The Galaxy Garrison fleet discovers a new planet and touches down to investigate in the hope that this means news for the galaxy's overcrowded population. But where there's something new, there's something evil; Hazar sends Quark's forces to take this new world for the Drule Empire.
Plot Summary[]
Two forces are in the middle of a heated space battle over planet Lycon: On one side is a Drule fighter attack formation under Commander Hazar; the other side's ships look strikingly similar to those of the Voltron Vehicle Force, though they are never identified as such. Hazar is eager to claim slaves and resources from this world.
He anticipates victory, but orders from Planet Doom Control direct him to abort the attack. The Grand Viceroy wishes his attention directed towards a huge spacecraft that has "invaded" Drule territory; they are unable to identify it. Hazar sends Commander Quark to intercept the mysterious intrusion.
The unidentified ship is the Galaxy Garrison's S.S. Explorer; Commander Hawkins, who the Explorer is under, is on the bridge. He sends a report to Galaxy Garrison that they are entering the Chronos galaxy, 10000 light years from earth, on their search to find new worlds to relieve their overcrowded galaxy. Captain Newley reports a "scanner glow" on the infrascanners, noting that it's their first good sign in months. Hawkins orders the Voltron Vehicle Force to stand by for launch.
Speaking of the Voltron Force for this arc, they comprise of 3 teams, specialized in operating in one of a planet's 3 terrains each:
- Air Team: Under Jeff, comprised of Chip, Ginger, Rocky and Wolo
- Land Team: Under Cliff, comprised of Hutch, Marvin, Cinda and Modoc
- Sea Team: Under Krik, comprised of Shannon, Lisa, Tagor and Zandee
...And each team has 5 members. The entire Force is under Jeff.
Don't play cards with Marvin.
In a common area, where the Voltron Force tends to hang out when they are not in action, they kill time, feeling the effects of cabin fever during their so-far uneventful voyage. Upon hearing Hawkins' orders, Jeff is interested, but Cliff and Krik, leaders of the Land and Sea Teams respectively, have low expectations. In the background, a card game between Land Team's Hutch and Marvin turns into an argument over who has more (Marvin: 5 kings) than the other (Hutch: 4 aces) and then evolves further into a fight.
Back on the bridge, Sparks reports that he thinks they have detected a planet, but however, at the same time, a magnetic belt is active and is blocking further analysis.
Back in the common area, the fight has shifted into an on-the-floor brawling spectacle. Cliff moves to break it up, but Jeff holds him back, suggesting that they guys are just "blowing off steam" (Apparently, Jeff seems to know them if he says this). Lisa stops the fight herself; she says the control tower thinks the planet might be a winner, and that the team needs to be ready to go at anytime.
Hawkins and Newley crowd around Sparks and his console, debating whether they should proceed. Some fancy maneuvering will be necessary to penetrate the magnetic belt, but they decide to go for it. The Voltron Force boards their vehicles and enters a standby mood for deployment.
Suddenly, Sparks calls Hawkins' attention: that's not a magnetic belt they're detecting! An incoming transmission conveys a rather sinister laugh; Hawkins says it "sounds like our old enemy Hazar", which means trouble is not far off. The Voltron Force is ordered to disembark and return to the common areas. Further notice is yet to be revealed, which means that they may have time on their hands to try and spend until the all clear to return to their vehicles is given.
Way to dodge, Ginger!
After some time, the scanner interference is finally gone. A crew member posits that the magnetic interference must have been a Drule "robot attack force". The bridge crew concludes that they are clear to approach the new planet now. Newley orders the Force to return to their vehicles with urgency, citing that Hazar is on his way to claim the planet for the Drules; time is of the essence. The Force quickly deploys while there is still a chance to get a head-start.
On his command ship, Quark is plotting out his strategy for his claiming of the new planet. He sends his robot spacecraft towards it to engage an attack procedure.
On planet, the Voltron Force splits into its three divisions: Air, Land and Sea, and commences exploration of the planet in their team's specialty:
- Air Team: dropping sensor pods on the planet's ground
- Land Team: surveying the planet's ground and vegetation
- Sea Team: surveying the planet's waters and (if any) their local life forms
Hawkins is pleased by the reports; the planet looks like it'll be a great place to settle. This looks good indeed.
Let the time-wasting commence.
Uh oh! Sparks has just picked up something: "Robot attack planes" are approaching from 2 different directions simultaneously. The Voltron Force suddenly spots them over the horizon. It's like a swarm-- they're outnumbered 10-to-1! Newley asserts that they're just robots, thus they are easier to outsmart and therefore easier to defeat. The battle ends quickly and without casualties, but they must set down for repairs, which will leave them vulnerable to any further attacks.
Hawkins relates the news to Galaxy Garrison, who begin a meeting of generals and ministers at their headquarters on Earth. After attendees recap recent events, Marshall Graham blurts, "They must form Voltron!" (It is unclear exactly why he says this) Then he explains that he must only be used as a last resort (This makes his prior assertion even more confusing). Commodore Steele reminds attendees that Voltron has only 5 minutes of stored nuclear power. Graham asserts that the Garrison's mission depends on Voltron (The whole scene now makes little sense).
Back on the surface, the Voltron Force and Explorer crew have finished their repairs just in time. With that, Hawkins gets ready to lift the Explorer back into orbit.
Today's "ultimate weapon" Robeast
On Quark's bridge, he is incensed; his previous strike was just a waste of good robots. He resolves to send their "ultimate weapon" to do the job right.
The Explorer hasn't lifted off yet when they detect Quark's new assault. The Explorer's sensors detect the new assault as it comes closer; it hasn't lifted off yet, which makes things more worse. The Voltron Force is sent out again to meet the threat and protect the Explorer. Suddenly, Quark's so-called ultimate weapon, a Robeast, bursts out from the ground! Combat commences, but the Force is not doing any damage; this Robeast is powerful. Hawkins recalls them back; he says the Explorer will try to take off. Jeff refuses, and wants to make one more attack. Hawkins accepts, with an additional stipulation: "If you get into deep trouble, you know what to do: unite teams and form Voltron!"
The team's next attack has little effect. The current battle situation is not playing out in the Force's favor. Jeff declares this as an emergency and gives the necessary order:
"All units: Assemble Voltron!
Land Team: Form legs!
Sea Team: Form torso & arms!
Air Team: Form head!
Voltron: Assemble!
Connect dynatherms!
Activate infracells!"
The fight rages between Voltron and the Robeast, but it is perilously approaching Voltron's 5-minute limitation. Voltron finally gains the upper hand and, forming his Blazing Sword to finish the job, destroys it with gusto.
Quark is angry that Voltron has defeated his ultimate weapon. He vows that next time he will be victorious.
Featured Characters[]
Voltron (Vehicle) Force (those with notable lines or actions only)
Explorer staff
Drule Empire
Galaxy Garrison: Earth
Quotes[]
"Why do they order me to stop? We're winning! In another few minutes that planet will be ours. We'll take thousands of new slaves. The planet is rich in gold and other treasures. I want it!"
—Hazar tells us all we need to know about planet Lycon... and himself
*****
Marvin: "What's your problem, Hutch? You got 4 aces, you ought'a be happy; It's a good hand!"
Hutch: "I'm not happy, 'cause you got 5 kings, Marvin!"
—Uh-oh! Marvin and Hutch's card game turns 5 cards ugly. It should also be noted that either Marvin can't count or calculate or he is showing dodgy sympathy for a steaming Hutch
*****
Hawkins: "If we can just penetrate that powerful magnetic belt..."
Newley: "If we try it, we'll have to cut power and go through retrojet."
Hawkins: "I've seen you pull off harder tricks than that, Newley."
Newley: "Let's go!"
—Hawkins and Newley propose risky-sounding technobabble
*****
Jeff: "Interesting. Looks a lot like Arizona."
Lisa: "Where's Arizona, Jeff?"
Jeff: "Uh, my planet, not yours, Lisa."
Lisa: "Oh, I'm glad."
—Suck it, Arizona!
*****
"Quark's spaceships are only robots; they can't think. If we can't outnumber them, we've just gotta outthink them!"
—Newley knows how to beat the robot swarm
*****
Rocky: "Those are wind-up toys."
Jeff: "Back to the drawing board, Quark!"
—Rocky and Jeff have no trouble with Quark's robot fighters
*****
"But remember he has only 5 minutes of stored nuclear power. He's our last line of defense."
—Commodore Steele notes Voltron's limitation
Notes[]
- Voltron uses the following weapons in this episode:
- Wing Beam
- Gyro Blades (unnamed)
- Blazing Sword
- Hawkins somehow knows they're up against Quark, before he receives any intelligence or contact informing him of such
- These notable characters had speaking lines in this episode, but we have yet to learn their names:
- Cinda
- Chip
- Rocky
- Graham (though we do learn that his rank is Marshall)
- Steele
Notable Edits and Differences from the Original Armored Fleet DaiRugger-XV Episode[]
- In DaiRugger-XV, this episode marks the first encounter between the Galaxy Garrison and the enemy empire; here, the two sides are portrayed as well-acquainted.
- The footage of Hazar is taken from another episode; he does not appear in the DaiRugger-XV version of this episode - this is so that the lead antagonist for this arc may be introduced in the first episode rather than in a later episode to help the serious feel that DaiRugger-XV normally has be reduced to better match the intended audience of the adaptation.
- Commander Hawkins's DaiRugger-XV counterpart, Ise, is only a captain, equal in rank to Newley's counterpart, Asimov. Asimov commands the Rugger Guard (the Explorer's counterpart), while Ise commands the Rugger Team (the Vehicle Force's counterparts).
- DaiRugger-XV makes no mention of the enemy or allied ships being robots; this was added in the adaptation to presumably tone down the violence.
- Of course, using robots as cannon fodder would be unsurprising even in the original source material, as one robot is clearly shown in the series working for the Explorer.
- Voltron's 5-minute-limit is entirely invented in the adaptation - in future episodes, it is completely forgotten, presumably dropped later on in this arc in favor of staying true to DaiRugger-XV footage of Voltron staying formed long after 5 minutes and avoiding any confusion that the audience may have about seeing footage of Voltron staying formed mysteriously after the 5-minute duration; it should also be noted that in some Vehicle episodes, Voltron, during battles, may disassemble briefly only to reform seconds or moments after which means that it's unknown if Voltron's 5-minute duration expires after a first forming in an episode or a straight-after-short-period-disassembly reforming in that same episode - it's unknown if the duration is maintained or not in those specific episodes before or after the duration is permanently lifted.
Goofs[]
Animation[]
...13, 14, 15... 16? 17?! And where's Chip?
- The opening scene looks like the Voltron Force is fighting, but later dialog and circumstances indicate that they are somewhere else at that time; it appears members of the editing department did not choose very appropriate footage in portraying this battle.
- At 14:02, Krik and the Sea Team are speaking, but the voices are Jeff's and the Air Team's.
- It looks like there's 3 extra Sea Team members in the wide pan shot of the common area, even though there's 5 members per team.
- This could be an animation error or alternatively they could be support crew for the Sea Team, doing jobs from fixing the engines to waxing the vehicles and more. They may even be generic characters who appear for this shot only.
Plot[]
- Hawkins mentions that the Chronos Galaxy is 10,000 light-years from Earth, making it closer than the Andromeda Galaxy. Either Hawkins flunked astronomy, or there is a near-invisible galaxy that is closer than Andromeda that may be undetectable with 21st century technology.