Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero

Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero
Written by Todd Gilbert
Tim Lennane
Walter A. Doty III
John Douglas
Stephen Karandy
Bud Robertson
King Wilder
Directed by King Wilder
Starring Kane Kosugi
Harrison Page
Sandra Guibord
Robyn Bliley
Rob Roy Fitzgerald
Scott Rogers
Voices of
Composer(s) Toshihiko Sahashi
Country of origin  United States
 Japan
Original language(s) English
Japanese
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13
Production
Executive producer(s) Noboru Tsuburaya
Producer(s) King Wilder
Kazuo Tsuburaya
Shigeru Watanabe
Juliet Avola
Location(s) Los Angeles, California, United States
Cinematography Don E. FauntLeRoy
Carlos González
Editor(s) King Wilder
Vanick Moradian
Nina Gilberti
Running time 25 mins
Production company(s) Tsuburaya Productions
Distributor Bandai Visual Company
Release
Original network TBS (Japan)
Original release April 8 – July 1, 1995 (TBS)

Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero (also known as Ultraman Powered (ウルトラマンパワード, Urutoraman Pawādo) is a Tokusatsu show produced in the United States in 1993 by Major Havoc Entertainment (later renamed Steppin Stone Entertainment) and Tsuburaya Productions 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. This was the 11th Ultra Series.

Titled Ultraman Powered 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. The series will be released on region-free Blu-ray in Japan on March 24, 2017.[1]

However, despite being produced in America, the show was never broadcast there. Although having impressive costume designs, the action was quite weak compared to other installments of the Ultra Series, due to the costumes being fragile. After this series, Tsuburaya has since focused on domestic productions.

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, Zetton. Ultraman separates from Kai and takes on Zetton, but is overwhelmed. Ultraman's color timer is flashing more and more rapidly as he tries to blast Zetton only to have Zetton easily withstand the blasts. He then summons more energy despite the risk to fire a shot at Zetton's ship. This causes the shot to bounce off it towards Z-ton's back but he turns and blocks the shot. However this gives Ultraman an opening and he summons the last of his energy for one final blast that hits Zetton in the back, destroying him. Ultraman then falls over backwards as his energy is completely drained. Before he can perish completely, other members of the Ultra race, appearing as balls of light, arrive and convert Ultraman into a red ball of light so that he can return home.

WINR (Worldwide Investigation Network Response)

Episodes

  1. "On a Mission from M78"
    • Japanese subtitle: "The Silver Pursuer" (銀色の追跡者, Gin'iro no Tsusekisha)
    • Aliens: Powered Alien Baltan
  2. "Catch a Kemura by the Tail"
    • Japanese subtitle: "His Name Was Ultraman" (その名はウルトラマン, Sono Na wa Urutoraman)
    • Monsters: Powered Kemular
  3. "A Quartet of Creatures"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Fly to the Evil Monster Realm!" (怪獣魔境へ飛べ!, Kaijū Makyō e Tobe!)
    • Monsters: Powered Red King (a female tan and a male red), Powered Chandora, Powered Pigmon
    • Guest stars Jeffrey Combs.
  4. "The Dark Past"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Messenger from the Dark" (闇からの使者, Yami kara no Shisha)
    • Monsters: Powered Telesdon
    • Non-Human Characters: The Sun People
  5. "Monstrous Meltdown"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Electric Shock Defense Strategy" (電撃防衛作戦, Dengeki Bōei Sakusen)
    • Monsters: Powered Gabora
    • Guest stars Bill Mumy
  6. "The Dada Effect"
    • Japanese subtitle: "The Invasion Circuit" (侵略回路, Shinryaku Kairo)
    • Aliens: Powered Dada (A, B & C)
  7. "Tails from the Crypts"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Resurrection! Two Giant Monsters" (復活! 二大怪獣, Fukkatsu! Ni-dai Kaijū)
    • Monsters: Powered Aboras, Powered Banila
  8. "A Father's Love"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Return from Space" (宇宙からの帰還, Uchū kara no Kikan)
    • Monsters: Powered Jamila
  9. "Fires Below"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Revenge of Scorching Heat" (灼熱の復讐, Shakunetsu no Fukushū)
    • Monsters: Powered Zambolar
  10. "Deadly Starfish"
    • Japanese subtitle: "A Couple of Heroes" (二人の英雄, Futari no Eiyū)
    • Monsters: Powered Pestar
  11. "Dino Might"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Resurrected Giant Beast" (よみがえる巨獣, Yomigaeru Kyojū)
    • Monsters: Powered Gomora
    • Guest stars Tracey Walter
  12. "Falling Stars Spell Trouble"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Powered Assassination Plan" (パワード暗殺計画, Pawādo Ansatsu Keikaku)
    • Monsters: Powered Dorako, Powered Red King (another male)
  13. "The Final Showdown?"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Farewell! Ultraman" (さらば! ウルトラマン, Saraba! Urutoraman)
    • Aliens: Psycho Alien Baltan
    • Monsters: Powered Zetton

Production

Veteran makeup artist and Ultraman fan Steve Wang was briefly involved with the production of the show. He and his team created a miniature suit model of Ultraman which Tsuburaya approved.

Sho Kosugi, who provides Ultraman's voice in the Japanese-dubbed version in episode 1, is the father of Kane Kosugi, who plays Kenichi Kai.

This is the only time that Red King is actually red (as opposed to gold & blue). Ultraman Powered's eyes are normally blue, but they change to yellow when his color timer is blinking yellow, and red when the timer blinks red.

Media

The show spawned a video game, called Ultraman Powered, released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.

Cameo

References

  1. ↑ "`Ultraman Powered: The Ultimate Hero Blu-ray Box". Retrieved 7 July 2016.
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