Ryuuzou Shiragumo (52 years): Scientist. Investigates and tries to discover the origin of the virus.

The genius IQ college studend, Ryuujin Moro-oka, obtains a strange mask after his best friends funeral. When, just for fun, Morooka wore it, his spirit possessed a mysterious being he had never seen!
Meanwhile, in some tall building, six people glare at each other. Each had a strange mask in their hands...

Edit:
Stuff we kinda already know, tis what the post says:
Literate Translation/ Name
Futoshi of Id Kudo/Shouta Kudou (22 years old)... Man who transforms to rider, and fights
against virus Kedamono (alias "Ashura").

Snow Shimacaori/Saori Yukishima (19 years old)... Woman who acts with Kudo and supports it.

Sub-Shiba/Shintarou Ashiba (22 years old)... Man rolled in fight of Ashura with rider.

White clouds dragon warehouse/Ryuuzou Shiragumo (52 years old)... Scientist who ascertains cause
of virus.


People to whom my mind is kept though it is Ashura(alias "Neoashura")

Eglashura, Takashi Sawamura (20 years old) Rabittoashura, Kijo (18
years old) Octopasashura, and Cami Futoshi(25 years old)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_dpORYXFkg

Ultra Stats
Height: 40 meters
Weight: 35,000 tons
Flight Speed: mach 5
Running Speed: 700 kph
Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
Human Form: Hayata

Transformation Item: Beta Capsule
Team: Science Patrol (Kagaku Tokusoh Tai)--Captain Muramatsu, Hayata, Ide, Arashi, Akiko Fuji, Hoshino

Episodes: 39 (Episode Guide)
Air Dates: July 17, 1966-April 9, 1967
Weapons

* SPECIUM RAY: The hallmark Ultra weapon... crossed plus-style forearms... beam fired from vertical right hand.
* Ultra Slash (Yatsuzaki Kohrin): A ring of light that cuts through everything but a Baltan barrier.
* Attack Beam: Emitted from an extended arm... used only once, against Keronia.
* Ultra See-Through Beam: Used to see the invisible ship of those sneaky little Baltans.
* Anti-gravity ray: Used against Red King II.
* Ultra water stream (suiyryuh): A stream of water that he emits from his hands to put out fires.
* Teleportation: Ultraman can travel instantaneously across the galaxy (as he did between Earth and Planet R... this must be quite taxing, because usually he flies across the universe in a red ball).
* Ultraman can shrink to human size (vs. Dada).
* A. Grogan also says that Ultraman has a rectangular laser shield, although I don't remember seeing this one.

Wayne's Comments
The one that started it all. The incredible originality of this show is evident by the longevity of the franchise. Ultraman is the core concept, to which all of the other series add on. After seeing most of the other series, I really appreciate the bare simplicity of Ultraman... Hayata's life IS the Science Patrol, in a world where monster and alien appearances are commonplace. He doesn't moonlight as a mechanic, aspiring boxer, gymnast, or teacher. The stories are focused and crisp... not watered down with trying to be a kid's best friend, being another Ultraman's disciple, having rivalries with hot-headed team members, having a lame love interest. He's just Hayata of the Science Patrol and Ultraman, doing his job.

What kid saw the show and didn't want to own a Beta Capsule? So much cooler than the transformation talismans that would follow: glasses, force of will, rings, badge, stick, bracelet, pendant, toothbrush, chocolate balls, the cookie-cutter-like Esplender...

Each team member had a distinct personality. Muramatsu (Captain Mura), the consummate captain. Hayata the hero (his usual grim seriousness made it all the more comical in episode 35 when he inadvertently tries to transform with a spoon instead of the Beta Capsule). Arashi the strongman. Ide (Ito) the quirky gadget man. Fuji the Uhura. The token kid, Hoshino, who wasn't all that annoying. No annoying mascots. (unless you count Pigmon, who shows up only twice and gets squashed by a rock in the end).

His weapons were simple. The iconic Specium Ray. The ring of light for slicing. No sissy Ultra bracelets.

The monsters were great. Baltan-seijin is iconic, and has reappeared several times as Ultraman's greatest rival.

The vehicles were simple. The Jet Beetle, the mini Beetle, the S-16 sub, the drilling machine, and the car. And the rocket that looked like a coffee pot. No transformations, no planes that split into several pieces.

The orange suits were cool.

Though most Japanese shows last a full year, Ultraman ended early at 39 episodes because the people at Tsuburaya Productions were exhausted from the effort and refused to make any more. But you can't keep a good thing down forever. Six months later, they followed up with a new series, 'Ultraseven.'

See more on the origins of Ultraman.
Trivia
E. Bernhard Warg points out that the end of the original series, "...TBS ran a Toei series called "Captain Ultra" in the same timeslot (7PM Sundays), thus causing some sources (like the liner notes to "Otaku no Video") to mistake it for a Tsuburaya [Productions] Ultraseries."
Cameos
Episode 7: A statue of Noah is found in the Middle Eastern town of Baraj.

Episode 39: Zoffy returns Ultraman to M78 after Zetton damages our hero's ColorTimer.
Crossovers
Ultraseven:
Sandayuh Dokumamushi (Arashi) plays Furuhashi. Satoshi Furuya, the dude inside Ultraman, sheds the rubber suit to play Ultra Garrison team member Amagi.
Episode 12: Hiroko Sakurai (Fuji) plays a character in this episode.
Episode 47: Shohji Kobayashi (Captain Muramatsu) plays a drunken man who returns home late at night to discover that his wife, child, and neigbors do not recognize him, because they've been replaced during the night by the Hook-seijin.

Ultraman Jack:
Episode 38: Appears with Ultraseven to save Jack from execution by the Knuckle-seijin. Brief appearance by a slightly portlier Hayata in Science Patrol uniform.

Ultraman Ace:
Episode 1: Appears with Zoffy, Seven, Jack, and Ace to merge the latter with Hokuto and Minami.
Episodes 13-4: Crucified with Zoffy, Seven, and Jack, on the planet Golgota, by Ace Killer.
Episode 26-7: Trapped with his four brothers by Hippolito-seijin and turned into a bronze statue.

Ultraman Taro:
Episode 1: Appears with the Five Ultra Brothers to assist the Ultra Mother in giving birth to Ultraman #6.
Episode 25: Along with the other Ultra Brothers, merges with Taro so that, with their combined purity of soul, he can plunge into the flames of the Ultra Tower for one minute to acquire the Ultra Bell. They all carry the Ultra Bell back to Earth, and Taro rings it, so that it dissipates the dark cloud of Mururoa that has enveloped the Earth.
Episode 33-4: Appears with the Six Ultra Brothers against Tempera-seijin. Hayata also appears with his fellow human forms.
Episode 40: The Ultra brothers get beat up by Tyrant, a vengeful monster created by parts of many past monsters.

Ultraman Leo
Episode 30: Hiroko Sakurai (Fuji) plays the human form of Rolan, the "most beautiful monster in the world." Susumu Kurobe (Hayata) makes a cameo as the farmer father of some boy.
Episodes 38-9: Appears with Zoffy, Jack, Ace, and the Ultra Father, in a rumble with Leo and a fake Astra over the stolen Ultra Key... the issue is resolved by Ultraman King and the real Astra.

Ultraman 80
Episode 41: Hiroko Sakurai once again makes a perennial cameo... this time as the mother of a young boy obsessed with vintage Zero fighter planes. Her husband is also obsessed, but with golf.

Ultraman Zearth:
The Movie: Cameos by actor Susumu Kurobe and the Science Patrol gang.

Ultraman Tiga:
Episode 49: Helps Tiga defeat Yanakahgi.

Ultraman Nice:
Susumu Kurobe (Hayata) and Hiroko Sakurai (Fuji) play grandparents and GOKAZOKU team members.

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Ultra Stats

Height: 45 meters
Weight: 45,000 tons
Flight Speed: mach 10
Running Speed: 900 kph
Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
Position: Space Garrison Leader
Weapons

* M87 Ray: Often said to be the most powerful in the universe.
* Ultra Converter: Given to Ultraman Ace to restore his power, which was almost deleted when he was trapped underground by Giron-jin.
* Ultra Frost

The Big Man on Campus, Zoffy is the leader of the Ultra brothers and the Space Garrison. You know, the guy who saves Ultraman and takes him back to M78 in the last episode of the original series. He doesn't show up very often, but when he does, it's usually for some real dire emergency.

He is the mack daddy, but then again, he doesn't get his own TV show. You want to believe he's really strong, but mostly he just gets crucified, encased in bronze, and even killed by a bird (don't worry... he's revived).
Appearances
Ultraman:
Episode 39: Came to Earth to rush Ultraman home after his ColorTimer was destroyed by Zetton. He also gave a spare life to Hayata so that the two could be separated.

Ultraman Ace:
Episode 1: Appears with Ultraman, Seven, Jack, and Ace to merge the latter with Hokuto and Minami.
Episode 5: Saves Ace from Giron-jin's underground prison, delivers the Ultra Converter, and helps defeat Aribunta.
Episodes 13-4: Crucified with Ultraman, Seven, and Jack, on the planet Golgota, by Ace Killer.
Episode 23: Versus Giant Yapool.
Episode 26-7: Trapped with his four brothers by Hippolito-seijin and turned into a bronze statue.
Episode 35: Versus Dreamgillas

Ultraman Taro:
Episode 1: Appears with the Five Ultra Brothers to assist the Ultra Mother in giving birth to Ultraman #6.
Episodes 18-9: Tries to save Taro from Birdon but gets killed himself. Revived by the Ultra Mother.
Episode 25: Fires off an Ultra Sign that commands all Ultra Brothers to meet him and Ultra Taro at the Ultra Tower. The Brothers merge with Taro so that, with their combined purity of soul, he can plunge into the flames of the Ultra Tower for one minute to acquire the Ultra Bell. They all carry the Ultra Bell back to Earth, and Taro rings it, so that it dissipates the dark cloud of Mururoa that has enveloped the Earth.
Episode 33-4: Appears with the Five Ultra Brothers on Earth for a reunion, and fights against Tempera-seijin. I believe he merges with a human in this episode.
Episode 40: The Ultra brothers get beat up by Tyrant, a vengeful monster created by parts of many past monsters.

Ultraman Leo
Episodes 38-9: Appears with Ultraman, Jack, Ace, and the Ultra Father, in a rumble with Leo and a fake Astra over the stolen Ultra Key... the issue is resolved by Ultraman King and the real Astra.

Ultraman Zoffy: Ultra Warriors vs. the Great Monster Army
Zoffy looks top-notch in his very own movie, although he does little more than be a narrator for a a bunch of recycled battles from past TV series, which are intended to represent a monster army.

The only new scenes are of Zoffy posturing for the camera while serving as a segue between footage. We are also treated to a scene where he uses his M87 Ray, the ultimate weapon in the universe, to blow up a dinky little UFO.

The good news is, I got to see a lot of legendary fights, some of which I had wanted to see since childhood. The bad news is, the sound was all dubbed over and they even added an sportscast-type announcer reminiscent of the one in the parody, "Ultra Fight."

Some of the show's highlights included:

* Ultra Q footage of Mongular, Pagos, #M1, Kanegon, Kemur-jin
* Red King vs. Gigas vs. Dorako
* Ultraman vs. Giant Ragon, Gyango, Baltan-seijin II, Zambolar, Geronimon, and Zetton
* Ultraseven vs. King Joe and Pedan-seijin, and Guts-seijin
* Ultraman Jack vs. Bemstar, and Nackle-seijin and Black King
* Ultraman Ace vs. Baraba
* Ultraman Ace and Zoffy vs. Aribunta and Giron-jin
* Ultraman Taro vs. Birdon
* The Five Ultra Brothers unite with Taro to retrieve the Ultra Bell
* The Six Ultra Brothers against Tempera-seijin
* Ultraman Leo and Astra vs. Galon and Little
* Ultraman King reveals to some of the Ultra Brothers that fake Astra is Babalou-seijin in disguise
* Ultraman 80 and Yullian vs. Plazma and Minazma

Ultra Stats

Height: micro-40 meters
Weight: 35,000 tons
Flight Speed: mach 7
Running Speed: 700 kph
Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
Human Forms: Dan Moroboshi; Masaki Kazamori (1990s)

Transformation Item: Ultra Eye
Teams: Ultra Garrison (Urutora Keibitai), part of TDF (Terrestrial Defense Forces) -- Captain Kiriyama, Dan Moroboshi, Amagi, Furuhashi, Soga, Anne Yuri; also MAC (Moster Attack Crew) in 'Ultraman Leo'; the 1994 Ultra Garrison -- Captain Furuhashi; Tohgoh, Lisa, Kaji; and the 1998-1999 Ultra Garrison -- Commander Shigeru Furuhashi, Captain Sanshiroh Shiragane, Masaki Kazamori, Takuma Mizuno, Satomi Hayakawa, Rumi Honjoh, Keisuke Shima
Episodes: 49 (Episode Guide), or 48, if you don't include the notoriously unacknowledged episode 12, plus eleven direct-to-videos of the 1990s.
Air Dates: October 1, 1967-September 8, 1968

Weapons

* Emerium Ray: concentrated stream of energy fired from the beam lamp on his forehead.
* EyeSlugger: the innovative removable fin on his head, which turns into a energy boomerang he can control with his telekinesis.
* Wide Shot: His most powerful weapon, emitted by crossing arms in an L-shape.
* Knuckle Beam (also known as Bolt Beam): fired from his knuckles... used against the Guts-seijins.
* Capsule Monsters: A cache of monsters he hides in a small compartment, which Dan uses when he is unable to transform. The five are Windam, Mikuras, Agira, and two others never used.
* I've also seen him throw knife-like beam cutters at Godora-seijin, and fire blasts of energy from the palm of his hand at the Guts spaceship. He also had a string-like energy beam, with which he played tug-of-war with Fake Ultraseven.



From a very different line of Ultraman, Seven was darker, redder, and more serious and intriguing than the original. There were genuine issues of morality, and Seven had to deal with the stuggles and consequences of mistakes, broken promises, and adherence to duty, while he battled a constant stream of aliens and their monsters.

Although the special effects were primitive by todays standards, 'Ultraseven' gets credit for having a lot of creatively designed monsters and aliens. Naas was a flying snake that curled up into a space ship. Chiburu-seijin was a bulbous egg-shaped dude with three tentacles. Petello was a sputtering thing that looks like an elephant turd. Iron Rocks was a shipwreck gone bad. Crazygon was a walking car-demolition machine gone berserk. Some hallmark monsters of the series include King Joe (Pedan-seijin robot that is stronger than Seven, but miraculously can be destroyed by the Garrison), Guts-seijin (cute parakeet monsters with very low-pitched voices), Eleking, Pitt-seijin, and KYOHRYUH SENSHA (Dinosaur-Tank, which was, well, a tank-riding dinosaur) .

His Eye Slugger slices and dices.

Seven was also perhaps the only Ultraman to never, ever receive help from one of his brothers during his original series, even though he was beat up pretty bad (including getting crucified, having his arm run over by Dinosaur-Tank, being stomped by Crazygon, and being smacked upside the head by Bandon). He had a cache of capsulized monsters in his pocket (the original Pokémon?)

Dan Moroboshi is his human form. Unlike the original Ultraman, Seven doesn't merge with a dead human so that he can stay on Earth. He merely borrows the appearance of an admirable human he had encountered in the past, Jiroh Satsuma. This occurence is revealed in episode 17, when Dan finds out that Satsuma had been trapped in a mine that was caused by the mysterious underground city of Yuhtom. Dan has a flashback to when he saw Satsuma rock-climbing behind a partner... when they had trouble with their equipment, Satsuma whipped out a knife and cut the tether between them to save his partner, if not himself. Seven just happened to be poking around on the mountain at the same time, saw what was happening, and rescued the falling Satsuma.

You KNOW Anne had the hots for our guy Dan. Even though their relationship is never officialized, it is one you could really care about. Dan loses his Ultra Eye on several occasions, usually to aliens disguised as pretty women. Ultraseven is always a sucker for a pretty gal.

Though it is now often said to be the best of the many Ultra series, it wasn't considered as such by fans during its original run. When he is compared to the original 'Ultraman,' the Japanese equivalent of the Nielsen ratings dropped from 30% to 20%. Given the costs of production, Tsuburaya Productions decided that Seven would be the last.

Because they thought that Seven was to be the end of the Ultra series, Tsuburaya Productions pulled out all the stops and put all of their heart and soul into the two-part series finale. Dan and Anne practiced their dramatic farewell scene many times, and Anne wears this long wig so that her hair would dance with a gust of wind the moment Dan reveals his true identity to her.

After the series wrapped, Tsuburaya Productions went on to produce other non-Ultra shows, like 'Mighty Jack' and 'KAIKI DAISAKUSEN'. During this two-year moratorium, Seven did another tour of duty on 'Ultra Fight' which ultimately revived the franchise and made possible 'The Return of Ultraman.'

Seven remains one of the most popular Ultramen. He shows up in every series in one form or another, through 'Ultraman 80.' Dan Moroboshi is called back to duty as the captain of MAC in 'Ultraman Leo', an honor that is not on the resume of any other human form of an Ultraman (actor Moritsugu Kohji also plays the captain of MYDO on the second 'Ultraman Zearth' movie).

And of course, Seven is so popular that he gets his own 1990s version of direct-to-video specials. Targetted at adult afficionados who grew up watching the original series, they are full of homage shots, continuities, and popular old nemeses (including Pitt-seijin, Guts-seijin, Metron-seijin, King Joe, and Nonmalt). Furuhashi is now an Ultra Garrison Commander, and a lot of the same mechas are used (including the Ultra Hawks). The Garrison car (the Pointer), however, is newly updated. Even the opening theme music remains the same, though the silhouettes used in the opening animation have been updated. There Garrison members are fresh new faces, two of which are female (and they kick much ass). So is Dan, with longer hair and considerably wider pants. The younger and leaner Masaki Kazamori eventually replaces Dan as the human form of Ultraseven.

Find out about the origins of Ultraseven.
Trivia

Two theme songs were created for 'Ultraseven.' Two hundred children were asked to pick the better of the two. The one we know and love is the one that made the cut.

In Showa 40 (I believe that's 1965), Yuriko Hishimi, the actress who played Anne in Ultraseven, won 2nd place in the Miss Tokyo contest.

According to Seven's Superior, Ultraseven's real name is "Kohten-kansoku'in 340-goh," The rough translation is "Stationary Post Observer #340."

Dan Moroboshi has an alien anatomy... in the last episode, he won't let Anne x-ray his injured body, fearing that his alien origin would be discovered.

In the second American translation, for TNT, scenes of graphic violence were are often cut. Monsters often do not blow up into smithereens, and the Eye Slugger is commonly edited out, since rolling heads, chopped limbs, and spurting body fluids is not standard children's fare in the U.S. A notable exception is Episode 12, where Spell-seijin is sliced in half. Sometimes, the action would be over after a monster falls on the ground. Humor is added to the dubbings to make for a much lighter tone. The funniest thing, though, is when Dan transforms with his "Task Mask" (Ultra Eye), he says, "MM HMMM!!" In the Japanese original, he either says nothing, or says "JUWA!" which doesn't make much more sense, come to think of it.

Kohji Moritsugu, the actor who played Dan Moroboshi, also supplied the voice of Ultraseven in the original series (this is in contrast to Susumu Kurobe... Hayata... who did not supply the voice of Ultraman). The reasoning behind this is that Dan is not a borrowed human host like Hayata was... Dan IS Seven, so they should have the same voice.

Have you ever noticed that all of the voices on 'Ultraseven' look dubbed? And I'm not talking about the TNT English-dubbed version... I'm talking about the Japanese original. That's because it IS dubbed, for reasons unkown to me. I guess it was easier to mix sound that way, or something.

Alas, Shohji Nakayama (Captain Kiriyama) passed away of pneumonia at the age of 70 on December 1, 1998.

Cameos

Episode 12: Hiroko Sakurai, the actress who played Akiko Fuji in 'Ultraman' as a guest role (this episode was banned in Japan for reasons other than the reappearance of Fuji).

Episode 47: Shohji Kobayashi (the actor who originally played Captain Muramatsu in 'Ultraman') plays a drunken man who returns home late at night to discover that his wife, child, and neigbors do not recognize him, because they've been replaced during the night by the Hook-seijin.

Episode 48-9: Seven's Superior is rarely acknowledged in the Ultraman "canon," but he exists nevertheless. He tells Ultraseven that it's time to return to Nebula M78, or risk death on Earth from the damage to his battle-worn body. This, of course, just before the full-scale invasion by the Goth-seijins.

Crossovers

Ultra Fight:
All 195 episodes

Ultraman Jack:
Episode 18: Delivers the Ultra Bracelet to Jack so that he can defeat Bemustar.
Episode 38: Appears with Ultraman to save Jack from execution by the Knuckle-seijin. Brief appearance by Dan Moroboshi in Ultra Garrison uniform.

Ultraman Ace:
Episode 1: Appears with Zoffy, Ultraman, Jack, and Ace to merge the latter with Hokuto and Minami.
Episodes 13-4: Crucified with Zoffy, Ultraman, and Jack, on the planet Golgota, by Ace Killer.
Episode 26-7: Trapped with his four brothers by Hippolito-seijin and turned into a bronze statue.
Episode 31: Versus Bakutari
Episode 44: Replenishes Ace's power after he loses it to OniDevil.

Ultraman Taro:
Episode 1: Appears with the Five Ultra Brothers to assist the Ultra Mother in giving birth to Ultraman #6.
Episode 5: Escorts King Tortoise and Mini Tortoise to M78. Episode 25: Along with the other Ultra Brothers, merges with Taro so that, with their combined purity of soul, he can plunge into the flames of the Ultra Tower for one minute to acquire the Ultra Bell. They all carry the Ultra Bell back to Earth, and Taro rings it, so that it dissipates the dark cloud of Mururoa that has enveloped the Earth.
Episode 33-4: Appears with the Six Ultra Brothers against Tempera-seijin. Moroboshi Dan also appears with his fellow human forms.
Episode 40: The Ultra brothers get beat up by Tyrant, a vengeful monster created by parts of many past monsters.

Ultraman Leo:
Series: Dan Moroboshi is the leader of MAC, and serves as Gen's mentor.
Epsode 1: Seven's leg is broken by Red Gillas, Black Gillas, and Mamga-seijin. The Ultra Eye is damaged and Dan can no longer transform into Seven.
Episode 29: Anne Yuri and Dan meet again... she tells him she's been raising the alien child, Uri, who has become the monster Uringa. Episode 34: Dan receives ball monster Sevenga. Briefly appears as Seven for reasons I don't know as yet.

Ultraman 80:
Episode 44: Well, okay, it's not really Seven... it's Delusion Ultraseven, a doll that becomes a monster when infused with a young boy's anger. The upshot of this is that you get to see Seven duke it out with 80.

Ultraman Zearth:
In the second movie, Kohji Moritsugu (Dan Moroboshi) has a cameo as the captain of MYDO.

Ultra Stats

Height: 40 meters
Weight: 35,000 tons
Flight Speed: mach 5
Running Speed: 800 kph
Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
Human Form: Hideki Goh

Transformation Item: None
Team: MAT (Monster Attack Team) -- Captain Katsuichiro Katoh (Episodes 1-22) Captain Ryuh Ibuki (Episodes 22-51), Hideki Goh, Takeshi Minami, Fumio Kishida, Ippei Ueno, Yuriko Oka
Episodes: 51 of 'The Ultraman Who Returned' (Episode Guide)
Air Dates: April 2, 1972-March 31, 1973

Weapons

* Specium Ray: Plus-style.
* Ultra Bracelet: A multi-purpose weapon that could be used like the Eye Slugger, but could also transform into a lance, cross, shield, light reflector, etc... it could even piece back together a dismembered Ultraman.
* Ultra Slash (Yatsuzaki Kohrin)
* Cinerama Shot (L-style)
* Fog Beam
* Shooting-Star (ryusei) Kick
* and a beam he shoots from his eyes.

Very, very, very Seventies. A nameless Ultraman for over twenty years, "Shin-Urutoraman" (new Ultraman), Shin-man" (new-man) or "Urutoraman Nisei" (second-generation Ultraman) was finally rechristened Ultraman "Jack." Also nice because now we don't have to refer to Ultraman as "shodai-man" (Original-generation Ultraman) in order to distinguish him from Jack. "Ultraman Jack" is actually a recycled name... it was originally going to be Ultraman Taro's name, which was changed at the last minute when "hijacking" became a negative buzz-word in Japan.

You have to give this rip-off of the original some credit for reviving the series after a two-year hiatus following 'Ultraseven' (not including the facetious 'Ultra Fight' shorts), creating a consecutive four years of Ultra shows, the longest run to date.

Truth be known, the original concept of 'The Ultraman Who Returned' was in fact the return of the original Ultraman. However, from a merchandising point of view, it made more sense to create an entirely different character. So they did, but didn't change the name of the show. Gotta love marketing departments.

There were a lot of similarities with the original... Jack even looked almost exactly like the original Ultaman, save the red lines that outlined the red patterns of his outfit, the white neck, and the shorter shorts. MAT had orange uniforms... no doubt an homage to the Science Patrol.

But there were a lot of innovations too. There were cameos by his predecessors, Ultraseven and Ultraman. Seven also came back to give Jack a new weapon... the multi-purpose Ultra Bracelet. Good thing, too. Jack was the first in a fine tradition of Ultramen who had the misfortune of being dismembered (he was frozen by Snowgon, who then cracked off his limbs and smacked off his head)... miraculously, the bracelet was able to reassemble and revive Jack.

Jack was also the first Ultraman to have to fight more than one kind of monster at once (unless you count Seven in Ultra Fight).

Jack had a cool, very energetic "hyah" (the noises he makes when he fights).

The tall and lanky Goh was the first to have a life outside of his monster-fighting career, including being a car mechanic and aspiring race-car driver, and having a girlfriend. Of course, the girlfriend came with an annoying younger brother, Jiro. Jiro had a way of stumbling onto monsters in very contrived ways. Perhaps getting rid of Jiro would have been the easist way for MAT to eliminate Japan's monster problem. Goh's dream is to become a race car driver. This dream is shattered when he is killed by a rampaging Takkong while trying to save a stupid little boy and his dog. His partner burns the race car they had just finished building as an offering to the dead Goh. Imagine everyone's surprise when Goh returns from the dead, having been given a new life by a new Ultraman.

Most of the monsters were uninspired, with the great exceptions of Twin Tail (a caterpillar-like monster who stands upright with head toward the ground), Priz-ma (a floating prism), and Kodaigon (a walking Japanese armor). Seagoras and Seamons introduced the monster family concept. There were some lame homage monsters, including Detton (similar to Telesudon), Baltan-seijin Jr., and Zetton II. Black King was perhaps the coolest upgade of Red King. He was a tuff guy.

Though overshadowed by the two predecessor series, Jack should by no means be underestimated... after all, it only took him a few seconds to kill the largest monster in the universe--the infinitely large, star-swallowing Vacuumon--simply by poking around in its stomach.

Ultraman "Jack" is to leave Earth after defeating Bat-seijin and Zetton II in the final episode, but before he does, he gives Jiroh five pledges.

* To not go to school on an empty stomach.
* To air out the futon on days when the weather is good.
* To watch out for cars when walking on the street.
* To not rely on the strength of others.
* On dirt, to play by running around barefoot.

Since Jiroh had lost his older siblings in a previous episode, Goh was all he had left... so these pledges were intended to give him strength.

Goh transforms into Ultraman on a beach, right before Jiroh's eyes, and takes off into the sky.

The success of 'The Ultraman who Returned' ensured the immediate return of Ultraman in a new series, 'Ultraman Ace'.
Cameos
Episode 18: Ultraseven delivers the Ultra Bracelet to Jack so that he can defeat Bemstar.

Episode 38: Ultraman and Ultraseven save Ultraman "Jack" from crucifixion at the hands of the Knuckle fleet.
Crossovers
Ultraman Ace:
Episode 1: Appears with Zoffy, Ultraman, Seven, and Ace to merge the latter with Hokuto and Minami.
Episode 10: A fake Hideki Goh.
Episodes 13-4: Crucified with Zoffy, Ultraman, and Seven, on the planet Golgota, by Ace Killer.
Episode 26-7: Trapped with his four brothers by Hippolito-seijin and turned into a bronze statue.

Ultraman Taro:
Episode 1: Appears with the Five Ultra Brothers to assist the Ultra Mother in giving birth to Ultraman #6.
Episode 25: Along with the other Ultra Brothers, merges with Taro so that, with their combined purity of soul, he can plunge into the flames of the Ultra Tower for one minute to acquire the Ultra Bell. They all carry the Ultra Bell back to Earth, and Taro rings it, so that it dissipates the dark cloud of Mururoa that has enveloped the Earth.
Episode 33-4: Appears with the Six Ultra Brothers against Tempera-seijin. Hideki Goh also appears with his fellow human forms.
Episode 40: The Ultra brothers get beat up by Tyrant, a vengeful monster created by parts of many past monsters.
Episode 52: Gets his ColorTimer stolen by monster Dorobon.

Ultraman Leo
Episode 34: Delivers monster ball Sevengar to Dan Moroboshi. On his way, Ashuran slaps a magic mask on his face, which he wears even as Hideki Goh.
Episodes 38-9: Appears with Zoffy, Ultraman, Ace, and the Ultra Father, in a rumble with Leo and a fake Astra over the stolen Ultra Key... the issue is resolved by Ultraman King and the real Astra.