Recap / Ultraman

This is the recap page for Ultraman, the iconic and influential Japanese superhero series created by Eiji Tsuburaya, legendary special effects wizard and one of the creators of Godzilla. It ran from July 17, 1966 to April 9, 1967 with 39 episodes and created a hugely popular franchise^note Ultraman was not the first entry in the Ultra Series (that's Ultra Q), but its enormous success was what led to the birth of the franchise. that lasts to this very day.

NOTE: All episode recaps are based on the original Japanese version, not the English dubs.

For a recap of the 2019 anime, click here.

Episodes

1. Ultra Operation 01: Shin Hayata, a member of the Japanese Science Patrol — an organization dedicated to protecting Earth from monsters and aliens — encounters an enormous glowing orb in the sky and crashes into it. As the rest of Science Patrol tries to figure out what happened to him, a monster appears in a lake and Hayata encounters a gigantic alien from the Land of Light in M78 called Ultraman.

2. Shoot the Invaders!: Aliens have seized the Tokyo Science Center and are using illusions and paralysis beams against all intruders, including Science Patrol's Daisuke Arashi. While Science Patrol's captain, Toshio Muramatsu^note Captain Mura in the dub, discusses with the Japanese Self-Defense Force on how to respond to the aliens' actions, Hayata and Mitsuhiro Ide^note Ito in the dub have to rescue Arashi. But what do the aliens want?

3. Science Patrol Moves Out: Isamu Hoshino^note Hoshino Fuji in the dub, a young friend of Science Patrol, finds a monster in the tunnels underneath a well. The monster awakens and begins to attack power plants across the Kanto region and consume electricity. However, the problem for Science Patrol is that the monster is invisible!

4. Five Seconds Until the Big Explosion: A rocket carrying six nuclear warheads crashes into the Japan Sea. Four of the warheads are retrieved safely, but one has exploded and the other is missing. While Science Patrol's Akiko Fuji and Hoshino are on vacation, Hayata is sent by Muramatsu to investigate reports of something attacking ships that may be connected to the missing bomb.

5. Secret of the Miroganda: Science Patrol is called in to investigate a series of bizarre murders. At each scene, the police found plant goo and, more suspiciously, all the victims are connected in some way to a recent expedition to Oirisu Island, the home of the beautiful but rare Miroganda Flower.

6. Coast Guard Command: Science Patrol investigates attacks by a sea monster on Brazilian cargo ships carrying cacao beans. Meanwhile, Hoshino and his friends get caught up in the operations of a diamond smuggler secretly delivering his latest batch of diamonds inside a bag of cacao beans making their way to Tokyo Bay.

7. The Blue Stone of Barraj: Planes have been disappearing in the Middle East and, since the Indian and Turkish Science Patrols' planes have also vanished, Japan's Science Patrol (except Fuji) are sent to investigate with an American member named Jim. However, their Jet V-TOL is downed by a mysterious magnetic beam. Lost in the desert, Science Patrol finds the mythic city of Barraj.

8. The Lawless Monster Zone: Several scientists are sent to to explore Tatara Island. When contact is lost with the team, Science Patrol is sent out to find them. There, Science Patrol encounters Tatara Island's gigantic denizens and carnivorous flora, as well as a strange, little creature that just might know the scientists' whereabouts.

9. Operation Lightning Stone Fire: A typhoon passes through the Izu Peninsula, causing a great deal of damage for the local uranium mining villages and a boy scout camp. Afterwards, the cleanup process is menaced by a uranium-eating monster, so Science Patrol enters to make sure the monster doesn't cause any further damage.

10. The Mysterious Dinosaur Base: Ide and a reporter are sent to speak to the lunatic Nessie-obsessed paleontologist Dr. Nakamura about reports of a living dinosaur in the lake near his mansion. However, the madman holds them both hostage, forcing Science Patrol to step in. What could he be trying to hide in the lake?

11. The Ruffian from Space: A group of children hand over a strange object from space to scientists — a stone that transforms into whatever one wishes for so long as they think about that thing. Unfortunately, a ne'er-do-well gets his hands on the stone and wishes for it to become a monster to prank his neighbors. But when he wishes for the monster to grow, it turns giant-sized and causes real trouble!

12. The Cry of the Mummy: An ancient and bizarre mummy is taken by scientists from its cave for study. However, the mummy revives itself in the middle of the night and starts to go on a murder spree! Thus, Science Patrol heads into action, but little do they know that the mummy is only the start of their troubles.

13. Oil S.O.S.: Oil tankers are being sunk across the ocean, and the trail of destruction is swimming towards Japan. Sure enough, the monster behind it all is sighted at Tokyo Bay. Now Science Patrol has to stop the oil-eating beast from making its way to Japan's biggest refinery or an inferno like no other will rise from the rampage.

14. Pearl Oyster Defense: A monster has been consuming pearls to near extinction off Japan's coast, sending their prices sky-high. Science Patrol is called in to get rid of the creature, but this time Fuji will be joining the men as she has a personal vendetta against the monster and its appetite for jewelry.

15. The Terrifying Cosmic Rays: A boy doodles a peaceful larva-like monster on a concrete pipe one day. The creature then becomes larger than life when a strange form of space radiation arrives on Earth. Although the monster is solely interested in sleeping, Science Patrol still needs to keep it away from the city, while the boy and his friends are inspired by their handiwork to make a new monster.

16. Science Patrol to Space: The rocket Ohtori and its inventor/pilot Professor Mohri are heading for Venus when Alien Baltan returns and abducts them for mind control. This means Science Patrol will have to set out to space for the first time! But little does Science Patrol know that the abduction is nothing more than a distraction for an invasion of Earth!

17. Passport to Infinity: Dr. Fukui and Dr. Yesterday have both found strange meteors with the ability to distort reality into the Fourth Dimension. Science Patrol heads in to rescue the scientists from the meteors' dire abilities and confiscate the objects, but the meteors prove to be far more dangerous together!

18. Brother From Another World: A radioactive fog blankets Tokyo and a mysterious alien arrives to remove it. Although the extraterrestrial claims to be visiting with peace and goodwill in mind, Science Patrol is not totally sure about it, and things are only made more suspicious by the sudden reappearance of a long-lost rocket. What are the alien's real intentions?

19. Evil Repeated: Science Patrol is called in when a strange prehistoric capsule filled with blue liquid is found. The capsule has some kind of ancient inscription, so scientists set to work on deciphering it, as well as trying to release the capsule's contents. However, nobody is aware that a second capsule with red liquid exists, and both contain something very bad.

20. The Terror on Route 87: Fuji is visited by a boy named Akira who tells her of the upcoming arrival of a dragon. Strangely, Ide tells Fuji he never saw any child come down the hall to meet her. Meanwhile, a zoo is experiencing mysterious rumbles and flashes coming from a hill overlooking the place. What's the connection between the two odd events and the zoo's dragon statue?

21. Break Through the Smoke: When wildlife is dropping dead from poison gas and tourists are being frightened by huge glowing eyes in the fog at a mountain park, Science Patrol finds a monster behind it all. The monster proves to be far more difficult to stop than almost anything encountered so far, but Hoshino might have the idea that will save the day.

22. Surface Destruction Maneuver: A French Science Patrol member named Anne comes to take Hayata to Paris, but Science Patrol soon finds that Hayata has not arrived at Paris at the expected time and Ide keeps seeing Anne still hanging around in Tokyo. Things get more suspicious when a signal jammer made from a material found miles below the surface is discovered. Is Anne really who she seems?

23. My Home is Earth: Something is destroying ships and planes headed for an important political conference in Tokyo. When Science Patrol investigates, they find that the culprit is an invisible spaceship, and they go after it. When they destroy the spaceship, the pilot reveals itself and Science Patrol learns that he's much closer to Earth than they thought.

24. The Underwater Science Base: Science Patrol has set up their first undersea facility and invited some important guests to come on a tour of their new base with Muramatsu and Hoshino. All goes swimmingly until something breaches the docking bay and destroys the oxygen supply lines, leaving Muramatsu, Hoshino, and the guests trapped. Can Science Patrol save the day and find the culprit?

25. The Dreaded Comet Tsuiphon: The Tsuiphon Comet is passing by Earth, but there are fears that its unique wave emissions will cause the world's nuclear arsenals to explode! Worse still, six hydrogen bombs have vanished in the Japanese mountains and Science Patrol believes that a monster may have swallowed them. When they move out to search, they encounter a returning Red King.

26. The Monster Prince Pt. 1: A living dinosaur has been discovered on Johnson Island and Science Patrol helps to capture the monster to be brought back to Japan for study and display. However, the monster breaks free en route and now Ultraman must face his most formidable enemy yet! Meanwhile, a monster-obsessed boy named Osamu and his friends want to see the beast up close.

27. The Monster Prince Pt. 2: Gomora has defeated Ultraman! And worse, Hayata has lost the Beta Capsule in the battle, meaning he can no longer transform into Ultraman! Now, Science Patrol must stop Gomora from destroying Osaka without any help from their hero. Meanwhile, Osamu has found the lost Beta Capsule. Will Ultraman return to save the day?

28. Human Specimens 5 and 6: Muramatsu heads out to investigate a series of perfectly timed bus crashes on a highway. At the crash site, he follows after a lady heading for a mountaintop laboratory. The two soon find out that an alien who has seized the lab in search of human guinea pigs is behind the crashes, and the invader has selected them as the final specimens!

29. Challenge to the Underground: Science Patrol is called in to eliminate two gold-eating monsters rampaging near mining villages. The beasts are capable of burrowing, so Science Patrol will have to use a new drill tank piloted by Muramatsu and Ide. However, their operations are foiled by a deranged miner who seeks to kill the two monsters and collect the gold in their bodies for himself.

30. The Phantom Snow Mountain: A monster is frightening skiers at a mountain resort, so Science Patrol heads in to get rid of the creature. There, they meet a girl named Yuki, whom the local villagers shun for her mysterious connections to the monster. Yuki tries to stop Science Patrol, saying that the monster isn't dangerous, but the villagers are also intent on getting rid of her permanently.

31. Who Goes There?: The Japanese-Bolivian Science Patrol member Dr. Gotoh returns to Japan after a trip to the Amazon Jungle in search of a supposed race of plant-men. Afterwards, Science Patrol starts to notice that something's up when a carnivorous South American plant starts appearing all around the streets of Japan and Fuji encounters a monster in Dr. Gotoh's room. What's going on?

32. The Endless Counterattack: Hayata is asked by Muramatsu to give a tour of Japan to Pati, a vacationing Science Patrol member from India. However, Pati's lovely trip is interrupted when Science Patrol finds that a monster disturbed by urban development is creating forest fires and boiling rivers with its presence and making its way to the nearest city.

33. The Forbidden Words: Hayata, Fuji, and Satoru, the little brother of Fuji, have been captured by another alien seeking to seize Earth. However, this invader is far more powerful and intelligent than any before. While Ide, Arashi, and Muramatsu are left to deal with Fuji turned into a mindless giant and Hayata is paralyzed by the alien, Satoru is given the authority of handing Earth to the invader!

34. Gift from the Sky: A monster falls from the sky one day and starts destroying its surroundings. Afterwards, the creature spends much of its time sleeping and Science Patrol uses that time to try various plans to send the monster back into the sky. However, the monster is so heavy that not even Ultraman can lift it!

35. The Monster Graveyard: Science Patrol comes across a strange section of space full of monsters slain by Ultraman (including a number they've never seen before). After Science Patrol comes back to Earth, a rocket is launched into space by Japan and it travels through the graveyard, returning with a totally new creature. Now, Science Patrol must help the beast return to its grave.

36. Don't Shoot, Arashi!: A monster that emits blinding flashes is rampaging through Japan! Worse still, it adapts and grows stronger every time it's attacked, meaning that Science Patrol must not fire on the creature and focus on rescuing civilians. However, Arashi breaks those direct orders and is expelled from Science Patrol for it! Can he make up for his mistake and regain his honour?

37. The Small Hero: Pigmon has mysteriously returned and is frantically trying to tell Science Patrol something! So Science Patrol sets to work on a translator, and they find out that the Chief of the Monsters has declared war on humans and Ultraman and that an army of monsters will be heading for Japan! Meanwhile, Ide is in a disillusioned state as he feels Science Patrol is useless because of Ultraman.

38. Spaceship Rescue Mission: A team of astronauts are trapped on a space station when their robot cameras captures a huge eye on the planet Kodon that emits a flash of light so powerful, it destroys the station's critical systems. Science Patrol is sent to save the astronauts, but to fix the station, they'll need to retrieve materials from Kodon.

39. Farewell, Ultraman!: Science Patrol enters battle when the biggest alien invasion yet arrives at Earth. Matters are made worse when an alien agent sabotages Science Patrol and the invasion fleet unleashes the most powerful monster that Ultraman has faced! When the day is over, everything will change for Ultraman and Science Patrol!