The
tenth hour-long episode of Hanna Barbera’s Space Stars (1981) opens with a
Space Ghost tale called “Space Cube of Doom.”
A
space lab is attacked while Space Ghost is engaged in a job assisting the
Herculoids on Quasar. The heroes discover that the cube-like spaceship is
controlled by Ultima, a “space” computer.
Ultima
plans to conquer the galaxy by eliminating human individuality. Ultima
reprograms human minds to think like it does, and brainwashes Jan and Jace as
its first victims. Space Ghost must free them from this slavery, and trick
Ultima into brainwashing himself (itself?)
The
second story of the week is “Wordstar,” starring Teen Force. Here, Uglor
intercepts a crashed spaceship and finds a chip that grants him total and
complete power.
The
Herculoids star in “Space Trappers,” a story which sees them captured by an
intergalactic circus. This is the same plot, essentially, as the 1942 movie Tarzan’s
New York Adventure. We have our Tarzan, Jane and Boy in Zandor, Tara
and Dorno, and the Herculoid beasts of Quasar double as the animal friends of
the Great Escarpment.
The
second Space Ghost episode of the hour is called “The Time Master” and it
involves a criminal named Tempus who is using his power to reverse a planet’s
time-line, making it a prehistoric world.
The
Space Ace episode of the week is called “Galactic Vac is back” and it is a
low-point even for this show. Here, the villain “Galactic Vac” flies around the
galaxy in a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking up objects I hopes of becoming rich.
When he is captured by Space Ace and Astro-mutt, Galactic Vac’s punishment is
to hold a “galactic garage sale” where he gives back everything his space
vacuum sucked up.
The
Space Stars Finale episode of the week is “Uglor Conquers the Universe, and
it’s pretty much exactly what is sounds like. Uglor uses the energy of a
neutron star to come a giant in space. “I
am the universe!” he declares. The Teen Force and the Herculoids team up to
stop him, using the long-abandoned technology of the City of the Ancients on
Quasar to get the job done.
At
the end of the episode, one character notes “with great power comes great responsibility.” Where have I heard
that before?
Yes,
this is a series that steals from the very best (like Stan Lee, and Marvel) and
yet is still the pits.
The
Space Magic segment this week has Jan and Blip doing a card trick. The Space
Fact involves the birth and deaths of stars. Supernovas are discussed, and
featured as part of the Space Mystery.
Next
week -- at last -- the final episode of Space Stars!
You got this, John!I have every confidence in you!
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