| Scramble X-Bomber | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by |
Michio Mikami |
| Produced by | |
| Written by | |
| Air Date (JP) |
October 11, 1980 |
| Air Date (UK) |
October 23, 1982 |
| Previous episode | |
| Next episode | |
Scramble X-Bomber (スクランブル・Xボンバー sukuranburu X bonbā) is the first episode of Star Fleet, excluding the Unaired Pilot. It aired on October 11, 1980 on Fuji TV in Japan, and October 23, 1982 in the UK.
Plot Summary[]
 Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
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The year is 2999, Space War 3 had just ended and the galaxy is enjoying peace. The solar system, with Earth as its leader is rebuilding and re-forging hope out of the devastation. Star Fleet Command is the head of Earth's defenses. The peace is disturbed when a battlecruiser comes out of the Thalian Zone. Headed by the evil Commander Makara, the battlecruiser destroys an approaching Star Fleet cruiser.
Captain Carter of Star Fleet's Pluto Base contacts the headquarters of Earth Defence Forces (EDF) informing them of the loss. Astrofighters are scrambled from Pluto Base to intercept the enemy. The cruiser is swarmed but wipes out the fleet. General Kyle realises invasion is imminent and contacts Dr. Benn on Moonbase to get their secret X-Project underway. The Doctor argues that it is only 90% complete, but agrees given that three of the top pilots are sent to pilot. General Kyle chooses Space Cadets Shiro Hagen, John Lee and Barry Hercules to pilot.
Hercules and Lee ask Shiro about his father because he is the one responsible for the X Project, but Shiro tells them he hasn't spoken with his father for years. The pilots land at Moon Base and are introduced to Dr. Benn, his assistant Lamia, and Dr. Benn's robot assistant called PPA; Perfectly Programmed Android. Meanwhile, back on the Alien cruiser, Commander Makara orders Captain Orion to launch an attack on Pluto Base. Pluto Base is put on Red Alert, but defences aren't enough to combat the enemy. Carter is knocked out and presumed dead.
Back at Moonbase, Dr. Benn shows the pilots the X-Bomber; the Space Craft of the X-Project when General Kyle contacts Dr. Benn and informs him of the news of Pluto Base's demise. The boys are concerned about Captain Carter, who was their instructor at training school. X-Project has to be launched immediately. Initially the crew are reluctant to take on X-Bomber, having had no tests. Dr Benn reprimands the boys, saying that he'll fly the ship himself. The boys, rebuffed, join him on the bridge. X-Bomber's launch countdown commences.
Captain Orion in the Imperial drone craft passes Saturn and detects X-Bomber's takeoff, and responds by launching his fighters. Shiro and Hercules engage the enemies using the right and left gun turrets. Massively outnumbered X-Bomber is severely damaged and crashes onto the Moon's surface, the fate of its crew unknown, as Alliance fighters circle overhead and General Kyle admits all hope is lost.
Quotes[]
- The Imperial Master - "Let the attack commence! Victory will be ours!"
- Commander Makara - "Prepare laser torpedoes, combined cluster assault with maximum penetration of the Star Fleet Cruiser! Don't leave a single particle of it!"
- Star Cruiser 1 Pilot - "Pluto Base, Pluto Base, this is Star Fleet Cruiser 1. Sighted large alien warship entering our galaxy from Thalian Zone."
- Narrator - "The year is 2999. Space War 3 has ended. The galaxy is once again enjoying a time of peace. Our Solar System, with the Earth as its leader, is slowly rebuilding - attempting to forge new hope out of the ashes of devastation. Star Fleet, the spearhead of Earth's defences, is commanded here at the headquarters of EDF - Earth Defence Forces."
- Captain Carter - "At Star-time 35426, Star Cruiser 1 was attacked by laser torpedoes fired from an alien ship. No provocation, no warning, no survivors."
- Astro Fighter 1 Captain - "There's our unwanted guest, fellas - just sitting there. Let's give her a little laser torpedo show!"
- General Kyle - "What's the outcome of the battle?"
- Number One - "It has failed, sir!"
- General Kyle - "What do you mean 'failed'?!"
- Shiro Hagen - "Space Pilot Hagen, sir."
- John Lee - "Space Pilot John Lee."
- Barry Hercules - "And I'm Barry Hercules, Doc."
- Dr. Benn - "Cadet Hercules, Dr. Benn if you please."
- Number One- "At Star-time 00342, the enemy fleet rose from Pluto's surface, bound for Earth!"
Voice Cast[]
Main Cast[]
Secondary Cast[]
| Character | Japanese Voice | English Voice | French Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Termoids | Masaharu Satō | John Baddeley | Frédéric Pieretti |
| Makara's Symbiote | Jacob Witkin | Annie Balestra | |
| Star Fleet Cruiser 1 Captain | Hideyuki Tanaka | Mark Rolston | Michel Elias |
| Communications Officer | Naoki Tatsuta | Jay Benedict | Frédéric Pieretti |
| Astro Fighter 1 Pilot | Masaharu Satō | Mark Rolston | |
| Astro Fighter Pilot | N/A | Sean Barrett | N/A |
| Pluto Base Officer | Masaharu Satō | Mark Rolston | Frédéric Pieretti |
| Star Cruiser 17 Pilot | N/A | Constantine Gregory | N/A |
| Moonbase Secretary | Denise Bryer |
Equipment Used[]
Earth Defence Forces[]
- X-Bomber
- Star Fleet Cruiser 1
- Pluto Astro Fighters
- Star Cruiser 17
Imperial Alliance[]
- Imperial Battle Cruiser
- Imperial Carrier Craft
- Imperial Fighters
Trivia[]
- The English version takes sound effects straight from Gerry Anderson's Space: 1999, specifically the episodes The Last Enemy, The Metamorph and Space Warp.
- The UK drum n' bass group Bad Company used Captain Carter's quote, "At Star-time 35426, Star Cruiser 1 was attacked by laser torpedoes fired from an alien ship. No provocation, no warning, no survivors." as a sample on their 2002 track 'Torpedo'.