Issue #3 of Mad Cave's Gatchaman series was released on September 11, 2024.
Overview[]
"Posing as an agent of Galactor, Jun embarks on a dangerous mission. Her objectives: locate the enemy’s secret headquarters and facilitate the rescue of the scientists-turned-hostage. The rest of the team eagerly awaits her findings to provide backup, but a much bigger threat requires their aid. So many villains, so little time!"
This third issue picks up from the ending of #2, where Jun has decided to go undercover as the Devil Star that the team stopped, so she can infiltrate Galactor with Dr. Aoki.
Staff[]
- Cover Art: Inaki Miranda, with variant by Sanford Greene
- Writer: Cullen Bunn
- Artist: Chris Batista
- Colorist: Carlos Lopez
- Letterer: Buddy Beaudoin
- Special Thanks: Mari Yamauchi, Satoru Wada, and Jason Hofius (Tatsunoko Production)
Story[]
The Science Ninja Team:
- G-1: Ken the Eagle/Gatchaman
- G-2: Joe the Condor
- G-3: Jun the Swan
- G-4: Jinpei the Swallow
- G-5: Ryu the Owl
- Dr. Kozaburo Nambu
- Mara
Other characters:
- Dr. Emi Aoki
Galactor:
- Berg Katse
- Devil Stars
- Galactor Troops
- Sundew Commander
- Blackbirds
Synopsis[]
Jun, disguised as the blonde Devil Star, and Dr. Aoki prepare to join the waiting Devil Star aircraft. As they enter the ship, Dr. Aoki is taken away by two Galactor soldiers to her cell while Jun tries to act naturally among the other Devil Star assassins but slips up when she agrees to let another assassin handle the next mission. The other assassin seems amused that she'd relent, as "sisterhood" isn't part of their group. Jun attempts to improvise, acting more arrogant and insistent that the other hadn't pressured for more dangerous missions before.
Elsewhere, the rest of the team wait in the God Phoenix as they report to Nambu about Jun's infiltration. He doesn't believe she'll find the main Galactor base, but may find another important sub-base for them to destroy, to Jinpei's impatience. Meanwhile back at the Crescent Coral Base, Mara appears to Dr. Nambu and expresses her own impatience and desire to go out onto the battlefield and accompany the team. Nambu reminds her that she is only a backup member who would be sent out in a disastrous situation. Mara hopes that the Devil Stars wouldn't be as well-trained, and points out that if they are, they'd find out Jun is among them. Nambu dismisses her from the meeting, but Mara continues to express her frustration over him not utilizing his backup squads.
The Devil Stars and Dr. Aoki arrive at the Delta base, but one other Devil Star, having grown suspicious of another among their ranks, intentionally invokes a supposed real name of one of the other members to throw Jun off. Jun and the other Devil Star fight, until she transforms out of the disguise and into Bird Style to do battle against the numerous lady assassins and standard Galactor soldiers.
While fighting against another pair of Devil Stars who order her to give up, Jun is shot in the shoulder. Another Devil Star reports to Katse and learns that he intends to send out a Blackbird squadron to deal with Jun while the Ninja Team will be distracted with the Sundew destroying Frangeles.
Back in the God Phoenix, the rest of the team are ordered by Nambu to stay back and follow after the Sundew, to their upset. Joe insists that Ken should go rescue Jun, but Jun replies over the communicator that he should stay with the rest of the team as "The world needs Gatchaman". She then braces to fight against the Devil Stars and Blackbirds, setting up #4.