Where Do We Go From Here?

What you see above is the cover to OWARI #2 (May 1996), the public debut of ROJ. This landmark issue of my fanzine was discussed earlier this week on the OWARI blog. I thought it appropriate to include the image and link to that entry here, since we're going to discuss the future of this site.

This has been a pivotal year for ROJ. The "New Return of Jetman" story was finally concluded. The site itself was transferred to Blogger. A number of new additions were made during the update process. So now we stand on the verge of 2011 and the question is...what's next?

1) Believe it or not, there is still material that needs to be added to the site. Production notes for Episodes 13 and 14 of the first ROJ and the entire NROJ series are still pending. We also need to return the "History of ROJ" feature to its place here. The plan is to wrap up these loose ends before the end of 2011. I'm sure there are a few spare odds and ends that will be appearing, too.

2) There will be NO new art commissions for ROJ in the foreseeable future. However, that doesn't prevent enterprising fans from creating fanart if they choose. Please see the FAQ for the means to contact us regarding fanart.

3) There will be NO new fiction pertaining to the ROJ cast on this site in the foreseeable future. There is a slight chance that a few of the original, non-sentai characters (Dr. Diabolo, "Wild" Bill Jackson, Dirk Dixon, Hellvira Spitfire) might appear in new stories, but the main cast's tale is finished.

The thing I most want to emphasize is that the Return of Jetman site won't be going anywhere just because the series has concluded. On the contrary - I made the move to Blogger to ensure that the site WOULD continue. It probably won't be as active as it was in its heyday, but it will still be here and still be updated from time to time.

If you're a die-hard fan, or just can't get enough Christopher Elam in your life, there is category devoted to ROJ over at OWARI. It has mostly been devoted to update notices, but there are a few things that didn't really belong here. It may include exclusive content in the future, depending on how things work out.

Thank you for your support, and for making 2010 such a memorable year for Return of Jetman!

Scribbly Little Etsuko by Kabuki Katze (2004)

Scribbly Little Etsuko by Kabuki Katze (2004)

Artwork © Kabuki Katze. Originally created in 2004.

Based on "White Swan" from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency). Etsuko Oishi © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith.

One From The Vaults

I've recently been scanning material from my fanzine OWARI, for eventual inclusion on the blog of the same name. One of the artifacts I unearthed was this short piece that appeared in OWARI #6 (October 1999).

This was intended to promote the planned ROJ revival that didn't come to pass. It is mostly notable in that it is the first published ROJ piece that was written entirely by me. As you may notice, it follows the continuity of the story as originally conceived by Lewis Smith and presented in the pages of OWARI #2 and #3. That technically makes it part of the apocrypha, but I consider it more of a curio than anything else.

I could have just retyped this for presentation here, but it would have lost some of its crude fanzine charm in the transition. Ergo, I have reproduced it exactly the way you would have seen it in OWARI #6 waaay back in 1999-2000.

ROJ Episode 12 Notes

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Know Your Enemy"
(Episode 12)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2009-2010 Christopher Elam

 

Episode 12 - "Know Your Enemy" wrapped principal writing on May 6, 2003. The title (probably the best of the ROJ series) has a double-meaning which should be obvious after reading the episode. The operative phrase is "Know your enemy, know yourself," but going with that as the full title would have tipped my hand fairly early.

I'm quite happy with the way this episode turned out, though it was not universally beloved. It does sort of backpedal a little from the rather insane cliffhanger of the previous episode, but that was something I knew would happen ahead of time. I just felt all the elements managed to tie together in a completely satisfying way.

• The early revelation of Etsuko's plight was a tactical decision that didn't necessarily sit well with all readers. It was important to me to establish that something very strange was going on in this story, and the opening clearly threw the events of the previous episode into question. I think there was a sense of disappointment in some quarters that I didn't follow through on the radical promise of the cliffhanger, but...well, I'll deal with that later in these notes.
  
  
  
• I attempted to subtly place the flashback in the opening sequence into its proper place in continuity for Ep. 9. Here's a hint - would the real Etsuko have acted the way she did in Ken's bedroom? Especially after what had happened?
  
  
  
• Someone else was living Etsuko's life. - This "mental connection" twist on the standard imposter plotline turned out to be absolutely vital in making the episode work. It added an immediacy to the story that might have been lacking without it, and proved to be the key to the climax. Not too shabby when you realize it wasn't part of the original plan.
  
  
  
• The revelation that Gai (and Kei!) knew about Ken's duplicity in Episode 7 was bought in to ratchet up the almost unbearable level of tension among the remaining Jetmen.
  
  
  
• "I mean, what's a traitor, after all?"/"A traitor is a dirty motherfu..." - This exchange is based on a similar one in the martial arts films THOUSAND MILE ESCORT. And yes, its English dubbing defines "traitor" in just such colorful terms.
  
  
  
• The identity of "Grey Shrike" was created by Lewis for the original draft of Episode 5, as discussed in the notes for that episode. I chose to recycle it for the "evil" White Swan in this story because I felt it was a strong name and it reduced the possibility of confusing her with the real Etsuko.
  
  
  
• Neither the city of Sapporo nor Mt. Shokanbetsu (both on the island of Hokkaido) got enough attention in Japanese sci-fi, so I used them in incidental fashion.
  
  
  
• Chaos Pollux survived Ep. 11 and accompanied "White Swan" during her escape. As you can see, that didn't work out for him.
  
  
  
• Betrayal is a long-standing tradition among sentai villains, and Grey Shrike's felt logical after the events of Ep. 8. Her "link" to the real Etsuko also granted her ice powers, as seen here. Look, don't ask, just buy it. And yes, this scene revealed her TRUE identity if there was any doubt.
  
  
  
• The exploration of Etsuko's character, and her perceived culpability in Grey Shrike's actions, was what made this story special to me. She was one of the harder characters to nail down when the series started, so it was satisfying to reach the point here where I felt I understood her and everything that had happened with her.
  

  It's worth noting that it was an open question when work began on the ROJ revival whether she would really turn on her teammates or not. I just didn't know, and let the story flow as it would. I did at one point conceptualize her evil identity as the wholly alien "Ice Princess"/"Ice Queen" and envisioned how this might play out at the story's conclusion.
  

  I ultimately chose the route I did because I felt her potential motives for betraying not only her team but her planet were just too thin. She seemed too moral to make that choice, and I couldn't justify it. I hinted at this with her reactions in Ep. 5, by which time plans had become more fully formed for the "backstabbing" plot.
  
  
  

• Jet Cruiser is ROJ's answer to the "carrier ships" that were at one time a staple of the sentai series. An early example (and chief inspiration) is Battle Shark in BATTLE FEVER J, which both held Battle Fever Robo and launched from an underwater base.
  
  
  
• Poseidon Base, Skyforce's headquarters in the Pacific Ocean, is a tribute to "Center Neptune" from the BATTLE OF THE PLANETS cartoon series. It was first alluded to in the previous episode.
  
  
  
• There was considerable debate on precisely what form Victory Fighter/Victory Icarus (christened by Lewis) would take. Originally, the plan called for what were termed "capsule fighters", or perhaps smaller robots akin to the ones featured in KAKURANGER. It was eventually decided to go for a concept similar to Phoenix Fighter, which it was replacing in the continuity anyway. Victory Icarus being regarded as sleeker and doing martial arts moves was inspired by the aforementioned KAKURANGER mecha, as well as some well-placed MASKMAN references.
  
  
  
• Somewhat tellingly, only Ken dismisses the notion out of hand that Grey Shrike is not really Etsuko at all.
  
  
  
• Etsuko's escape might have been a lot more explicit and/or brutal had I been feeling particularly feisty when I wrote it. As it stands, it dabbled in both aspects in a way that might shock some people. This sequence is also the first time that any of the Jetmen display their powers out of their special costumes. Etsuko using hers to "disguise" herself was a very unusual touch, but one I liked.
  
  
  
• Miira's intent to build the suspicion and dislike between Ken and Kei back in Ep. 8 paid off in the end, as they are still contentious even in Jet Cruiser's cockpit.
  
  
  
• Ken's doubts about assuming the leadership of the team were expressed in Ep. 9, so his offer to resign felt like a natural conclusion (even if it isn't accepted).
  
  
  
• "Turbo Lasers" either comes from STAR WARS or TURBORANGER. Take your pick.
  
  
  
• "Victory Fighter - TAKE OFF!" - This command was inspired by a similar one in GODZILLA VS. DESTROYER.
  
  
  
• Victory Icarus' control globes were drawn from similar devices found in the robot Daireno in GOSEI SENTAI DAIRANGER.
  
  
  
• I didn't really expect anyone to believe a block of ice would hold Lord Xenotos for any length of time. His breaking free just comes quicker than Miira probably hoped. His decision to take his marbles (and Hedes) and go home points up his conflict over the situation. He could have taken a side and then turned on his ally, but he doesn't. He just leaves.
  
  
  
• After a flurry of activity and explanations, Miira's ace in the hole regarding that tricky mental connection comes into play during the finale. I am kind of proud of this, as it heightens the danger for the heroes and serves as a logical explanation why Miira would keep Etsuko alive.
  
  
  
• Green Wyvern's powers were not created specifically to resolve this problem, but they were literally too perfect to resist here. So Kei got to be a hero, and Etsuko got a glimpse into what makes Kei tick in the bargain. As seen later in the story, this is the genesis of them burying the hatchet and possibly becoming friends.
  
  
  
• Reiko & Gohan finally make their relationship a romantic one. Reiko's smoking habit, a minor subplot, is quietly tabled in passing. I wonder how many people noticed?
  
  
  
• The revelation that Ken had proposed to "Etsuko" puts a different spin on his thoughts and actions in this episode. A special source of pride for me is that I didn't go for the easy way out and have Ken and Etsuko end up back in love with everything forgiven. It's not that nice and neat.
  
  
  
• Toranza is still understandably bitter over the events of Episode 8. His Agony Cap (OK, yes, a dunce cap) was something that Lewis felt would be particularly amusing. He was right.
  
  
  
• A problem that arose in writing Episode 12 was that it demanded that Miira be killed off at the end. This was a problem because I sort of needed her for subsequent episodes, yet there was no logical way to keep her around. Re-enter Red Kestrel from Episode 5, or at least a reasonable facsimile created via some mumbo jumbo. Her role is to fill the void left by Miira's absence. It didn't hurt that her reappearance made for a suitably compelling ending
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

ROJ Episode 11 Notes

RETURN OF JETMAN

"The Nexus Of The Crisis"
(Episode 11)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2008-2010 Christopher Elam

 

Episode 11 - "The Nexus Of The Crisis" wrapped principal writing on April 1, 2003. The title is inspired by a line from the Blue Öyster Cult song "Astronomy", and was chosen after completion of the story. What's most interesting about this story is that I had no strong idea at the outset about what exactly it would involve - except for its ending. It evolved as I went, and what felt like a series of disconnected vignettes seemed to blend together into a seamless whole. At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

• The meditation on flying in the opening was an offbeat idea of mine that found its way into the narrative. I also used it as an opportunity to review the arc of Green Wyvern's character to refresh everyone's memories. This worked out rather well, because her efforts to fit into the Jetman dynamic end up being the entire theme of the story.
  
  
  
• Toranza's revelation in Episode 8 that Jetman had defeated all of the Chaos Beasts sets up the introduction of the Chaos Myth Beasts in this episode. As it turns out, changing monster-types in mid-stream is far from unknown in the Japanese superhero genre. In JETMAN, for example, the "Jigen Ju" ("Dimension Beasts") were replaced by "Bio Jigen Ju" ("Bio Dimension Beasts") during the series. I opted to switch to "Chaos Myth Beasts" to add a little variety to my rogues gallery.
  
  
  
• Speaking as I was of Toranza, this episode is our first glimpse of him since his rescue from certain death (excepting his "dream" encounter with Green Wyvern in Ep. 9). I'll own up to the fact that Lord Xenotos using him as a yes man/puppet is something born from a cruel sense of whimsy on my part. The "stand in the corner" routine is a special favorite in that regard.
  
  
  
• Gohan's adventures of Tiger Burai return for the first time since Episode 6. This particular excerpt (spread throughout a scene between Ken and Gohan) expands our insight into that universe, with more glimpses of its characters. This Tiger Burai snippet also serves as foreshadowing, but for what will only become clear by the very end of the episode.
  
  
  
• It's worth noting that the Ken/Gohan and Etsuko/Reiko scenes are again intended to parallel each other, much like how a similar pair of scenes paralleled one another in Ep. 8. They still play out far differently, including the reactions to Kei when she enters each.
  
  
  
• The Mazinger Z keychain that plays a small part in the story came about because I was watching that series heavily at the time and had just received a similar keychain of the title character from the ROBOT KEIJI ("Robot Detective") series. Indulgent, much?
  
  
  
• Reiko's reference to being in counseling is a vague reminder of the traumatic events of Ep. 5. Though that incident shaped her character development to some degree, it also sort of fell by the wayside as things progressed. I just wanted to acknowledge here that it is not forgotten.
  
  
  
• Though it "appeared" in Episode 9, this is the first mention of Dragon Wyvern's fate since it was shot down in Episode 8.
  
  
  
• Jet Phoenix's "finger across the visor" bit and his reference to the number of times he had quit the original Jetman are both callbacks to Gai Yuki. And yes, Yuki did quit the team more than once. This sequence deals with the fact that the line between "Jet Phoenix" and "Gai Yuki" is a blurry one for everyone involved. That includes authors, by the way.
  
  
  
• The passing mention of Skyforce's "Pacific base" is a hint of things to come.
  
  
  
• In the JETMAN TV series, there was only one Jet Speeder motorcycle, and Black Condor rode it. I decided to instead go the route of having a cycle for each team member.
  
  
  
• Green Wyvern's disappearance during the big fight is both perfectly in character (seeing as how she is a loner) and exactly the kind of thing that feeds suspicions about her true intentions. Those suspicions already existed, but were exacerbated by certain "revelations" in Ep. 8.
  
  
  
• I really considered a modification of the Hawk Fighter to "Wyvern Fighter" before deciding to leave things well enough alone.
  
  
  
• Though I enjoyed Chaos Chimera a great deal, Chaos Gemini is probably the more ingenious monster concept of this piece. Castor and Pollux (from Greek mythology, natch) are parodies of the titular heroes of the 1970s series UCHU TETSUJIN KYODAIN.
  
  
  
• Well, that ending was out of left field, wasn't it? If you'll recall my discussion of GALAXYMAN in earlier notes, I mentioned a couple of aspects of that proposal which I thought were remarkable. What I didn't mention was my third concept for it - that one of the Galaxyman members would turn traitor. I still feel that was perhaps the best twist of all in my homebrew sentai.
  

  When it came time to resurrect ROJ, I decided to incorporate the traitor storyline into the mix. After mulling it over, it seemed that Etsuko was the best candidate for the role. I planted some subtle hints here and there, but nothing was truly blatant.
  

  To add to the potential drama, I threw a grave injury to Gohan and the theft of Jet Icarus into the proceedings. This leads to what is probably the best cliffhanger ending in the entire series. We'll talk more about this in the notes for the next episode!
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

ROJ Episode 10 Notes

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Remember The Times"
(Episode 10)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2008-2010 Christopher Elam

 

Episode 10 - "Remember The Times" wrapped principal writing on February 21, 2003. It was technically the second story on which any work was done (after Episode 1), but most of that material was considerably rewritten before we arrived at the final draft. This rather convoluted creative process is oddly appropriate for Episode 10, as it is probably the most uncharacteristic installment of the entire series.

The genesis of this story stretches all the way back to 1995-96, which was the same period as the original ROJ's development. However, this tale was not originally connected to ROJ. It began when my creative cohort Lewis Smith took it upon himself to redesign the character of Tackle from KAMEN RIDER STRONGER. He did two different versions (with a third a few years down the line prior to the final form in the main gallery) just for his own amusement, and whimsically labeled them "Tackle RX". The "RX", you see, was a play on KAMEN RIDER BLACK RX, the revamped version of KAMEN RIDER BLACK.

Well, I was completely taken by this "Tackle RX", and decided to write a story about her. I didn't get especially far into the work before I abandoned it, and aside from some general concepts, none of that original story survives in the ROJ version. I was never happy with the results of that early effort, but it did work somewhat better as a comedy than as a straight adventure story.

When I revived ROJ in 2002, I realized that I could probably stand to incorporate a light-hearted romp into the midst of what was going to be some heavy stuff. I made the decision to resurrect the "Tackle RX" story (and retained that "RX" well into the writing process before electing to drop it as superfluous) and integrate it into ROJ as both a comedy and an homage to the 1970s style Japanese superhero series.

This story is meant to be more of a "one-off" than part of the continuing saga of Return of Jetman - a bit of a breather during the main adventure. That's why both the Jetman team and the Chaos Coalition are absent. It focuses on Jet Phoenix because he has been consigned to desk duty for the last three stories, and he also has the strongest link to the "old school" way of doing things.

"Remember The Times" (a title inspired by the opening music of the TV series CHANGERION, of all things) is probably the episode I found most disappointing upon completion. I don't think it is poor by any means, but it felt like it could have been so much more. Conversely, it elicited one of the strongest favorable reactions of any of the ROJ episodes. I chalk that up to people responding to what is in the story, while my disappointment owes more to what isn't in there.

• This story is dedicated to Kyoko Okada and Mitsunobu Kaneko, the performers who played the roles of Yuriko Misaki/Tackle and Daisaku Kusama respectively on television. Both actors passed away far too young, something which I did not know when I first had the idea of utilizing their characters in new stories. Hopefully, I honor their memories.
  
  
  
• The opening scene establishes a slight sense of continuity to the main story by referencing the end of the previous episode. The Jetman team is still on leave after the traumatic events of the prior two stories, which provides the rationale for Jet Phoenix going out on the mission by himself. Well, not quite by himself, but we'll get to that.
  
  
  
• Jet Phoenix and Michiru met again at the end of Ep. 7, and it was implied in Ep. 8 that they had established a friendly relationship. Obviously, it is still a distant one.
  
  
  
• Dr. Komyoji's "brother" Jiro refers to the alter ego of the android Kikaida (Kikaider), the star of the TV series JINZO NINGEN KIKAIDA. As you may recall, Dr. Masaru Komyoji is based on the young son of Kikaida's creator. It's not much of a stretch that they might consider themselves "brothers".
  
  
  
• a graverobbing incident involving the body of a woman named Yuriko Misaki - As mentioned above, Misaki is Tackle, a heroine who fought alongside Kamen Rider Stronger in that character's titular series. She met her demise in its 30th episode.
  
  
  
• With the mention of the names (Akira) Shinmei and Peggy (Matsuyama), the implication is clear that the Skyforce Supreme Council consists of the members of HIMITSU SENTAI GORANGER ("Secret Task Force Goranger"), the very first sentai. A hidden bonus in this is my personal theory that "Eagle" (from GORANGER) and "Skyforce" (from JETMAN) are in fact the same organization under different names.
  
  
  
• The flying car is included because I have always enjoyed the visual of a flying car. I'm being quite serious.
  
  
  
• Though I never come right out and say it in the story, Daisaku Kusama is an adult version of the young boy from the TV series GIANT ROBO (1967-68). In my possibly insane idea of interconnectivity, I thought it might be fun if the agency Unicorn from that series was also tied to Skyforce. Kusama's portrayal is a bit outlandish and over-the-top, but it is done with a great deal of affection. I mean, it's not as if he's required to grow up to be a dashing leading man! And as you can see, he still snaps his fingers - even though it's not a job requirement anymore.
  

  The nickname "Johnny" (which Kusama confesses he picked up while spending time in America) is a reference to JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT, the U.S. title of GIANT ROBO. In the very first ROJ usage of the character, he was referred to as "John Sokko". This was in Lewis' original draft of ROJ Episode 3, in which he was portrayed as an eccentric robotics expert.
  
  
  

• I would imagine the first scene set in Flaming's HQ tips my hand as far as my tongue-in-cheek intent goes. Flaming itself is a parody of those type of secret groups bent on world domination and/or destruction that show up all the time in Japanese superhero shows. Shocker from KAMEN RIDER ("Masked Rider", in case you didn't know) is probably the biggest influence there.
  
  
  
• Dr. Diabolo was originally a character I created to battle my personal superhero Captain Satellite. The unusual spelling "Diabolo" (not a typo for "Diablo", as a gag much later spells out) derives from the time in high school in which one of my classmates was singing the praises of the Lamborghini Diablo and couldn't quite pronounce the name correctly.
  

  As for Dr. Diabolo himself, he fills the role of a character like Dr. Shinigami from KAMEN RIDER, but by way of someone like Dr. Doom. He's also not particularly good at being a super villain, but don't tell him that!
  
  
  

• The reference to "solar-powered energy cells" is one of the remnants of the discarded "Tackle RX" name. Kamen Rider Black RX had been altered due to solar energy, so it seemed only fitting that Tackle should be too if she was going to have the "RX" tag. It still works as a simple yet effective explanation for her resurrection.
  
  
  
• Big Face is inspired by the unseen "Great Leader" types from assorted KAMEN RIDER series that usually only interact with their minions via blinking light and loudspeaker. The affectation of a stone head, a la those found on Easter Island, was the kind of visual I could get behind for such a character.
  
  
  
• Agent Kusama's broken watch is another callback to GIANT ROBO, as he used a watch to control his mechanical pal.
  
  
  
• "Digital music discs" are my stab at creating futuristic technology that is nonetheless outdated by the time period of the story. I'm not sure it's entirely successful, although I seem to recall a company marketing a format with a similar name. My first instinct had been to equip the flying car with an 8-track tape player, but I rejected this as too unlikely. I think that might have been a mistake. The way things are going, I could just as well have assumed that CDs themselves will be obsolete.
  
  
  
• Beau Yatani And His The Last Longhorn Band appeared, unwieldy name and all, in the 1977 Toei film THE LEGEND OF DINOSAURS. This makes the second time I've referenced this film in ROJ, and I don't even like it. But Beau Yatani is a hard guy to forget. He also turns out to be quite real. Don't believe me? Check out www.beauyatani.com. If I had known this at the time of writing, I wouldn't have made him the butt of a joke. I'm sure he's quite talented, and I hope he forgives me if he ever runs across my bit of fun.
  
  
  
• I picked the song "I Walk The Line" specifically because it has been covered by such unlikely "singers" as Leonard Nimoy and Telly Savalas. And also because it allowed me to namecheck Johnny Cash, as I am a big fan.
  
  
  
• I'm not sure why I included the reference to Ako Hayasaka's music career, except maybe to tie in to the original JETMAN a little. Phoenix being a jazz fan is not much of a leap, considering the fact that Gai Yuki did play the saxophone.
  
  
  
• I admit, after going through a lot of potential names, I chose "Flaming" specifically for the opportunity it provided for bad jokes.
  
  
  
• The exchange regarding the definition of the term "kaizo ningen" is a surprisingly elegant little piece of dialogue. I should point out that it isn't quite as cut and dried as being a "cyborg", hence the "after a fashion" reply.
  
  
  
• The "well-worn book" in the backseat is something of a nod to the various and sundry books produced in Japan for their spfx productions.
  
  
  
• 200 centimeters = approx. 6'6", in case you don't feel like doing the math.
  
  
  
• "Wild" Bill Jackson is a fictional pro wrestler that I created during my high school days for (*groans*) fantasy wrestling angles that I wrote. Please, keep your laughter to a minimum. I dusted him off for this special cameo appearance as a lark, and he ended up becoming one of the funniest things in the whole series.
  

  The concept of using a pro wrestler came about because of the long history of that peculiar brand of sport and/or entertainment in Japan. Foreign wrestlers have long been a big attraction, and the "cowboy" is a favorite. Terry Funk is the biggest influence on Wild Bill's presentation in this story, but I also kept in mind such grappling superstars as Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, and Dory Funk Jr. (Terry's brother).
  

  The conceit of having all of Wild Bill's dialogue being in Japanese largely derives from the desire for self-parody. I am very aware of the inherent ridiculousness of a story set in Japan, featuring primarily Japanese characters, being written in a very informal sort of English. The unspoken "rule" that I follow is that ALL of the dialogue is really in Japanese, unless I specify otherwise. Hence the fact that Kusama's brief smattering of English is rendered entirely in italics (as all English will be in this series, whenever it happens to turn up).
  

  It's not out of the question for someone who spends a lot of time in Japan to have picked up the language, but it seems very incongruous coming out of the mouth of a very tall cowboy. And that's before you consider that he's a pro wrestler, too! I can't vouch for the grammatical accuracy of Bill's Japanese - I'm certainly not fluent myself - but I like to think that it would only add to its charm if it's somewhat "off".
  
  
  

• Wild Bill's Japanese dialogue translates (roughly) as follows :
  

  "Oi kimi!" - "Hey there!"
  

  "Hai! Watashi no Mark Oji-san watashi no Nihongo sensei deshita. Anata wa Skyforce kara no futari desu ka?" - "Yes! My Uncle Mark was my Japanese teacher. Are you two from Skyforce?"
  

  "'Wild' Bill Jackson sanjo! Watashi wa puroresu no hoshi. Watashi wa 'Hotshot' Johnny Flash o-mo tsuta All-Asia tag team champion desu." - "'Wild' Bill Jackson is here! I am a pro wrestling star. I am All-Asia tag team champion with 'Hotshot' Johnny Flash."
  

  "Tozan wa tanoshii!" - "Mountain climbing is fun!"
  

  "Orange jumpsuits o-chakuyô shiteiru ningen no yôni?" - "You mean like men in orange jumpsuits?"
  
  
  

• And now, a few words about in-jokes that are incorporated into the Japanese dialogue above. "Uncle Mark", in particular, is a source of pride for me. This implies that Wild Bill's uncle is Mark Jackson, the "Diamond G-Man" played by Robert Dunham in the 1964 Toho film DOGORA. Mark Jackson was a very unusual character, particularly for his time, because he was fluent in colloquial Japanese! "Hotshot" Johnny Flash, on the other hand, is another character from my high school pro wrestling tales. He was the star, in fact, and a frequent partner of Wild Bill. The "All-Asia tag team championship" was at one time an authentic recognized pair of belts, but I am reasonably certain they are currently dormant.
  
  
  
• The "villain headquarters" neon sign gag is something I picked up in an old comic book. It was particularly funny there, because a few panels later, the sign was actually shown!
  
  
  
• 1975 was the year that the episode featuring Tackle's untimely death was aired.
  
  
  
• Super Ningen ("Super Human") was originally what I thought Tackle called herself in STRONGER, rather than the correct Denpa Ningen ("Electric Wave Human"). I liked the sound of it so much that it is the way I denote that she is "powered up" in this incarnation, rather than using "RX".
  
  
  
• "Kotana" (ko = "light" + katana = "sword") is the name that I coined for the light saber Tackle wielded in her redesign pictures. The light saber is yet another allusion to Black RX, who wielded one called Ribolcane.
  
  
  
• Tackle's memory recovery invokes several images from KAMEN RIDER STRONGER. "Black Satan" was the evil organization that gave her her powers. She and Stronger fought their agents side by side. "Dr. Keito" was an agent of the Delzer Army (a later group of bad guys) who was responsible for her death. "Tobei Tachibana" was a normal human who aided Stronger and Tackle (and indeed, many previous Riders). And "Shigeru Jo" was Stronger's human alter ego.
  
  
  
• Buruboi (a name that is the phonetic Japanese equivalent of "Blueboy") is the most out and out goofy monster I could invent for the climactic fight scene. You're welcome.
  
  
  
• "Hi there," - Remarkably, this is a nod to the character of Rokuro (again!) from GODZILLA VS. MEGALON. Those are the first words he utters in the English dub!
  
  
  
• The majority of Tackle's attack moves - Tackle Chop, Tackle Punch, Tackle Kick - are more properly Rider moves that I gave to her. The exception is her "Cho Denpa Nage" ("Super Electric Wave Throw"), an upgraded version of her "Denpa Nage" attack.
  
  
  
• "Tô!" is not exactly a Japanese word, at least to my knowledge. It is, however, a cry often made in Rider programs when a character makes an impressive leap - particularly to deliver a kick to a baddie.
  
  
  
• The true nature of Big Face (complete with its obvious riff from THE WIZARD OF OZ) turns out to be an interesting explanation as to why Flaming is not exactly the cream of the villain crop. I'd like to think it's funny, too.
  
  
  
• "One hell of a hobby for a kid, and I should know!" - At this point, I don't think I even need to explain this quote from Agent Kusama.
  
  
  
• The roll call of former Kamen Riders is : Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider 1), Hayato Ichimonji (Kamen Rider 2), Shiro Kazami (Kamen Rider V3), and Shigeru Jo (Kamen Rider Stronger). It has been pointed out that Tackle never met any other Riders besides Stronger, but my contention is that they all share a telepathic "bond". I mean, they all have antennae, right? That's why they all appear to greet her after she leaves Skywatch. I purposefully didn't list a full "group of outré motorcyclists", because that makes it easier to imagine that your favorite Riders are among their number. Also note the little pause in speaking Shigeru's name, implying...something or other. Her usage of family names for all other Riders save him is a definite deliberate move.
  
  
  
• I have a special love for the Phoenix/Kusama exchange at the end of this story, from the motorcycle comment to the date crack to the "strange childhood" wink. I should single out "Working with you reminded me of a buddy of mine. A couple of them, actually," for additional comment, though. The subtle implication here is that teaming with Phoenix reminded Kusama of working with his old partner Juro Minami ("Jerry Mano" in JOHNNY SOKKO) AND good ol' Robo himself. Does Kusama suspect about Jet Phoenix? Does he know?
  

  I don't know. But it's fun to speculate, isn't it?
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

ROJ Episode 9 Notes

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Things Falling Apart"
(Episode 9)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2003-2010 Christopher Elam

 

These notes are based on material originally posted on September 2, 2003 on the now-defunct OWARI Message Board (formerly http://pub14.ezboard.com/bowari, currently http://owari.yuku.com/).

Episode 9 - "Things Falling Apart" wrapped principal writing on January 28, 2003. At one point, the title was going to be "Pick Up The Pieces" (after the song from Average White Band), but I decided to instead go in a different musical direction for the final title. One of my favorite bands is Devo, and they have described their music as "the important sound of things falling apart". And let's face it, "things falling apart" is certainly what happens in this story.

This was a hard story to write, and probably a hard story to read as well. Still, I felt like it was an important one to tell. I think it managed to be quietly effective while being extremely atypical.

• Though the ending of the previous installment was deliberately unclear on this aspect, it was always intended that Toranza (barely) survive the incident that killed Gai Tendo.
  
  
  
• The funeral sequence was based on my own experiences at funerals, more than any fictional depictions.
  
  
  
• The intercutting battle between Green Wyvern and Toranza is one of my particular favorites in the series. It's worth noting that, as an inside joke, I peppered Toranza's speech with Devo song titles. This was an attempt to make it seem a little "off", but, as co-creator Lewis Smith pointed out, they all seem to fit really well!
  
  
  
• The Devo titles that Toranza spouts :
  "Peek-A-Boo!"
  "Gut Feeling"
  "Satisfaction" (yep, the Rolling Stones song)
  "Going Under"
  "The Super Thing"
  "What I Must"
  "Race of Doom"
  "Soft Things"
  "Space Junk"
  "Pity You"
  "Out of Sync"
  "Turn Around"
  "Big Mess"
  "Beautiful World"
  "Deep Sleep"
  
  
  
• The mecha "Veronika" is a multi-level reference. Toranza did have a robot by this name in the JETMAN series (ep. 44-45) and, by extension, a new version was what he wanted to create in Episode 8. The "female" shape is a takeoff on robots like Dianan A in MAZINGER Z and Venus A in GREAT MAZINGER (right down to the "missiles"). I'd also like to add that Lewis was singing the praises of a model named Veronika Zemanova at the time of writing, so the rest came naturally.
  
  
  
• The appearance of Dragon Wyvern in the story after the events of Episode 8 was probably my most blatant signal that something strange was happening. Ironically, I tend to think this is one of the best mecha battles written for the ROJ series!
  
  
  
• Black Condor being named the new leader was an obvious (though perhaps odd) choice in my mind, given the situation at hand. I tried to subtly give him leadership qualities throughout the early going of the series in preparation for this moment. It was just well-disguised by his attitude.
  
  
  
• "Is this because she's a woman?" - I felt it best to address the potential "sexism" angle head-on in the story. As it turns out, with the subtraction of Red Hawk, there are actually more active FEMALE heroes than MALE heroes in the remainder of the series. This was a complete accident, but perhaps it works better that way.
  
  
  
• The "metallic disc" that Ken has is implicitly the signal device that Kei gave Gai at the end of Episode 6.
  
  
  
• The whole "nightmare" angle was something I created for the fourth story of the old series. This particular version is far more effective and troubling than my original concept way back when.
  
  
  
• I hadn't originally planned on the suicide attempt, but...it is one of the more dramatically shocking and yet fitting moments of ROJ.
  
  
  
• Green Wyvern joining Jetman was the plan all along, but it happened in a much more roundabout way in the final version than it did in the initial incarnation of ROJ.
  
  
  
• All I can say about the rather bizarre ending with Ken and Etsuko and a certain abrupt change of heart is that it will lead somewhere.
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

The Cavern of Dr. Diabolo by Sara Denny (2008)

The Cavern of Dr. Diabolo by Sara Denny (2008)

Artwork © Sara Duffield (Sara Denny). Originally posted May 13, 2008; added to the site June 17, 2008.

Dr. Diabolo © Christopher Elam.

"Wild" Bill Jackson's Rising Sun by Sara Denny (2008)

"Wild" Bill Jackson's Rising Sun by Sara Denny (2008)

Artwork © Sara Duffield (Sara Denny). Originally posted February 6, 2008; added to the site February 15, 2008.

"Wild" Bill Jackson © Christopher Elam.

Burai Legend by Lewis Smith (2006)

Burai
Burai-X
Tiger Burai
Cobra Burai
Burai Eclipse
Turbo Burai

Burai Legend by Lewis Smith (2006)

Artwork © Lewis Smith. Originally posted May-August 2006.

Tiger Burai, Burai, Burai-X, Cobra Burai, Burai Eclipse, Turbo Burai & related characters © Lewis Smith.

Green Wyvern Triumphant by Kabuki Katze (2009)

Green Wyvern Triumphant by Kabuki Katze (2009)

Artwork © Kabuki Katze. Originally posted on July 20, 2009; added to the site August 25, 2009.

Kei Mizuno/Green Wyvern © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith. Based on characters from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency).

Mr. Hoshi

Mr. Hoshi / Mr. 星

The mysterious stranger who calls himself "Mr. Hoshi" began appearing shortly after Nemesis' arrival on our Earth. Who is he? How is he connected to the events that are unfolding?

To learn Mr. Hoshi's true identity, click here. It is suggested you read the final episode before you do!

"Mr. Hoshi" artwork © DJ Nebulous.

"Mr. Hoshi" © Kokusai Hoei/International Television Films, Inc.

New Return of Jetman Episode 7

NEW RETURN OF JETMAN

"Just Imagine!"
(Episode 7)
by Christopher Elam
(based on the work of Lewis Smith)
© 2010 Christopher Elam
Dedicated to Paul "Igadevil" Sullivan

 

Jet Phoenix leapt nimbly into the air, and Sniper Cat and Ari Bazooka accidentally blasted one another in their crossfire as a result. As the two wounded Bio Jigen-Ju flew in opposite directions, the long-lost hero aimed a flying fist at the glowing horn of Saikong. The rhino beast roared in agony as the punch drove his most potent weapon into his own face.

"Damn you, Jet Phoenix!" Saikong bellowed as he wrenched the horn out of his mangled countenance and it extended to full sword length.

Well, at least someone remembered him, Phoenix mused as he drew his Wing Sword to duel the monster. Sneaking into Nemesis' Future City stronghold in Jigoku-dani after the disappearance of Jetman had been crazy enough. Donning this old uniform to fight alongside his mysterious ally Mr. Hoshi bordered on insane.

Speaking of Mr. Hoshi, he was busy himself as Jet Phoenix and Saikong's weapons clashed violently. Chaos Talos hobbled at the enigmatic figure dressed only in street clothes and swung his bronze blade. The lightning fast reflexes of Mr. Hoshi in dodging the weapon and disarming his foe betrayed the fact that his mild-mannered appearance was deceiving.

Mr. Hoshi smashed Chaos Talos with its own sword, shattering the monster into a thousand pieces. Spotting his comrade's trouble, he effortlessly tossed the weapon across the amphitheater before piling into another crowd of monsters.

Saikong's powerful lunges disarmed Jet Phoenix of his Wing Sword, but the raging rhino couldn't anticipate a second weapon replacing it almost immediately. Phoenix's Wing Gauntlet batted away Saikong's horn, and he drove his new sword into the beast, destroying both in the process.

As the remnants of Saikong toppled to the floor, a blinding burst of light filled the amphitheater. "Oh great, now what?" Phoenix was moved to wonder, as even the remaining members of the Jetman Revenge Squad stopped at its appearance.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the burst of light signaled the return of Black Condor and White Swan to their proper timeline. The pair was still disoriented as they emerged from their long, strange journey, and certain radical changes in their surroundings didn't help matters.

"Shinsei - what?" Ken Tendo inquired as he sighted his mentor in the garb of Jet Phoenix.

"Long story," Phoenix called out as he kept up his guard against the monsters that still encircled him. "One old uniform, one Neo-Jetman armor, one desperate situation, and here I am."

Before Ken and Etsuko Oishi could respond, another flash of brilliant light filled the vast amphitheater. As all eyes turned to it, Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow tentatively stepped out of their own hole in reality. They were also understandably perplexed by what had transpired in their absence, but they didn't even get an opportunity to express it.

As their allies rushed to the sides of Gohan Oishi and Reiko Hayasaka, a third burst of light filled the air. The heroes of Jetman naturally assumed, or perhaps hoped, that it heralded the return of Kei Mizuno, their friend Green Wyvern. The quintet of color-splashed champions approached the space time warp, as a horde of confused monsters and one very cautious Mr. Hoshi looked on.

The optimism of Jetman was misplaced. As they watched with sinking dread, the sinister form of Nemesis strode defiantly out of swirling maelstrom of non-space. He surveyed his fortress coolly, taking in all the pieces of his grand scheme.

"B-but Green Wyvern..." Gohan stammered from behind his owl-shaped helmet.

"Your Green Wyvern is lost forever," Nemesis' modulated voice intoned with a confidence that chilled the heroes. "And soon, all of you will join her."

***

Green Wyvern knelt in the sand on a lonely desert moon and cursed the heavens. Nemesis had been revealed as her mortal enemy Toranza, and he had just disappeared - with the shard of the Omniversal Prism that she needed to get back to her own universe. The villain had stolen it from her "ally" Kienan Ademetria, leaving her stranded in this godforsaken hellhole.

Behind her, Kienan cleaned his gun as if nothing had happened. This was not lost on Wyvern for long. She got right into Kienan's face, fully expecting to blast him for being so reckless in losing the Prism she needed desperately. How could he be calm about it?

"Don't even start," Kienan said, cutting her off. "I tricked him."

"...You did what?" Wyvern questioned.

"I slipped him one of these," Kienan said, holding up another of the fake jewels and crushing it in his hands. "Waste not, want not."

"You switched them?" Wyvern replied in bewilderment mixed with mounting relief as Kienan chucked the authentic Prism to her. "But--But why?"

"I gambled he wanted it badly enough that he wouldn't look too closely," Kienan replied, lighting a cigarette. "Luckily, I was right."

"I...I don't know what to say," Wyvern admitted as she rolled the Prism around in her hand. "Thank you?"

"What's the plan now?" Kienan asked. "Use it to make a giant hammer or something?"

"Well, the first order of business is to send this poor old God Wyvern back where it came from," Green Wyvern answered, ignoring her companion's flippancy. She held the Prism out and a beam shone through it, striking the God Wyvern and returning it to its home universe.

Kienan glanced over and noticed a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed misguided space hero stumbling their way. "What about Dirk?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, Dirk," Wyvern replied, generating her Wyvern Boomerang in her free hand and flinging it at the hapless Dirk Dixon. The weapon bonked the former dupe of Toranza in the head, knocking him out cold again.

"Cute," Kienan said, as they stood over Dixon's prone form. "It'd be better to shoot him, though."

"No, I don't think so," Wyvern replied. "He's just an idiot, not evil. I'm going to send him home, too. Hopefully, that will be the end of it."

As Green Wyvern willed a beam at the unconscious Dirk, Kienan pulled the cigarette from his lips. "I guess you make it a habit to leave your enemies alive so they can come back."

"That's not really any of your business," Wyvern said curtly as Dirk vanished in a flash.

"Suit yourself."

Wyvern turned to the assassin. "I kill when necessary. Unlike you."

"Saw my handiwork in the maze, I take it," Kienan deduced, taking a drag on his cigarette.

Wyvern nodded. "Look, I don't care for your type, and frankly, you're a pain in the ass, too. But you don't have to live like this. You could find a better way. I know you could."

Kienan considered the words. "Whatever gets you through the night, Vertiga."

Green Wyvern cocked her head. "That's not my name."

"Right, Green Wyvern," Kienan corrected. "Well, I'd just as soon forget this whole thing ever happened."

Green Wyvern clutched the Omniversal Prism tightly in her fist as she studied Kienan Ademetria. There was obviously more to him than met the eye, and she had no time and no inclination to discover it.

"Suit yourself," she said, repeating his earlier words. "I need to get myself home, and I owe Toranza a payback or two."

"You have fun with that," Kienan responded as a corona of light surrounded Green Wyvern. She saluted him as she faded away, but not even Kienan knew that she was simultaneously sending an invisible beam in his direction. For his assistance, however grudging, Green Wyvern had chosen to grant him his wish.

In a flash, Green Wyvern disappeared back to her home reality. Moments later, Kienan shook his head and surveyed the desolate landscape. He trudged back to the Nighthawk and blasted off from the isolated and obscure moon.

As he made his way to a rendezvous with the Silhouette, Kienan opened channels to his ship. "I'll be docking soon," he reported. "Have everything ready."

"Affirmative," Vain responded. "Mirage told me that you were checking a planet impact. How did that go?"

"It was nothing," Kienan dismissed, the altered version of events taking hold in his mind. "Just a crashed derelict. Not even wreckage left."

"Well, see you soon," Vain said.

"Oh, and Vain?"

"Yes?"

"It's good to hear your voice," Kienan remarked.

Vain paused. "You're not the sentimental type, Kienan. What is the reason for this?"

Kienan pondered the question, feeling as if there was something just out of reach in the back of his memory. If he dug hard enough, perhaps he could even find it. But...did he really want to learn why it was hidden?

"No reason. Just something I wanted to say," Kienan replied.

As the Nighthawk plied the spaceways, Kienan Ademetria casually blew a smoke ring. If he really did have buried memories, they were going to stay buried. Whatever they might be, he suspected he was better off not knowing.

***

"Your Green Wyvern is lost forever," Nemesis' modulated voice intoned with a confidence that chilled the heroes. "And soon, all of you will join her."

"Don't count on it, Toranza!" Green Wyvern retorted as she stepped through a dimensional gateway on the opposite side of the amphitheater. "I'm back, and I'm here for you!"

Wyvern's teammates were thrilled by her sudden return, but startled by her revelation. "Wait...Toranza?" a stunned Black Condor asked.

Beneath his helmet, the master villain chuckled. "I suppose the ruse was already up. Still, it was an exceptionally good one, don't you think?"

With those words, Toranza snapped his fingers and the armor of Nemesis exploded. The villain stood amid the smoldering debris clad in the distinctive uniform he had worn for the Chaos Coalition. Only now there could be no doubt that it was Toranza who was in command.

As the remaining members of the Jetman Revenge Squad gathered around their leader, Toranza cocked his head and smiled. "Now Jetman, bring your best. Though my lackies in the Paradox Army could not match you, I shall crush you and complete my triumph."

The gathered heroes of Jetman moved forward, ready to engage their longtime enemy and his charges one last time - no matter what the cost. Then, a lone voice yelling "Stop!" rang out in the amphitheater.

It was Mr. Hoshi who halted the charge of the heroes. As he stepped among them, he revealed, "Even you six, with all your powers, would fall before the combined might of those monsters and the Omniversal Prism."

"So what are you proposing we do?" Condor asked impatiently. "You've talked in riddles since the day I met you!"

"Give me the fragments of the Prism," Mr. Hoshi replied unambiguously. "Only then will any of us have a chance."

The pieces of the Omniversal Prism were handed over reluctantly to a man who was still a mystery to all of them. Mr. Hoshi clutched them in his fist and held it to his chest. An unearthly glow arose as the objects merged through Mr. Hoshi's suit and into his body.

"Now then," Mr. Hoshi said, as if nothing unusual had occurred. "You six finish the Jetman Revenge Squad. I will handle Toranza while you do."

The colorful sextet of heroes glanced at each other quizzically, then wordlessly chose to follow the instructions of the mysterious Mr. Hoshi. As they met the Jetman Revenge Squad in pitched battle, Toranza threw back his head and laughed.

"You?" he asked incredulously. "You dare to challenge the might of Toranza by yourself? Who are you?"

As Mr. Hoshi marched inexorably towards Toranza, the non-descript suit and hat that had seemingly been his identity began to shift and fade, replaced by something...different. "Who am I?" he responded. "I have answered to many names on this world. Some have called me Spaceman. Others called me Kotetsu no Kyojin. Still others called me Supergiants. But today, you may call me by the name...STARMAN!"

With those words, the former "Mr. Hoshi" stood revealed in his true form. A skintight silver uniform accented with gold defined his rippling muscles. A cape was attached to his wrists, ready to bear him aloft at a moment's notice. A helmet held an antenna that kept him alert to everything surrounding him. Even Toranza was momentarily stunned. This was no mere man facing him. This was a messenger from the far-flung reaches of the cosmos. He truly was a Starman.

"It is him!" Jet Phoenix exclaimed as he watched the transformation while tussling with Sojiki Jigen. "I can't believe he came back!"

"You know this guy from somewhere?" Condor asked, otherwise occupied with Yoroi Snake.

"He was the first true Japanese superhero," Phoenix answered. "But that was in the 1950s, before our time. I can't believe he's even still alive!"

"Looks pretty healthy to me," Green Wyvern replied.

"Very impressive," Toranza congratulated, regaining his posturing. "How unfortunate for you that it will not prevent your utter defeat at my hands."

"That remains to be seen," Starman calmly rejoined as he threw a powerful right hand at his foe.

***

Jet Phoenix bobbed and weaved to avoid Sojiki Jigen as the vacuum cleaner monster swung its hose wildly at him. There was no argument the creature was ridiculous-looking, but it didn't elicit a humorous reaction from Phoenix. In fact, it was quite the opposite. All he wanted was to rip the thing to shreds.

If Sojiki Jigen had any memory of its previous existence, it was still doubtful it could have realized the impact it once had. For it was Sojiki Jigen's rampage that had first caused the paths of the man Jet Phoenix had once been and the woman he now loved to cross. And it was Sojiki Jigen who had almost killed her.

When Jet Phoenix stared down Sojiki Jigen, he didn't see its absurd nozzle face. Instead, he saw the face of Michiru Oshima. And he saw her stilled and near death after being attacked by the Jigen-Ju. It mattered little that she had recovered after the beast's destruction. He had hurt her, and he was back.

Phoenix latched onto Sojiki Jigen's hose and tossed the monster over his shoulder onto the hard floor. But as he turned to clobber the creature further, he realized something. As much as he had felt helpless just sitting by and watching, he...didn't really want to be there. As easily as he had slipped back into the role of Jet Phoenix, it wasn't what he wanted to be anymore.

As Phoenix was buffeted by gale force winds expelled by Sojiki Jigen's nozzle, all he could think of was being in Michiru's arms again. He had moved past this life, and found another with her. When this was all over, if he lived to see another day, he was hanging it up for good. His time as a superhero was over.

Empowered by his resolve, Jet Phoenix drew his Wing Sword and slashed at Sojiki Jigen repeatedly. Sparks poured out of the monster as Phoenix alternated smashing him with his Wing Gauntlet. Finally, he called forth an old technique unused in years - only it needed a new name.

"Phoenix Finish!" Jet Phoenix improvised as he delivered the final blow that caused Sojiki Jigen to explode in a burst of violence.

Pausing briefly to reflect on the display, Phoenix then took off in search of further battles to conclude this drama. He knew what he had to do. Jet Phoenix had to die again, so Shinsei Hinotori could live.

***

Green Wyvern jumped on the nearest kaijin, which just so happened to be Camera Jigen, and pummeled the monster right down to the ground. The beast mustered the strength to throw the heroine off and struggled to its feet. Green Wyvern quickly recovered her bearings too, and the two combatants stared each other down.

Green Wyvern sized up her foe and flexed her fists. Camera Jigen's thick finger hovered over the button that would activate his Lens Beam. He was patient, trying to find just the right opening. He wasn't eager to finish off another of his comrades.

Green Wyvern's instincts told her to jump, and she narrowly avoided a hot stream of flames aimed at her back. Camera Jigen was engulfed in the attack and exploded in an orange fireball. So much for patience.

"Take that, Chaos traitor!" Chaos Chimera's lion head roared as it belched out another fireball. "At lasssst, we have another crack at you!" the snake head added.

"Didn't do so hot the first time, did you?" Wyvern observed as she dodged fire.

"Oh, was that a joke?" the goat head asked sarcastically. "You are a funny one! BAAAAAAA!"

Good lord, really? Green Wyvern materialized her Wyvern Boomerang and rebounded Chaos Chimera's fire stream back at it. The triple-headed howls of pain mixed with the rest of the surrounding battles as Chaos Chimera got a taste of its own medicine. Beneath her helmet, Kei Mizuno smiled ever so slightly.

She had missed this. She hadn't wanted to admit it to anyone, but God, she had missed this. All of the tension and set-up was over, and now it was just the heat of battle. This was a part of her life that she had thought was over a decade earlier. Ever since, she had regretted that decision.

Green Wyvern drew her Wing Sword and shoved it down the gullet of Chaos Chimera's snake head. She jammed her Wyvern Boomerang into the mouth of the lion head. That only left one head free. Unfortunately, that was the chatty head.

"BAAAAAA! You will never stop -- MMMMPH!" the goat head was declaring before Green Wyvern clamped its mouth shut.

"Enough of this," the heroine said impatiently. "WYVERN POWER DRAIN!"

Green light emanated around Green Wyvern and enveloped both her and Chaos Chimera. Butterflies filled her stomach as she siphoned away the monster's Chaos Energy, boosting her own power while depleting that of her foe. At last, she had taken until there was nothing more, and Chaos Chimera winked out of existence entirely.

Green Wyvern couldn't deny the surge she felt was more than just the increased energy. There was no way she could ever give this up again. She only hoped Kazuo-san would understand.

***

Before Yellow Owl could do anything, a green and red flash darted into his path and blocked his way. A sinister laugh - or at least a reasonable facsimile - rang in his ears.

"Ooooh, it's Tomato Dai O!" the monster introduced. "Have I haunted your nightmares the way I did those of your father?"

Owl paused. "Uhhhh, no. He's never mentioned you."

"What??!!???" the indignant Tomato Dai O shouted. "This isn't possible! I am by far the most fearsome foe the original Yellow Owl ever faced and he undoubtedly..."

"I've never heard of you!" Owl cut off loudly as he belted the dream beast. "And I'm not in the mood for this crap!"

"Ooooh, that's more liiiike it," Tomato Dai O said as it waved its hands in a faux spooky way. "Watch what I can do!"

On this command, Tomato Dai O turned its powers on one of its fellow Jetman Revenge Squad members - in this case, the hapless and wounded Ari Bazooka. Before the formicidae could protest, Tomato Dai O had taken control of its mind and...turned its head into a giant tomato.

"Are you serious?" Yellow Owl asked with his hands on his hips as he watched the zombie-like Ari Bazooka shambling toward him. "A tomato head? Really?"

"Be caaaaareful, or I'll turn your head into a tomato!" was Tomato Dai O's response.

Beneath his helmet, Gohan Oishi winced. This sort of ridiculousness was usually right up his alley. Usually. Not after his beloved Reiko had just asked him for a divorce. How--how could he have been so blind to not see she was hurting all this time?

Yellow Owl was angry and frustrated. Not at Reiko. Not even at Tomato Dai O. He was incensed at himself. Things should have never gotten this bad. If there was some way, ANY way to fix it, he vowed that he would. But he realized that it was possibly entirely too late for that.

Things had once been so simple. When they had been part of Jetman full-time, their love had blossomed. There were no distractions to keep them apart all the time. He longed to recapture that sort of magic again.

He would. Somehow, he would. Yellow Owl leapt up and used his powerful leg muscles to kick Ari Bazooka's newfound tomato head clean off the monster's shoulders. The fruit splatted against a wall and the rest of Ari Bazooka's body exploded.

Tomato Dai O was appalled. "How dare you!" he shrieked. "Smashing a perfectly fine, ripe tomato that way!"

Yellow Owl sighed before being ensnared by Tomato Dai O's electrified tomato vine. The villain sent a current through the vine, shocking Owl as he struggled forward. He wouldn't let this refugee from a bad Halloween party defeat him. Not now. Not ever.

Yellow Owl yanked the tomato vine and pulled Tomato Dai O to him. Caught by surprise by this move, the fiend was helpless as Owl delivered a devastating karate chop with his Wing Gauntlet and cleaved Tomato Dai O's head in two.

"Noooo, what a world!" Tomato Dai O somehow protested as it stumbled back before finally exploding in a burst of fury. Yellow Owl did not even take a second to savor the victory, but instead sought out a new challenge. He had unfinished business after the fracas was over.

***

White Swan couldn't quite believe she was sizing up a bipedal vending machine as her opponent. But that was exactly what Jihanki Jigen was, and she knew that the creature would not roll over for her just because it looked cartoonish. That would have been a fatal mistake for any of the monsters encountered by the original Jetman.

Swan waved Jihanki Jigen on. "C'mon. Show me what ya got!"

The Jigen-Ju was more than ready to oblige. "Coin Bakudan!" it exclaimed in its high-pitched voice as it ejected the explosive projectiles from its change slot.

As White Swan dodged the explosions, she looked around as her teammates engaged in similar struggles. No, not just her teammates - her family. Gohan was her brother by blood. Reiko was her sister by marriage. But, in reality, all of them were her family. Even Ken. Especially Ken.

Ken. Where was that going to go this time? She wasn't sure she wanted to know ahead of time. That had been her problem, hadn't it? Overthinking when she should have just lived in the moment. That had been what had led her away from all of them almost a year earlier.

As she paused and kicked a coin bakudan back into Jihanki Jigen, White Swan resolved that she was done running from her problems...and her family. They loved her, and she loved them, and they could overcome any difficulties together. After all, hadn't they already made it this far on a makeshift mission?

Jihanki Jigen shook with rage over the incendiary indigestion White Swan had given him, right down to his pop-top kneecaps. "Can Bakudan" he exclaimed as he dispensed his own unique brand of juice at the heroine.

Swan realized this weapon was a little more serious than the less-than-effective giant coins. Jihanki Jigen's "juice" had the potential to bring out a person's personality flaws if it was ingested. Would the same hold true if a can was busted and splattered on a victim? She wasn't eager to find out.

"Swan Mace!" Swan exclaimed as she generated her Jet Weapon and used it to bat the Can Bakudan directly back into Jihanki Jigen's dispenser. These explosions were a little more effective and sent the monster staggering backward. Swan knew she had to press that advantage and deliver a final attack.

White Swan threw her Swan Mace directly at her opponent with all her power. The weapon struck Jihanki Jigen squarely in the middle of its body, and after the double-barreled assault of its own bombs, that was all she wrote. The monster toppled to the floor and blew up.

Swan's mace returned to her hands and she surveyed her handiwork. But she didn't get long to to consider it. She felt a hairy paw take hold of her shoulder from behind.

"We'd like to speak with you!" the lion monster Shishigone growled.

White Swan looked around and saw that Kumoden was on one side and Kotetsumori was on another. She was surrounded by a trio of Chaos Beasts.

***

"Hola senorita!" Blue Swallow heard a voice calling to her from behind her back. She jumped around and confronted the Jigen-Ju that had been responsible for one of the more bizarre episodes in her mother's life.

"Noodle Jigen!" she angrily said as she stood face-to-...well, cup with the monster. "Not even trying to pretend you're 'God Ramen' anymore, huh?"

"No need for deception today!" Noodle Jigen responded as it pointed its righthand fork arm appendage at her. "Tell me, how is your charming mother?"

"Leave her out of this!" Swallow furiously replied as she blasted the monster with her Wing Gauntlet.

"Ouch!" Noodle Jigen moaned. "Heavy artillery time! Ako-chan Ramen ATTACK!"

Blue Swallow did a series of acrobatic cartwheels to avoid the explosive ramen cups adorned with a cartoon facsimile of her mother. In spite of her ire, she had to admit that she was enjoying this more than a little. She had been depressed since before this whole adventure had started. At every turn during it, she had encountered either a setback in her relationship, or some other tension that kept her from really getting a kick out of the opportunity to be back in uniform again.

This was different. No obsessed fan was menacing her mother. There was no looming question as to what was actually going on, or whether she would return to her own universe. And...she had finally spoken her mind to Gohan. There was no weight of the world pressing down on her chest. For the first time in what felt like ages, she was free.

As Blue Swallow unsheathed her Wing Sword to repel the noodle cup missiles being fired at her, she reflected on her own bombshell that she had dropped on Gohan. God, she did still love him. But things had to change, or they would become even more miserable. If he didn't take it as a wake-up call, it really was all over.

"Ohhhhhhh, senorita!" Noodle Jigen swooned as it began to stumble around. "Our war has taken so much out of me!"

Just then, the kettle that replenished Noodle Jigen's energy popped into view. Beneath her helmet, Reiko smiled. Leaping into the air, she intercepted the kettle before it reached Noodle Jigen, and spiked it into the floor. The kettle shattered on impact, dispersing its liquid nourishment everywhere.

"How could you?" Noodle Jigen pleaded, seeming to forget it was the bad guy trying to kill Blue Swallow. Swallow remembered, however, and still in mid-air, she fired her Wing Gauntlet at the dehydrated monster. Noodle Jigen lit up like a Roman candle, trying futilely to swat out the flames.

Blue Swallow landed on top of the flailing Jigen-Ju and drove her Wing Sword into the ingredients filling its cup. The monster screeched as Swallow scooped out its contents, leaving it a a pitiful, half-empty, blazing cup.

Blue Swallow hopped off the back of Noodle Jigen as the creature crumpled into a burning heap before just imploding. She pumped her fist in mini-celebration. After all she had been through, it felt good to assert herself again.

At that moment, a balled-up Light Armadillo bowled Blue Swallow over and sent her thudding into the floor.

***

Black Condor materialized the King Saber, and it clashed loudly with Yoroi Snake's prodigious sword. The two fighters dueled deftly, but Ken Tendo couldn't help but let at least one corner of his mind be otherwise occupied.

Nemesis was Toranza? The monster that had killed his young fan Mika Katsuragi was the same villain responsible for his brother Gai's death? That was convenient. It meant he could hate him twice as much, and that his ultimate vengeance would be doubly-earned. Because whether Nemesis or Toranza, the mastermind of this nightmare had to pay.

Condor struck a blow against Yoroi Snake simultaneous with Chaos Cyclops lunging for him. Without batting an eye, Condor brought forth his Condor Lance and ran it through the fearsome Chaos Cyclops. He lifted the skewered monster up and smashed it into Yoroi Snake, trying to take out two kaijin with one stone. The impact touched off a fiery explosion as Chaos Cyclops blew to pieces.

When this had all begun, Black Condor had questioned whether he still had what it took to defend the earth. If nothing else, those doubts had been addressed. Yet, he hadn't done it alone. It had been all of them, united as Jetman, that stood against the Paradox Army. They had given him greater strength than he had known he possessed. Especially Etsuko.

Etsuko. Where was that going to go this time? Anywhere? Everywhere? He had no idea. All he knew for certain was that it had been Etsuko who had pulled him from the brink of madness on Star Anise's world. Without her, he might still be huddled on the floor railing against Silver Raven's horrifying plans, instead of taking action to save the universe from the true threat.

Condor's brief reverie was broken when Yoroi Snake rose from the conflagration and hammered the hero with its fists. It threw its head back and blasted him with a beam from the tongue on its faceplate.

Faceplate? Hastily digging through his memory, Condor recalled the original Yoroi Snake and how it had a human host. Through the smoke and heat, Condor could see the armor had been slightly damaged, and those were definitely human eyes peering out from behind Yoroi Snake's helmet. Toranza had trapped a human being in the Bio Jigen-Ju! Just how evil was he?

As Black Condor charged at Yoroi Snake with both of his weapons, the monster knelt down to retrieve its broken sword. It ran a gloved hand across the blade and it shimmered with energy before transmuting into a larger and more threatening sword - one that dwarfed even the King Saber.

Condor was undaunted. He slashed at Yoroi Snake with the King Saber and clubbed the creature with the Condor Lance. But his goal wasn't to destroy the beast anymore. He desperately wanted to free the presumably innocent person trapped within the Yoroi Snake armor.

Finally, the Condor Lance hit the faceplate full on and cracked it in two. Yoroi Snake shielded its human face at first, and Black Condor continued his onslaught. Then, without warning, the beast threw its hand aside and stood revealed to the startled hero.

"MIKA!?!!??" he cried.

***

Starman and Toranza exchanged punches that would have destroyed ordinary mortals. Each of them shrugged off the titanic blows, and neither gave an inch in their epic struggle. Starman drew back and unleashed a devastating right...which Toranza caught with his left hand.

"Perhaps you are a legend to some in this universe," Toranza said as Starman's fist opened and took hold of Toranza's hand as they began a test of strength, "but you have never faced one who has wielded as much power as I do right now!"

With his free arm, Toranza gestured across his chest and the nearly-complete Omniversal Prism materialized at the front of his armored powersuit. The object pulsated intensely as Toranza drew more and more power from it.

"It does not matter," Starman retorted as he locked Toranza's other arm in a grip and their test of strength began in earnest. "You are evil, and evil will be defeated in the end."

"So you say," Toranza sneered as he tightened the pressure he applied to the hero, "but not even your sinews of steel can stand against my might forever! And when you fall, it will signal the beginning of the end for all of you!"

***

White Swan did not wait for her three monstrous enemies to make the first move. She swung around and clobbered Shishigone right in the head with her Swan Mace. Kumoden and Kotetsumori converged on the struggle, intent of pressing the advantage quickly. But before the electrical spider and steel bat could get any nearer, their immediate threat was rudely interrupted.

"Need a hand?" Green Wyvern asked as her Wyvern Boomerang decked Kumoden right into Kotesumori. The current coursing through the spider's legs sparked off the metallic hide of the bat's wings and both cursed loudly.

"If you could!" Swan smiled as her left leg flashed into the side of Shishigone's head. "You remember this cowardly lion here?"

"Shishigone is no coward!" the monster proclaimed as it staggered right into Green Wyvern, her hand resting on her hip. Green Wyvern - the one who had utterly destroyed him in his previous incarnation. Changing his tune ever so slightly, the lion creature sought to bound away.

The plan was foiled, ironically, by a recovering Kumoden. The recovering spider thing spun its electrified web in Swan's direction, but managed only to ensnare Shishigone instead. The monster tripped over its own feet and fell down, then was punted by White Swan back into Kumoden. The two beasts were sent sprawling again.

Kotestumori wasn't idle, but it sort of wished it was. For not even its steel skin could withstand the Double Power punches of Green Wyvern. As the energy she had stolen from Chaos Chimera coursed through her, she could feel Kotetsumori bending and denting after each clanging punch. Seeking a way out, the monster enshrouded Wyvern within its wings and sought to sink its razor sharp alloyed fangs into her neck.

Swan had no intention of seeing her best friend's throat ripped out. A blast of Swan Ice enveloped Kotetsumori's head and froze it solid. As the beast stiffened, Green Wyvern extricated herself from her predicament. She regarded the tableau with a wry smile.

"After you," she offered Swan.

"No, I insist, after you."

"I couldn't think of it, after you."

Swan placed a hand on Wyvern's shoulder. "Why not together?"

The pair jokingly nodded, in a way that reassured them both that they really could be OK as friends again. Each brandished her Jet Weapon, and if Kotetsumori had any awareness, it surely knew what was coming.

"SWAN-WYVERN ATTACK!" they declared in unison as they smashed the brittle cold head of Kotetsumori and shattered it into a thousand pieces. But the heroines didn't have long to enjoy their triumph before Shishigone and Kumoden were on them again.

"Arrrrggh!" Wyvern screamed as Kumoden shocked her with his potent electrical current. She gathered her strength, knowing that the monster could electrocute her in short order if she didn't act quickly and decisively.

Swan didn't even have the luxury of shouting out. It was all she could do to stave off the fierce, feral Shishigone. From the glint on the creature's teeth, she knew that one missed move would be fatal for her.

Green Wyvern yanked herself from Kumoden's grasp as best she could and drove a hard right hand directly through the monster's body. The Chaos Beast seemed stunned as she withdrew and hoisted the spider thing high into the air.

White Swan swung her Swan Mace with all her might and cracked right into Shishigone's jaws. The weapon lodged there, even though the beast seemed to be in no position to counter her. Taking a cue from Green Wyvern, she also tossed her opponent into the air, using her mace as a lever.

Kumoden and Shishigone's damaged forms crashed into one another and blew apart in a dazzling fireball. Green Wyvern and White Swan raced over to one another quickly, clasping hands in congratulation. Then they paused and and embraced briefly before hastily making their way back into the fray.

***

"Reiko!" Yellow Owl cried as he rushed to the side of his estranged wife. He gingerly picked her up from her sprawled position on the floor and tried to revive her, suddenly oblivious to the chaos surrounding them.

"Oh Reiko, please be all right!" Owl begged as he turned her over. "I-I would do anything to make you all right!"

"Anything?" a groggy voice replied. "Can we play with the Message from Space action figures?"

"Huh?" was all Owl could think to say.

"And I want somebody cool, like Prince Hans or General Garuda," Blue Swallow continued as she picked herself up. "None of this giving me the girly Meia figure."

"You're OK?" a relieved Owl said as he tentatively reached out to Swallow. "But you were so still. I was afraid..."

"I'm OK," Swallow stopped him as she took hold of his hand. "I rolled with the impact. I've dealt with worse..."

Swallow's voice trailed off as both she and Yellow Owl realized that, no matter what, things really were going to change when this whole fight was over. Assuming they even survived it, of course.

Light Armadillo was intent on making certain they didn't. It flashed out its beam and engulfed the duo in its light. Yellow Owl attempted to shield his much smaller wife from being hit, but was too late. He knew what Light Armadillo's beam would do.

Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow's shadows slithered up from the floor and solidified across from them. Every time the heroic pair made a move, their dark matter doubles mirrored it. Kage Jetman was reborn!

"We need to find a way to counter this!" Owl exclaimed as he mimed punches at his counterpart just to keep him occupied. "If they stay solid for very long, they'll start draining our powers!"

"And if we trade, we'll just be hitting each other!" Swallow added as she engaged in synchronized bobbing with her shadow twin.

Suddenly, Blue Swallow was hit with an idea. "Gohan, pick me up and toss me at Light Armadillo!"

"But won't that..." Owl began, and then he stopped short. He realized exactly what Reiko had planned. Without another word, he picked her up and heaved her at their armored foe.

The Kage Jetmen mimicked this assault precisely, and as a result, Blue Swallow found herself hurtling directly into an inky image of herself. But Shadow Swallow didn't have all the powers at Reiko Hayasaka's command, so when Reiko called out "Swallow Division!" and diverged two copies of herself, her counterpart could not emulate her.

Blue Swallow and her shadow collided hard in mid-air and crashed to the floor. Yellow Owl wanted desperately to run to Swallow's aid, but his every move was dogged by his own shadow. It was up to the Blue Swallow analogues to make the next move.

They didn't disappoint. Each of them powered up their Wing Gauntlets and smashed them into Light Armadillo's chest bulb, shattering it. With its most potent weapon utterly destroyed, Light Armadillo's Kage Jetmen faded from view. This freed Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow to take matters into their own hands.

"Swallow Bow!" and "Owl Axe!" rang out as the two heroes called forth their Jet Weapons and went on the offensive. Blue Swallow riddled Light Armadillo with arrows, while Yellow Owl sent sparks flying as he laid into the Bio Jigen-Ju. Owl looked over to Swallow and their eyes met through their visors.

"Reiko, Maneuver #17!"

The memories of better times came to Blue Swallow in a heartbeat, and she nodded her understanding. She planted her legs and locked her hands together, providing a hastily-formed springboard for what Yellow Owl had in mind. Owl made a running dash at her, then jumped into the air.

"OWL THUNDER!" he cried as he landed on Blue Swallow's palms and she boosted him even higher. The crackling energy of his Owl Thunder power centered itself through his boots as he repeatedly kicked into Light Armadillo.

Yellow Owl backflipped away, and Blue Swallow was not far behind him. Light Armadillo, totally defeated by the Jetman pair, threw its hands in the air and exploded.

Blue Swallow and Yellow Owl panted as they observed their handiwork. Swallow silently offered a hand of congratulations to Owl. He paused for a moment, then took it and gripped it tightly. He resisted the urge to hug her and pour out his heart. Hopefully, there would be time for that later.

***

Black Condor could not believe what he was seeing. Mika Katsuragi was alive. Toranza had somehow resurrected her, presumably in the same manner he had returned his so-called "Paradox Army" to life. And he was using her in exactly the same way. She was a pawn in his mad game, the human host for the monster Yoroi Snake.

But Condor didn't have the opportunity to consider the dilemma long. Yoroi Snake grabbed him by the throat and attempted to squeeze the very life from him. Condor's fists tightened around his weapons as he struggled against the powerful grip.

"Mika, snap out of it!" he choked. "Don't...let him control you..."

If Mika Katsuragi heard the pleas of her idol, she did not acknowledge them. Her face was blank and expressionless as armored fingers continued relentlessly to strangle Black Condor. It took a blast fired at the snake head atop Yoroi Snake's helmet to distract the monster enough to free Condor.

Jet Phoenix fired his Wing Gauntlet at Yoroi Snake repeatedly, remembering how his team had defeated the Bio Jigen-Ju the first time. As the beast turned and lumbered toward him, he too was horrified to discover who was inside the suit. He had only met Mika once, and hadn't expected to see her in this battle at all.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, he did not have enough power on his own to destroy the snake head that was the "brain" of Yoroi Snake. The rest of the Jetmen were still occupied and Condor was catching his breath as the monster approached him. The unbelievably huge sword came back into view and Jet Phoenix didn't need anyone to explain to him that it outclassed his own Wing Sword. That left only one logical course of action.

Phoenix ducked below the mighty sword swing of Yoroi Snake, narrowly missing losing his head. Coming up behind the creature, he pulled a Bird Blaster apparently out of nowhere and crossed the beam with that of his Wing Gauntlet. The double-barreled barrage seemed to weaken Yoroi Snake, and Phoenix leapt up and latched himself onto the thing. He whaled away at the snake figurehead sitting proudly atop the helmet with his Wing Gauntlet.

It wasn't enough. Yoroi Snake yanked Phoenix from itself and hurled him bodily across the floor. Mika's eyes glowed as red as those of the helmet as Yoroi Snake shot flames at the hero. Phoenix held up his arms in a futile attempt to shield himself.

Just then, Black Condor pulled Phoenix out of the line of fire. "I think we need a little Double Condor teamwork," Condor said, and Phoenix smiled as he nodded his agreement.

Letting out an impressive double war cry, the pair tackled Yoroi Snake from both sides. Phoenix fired his Bird Blaster and Wing Gauntlet at the villain as Condor attacked with both the King Saber and Condor Lance. They struggled to destroy Yoroi Snake and free Mika Katsuragi from her imprisonment.

And it still wasn't enough. The flat of Yoroi Snake's blade came around and knocked the King Saber away from Black Condor, sending it flying meters away and lodging into a wall. Worse still, the flat also caught Jet Phoenix in the head, knocking him out. Condor found himself standing toe-to-toe with his monstrous foe down one weapon and one ally.

Black Condor took hold of the Condor Lance with both hands and threw it in front of himself just as Yoroi Snake brought its blade at him. He strained as he blocked the strike, knowing that such a strategy couldn't last forever. Lord Xenotos' Chaos Scimitar had broken the Lance - could Yoroi Snake do it as well?

"Fight it, Mika!" he pleaded as his brow furrowed from the strain. "FIGHT IT!"

If Condor was reaching Mika Katsuragi inside the armor, she showed no sign of it. Her face was an emotionless mask as Yoroi Snake kicked Condor in the gut and sent him down to the floor. A boot slammed down into the prone hero's midsection and he held up his Lance just in time to stop Yoroi Snake's sword as it came at him.

As Yoroi Snake pressed down on him, Black Condor could feel the Condor Lance weakening. Mika's face was so close to him that he could feel her breathing on his helmet. If only he could reach her in there...

Condor had an idea. A desperate one. If the gamble failed, he was dead for sure. But he couldn't see an alternative. He just needed a way to pull it off. Letting go of the Condor Lance wasn't an option, even for an instant. So he closed his eyes and concentrated all of his will into what would either be his salvation or his doom.

There was a flash of light, and the uniform of Black Condor was gone, leaving only Ken Tendo lying beneath Yoroi Snake. Without the added power of the suit, he knew the crushing power of the monster would overwhelm him if he didn't act fast.

"Mika, it's me!" he shouted. "It's Commander Tendo! Please, wake up!"

Ken had a sudden awareness that the pressing on his chest had abruptly stopped. He looked into Mika's eyes and there seemed to be something struggling to break out.

"We need you, Mika!" he continued insistently. "Don't let the monster win!"

A tear streaked down Mika Katsruagi's face as Yoroi Snake's arms fell to its sides. The mighty sword once held so tightly slackened in its grip.

Ken couldn't control his own tears. "Mika, please. I don't want to fail you again."

Expression returned to Mika Katsuragi's face, and she shook her head as if awakening from a long slumber. The armor of Yoroi Snake fell off her body, leaving her clad only in a replica of the civilian clothes she was wearing when she had "died". She looked confused, clearing not comprehending everything that was happening around her, but also fully aware for the first time since her return. She looked down and saw a familiar face among the chaos.

"Commander Tendo?" she asked. "What's happening?"

For a moment, Ken Tendo closed his eyes and allowed himself a smile before returning to battle.

***

"You are weakening, Starman!" Toranza declared smugly. "Soon, I will finish you!"

"Do not...be so overconfident," Starman responded as his knees began to give way underneath him. Even with his legendary might, it was true. The Omniversal Prism, even at less than its full potency, was overwhelming him. They would truly need a miracle to overcome Toranza.

"When this is over," Toranza mused mockingly as he felt Starman slip further and further, "perhaps I shall devastate the worlds of your superiors. Do you think the planet Paira is nice this time of year? I always wanted to destroy it."

Meanwhile, Ken Tendo had recovered his feet and was trying desperately to explain the goings-on around them to Mika Katsuragi. Jet Phoenix staggered toward them, as the rest of the team finished off their opponents in their own inimitable style.

"It was him!" Ken pointed to Toranza as the villain overpowered the mighty Starman. "Toranza! He was Nemesis all along!"

"Toranza?" Mika asked, her memory of the dreaded Byram coming to the forefront as soon as she heard the name.

"He killed your teammates!" Jet Phoenix added. "He killed YOU!"

"I HAVE TRIUMPHED!" Toranza proclaimed as he pushed Starman to the floor. The villain threw his hands up in victory as the Omniversal Prism on his chestplate crackled with its untold energy.

The mightiest of them all fallen, the heroes of Jetman gathered together as Ken did his best to reach Mika. It was more desperate than ever.

"We need you!" he begged. "If you can break his spell, you can stop him!"

Tears welled in Mika's eyes as the cobwebs dissipated and the real woman - the real Mika Katsuragi - resurfaced, filled with sorrow and anger. Everything - she remembered everything. And she wanted one thing above all else at that moment. She wanted revenge.

"TORANZAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she hurled the prodigious sword of Yoroi Snake squarely into the villain's chest. He threw back his head in shock and pain, as his ultimate moment was disrupted by just another pawn.

Toranza clutched his chest as he yanked the sword out. Energy seeped out of him at an alarming rate and no one, not even Toranza himself, could know what that might portend. He raised a hand to throw a devastating and final force beam at the young woman who had found the super strength within her that he had thought he'd suppressed.

"Your moment has passed!" Starman said as he decked Toranza with a right cross. "The tide has turned!"

"Has it?" Toranzna inquired, as he sought to seal the wound that had already cost him incalculable power. "I think all of you have forgotten something!"

Future City erupted as if an earthquake of extraordinary magnitude was occurring. If only Jetman would have been so lucky. Gleaming spires toppled like toys as the earth was torn asunder and a titanic robot emerged to serve as the engine of Toranza's final battle against Jetman.

"Inazumajin X!" Toranza announced with sadistic glee.

"You haven't won yet!" Ken Tendo countered. "Cross--"

Ken did not get a chance to finish his henshin ritual before he was interrupted by the sound of a gun cocking. It was Sniper Cat, sporting a comically-large bandage over the wound he'd received, and pointing his gun directly at the defenseless Ken and Mika.

"Forgot about mmmmme, I see!" the Bio Jigen-Ju meowed. "A fatal mmmmmistake!"

Ken sought to shield Mika with his own body. "Forget about us, guys! You've got to stop Toranza! Our lives don't matter!"

Sniper Cat took aim at the heroes. "Your friends do not mmmmmove. Is Jetmmmmman nothing but cowards?"

Suddenly, unexpectedly, Starman threw back his head and laughed. Even Toranza was taken aback by this development, and Sniper Cat whirled to point his weapon at the spacefaring hero.

"You villains are all fools!" Starman declared defiantly. "So sure of your success when it is still so far out of reach!"

"Shut your mmmmmouth!" Sniper Cat snapped.

Starman turned and pointed to the top of the open air amphitheater. "Look there, if you are not afraid!"

All eyes turned to the spot where Starman had pointed and there, as if by magic, stood four new figures in the unfolding drama. New, but still very, very familiar.

"The original Jetman!" Toranza shouted in astonishment. "They're alive! They're back!"

Sniper Cat fired at the assembled members of the first Jetman team, but his bullets were ineffective against them. They unholstered their Bird Blasters simultaneously and fired at the creature, creating the field for the Bird Bomber sure-kill technique. The only hitch was that the attack required five Bird Blasters.

"Starman! Now!" Ryu Tendo called from beneath his Red Hawk helmet.

On that signal, the mysterious spaceman turned to Jet Phoenix, and the one-time commander of Jetman nodded his approval. He stepped forward and whipped off his costume, revealing another one beneath it.

"Black Condor!" Phoenix shouted as he posed in the uniform worn by the man whose life he had continued before jetting up alongside his former comrades-in-arms. He pulled out his own Bird Blaster and looked over to his old teammate.

"Good to see you, Shinsei," Ryu greeted.

"For the rest of this battle, it's OK to call me 'Gai'."

The fifth Bird Blaster was added to the barrage and Sniper Cat was lifted off the ground before exploding. The original Jetman flew down and joined their progeny together, as for the first time ever, both teams were joined in battle against a common foe.

Ken Tendo stepped forward to confront the stunned Toranza. "You said you wanted Jetman when this whole thing started, Toranza. Well now, you've got Jetman!"

"Cross Changer!" Ken exclaimed as he activated his henshin bracelet.

Ryu Tendo - "Red Hawk!"
Shinsei Hinotori - "Black Condor!"
Raita Oishi - "Yellow Owl!"
Kaori Tendo - "White Swan!"
Ako Hayasaka - "Blue Swallow!"
Ken Tendo - "Black Condor!"
Gohan Oishi - "Yellow Owl!"
Etsuko Oishi - "White Swan!"
Reiko Hayasaka - "Blue Swallow!"
Kei Mizuno - "Green Wyvern!"
"Chojin Sentai Jetman!" they announced as one.

***

"Bravo," Toranza sneered contemptuously. "Let us see if your little histrionics helps you match Inazumajin X!"

Toranza converted into digital form and projected himself into Inazumajin X's cockpit. He reassembled in the pilot seat and grasped the controls of the terrifying dreadnought, intent on obliterating his hated foes once and for all.

"I don't know, guys," Ken said as the gathered heroes gazed up at the fearsome Inazumajin X. "Jet Icarus couldn't do anything against that one."

"What, you didn't think we came alone, did you?" Raita questioned almost playfully as he threw his hands in the air. "Look there!"

All the Jetmen looked in the direction where Raita pointed, and the new generation was shocked by what they discovered. Not only were Jet Icarus Mark III and God Wyvern towering over them, awaiting activation, but so too were Jet Icarus Mark I from the battle with Byram and Jet Icarus Mark II from the war with Chaos.

Ken Tendo was speechless for a moment, then turned to Starman and Mika. "Will you watch her and make sure she's safe?"

Starman displayed one of the guns that Sniper Cat had lost when it had been destroyed. "Do not worry. I will protect her."

Ken breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Starman hide Mika within his cape, then took charge of the situation. "Dad, take your team to your Icarus! Kei, Wyvern! Etsuko, you and Gohan, Mark II! Reiko, you're with me in Mark III! Everybody, GO!"

No one questioned Ken's snapped commands, and each team dutifully beamed aboard their selected mecha. Ken knew who had the best feel for each robot, and they would need every advantage against Toranza's unholy machine.

This new resistance did not go unnoticed by Toranza. No, if anything, he welcomed it and awaited it. For though he would have denied it to them, he desired a true challenge from Jetman before he wiped them from existence. Anything less would be unworthy of his ascent to godhood.

Inazumajin X was stoic as the mecha of Jetman marched to face it. Jet Icarus I was the first to attack, as the veteran Jetmen brandished the original Birdonic Saber against a mecha that dwarfed theirs considerably.

"Ryu, can we defeat such a machine?" Kaori Tendo asked as the Birdonic Saber glanced off the thick metal casing of Inazumajin X.

"I don't think that's the plan," Ako Hayasaka observed. "Is it, Ryu?"

"No," Ryu Tendo confirmed. "We're here to give the others a chance."

"Suits me fine," Shinsei said, mustering a false bravado that he knew would reassure his friends. "Shot Puncher!"

Jet Icarus I's fist ricocheted off Inazumajin X, but before the mighty robot could seize the Jetmen, Jet Icarus II and III each hit it with their own Birdonic Sabers.

"Take that, Toranza!" Reiko yelled as she pumped her fist, releasing more of the pent-up aggression that had dogged her for months.

"Press the attack!" Etsuko radioed from the controls of Icarus II.

"You got it!" Ken confirmed in Icarus III.

The twin Icaruses stabbed their Sabers into Inazumajin X, and, their power combined, managed to break through the metallic skin of the robot.

"Yatta!" Gohan exulted.

The Jetmen didn't get to enjoy this breakthrough for long. Inazumajin X brushed Icarus I aside, and grabbed II and III by the Birdonic Sabers, lifting them and slamming them into one another. The two robots collapsed to the ground.

Kei Mizuno had been holding back, waiting for her chance, and she took it. "Finger Gatling!" she cried as God Wyvern sprayed its missiles at Inazumajin X.

"Is that the best you have?" Toranza mocked. "You couldn't even beat Veronika; what makes you think you can win now?"

Kei's only response was to unleash another weapon. "Shimmering Buzzsaw!" she exclaimed as the energy saw sliced through Inazumajin X, damaging it slightly.

Inazumajin X extended its arm and a giant hammer materialized in it. "Mjolner Hammer!" Toranza commanded.

Kei stared for a moment. "A giant...hammer," she muttered. "Damn you, Kienan."

Inazumajin X swung the Mjolner Hammer at God Wyvern, as Toranza was fully intent on taking the head off the mecha. Instead, it blasted into a shield that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It was the Wing Shield of Icarus I, blocking the potentially lethal strike.

Unfortunately, Icarus I was still no match for the sheer power of Inazumajin X. It skidded backward from the prodigious blow. It might have been sent straight out of Future City had it not been caught by Icarus III.

"Nice save, son," Ryu complimented.

"No problem, Dad," Ken responded, hoping to disguise how good it felt to be fighting alongside his father for the first time ever.

Icarus II, crewed by Etsuko and Gohan, did not stand by idly. "Cross Daggers!" Etsuko shouted as the robot hurled the knives at Inazumajin X. All they did was bounce away.

"We're getting NOWHERE!" Kei voiced in frustration. "We need to power up!"

"But is he going to give us the chance?" Gohan asked.

"We'll buy you time," Shinsei said.

"But your robot..." Reiko began.

"Don't worry about us," Ako interrupted. "We know what we're doing."

"Sounds good to me," Etsuko said. "Ken?"

"Let's do this thing!" Ken concurred.

"Good luck," Kaori whispered as Jet Icarus I charged at Inazumajin X.

Inazumajin X swung its Mjolner Hammer at Icarus I, but struck nothing but air. In a flash, the mecha split apart into its component Jet Machines and buzzed the towering threat.

"Weren't expecting that, were you?" Raita called.

"Hit him!" Shinsei shouted. "Hit him HARD!"

The Jet Machines peppered Inazumajin X with fire, flying just outside of his reach. In the cockpit, Toranza could feel his rage building. "I WILL OBLITERATE YOU!" he screamed as the blasts glanced off his robot.

"Keibi Gattai!" Ken shouted as Jet Carrier flashed into view and locked into place in its special configuration with Icarus III. "Engage - Guardian Icarus!"

"Chojin Gattai!" Etsuko commanded, and God Wyvern and Icarus II shifted and merged in a burst of energy. "Super God Icarus - Tanjo!"

"Withdraw!" Ryu ordered his teammates. "This is their fight now!"

"DEVIL GAZE!" Toranza shouted as Inazumajin X unleashed a fearsome pair of eyebeams at its two formidable opponents.

"Super God Eye!" Gohan shouted as Super God Icarus matched Inazumajin X with eyebeams of its own and drove the Devil Gaze back.

"Wrist Razors!" Reiko yelled as Guardian Icarus sliced into Inzaumajin X with its serrated missiles.

Toranza and Inazumajin X refused to yield. "Your toys will not defeat me, Jetman! I AM INVINCIBLE!"

"I'm starting to think he's right," Ken said in desperation. "We've barely dented him!"

"No!" Etsuko cried. "It's not impossible! Angelic Wing!"

With those words, Super God Icarus rose into the air with its impressive wingspan fully spread. It generated Icarus II's Birdonic Saber and God Wyvern's Wyvern Blade and slammed the two swords into one.

"Sword of Judgment!" Kei cried as Super God Icarus impaled Inazumajin X through its chestplate with the weapon. "Now! Double Vulcan!"

Ken nodded and pulled the levers on his console to him, pressing buttons on each. "Double Vulcan!" rang out as the powered up engines on Guardian Icarus' back buffeted Inazumajin X with a frightening amount of energy.

The fire and smoke blinded the Jetmen as Super God Icarus landed beside Guardian Icarus. When the conflagration cleared enough for the heroes to see, they were horrified. Though the Mjolner Hammer was gone, and the hulking robot was clearly scorched almost beyond recognition, Inazumajin X was still standing. It reached down to yank out the double-bladed Sword of Judgment and threw it to the ground.

"I have withstood your worst, Jetman," Toranza declared. "My turn."

Dozens of compartments opened on Inazumajin X's body. Out of each, a fantastic and terrible cannon slid out. There was a pause, and then all of them fired at the robots of Jetman.

Nothing uttered in the cockpits of either Super God Icarus or Guardian Icarus was coherent at that instant. In fact, only screams were heard as the heroes of Jetman were rocked by the fierce barrage unleashed upon them by Inazumajin X. So powerful was the force that Ken's safety harness snapped and he was thrown from his command seat to the floor.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" Kaori Tendo bellowed through tears as Jet Swan divebombed Inazumajin X. "You're not taking the rest of them!"

"Fan out!" Ryu commanded through clenched teeth. They were so close; it couldn't end this way.

"Ah, my old friends," Toranza said as the Jet Machines swarmed him, expertly dodging his fire. "It seems I must crush each of you individually!"

Ken Tendo worked his way back to his seat, resting on it as he watched the unfolding battle.

"Ken, are you all right?" Reiko asked as she did her best to maintain control of Guardian Icarus.

"Never...better," Ken replied, denying to even himself the trickle of blood he felt from his forehead. He had an idea, but he needed to get himself into position to carry it out.

With all his strength, Ken forced himself back into his chair as the onslaught continued unabated. Inazumajin X had not yet snatched one of the Jet Machines out of the sky, but it seemed only a matter of time. Unless...

"Etsuko!" he shouted into the communicator. "Grab my hand!"

Etsuko and her crew aboard Super God Icarus only just barely heard Ken through the cacophony. But Etsuko reached over to guide the controls as best she could and...

Super God Icarus and Guardian Icarus clasped hands. It was all they could do to maintain the grip as Inazumajin X did its best to deliver a killing strike.

"Give it everything!" Ken called to everyone and no one in particular. "EVERYTHING!"

The Jetmen understood the feverish, half-delirious directive. All of them turned on all of the systems on full power - every last bit of energy in both combined mecha - channeled them into one devastating wave of force.

"DOUBLE BIRDONIC POWER!" they all called out as they drove Inazumajin X back, overloading its weaponry with their last-ditch effort. And yet...the titan still would not fall.

Bloodied but unbowed in the face of this attack, Toranza readied himself to strike again. "This...will not end well for you, Jetman."

Shinsei knew what he - what all of the first Jetman - needed to do now. Without a single word between them, they all initiated the gattai sequence for the Jet Machines. In a flash, Jet Icarus I was reborn. It took its place alongside Guardian Icarus and grasped its other hand.

"TRIPLE BIRDONIC POWER!" rang out across the remains of Future City, as Jigoku-dani was witness to a shockwave of unparalleled magnitude. The Triple Birdonic Power ripped through Inazumajin X, demolishing the fearsome engine of destruction and reducing it to scrap that rained down on Toranza's fortress.

In their individual cockpits, the Jetmen were overcome with euphoria, in spite of the fact that all of them felt like they were at death's door. They unstrapped from their harnesses and celebrated their victory. All except one.

"Hey, where'd Kei go?" Etsuko wondered.

***

Toranza crawled out of the smoldering debris of Inazumajin X. How? How could Jetman have done it? But he took comfort in the fact that he had survived, just like always, and that he could still exact his revenge with the Omniversal Prism.

As his eyes regained focus through the visor, Toranza looked on in horror as he saw the Omniversal Prism lying just out of his reach. He grabbed his chest in disbelief, but his vision was not deceiving him. He tried to stand, but couldn't find the strength. So he dragged himself to the lost Prism, in a desperate attempt to retrieve it before it was too late.

It was too late. A white-gloved hand reached down and picked up the Prism. Toranza looked up and beheld Green Wyvern standing over him, wielding the object that could reshape reality.

"All this trouble, caused by this," she said almost casually. "Get up."

Toranza stood up, and he wasn't sure if it was of his own volition or not. "You don't frighten me, woman."

"Oh?"

"You have had the chance to kill me before," Toranza sneered. "Yet, you never have. And you never will."

Green Wyvern stashed the Omniversal Prism in her belt and generated her Wing Sword. "You know, I was just telling someone that I only kill when necessary. Well, I think this qualifies. Die."

As rapidly as a thought, Green Wyvern was on Toranza, and drove her Wing Sword into his black heart. There was no Ominiversal Prism to heal him this time, and no mercy. Toranza did not have time to even scream in agony before being reduced to sparkling energy and drifting away.

"Kei, what's going on?" Etsuko asked as the rest of the heroes of Jetman, together with Starman and Mika Katsuragi, found her.

"Toranza," she answered simply. "I took care of him."

"And the Prism?" Ken inquired.

Kei turned to face the group. "I don't know," she lied. "Maybe it went back to where he got it?"

Kei could feel Starman's gaze piercing her as he considered her story. But if he suspected her deception, he kept his own counsel.

"I've just heard from Aya on Earthship," Ryu revealed. "The force field that has been surrounding the planet is gone."

"Then, it really is over?" Reiko asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice that was hard to disguise.

"At least, this battle is," Ako replied, somewhat cryptically. "Look around."

As the assemblage watched, the smoldering remnants of Future City began to fade away. Without Toranza's will to maintain them, they held no more reality than forgotten dreams.

"Toranza's mad plan is finished," Kaori observed, "and his works are dying with him."

"Does that mean me too?" a frightened Mika Katsuragi worried.

Starman turned to her. "No, my child. Your life is your own, no matter how it was renewed. You have nothing to fear."

"Maybe it would be better if I were to disappear," a dejected Mika said. "My teammates are all dead. Everyone thinks I'm dead. I don't have a life to start over."

"That is where you are wrong, Mika Katsuragi," Starman said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "There is always a place in the universe for one as courageous as you."

"But I..."

"I am certain that my superiors would welcome you as an emissary for their mission," Starman continued. "Especially with the new powers that you now command."

"New powers?" a confused Mika asked.

"Yes," Starman confirmed. "I have transferred the extra energy granted to me by Jetman and their Prism shards to you. You are now, at the very least...my equal."

"It seems to me that you'll need a new identity to go along with these new powers," Shinsei added as he stepped forward. "I think I have just the thing."

Shinsei Hinotori pulled a familiar outfit seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to the youthful Mika. As she touched it, there was a flash, and she was instantaneously clad in it - modified to her own proportions, of course.

"I christen you - Jet Phoenix II," Shinsei said as he and the rest of Jetman admired the new hero that stood before them.

"I don't know what to say," Mika whispered as she fought back tears. "Thank you. Thank you all."

Mika removed her helmet and approached Ken Tendo. She carefully pulled off his helmet and looked into his eyes. Then she leaned up and tenderly kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, especially, Commander Tendo," she said. "For everything."

"Thank you, Mika," Ken responded, leaving the rest unspoken and understood between them. "I-I'll really miss you. But I'm glad to have you back. Visit us sometime?"

"Of course," she sniffed as she replaced her helmet on her head. "No matter where I go, Earth will always be my home."

The new Jet Phoenix turned back to Starman. "How will I know where I'm going?"

"You have already received the space coordinates via thought transference," Starman replied. "Just follow them."

Mika Katsuragi took to the air, ready to begin a new life in deep space as Jet Phoenix. "Goodbye, everyone!" she bade farewell. "I'll see you again someday!"

Mika Katsuragi flew higher and higher, until at last she was out of sight. When she was gone, the rest of the heroes turned their attention to Starman.

"Won't you be leaving, too?" Gohan asked.

"In due time," Starman said as his distinctive costume was replaced by the civilian clothes he had worn as Mr. Hoshi. "I still have unfinished business that requires my attention on your world."

Kei Mizuno shifted uncomfortably at those words. He knew, didn't he? He had to know. She was relieved when Raita spoke up to voice another question that had been on the minds of everyone.

"I guess that means you'll be reclaiming the powers you restored to us?" Raita asked as he gestured to himself and his three teammates who had been normal humans since that battle with Chaos over a decade earlier.

"No, my friends," Starman gently said. "The powers are yours. I merely exercised my own to reawaken them."

"You mean, we're Jetman again?" Kaori wondered.

"You always have been," was Starman's answer as he walked away.

"WAIT!" Shinsei called almost desperately. "Why did you vanish decades ago? You were the first!"

Starman - Mr. Hoshi - looked back and smiled. "I was no longer needed. Brave Earthmen rose up in my stead - men like Gekko Kamen, Nanairo Kamen, and Iron Sharp. They created the legacy which all of you honor to this day."

Starman kept walking until he abruptly disappeared, leaving the heroes of Jetman in a Jigoku-dani that had been restored to normal. There was no sign that Future City had even existed, much less that a monumental battle had been waged there.

Ken Tendo turned to his father. "What just happened here?"

Ryu took off his helmet and shook his head. "There'll be plenty of time to sort that out later. Let's just go home."

***

In the future of an Earth far away, a willowy brunette dashed into a library rather incongruously located in an art deco style skyscraper. A balding, bearded European scientist adjusted his glasses as the woman distracted him from his study of an antique 20th Century book.

"Dr. Zabor, come quick!" Gayle Allen exclaimed. "Something's happening in the lab!"

Dr. Zabor dropped his book. "Vot iz it, lass?"

"I don't know!" the frantic Gayle replied. "It's like a hole opened in the universe!"

The two rushed back to the laboratory together. Once there, they saw the mysterious hole in the space-time continuum sealing itself. But that wasn't all. There on the floor, lying amidst shattered beakers and test tubes, was someone they both knew quite well - someone they had not seen for weeks.

"DIRK!" Gayle cried as she ran to help her hero up and give him a big hug. The dazed Dirk Dixon found his feet as his longtime damsel-in-distress came to his aid.

"Gayle? Dr. Zabor?" the Man of Tomorrow asked deliriously. "I'm alive? I'm...home?"

"Oh Dirk!" Gayle sobbed as she buried her face in his chest. "I was afraid we'd lost you forever after that terrible armored nogoodnik took you away!"

"Nemesis," Dirk remembered as the veil over portions of his memory was lifted at long last. "By Gadfrey, that treacherous rogue tricked me!"

"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Gayle beseeched.

"Never mind, Gayle, it's all over now," Dirk proclaimed. "Just know that Dirk Dixon has returned to protect the right Earth!"

"It iz good to haf you back, my boy," Dr. Zabor said as he pulled out his pipe and took a puff. "Most opportune, too."

"Opportune, Dr. Zabor? Why? Is King Pongo up to more mischief?"

"Oh, that dreadful name!" Gayle shuddered as she brought a hand to her forehead.

The eccentric scientist stroked his beard sagely. "Vot I mean iz zat a new menace haz appeared, challenging you. The Allied Solar System haz been at a loss over vot to do."

Dirk felt a renewed vigor at the prospect of a threat he could understand after all he'd been through. "Well, point me in the right direction, and I'll lick this menace!"

"Pardon the interruption," a Clunk-O-Tron voiced tinnily as it entered the lab, "but there is an incoming message for Mr. Dixon on the View-O-Scope."

"Zat vould be her!" Dr. Zabor realized.

"Her?" Dirk wondered as the reunited trio of space heroes followed the clanking robot to the View-O-Scope. When they arrived, the Man of Tomorrow's eyes widened when he saw the image of his "new" adversary flickering on the screen.

"How nice that you finally made it home, Dixon," Hellvira Spitfire growled. "We're going to have a lot of fun together from now on - as arch-enemies!"

***

"I've missed your visits, Mizuno-san," Dr. Hirose said as he led Kei down the sterile hallways of the sanitarium. "Our patient doesn't seem to have any family, so it was quite noticeable when they stopped."

"I'm sorry," Kei apologized. "A lot has happened in my life the last year or two, and some things got away from me. It's time I fixed that."

Dr. Hirose unlocked the door. "Mizuno-san, you've never explained why you visit this mystery man. What exactly does he mean to you?"

Kei paused. "He's...very important to me, doctor. That's really all I can tell you."

Dr. Hirose merely nodded as he closed the door behind Kei to ensure that she had a little privacy with the patient. Not that it really mattered, of course. No one had heard the man speak in over 30 years.

Kei pulled up a largely-unused chair and brushed dust off before sitting down at bedside. He was catatonic now. That much was clear. But he was awake. He stared at her with unblinking eyes that betrayed nothing.

Kei sat there, trying to understand what had happened. She had run Toranza through with her Wing Sword. She had watched him take his last breath, watched him fade to nothingness. How could he be laying in front of her, in exactly the same state he had been since she had defeated him aboard Helldevil years ago? And more importantly, how had she sensed it?

The latter question was easier to explain. She pulled the Omniversal Prism from her pocket and rolled it between her fingers. She knew it had been how she had realized Toranza was back in his hospital bed. And she knew it had the potential to tell her so much more.

Kei had seen what the Prism was capable of doing. With it, she could undo every bad thing that had ever happened to her. She could right wrongs, correct injustices, and punish the guilty. The guilty. Yes. She could even use it to insure that Toranza's life would be truly over, and that he would never, ever return.

If Toranza was aware of Kei's thoughts, or indeed anything, he gave no sign. He laid motionlessin the bed, seemingly oblivious to everything. His glassy eyes did not register recognition when Kei leaned over to look into them to decide what she should do.

It would be so easy. So, so easy. She wouldn't even have to lay a finger on him. Just a will, and he was dead. Permanently. Irrevocably.

"I kill when necessary. Unlike you."

Kei's own words echoed in her mind. No. It wasn't necessary. Not anymore. If she succumbed to the temptation to abuse the Prism's power, she would be no better than Toranza. If anything, she would be worse - because she'd also be a hypocrite.

Kei Mizuno sighed and returned the Prism to her pocket. It was too dangerous for her to keep, that much was clear. She rose from the chair and headed for the door. She gave Toranza's mute, unmoving body one last parting glance and departed.

As she walked down the street, Kei became aware that she was being followed. Oh no, again? She picked up her pace, but was startled when she rounded the corner and bumped into...the man who had been following her.

"Hello, Ms. Mizuno," the man pleasantly greeted as he tipped his hat to her.

"Oh, it's you, Starman," Kei exhaled.

"Please, call me 'Mr. Hoshi' when I am in this guise."

"Fine, fine," Kei absently said. "I assume you came to take this thing from me?"

Kei pulled the Omniversal Prism from her pocket again, and noticed that the once-bustling city street had suddenly become deserted. The only other person with her was Mr. Hoshi.

"No, Ms. Mizuno," Mr. Hoshi replied gently. "I came because I knew you wanted to give it to me."

Kei looked at Mr. Hoshi, and then looked at the Prism. Damn him for being right. She handed it over to him, and felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

"What are you going to do with it?" she asked.

"I shall bring it to my masters," Mr. Hoshi answered. "They will return it to its hiding place outside of reality. Hopefully, no other unwary travellers like Nemesis will chance upon it."

"Hopefully," Kei repeated. "How the devil did Toranza survive?"

"I do not know. Perhaps the Prism restored him to his previous state. Perhaps his obtaining it does not occur until further along this timeline. The possibilities are many, the answers are few."

Kei harrumphed. "Answers. I still don't have an answer for the biggest mystery of all from this mess."

Mr. Hoshi cocked an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

Kei looked all around the empty streets. "Toranza said the real Nemesis thought I was important to the multiverse somehow - that was how he got involved. Am I? And if so, why?"

Mr. Hoshi looked directly at Kei Mizuno. "Ms. Mizuno, I have fewer answers for that question than I do for Toranza's survival. The ravings of a delusional madman? Or something more? I cannot tell you."

Kei shook her head. "I didn't think you could."

Mr. Hoshi looked at the Prism in his hand. "Yet, you didn't...?"

"No. I guess...I guess I was afraid of what I might find out."

Kei bowed her head. "I just...how am I supposed to go on with this question? Without ever really knowing the answer?"

Mr. Hoshi gave a slight smile as his clothes transformed into the garb of Starman. He placed a hand on Kei's shoulder and she raised her head to look into his eyes.

"Kei, life itself is an unanswered question. The only answer...is to live."

With those words, Starman took to the skies, on his long journey back into space. Kei watched his departure until he was nothing more than a twinkle in the sky. Then, he was gone.

As Kei's gaze returned to the street, she saw that the crowds and vehicles were all back. Had they ever really been gone? Maybe she had been the one who disappeared after all.

It didn't really matter, did it? Kei shrugged her shoulders and continued on her trek to her mid-afternoon appointment.

***

"So, what do you think?" Ken asked Etsuko as they stood in front of a display case.

Etsuko nodded her approval. "A memorial for Mika Katsuragi set up next to the Jet Phoenix one. Nicely played, sir."

"Seemed appropriate," Ken replied. "I had to work on the Phoenix display to replace the missing uniform anyway. I figured why not?"

Etsuko leaned over and kissed Ken on the cheek. "It's very sweet. She would be touched."

"Thanks," Ken said, and then a long, uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"I--" both Ken and Etsuko started simultaneously, and they chuckled at themselves.

"Where do we go from here, Etsuko?"

Etsuko sighed. "I'm not sure either. It's been so long, and I've had some...things go badly for me since then."

"I understand," Ken responded. "But...I'd like to give it a chance. No pressure, no hurry. Just...let's see where it takes us this time."

"It might fall apart all over again."

"Maybe," Ken acknowledged. "But you're one of the best friends I've ever had, and I've seen way too little of you in the last ten years. Can we change that?"

Ken reached out his hand, and after hesitating briefly, Etsuko took hold and gripped it tightly. Her eyes met Ken's, and a decade's worth of separation and estrangement felt as though it no longer mattered. Perfection and fear didn't matter. Only building a life she could truly call her own, whatever it might entail, did. Whether that meant rekindling an old romance was of secondary concern.

"I'd like that," Etsuko said, and for the moment, they left it at that.

Fortunately for Ken and Etsuko, they concluded their heart-to-heart just in the nick of time, without any obvious signs of affection. Shortly afterward, they were greeting their friends Gohan, Reiko, and Kei as they entered Skywatch.

"It's so good to see all of you!" Etsuko enthused as she gave Reiko a big hug.

"Wow, calm down sis, it's only been a week!" Gohan said as he and Ken shook hands. "You'd think it's been five years!"

"I can't help it," Etsuko said, feeling vaguely like she wanted to mist up. "It's just been...well, it's been nice to be a team again. Or more like a family."

"Family," Kei concurred. "Yeah, that's a good word for it. And we've been split up a long time, too."

"So how are you two?" Etsuko asked Reiko, delicately broaching a subject the rest of them hadn't even known until days earlier.

Reiko turned to Gohan and smiled slightly. "Better. I think we're better. Planning a vacation for just the two of us. Really going to get away for awhile."

"Oh?" Kei said. "Going abroad then?"

"Not exactly," Gohan replied as he fiddled with the oddly glowing pendant that he was wearing.

"We're going to visit our friend Maya," Reiko added as she touched her own pendant, identical to Gohan's.

Ken whistled to get everyone's attention. "Hey guys, it's great to catch up, but we have an incoming transmission from Earthship. I think it's time for that debriefing."

The five Jetmen took their places at the conference table as the large monitor crackled to life. There was Skyforce Supreme Commander Ryu Tendo in his office on Earthship 3.

"Good day, Ken," Ryu said to his son. "I presume everyone is well?"

Ken looked around the table. "Yeah, seems like it. How did things go with the Supreme Council?"

"Fairly well, I'd say," Ryu responded. "There are going to be some changes after this episode, and I think I've persuaded both Aya and Dr. Komyoji to be part of the new Council."

"And is Commander Odagiri still sore at you over the 'pretending to be dead and scaring us all' thing?" Ken asked with a smirk.

Ryu leaned back and smiled. "Aya has been doing this long enough to understand why the deception was important. But I'll probably be hearing about it for awhile."

Everyone at the table laughed, but they were all wondering about the informality of everything. This was a mission debriefing? When Ryu pulled forward, they thought it was going to begin. But that was when they realized that Ryu wasn't the only Tendo capable of deception.

"So, have you all talked it over? Do you agree?" Ryu wondered.

Ken shifted in his seat nervously. "Ah, no, I...hadn't brought it up yet. I was waiting to see about the senior team's involvement."

"Oh, I see," Ryu nodded. "Well, we talked it over, and while we'd be more than happy to be available as reserves, we just feel like our time as Jetman has passed. We're older, and our lives won't really allow for it. Except for Shinsei, and he seemed to have his own plans..."

"I gathered as much from this photo he sent me," Ken remarked as he waved a picture around. It was Shinsei and Michiru on a beach, smiling and waving to the camera.

Etsuko snatched the photo and accompanying note out of Ken's hand. "'Having fun in Hawaii, wish you were here,'" she read aloud. "Oh my God, those two are so cute!"

Ryu chuckled. "So Ken, it's in the hands of you and your team. Do you want to discuss it among yourselves? This can wait."

Ken tapped his fingers together. "Yeah, that might be for the best. I'll give you a buzz when we're finished."

"Very good," Ryu agreed. "And Ken?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say, on behalf of the original Jetman," Ryu said, "that we're all very proud of all of you. And I'm especially proud of you...son."

Ken blinked a few times and paused, hoping to keep his composure. "Thanks...Dad."

The monitor clicked off and the assembled members of Jetman all turned their eyes to Ken Tendo.

"Ken, this isn't a debriefing, is it?" Reiko inquired pointedly.

"What aren't you telling us?" Gohan pressed.

Ken threw his hands up. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I just didn't know how to bring this up otherwise!"

"Bring what up?" Kei said. "Tendo, what are you babbling about? What's going on?"

"All right, here it is," Ken answered. "As you probably guessed, there's going to be a shake-up on the Skyforce Supreme Council over our lack of budget until the recent crisis. Dad will still be Supreme Commander, but the leeway we'll have in this organization is going to increase dramatically."

"Mmmmm-hmmmm," was all Etsuko said as she considered the direction of Ken's words.

"And we were thinking," Ken continued, "that we'd...like to keep Jetman active."

Kei's eyebrow arched up. "What?"

"You're saying that you want to keep the team together even without an enemy to fight?" Reiko wondered.

"Essentially, yes," Ken replied. "Jetman would be in charge of training a new generation of heroes, and providing a line of defense if something like this were to ever happen again."

"Full-time?" Gohan asked warily. "As in, it would our jobs to be Jetman?"

"At will," Ken reassured. "I'll still be in charge of Skywatch operations on a day-to-day basis. The offer is that you four will have whatever place you want in the organization at whatever time. And we'll still be Jetman, for as long as we want to be. Permanently."

Ken sat back in his chair and waited. "So, what do you think?"

There were only a few moments of silence as his comrades considered what was, to them, a stunning offer. Stay together as a team indefinitely? None of them had thought it was even remotely realistic. And now...

"I'm in," Etsuko said.

"Me too," Gohan added. "All of us playing Jet Phoenix? Cool!"

"So in," Reiko replied.

"Guess I make it unanimous," Kei confirmed. "I would have been disappointed with anything else."

Ken sat up and looked around. "Oh. Well. Uh, that was easy."

"So do you want to call your father back and tell him the news?" Etsuko asked.

"In a few minutes," Ken said as he fumbled around for something that he had misplaced. "I guess we should formally call this meeting to order, if we're going to stay a real team."

Ken found the object of his search and pulled out a gavel. Kei could not stifle her laughter.

"You have a gavel, Ken-bo?" she snorted.

"Yes, I have a...wait, what did you call me?"

"Nothing," Etsuko interjected as she gave Kei a friendly death stare. "She said nothing. Right, Kei?"

Kei waved off as she tried to stop laughing. Etsuko punched her in the arm to help her, to no avail. Gohan and Reiko watched in amusement as Ken tried to figure out just what was going on.

"I wonder how this Fujita-san manages to deal with her?" Reiko idly mused as she propped her head on her hand as she rested her elbow on the table.

"He's an astronaut dating a woman with a phobia of outer space," Gohan observed. "He must be an interesting character himself."

"OK, stop!" Ken pleaded. "Can we just get down to business?"

Everyone settled down - even Kei Mizuno - and they all looked to Ken Tendo. At first, he was a bit taken aback. Then, he remembered. He was the leader of Jetman, and he had helped save the world. Twice.

"I hereby call the first official meeting of Chojin Sentai Jetman to order," Ken said as he banged his gavel on the table. And that was the beginning of a whole new era.

 

NEVER THE END

 

THANK YOU FOR READING NEW RETURN OF JETMAN

We at Return of Jetman would like to thank everyone all over the world who has supported this project since its humble beginnings in 1995. You have made this a colorful and exciting adventure, and we sincerely appreciate it. Good night, Jetman fans, wherever you are! -- Christopher Elam

 

 

Story © Christopher Elam, based on the TV series CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN and the original "Return of Jetman" stories by Lewis Smith. JETMAN and all characters from the CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN series © TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency. Starman © Kokusai Hoei/International Television Films, Inc. GUNMETAL BLACK, Kienan Ademetria, Vain, Mirage, the Marionettes, and all related GUNMETAL BLACK characters are ™ & © Lewis Smith. All rights reserved. All other original characters © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith.

Kienan Ademetria/Gunmetal Black - http://www.gunmetalblack.com