(First Aired: March 5, 1967)
Screenplay by: Mamoru Sasaki
Directed by: Akio Jissoji
After a brief discussion by the narrator on the many things that fall from the sky, the story begins with what appears to be a meteor crashing at the outskirts of Tokyo. Science Patrol, rudely awakened by the earthshaking impact, heads in to check it out. At the site, the team sees a monster resembling a bloated Ankylosaurus with a horned crocodile-like snout lumbering out of a deep crater. The monster’s steps cause the earth to sink beneath its two hundred thousand ton weight as it waddles towards an abandoned construction site, where it burns down everything with streams of fire from its mouth. Science Patrol launches an attack, but cannot harm the behemoth. It soon tires out and falls asleep, giving Science Patrol an opportunity to head back and form a strategy.
While watching the dozing monster, which they have dubbed Skydon, from a safe distance, Science Patrol decides they need to airlift the colossus back into the sky. Their first plan is Operation Wirelock, which begins the following day. They use their Jet V-TOLs to strap enormous steel wires around Skydon, who proves to be difficult to cooperate with. Skydon also proves to be so heavy that it’s actually pulling the planes down with every struggle. Realizing their plan isn’t working, Science Patrol breaks the wires off. Skydon’s teeth manage to catch Hayata’s wire, preventing his V-TOL from letting go and flinging it to the ground, where Hayata becomes Ultraman! Ultraman takes on Skydon, though the monster takes no notice to his presence. Skydon does not even move, despite the barrage of blows against its body, and Ultraman’s futile attempts to lift it only enrage it. Ultraman is quickly pinned under Skydon’s supermassive bulk, but he escapes. Skydon soon falls asleep again. Ultraman, with his Color Timer flashing and his pride wounded, leaves.
Science Patrol gathers again to determine their next course of action. This time, they're going to try Operation Auto-Gyro. The plan begins with a blast of anesthetic missile to Skydon’s face, giving the team the time to place a massive propeller called the Auto-Gyro on the monster. The V-TOLs place the Auto-Gyro on Skydon and the propeller-mounted dome extends its metal straps around the beast’s form. The Auto-Gyro is then activated. Soon, Skydon is sent back into the sky. The team returns to HQ to celebrate with some beers, but their party is interrupted by the shock of something enormous crashing into the ground. They quickly realize that the Auto-Gyro must have given out before it could reach space. The furious Skydon returns to ravaging its surroundings, while Science Patrol thinks about what to do next. Fuji suggests that they try using the rockets that had successfully airlifted Gamakujira on Skydon. So, the team moves out to try Operation Rocket Bomb.
Skydon is now shuffling at the edges of Tokyo, smashing a few outlying structures, while Science Patrol readies the rocket. The rocket hits Skydon’s back, embedding itself like a needle in a pincushion. However, the rocket's power can merely push Skydon onto its hind legs, and the monster is now being helplessly pushed around. Worse still, the out-of-control rocket is sending Skydon straight towards Science Patrol’s location! The team begins to run down the streets, panicking, as the flailing monster smashes through everything in its path. Eventually, Science Patrol stops running and fires multiple anesthetic missiles at Skydon. The dazed creature flails about a bit before collapsing on its back, crushing the rocket. Skydon then rolls back on its belly and falls asleep again.
Science Patrol comes up with another plan in the meantime. This time it’s Operation Monster Ballooning. They call in dozens of hydrogen trucks, which proceed to pump hydrogen into Skydon’s body. Gradually, Skydon is filled with hydrogen and begins to resemble more like a balloon. Its swollen form soon floats away. The exhausted but overjoyed Science Patrol then heads home, but their troubles don’t end there.
The JSDF has not been informed of Operation Monster Ballooning yet and some of their fighter planes are practicing maneuvers. One pilot sees the inflated Skydon rising steadily into the sky and shoots it under the belief that it is a strange flying monster. Skydon’s rapidly deflating form falls from the sky at an alarming velocity. Science Patrol is informed by the JSDF of the encounter and learn that Skydon will crashland right into the heart of Tokyo! Hayata rushes out during their meal of celebration cake and pulls out the Beta Capsule (after accidentally trying to use his spoon), becoming Ultraman once again. Ultraman flies towards Skydon at unmatched speeds, slamming into the beast like a kamikaze pilot and destroying Skydon once and for all. Afterwards, Science Patrol takes the time to enjoy the now flowering cherry blossoms, musing with the narrator on what gifts the sky would bring in spring.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Physics: Operation Auto-Gyro and Operation Monster Ballooning shouldn't be able to send Skydon back to space, as both of these plans rely on air to lift Skydon, and there's no air in space. Of course, given this episode's joking tone, the breaks from reality were likely intentional.
- Ass Shove: Muramatsu explicitly tells Arashi to aim for Skydon's butthole when firing the rocket for Operation Rocket Bomb, though the rocket ends up getting launched into Skydon's back instead.
- Bird-Poop Gag: Ide receives a final gift from the sky while enjoying the cherry blossoms with the other Science Patrol members, causing them to laugh at his misfortune.
- Black Comedy: In the opening, the narrator discusses things that fall from the sky, including rain, umbrellas...and a suicide jumper that Ide happens to be present for.
- Call-Back: Operation Rocket Bomb is exactly the same way Gamakujira was defeated back in Episode 14. Also counts as a Casting Gag, as Skydon's suit was made by remodeling the Gamakujira suit.
- Letting the Air out of the Band: Ultraman's victory theme grinds to a halt as he tries to perform a shoulder throw on Skydon, only for the monster to crush him under its immense weight.
- Mundane Utility: When Muramatsu gets caught in a rainstorm, Hayata pilots the Jet VTOL to drop an umbrella down for him.
- Non-Indicative Name: Skydon's subtitle, Megaton Monster, is an exaggeration of its weight, as its actual weight is 200,000 tons, or 0.2 megatons.
