monster: Kemura
- 3.) "A Quaret of Creatures"
- 4.) "The Dark Past"
- Monster: Telesdon
- 5.) "Monstrous Meltdown"
- Monster: Gabora
- 6.) "A Father's Love"
- Monster: Jamila
- 7.) "Fire Below"
- Monster: Zambolar
- 8.) "The Dada Effect"
- Monster: Dada (A, B & C)
- 9.) "Tails from the Crypts"
- 10.) "Deadly Starfish"
- Monster: Pestar
- 11.) "Dino Might"
- Monster: Gomora
- 12.) "Falling Stars Spell Trouble"
- 13.) "The Final Showdown?"
- Monsters: Z-Ton, Psycho-Baltan
[edit] Trivia
- Veteran makeup artist and Ultraman fan Steve Wang was originally approached by Tsuburaya to do the show, but turned it down, feeling that he wouldn't have as much creative control (Tsuburaya had rules concerning how Ultraman should be done).
- The staff was originally going to use cardboard refrigerator boxes for the buildings (and just cut squares on them for windows). Upon finding out about this, Tsuburaya Productions was so shocked that they sent a crew there to make actual building miniatures for them.
- This is the only time that Red King is actually red (as opposed to gold & blue).
- Sho Kosugi, who provides Ultraman's voice in the English version, is the father of Kane Kosugi, who plays Kenichi Kai. He also played a minor character in an episode of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger in which Kane played a major character. He later would play starring roles in Godzilla: Final Wars and the Dead or Alive feature film.
- Jeffery Combs was a guest star in the third episode.
| Showa era series: | Ultraman • Seven • Return of/Jack • Ace • Taro • Leo • 80 |
|---|---|
| Heisei era series: | Tiga • Dyna • Gaia • Cosmos • Nexus • Max • Mebius |
| Ultra Q: | Ultra Q • Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy |
| Specials: | The Ultraman/Jonias (anime) • Ultraman Neos (Direct-to-DVD) |
| Movies: | Zearth • ULTRAMAN |
| Co-productions: | The Adventure Begins  • Towards the Future  • Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider (with Toei) • The Ultimate Hero |
| Related: | Redman • Bio Planet WoO |
