Season 3
1New Dark Clouds
24 minOct 7, 1979
Weeks after the dust settles from Sosai X's destruction, a tiny fragment of the alien revives and begins to rebuild itself into Sosai Zed. Using the remains of an old shipyard, Zed builds a vast mechanical pyramid fortress and levitates it over the ocean. Meanwhile, the rest of the world quits rebuilding from the wreckage of the thwarted Solar Shift Plan and go back to what they do best: waging war. We meet Count Egobossler, successful ruler of a growing number of territories, and an aspiring megalomaniac. Egobossler meets Sosai Zed, who decides to use Egobossler's brilliant military tactics to his own advantage, and the two strike a deal. In the wake of Chief Anderson's death in Gatchaman II, Nambu is promoted to Chief Administrator of the ISO. The Kagaku Ninjatai cope with the unusual peace. Feeling useless during peacetime, Joe wallows in boredom and self pity while Nambu tries to find a way to recharge him after his near-destruction in G-II.
2Debut! Gatcha Spartan
24 minOct 14, 1979
Egobossler's first attack, backed up by one of Zed's giant mechs, completely startles out heroes. Ken, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu rush to the scene of the battle (leaving Joe behind to quietly expire). The mech is too powerful, and the New Godphoenix is completely trashed in the first skirmish with Egobossler. Fortunately, Chief Engineer Saburo Kamo is waiting in the wings with brand new mechs. With only one problem: the new vehicles need five operators to combine. It's up to Joe, who upon hearing the phrase, "Gallactor has returned," will crawl on his final strength to rejoin the team. TheGatchaspartan saves the day.
3A Tainted Oasis
24 minOct 21, 1979
4The Challenge of the Iron Commandos
24 minOct 28, 1979
5Charge! The Terrible Soldiers
24 minNov 4, 1979
6Burn! Gatchaman Fencer
24 minNov 11, 1979
Ken asks the same question viewers have probably been asking since the beginning: "Enough battling the little guys--why can't we meet Egobossler head on?" The Team does, but fails miserably. This episode ends in a very disturbing role reversal scene with Ken--now beyond reason--raging at a laughing Egobossler, and Joe finally having to bring all his strength into play to drag Ken back into the Gatchaspartan.
7Steal the Giant Iron Beast
24 minNov 18, 1979
The Kagaku Ninjatai continue their tries at direct confrontation by stealing aboard Zed's tower and facing him directly. This doesn't work either (can we say "outnumbered"?), though they do get in a few good punches.
8The Desperate Outlaw Squad
24 minNov 25, 1979
9Fear of the Extinction Ray Gun
24 minDec 2, 1979
10Danger! Gatchaman Base
24 minDec 9, 1979
11The Saturn Limited Express Z-Press
24 minDec 16, 1979
12The Order to Destroy the Mantle Base
24 minDec 23, 1979
13Violence?! The Decisive Battle of Agrika
24 minDec 30, 1980
14Destruction by Fire! Egobossler's Palace
24 minJan 6, 1980
15Hell's Burning Ambition
24 minJan 13, 1980
16A Deadly Butterfly Dances in the Dark
24 minJan 20, 1980
17Horror of the Evil Smoke City
24 minJan 27, 1980
18The Spectacular Crash of G-1
24 minFeb 3, 1980
19Don't Touch the Super Stuff!
24 minFeb 10, 1980
Mercenary scientist Professor Gordon develops an indestructible material called Neophryte and decides to sell it to the highest bidder. So he summons agents from both Gallactor (Egobossler's first officer, Kempler) and the ISO (the Gatchaman, naturally) to meet alone on a spot he specifies. Of course Kempler doesn't come alone, but much to both his and Ken's surprise, neither does Ken. While the Gallactors and the rest of the Kagaku Ninjatai take part in a snarling standoff outside, Gordon, Kempler and Ken negotiate. Kempler offers money, while Ken refuses to haggle, stating honor and decency as his reasons (and knowing as Gordon does that once he withdraws his protection, Gallactor will simply take what they want by force). Worried about his father, Gordon's son finally ends the standoff and uncovers the compound for both sides to fight over. Joe uses a bazooka loaded with Neophryte to blow a hole in the monstermech that appears at the end.
20Appearance! Terror of the Triple Iron Beast
24 minFeb 17, 1980
21Angry Joe! Fright of the Flaming Bird
24 minFeb 24, 1980
22Order to Blast the Satellite
24 minMar 2, 1980
23The Evil of Mechaland
24 minMar 9, 1980
24A Warrior's Pride
24 minJul 16, 1980
25Sky Riders from Hell
24 minMar 23, 1980
One of Egobossler's old friends and colleagues Oncain, is also the last man on Earth who knows Count Egobossler's deep, dark secrets. The Kagaku Ninjatai get to Oncain first and try to convince him to stay away from Egobossler, but the man will have nothing of it. He invites the Team to go fox-hunting and with his two children, Michael and Mary, and as they're distracted, arranges to meet with Egobossler. The inevitable showdown with Egobossler and his special Skyrider command is spectacular, but even Ken and Joe at their best can't prevent Ego from gunning down his man. Joe comes round the corner just in time as Ego shoots Oncain right before Michael and Mary's eyes (triggering a flashback where you almost see the faces of Joe's parents). In the final scene, Joe kneels down and has a little heart-to-heart talk with Michael. You don't hear what he says, only Michael's reactions.
26G-1 Enraged! A New Way to Kill
24 minMar 30, 1980
27The Mystery of Egobossler's Birth
24 minApr 6, 1980
28Desperate Fight! Valley of Betrayal
24 minApr 13, 1980
29Cruelty! The Separation of Brother and Sister
24 minApr 20, 1980
30The Creeping Alien
24 minApr 27, 1980
31Runaway! The Great Train Chase
24 minMay 4, 1980
32Mystery of the Space Pulse
24 minMay 11, 1980
33A Promise Kept
24 minMay 18, 1980
34Egobossler's Strategy
24 minMay 25, 1980
35The Shadow of Death Approaches G-1
24 minJun 1, 1980
36Hypershoot Crisis
24 minJun 8, 1980
37Revive Gatchaman
24 minJun 15, 1980
38Bracelet of Friendship
24 minJun 22, 1980
39Downfall! Count Egobossler
24 minJun 29, 1980
40Surprise Attack of the Mecha Waterspout
24 minJul 5, 1980
41Collapse! Gatchaman Base
24 minJul 12, 1980
42The Death of Chief Nambu
24 minJul 19, 1980
43The Destruction of Gallatown
24 minJul 26, 1980Now viewing
44The Space Devil Draws Near
24 minAug 3, 1980
45Threat of the Antimatter Planet
24 minAug 10, 1980
46G-1 Desperate for High Power
24 minAug 17, 1980
47Earth Extinction! 3 2 1
24 minAug 24, 1980
48Gatchaman Eternal
23 minAug 31, 1980
The Team searches for Zed in his tower, and are thrown around like playthings. When they finally meet up, they discover what happened to Egobossler: his corpse is pinned against a wall in Zed's main chamber, run through by his own sword. At this point, Joe picks up on Zed's vital signs (as Rafael had designed him to) and tracks the alien to his last refuge, where the Kagaku Ninjatai battle to destroy him... and fall. Chief Nambu's mysterious pendant (an unanalyzed device he'd instructed Kamo to give to the Team before the last battle) comes into play then, activating the Gatchaspartan and swallowing the fallen ninjas with light... The final scene is of an enormous firebird breaking free of Zed's exploding tower and flying around the Earth, leaving us to analyze the wide open ending. (Chances are high, though, that they aren't dead--they're still under contract, after all.