Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero

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Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero
Title card for the original English version
Also known as	Ultraman Powered
Genre	Tokusatsu Superhero Kaiju Science fiction
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
Composer	Toshihiko Sahashi
Country of origin	United States Japan
Original languages	English Japanese
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer	Noboru Tsuburaya
Producers	King Wilder Kazuo Tsuburaya Shigeru Watanabe Juliet Avola
Cinematography	Don E. FauntLeRoy Carlos González
Editors	King Wilder Vanick Moradian Nina Gilberti
Running time	25 mins
Production company	Tsuburaya Productions
Distributor	Bandai Visual Company
Release
Original network	TBS (Japan)
Picture format	480p 1080p (Blu-ray)
Original release	April 8 (1995-04-08) – 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) in Japan), is a Japanese–American tokusatsu science fiction television series produced as a co-production between Major Havoc Entertainment (later renamed Steppin Stone Entertainment) and Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 11th entry to the Ultra Series and also the fourth and last foreign production in the franchise after Ultraman: Towards the Future. First released on Home Video in North America and later Japan on December 17, 1993, it later aired in Japan on TBS from April 8 to July 1, 1995 with a total of 13 episodes. The series was released on 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 limited fighting space of the raised miniature sets and the fragile nature of the suits, often resulting in subdued fight scenes compared to other entries in the franchise. After this series, Tsuburaya has since focused on domestic productions.

Premise[]

The members of WINR (pronounced "Winner") respond when members of the alien Baltan race attack Earth, but the Alien 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 Powered in times of danger. At the end of the first episode Ultraman declares that the Alien Baltans were not completely defeated and that he will remain on Earth to continue the fight.

WINR and Ultraman Powered destroy numerous other monsters, but WINR learns that the Alien Baltans were arranging all the battles to learn Ultraman Powered's strengths and weaknesses. They also learn Kai's secret identity when Ultraman Powered is injured by Dorako and Kai sports an identical wound. In the finale the Psycho Baltan unleash their most powerful monster, Zetton. Ultraman Powered separates from Kai and takes on Zetton, but is overwhelmed. Ultraman Powered'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 Zetton's back, but he turns and blocks the shot. However this gives Ultraman Powered an opening and he summons the last of his energy for one final blast that hits Zetton in the back, destroying him. Ultraman Powered 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 Powered into a red ball of light so that he can return home.

Cast[]

• Harrison Page as Captain Russel Edlund
• Kane Kosugi as Kenichi Kai/Ultraman Powered
• Rob Roy Fitzgerald as Rick Sanders
• Sandra Guibord as Theresa Beck
• Robyn Bliley as Julie Young
• Scott Rogers as Ultraman Powered (suit performance)

Episodes[]

1. "On a Mission from M78"
   • Japanese subtitle: "The Silver Pursuer" (銀色の追跡者, Gin'iro no Tsuisekisha)
   • Aliens: Alien Baltan
   • Guest stars: Mari Weiss and Steven R. Burnett as Police Officer
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: Kemular
   • Guest stars: Patti Pelikan as Reporter, Combat Bachman as Halicky and Ed Morgan as Ranch Lord
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: Red King (a tan female and a red male), Chandora, Pigmon
   • Guest stars: Jeffrey Combs as Roger Schechter, Julie Uribe as Bamara, Elias Gallegos as Katanga and Philippe Tanjini as Pete
4. "The Dark Past"
   • Japanese subtitle: "Messenger from the Dark" (闇からの使者, Yami kara no Shisha)
   • Monsters: Telesdon
   • Non-Human Characters: The Sun People
   • Guest stars: Jim Yusutaman and Kevin Hudson as the Sun People, Judy Jean Barnes as White Woman, Alex Neville as Kyle Morrison and John Tui as Army Officer
5. "Monstrous Meltdown"
   • Japanese subtitle: "Electric Shock Defense Strategy" (電撃防衛作戦, Dengeki Bōei Sakusen)
   • Monsters: Gabora
   • Guest stars: Danny Hicks as Keynes, Kevin Page as Winddaya, Brenta Cremy and Ray Laglin as Nuclear Emergency Staff, Art Bonilla as Mining Company Employee and Bill Mumy as Fenton
6. "A Father's Love"
   • Japanese subtitle: "Return from Space" (宇宙からの帰還, Uchū kara no Kikan)
   • Monsters: Jamila
   • Guest stars: Philippe Stuart as Jamila Miller, Marissa Theodore as Karen Miller, Kimberly Beck as Patty Miler, John McCahn as Colonel Essex, Jesse Coins as Henchman and Steve Kramer as Henchman
7. "Fires Below"
   • Japanese subtitle: "Revenge of Scorching Heat" (灼熱の復讐, Shakunetsu no Fukushū)
   • Monsters: Zambolar
   • Guest stars: Michael Hungarford as Firefighter
8. "The Dada Effect"
   • Japanese subtitle: "The Invasion Circuit" (侵略回路, Shinryaku Kairo)
   • Aliens: Dada (A, B and C)
   • Guest stars: Wendy Lobby as Executives of Neuroette, Wolf Muzer as Mark Mitchell, Steve Eastin as Criminal, Jack Ong as Doctor and Rose Marie as Neighbors of the Mitchell Family
9. "Tails from the Crypts"
   • Japanese subtitle: "Resurrection! Two Giant Monsters" (復活! 二大怪獣, Fukkatsu! Ni-dai Kaijū)
   • Monsters: Aboras, Banila
   • Guest stars: Jason Todd Magic as Dr. Wittigher, Sciano Parovic as Wittigher's assistant, Catherine Negashi as Jessie, John G. Hertzler as Dennis and Steve Monarch as Waterworks Bureau
10. "Deadly Starfish"
    • Japanese subtitle: "A Couple of Heroes" (二人の英雄, Futari no Eiyū)
    • Monsters: Pestar
    • Guest stars: Jaime P. Gomez as Alto Tool Mendes, Miri Nobac as Garner, Tom Finnegan as Inspector, EE Veil Oil company official and Judy Ruiz Johnson as TV Reporter
11. "Dino Might"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Resurrected Giant Beast" (よみがえる巨獣, Yomigaeru Kyojū)
    • Monsters: Gomora
    • Guest stars: Danny Kamekona as Dr. Hasagawa, Tracey Walter as Metro Museum Security guard, Warren Stanhop as News Caster, Sandra Springs as Silvia Jackson and Dan Roger as Weather Forecaster
12. "Falling Stars Spell Trouble"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Powered Assassination Plan" (パワード暗殺計画, Pawādo Ansatsu Keikaku)
    • Monsters: Dorako, Red King (another red male)
    • Guest stars: Carl Rukut and Ted Prya as Helicopter Pilot
13. "The Final Showdown?"
    • Japanese subtitle: "Farewell! Ultraman" (さらば! ウルトラマン, Saraba! Urutoraman)
    • Aliens: Psycho Baltan
    • Monsters: Zetton
    • Guest star: Harold Cannon Lopez as General Kalcia

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 and 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 is blinking red.

Video game[]

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

Other appearances[]

• Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy (2009), Powered, along with other M78 Ultra Warriors, fights against the evil Ultraman Belial.

References[]