Ultraman: The Official Novelization serves as an anthology of adventures, each chapter a self-contained journey that builds on itself. The bigger picture slowly unravels as our crew navigates the onslaught of Kaiju interference in drastically different settings. This time, in Chapter 3, we journey to the land where Kaiju reign, and humans are the hunted.
After Ultraman’s victory against the Alien Baltan, Shin Hayata is left to protect his double life. After Arashi’s eyewitness report alleges Hayata having jumped off of the roof of the Science Center building and miraculously surviving, eyebrows are raised. Ide shares his suspicions with Hayata; He, for one, thinks Hayata is Ultraman- That was fast.
Hayata convinces Ide that he isn’t Ultraman he was just… saved by Ultraman. That’ll work. Either way, the two have bigger things to worry about when they are assigned to investigate Tatara Island, where Kaiju reign.
On Tatara, Department of Meteorology researchers Matsui and Kawada are stuck stranded. Matsui waits with an injured, infected leg for Kawada to retrieve food, but he’s not sure if Kawada survived long enough to return. Through his anxiety, he’s kept company by a baby Pigmon who appears to be lost on the island. They nurture him, though they hope not to find his (probably larger) mother. In the distance, the mighty Red King threatens the island’s population — Kaiju and human alike — with his bellowing call.
Fuji flies Hayata, Ide, Arashi, and Muramatsu to the island, watching monsters devour each other from their ship. Fuji tries to identify which creatures these beasts have descended from, hypothesizing they are combinations of dinosaurs, elephants, and other giant creatures. Fascinating to consider what DNA might create the Kaiju of Earth. Might they have shared ancestors with animals we know and love, or are they something entirely different?
Either way, Tatara seems akin to the Kaiju Graveyard in terms of dominion by the mighty and monstrous (not that we’ve been introduced to the Kaiju Graveyard at this point). The crew bob and weave, avoiding the attention of the monsters, but one burrowing beast, Macular, is persistent. Muramatsu and Hayata face off with it, but things escalate fast. The attack sets off a grenade, incapacitating the monster, and Hayata is blown down an embankment in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, Ide, Fuji, and Arashi follow clues left by Pigmon, the most special little guy. Pigmon chitters as he guides them through the island, right to the wounded Matsui. When they all hear Red King’s wail once again, Matsui warns them that the creatures on this island are smarter than they look, a bone-chilling realization when dealing with horrifying creatures.
Hayata tries to retrieve the Beta Capsule, only to realize that he has lost it. Between almost getting found out, and losing the Beta Capsule for the second time, the pressure is on. Is Hayata ready for the responsibility of being Ultraman?
Luckily, he spots it, though it’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Knowing he must make up for his misstep, Hayata delves his arm into the tight space, pulling a layer of skin off his arm, bleeding as he holds up the green cylinder. He is beginning to learn how to reason with mortality in mind, taking immediate risks to give him a chance at salvation.
Red King begins to target Pigmon, burying him under a pile of rocks, and killing him. The crew attacks Red King with their flare guns to hold him off, but it only angers him. They deduce that the beast is punishing their little Kaiju mascot for being friendly to humans. If these creatures are smarter than they seem, might they have a culture? Are they capable of prejudice, or taboo? Why would Red King punish a social behavior if there wasn’t some sort of code of conduct…
Red King interrupts the speculation and begins throwing boulders at all of them. He doesn’t go on for long, though, without the interjection of our silver giant. Ultraman arrives, and Fuji is left awe-inspired, wondering: How the heck does this guy always know when to come?
Red King is shocked at Ultraman’s sheer size. He has never been faced with a being so large, and so… not-Kaiju. This might be the first time we get an understanding of what’s going on inside the mind of a Kaiju when faced with a warrior of light.
Taking advantage of his shock, Ultraman gets cocky, thinking to himself he could take this beast down in an instant- Though his wise mind quickly takes over before Red King takes his head. The warning is clear — our hero’s life is always at risk when in battle, and not to take his skill for granted. Getting scolded like that by a cosmic perspective would be enough to throw me off my balance!
Using Hayata’s memories from earlier in their journey, Ultraman mimics Red King by beating his chest to signal dominance and throw him off. Fuji wonders how he knew to do that, given he hadn’t been observing Red King earlier…
Ultraman shoots Red King with energy, incapacitating him, and finishing him off with a mighty swing-and-throw combination. When the dust clears, Hayata emerges from the smoke, looking like the weakest link. The crew simultaneously wonders why he’s always the last one to regroup.
They all bury the unsalvageable members of the meteorology troop, as well as the body of our briefly loved Pigmon. The crew mourns those who sacrificed themselves, but all of their minds are also elsewhere, occupied by questions. Why is Ultraman helping him? What’s going on with Hayata? How did all of these Kaiju get here in the first place?
We’ll see if the answers reveal themselves, or if it’ll take further pursuit to figure out what exactly is going on. Be sure to get your copy of Pat Cadigan’s ULTRAMAN: The Official Novelization and stay tuned for more here on Ultraman Connection!
