In
the fifth episode of Star Blazers (1979), the damaged
Argo is dragged into the gravitational pull of the planet Jupiter. After passing through a layer of dense
clouds, the Argo unexpectedly finds a “floating continent” and sets down there for
repairs.
Unfortunately
a Gamilon fighter base is also secretly stationed on that very continent, and a
terrifying trap is sprung. Wildstar does
battle with an enemy fighter, but for Argo to escape the Gamilons, the wave
motion gun must be tested for the first time.
Fortunately,
the gun works.
In
fact, the weapon is so powerful and destructive that it obliterates not just
the Gamilon base, but the entire floating continent. Captain Avatar concludes that the ship “used too much power” and must be “very careful in the future.”
Meanwhile,
the Gamilons are stunned at Argo’s power, and now the game is truly afoot.
Only
361 days remain until Earth’s destruction…
The
Argo’s shakedown or trial-by-fire continues in this episode as the wave motion
gun is deployed for the first time. The
power of the thing is incredible, and a little frightening. Watching this episode, I wondered if that
was actually the point. Much of Japanese
genre entertainment features terrifying technological advances, from Gojira’s
(1954) Oxygen Destroyer to Star Blazers’ wave motion gun. No
doubt, this is a result of the country’s well-founded fear about nuclear
warfare.
The
implicit question of any such weaponry is, simply: what kind of man does it
take to control a technological innovation of such terror and raw power? In this case, fortunately, Captain Avatar is
that man, and he is depicted as wise and eminently reasonable. His response to the deployment of the powerful
weapon is to pull back; to think about the future and the proper application of
the device. He promises to be very
careful in the future. This is indeed a reassuring strategy, and again, I find myself drawn to Avatar. I like his sense of calm and “centered-ness.”
I
won’t make any more comments this week about Argo being able to traverse the
distance from Mars to Jupiter without the star drive (after harnessing that
incredible power to reach Mars from Earth), since I covered it thoroughly last
week. I will note, however, many of the beautiful images this week, like Argo listing to one side in the rainbow-hued atmosphere of Jupiter, or the white-hot flower and destructive flare of the wave motion gun. I also love the visuals of Argo skimming the ground and lifting off - its nose ascendant -- as it leaves the floating continent.
Instead,
I’ll only note that this animated series has done a good job so far of getting
viewers on the side of the beleaguered Star Force. Although the wave motion gun is a terrifying
thing, there’s also a sense of accomplishment and triumph in the destruction of
the bad guys. Although the Argo defeated
the ultra-menace missile and survived an engagement with a Gamilon carrier,
this is the first instance in which the Gamilons have really taken it on the
chin, and had their arrogant confidence shaken.
They were clearly not ready for the Argo to bear so much power, and it’s
good to see the conquering aliens rocked back on their heels, at least a bit.
The
Argo, we now see, can at least defend itself on its long journey to Iscandar. But after damage on Mars and repairs on
Jupiter, the great battleship better get moving…
John interesting review of an important episode. I think the wave-motion gun firing was much more impressive than anything else in science-fiction. The Star Trek phaser banks or the Star Wars Death Star main weapon was never as intense as the wave-motion gun.
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