ULTRAMAN: The Official Novelization by Pat Cadigan continues to delve deeper into the experience of Shin Hayata than any previous iteration of the classic Ultraman tale. As the second chapter unravels, we are led down the rabbit hole of Shin’s psyche as he is faced with a new kind of antagonist.
In the aftermath of his showdown with Bemular, SSSP second in command, Shin Hayata, sits with his stirring emotions. The psychological acclimation to his newfound power begins.
Shin reckons with his victory over the massive beast, wondering if he has superseded his own humanity. His body is no longer his own, his responsibility has been incomprehensibly inflated, and he is now part-alien.
He recalls the surrealism of everything large shrinking down as his body transforms. Everything that seems so important when you’re six feet becomes insignificant when you’re twenty times larger. It’s not an entirely foreign feeling, plenty of us know what it’s like to grow past the relevance of circumstances that once seemed dire.
Shin grapples with the longevity of his power- For three minutes at a time, he is invincible, but in every other aspect of his life, he is indistinguishable from any other mortal. That shock in adrenaline must feel like a sugar spike! Getting a glimpse into immortality could almost become addictive.
Shin is suspended in a state of curiosity, trying to understand this evolved version of himself. There is a deep existentialism to being a host, you become your most honorable attribute, but you must also make even more honorable sacrifices.
The rest of the crew deals with their own shift, as the media becomes suddenly interested in spotlighting their work, after the Bemular-incident. The crew’s personalities begin to shine as Ide leans into the flamboyance while Fuji appreciates from the sidelines and Arashi attempts to avoid all attention, dealing with the aftermath of a strange encounter with Alien Baltans at the Science Center.
We learn that a troop of Alien Baltan had landed on Earth and turned the Science Center into their temporary docking place. Though their reason for landing here was unknown, it became apparent that they held great power when Science Center regular, Arashi, was caught on camera getting frozen alive by defensive Baltans.
The SSSP hit the scene as soon as they could, with a plan to engage in peaceful communication with the extraterrestrials if possible. Ide painstakingly tries to speak with the Baltans via tablet but quickly learns that the Baltans are capable of creating mirages of themselves, confusing humans and freezing them into hardened shells.
A barrage of phantom aliens emerged from the shadows, using their façades to disorient our team. On cue, one being possesses Arashi, eerily speaking through his mouth. We learn that the Baltans were initially stranded on Earth after surviving a meteor crash, and have since decided to inhabit our planet with their population of a humble two billion…
Shin tries to explain that we don’t have enough resources to support that influx in life, but the Baltans admit they aren’t familiar with the concept of preserving anyone’s lives but their own. Now Shin is beginning to see the spectrum of morality held by aliens across the galaxy. Some aliens are space beasts, simply trying to survive despite their destructive nature, others are sentient intellectuals who have value systems and empathy, and others are a strange combination of the two, give or take some attributes.
The Baltans self-prioritization was evident when they jumped to merciless attack, flinging Shin into unconsciousness. When woken by the sound of battle, Shin realized he must take a 12-foot leap of faith to the window below and secure the beta capsule.
The stakes only got higher when Shin realized that it was nighttime and he could no longer rely on the sun as an energy-charger. There was no pep-talk with Ultraman this time. This is all him.
And so, Shin is forced to muster bravery and live up to his new title as Ultraman, making super-human decisions from a human body. We can only become our most capable self if we make the choices that version would make.
Make sure to get your copy of Pat Cadigan’s ULTRAMAN: The Official Novelization to find out how Ultraman handles the Baltans for yourself and stay tuned for more here on Ultraman Connection! And if you’re coming to Kaiju Brooklyn in Industry City next weekend, 5/31-6/1, make sure you pick up YOUR copy of the book at Powerhouse Books!
