Ultra Q Episode 3 "The Gift From Space" Review | Godzilla Island Archive

Note: This article was originally published in 2017 on Godzilla Island, all views and opinions may have since changed.

In this episode, an exploration rocket returning from Mars crashes into the ocean. Inside the wreckage, investigators find a pair of golden balls sealed inside a box. It’s suspected that Martians discovered the rocket and sent it back with these mysterious golden orbs as a gift.

Things take a turn when a thief breaks into the safe containing the balls, steals both the money and the strange artifacts, and flees to a nearby airport. During a scuffle with a pilot, one of the golden balls falls to the floor and is left behind. The thief escapes and meets up with his partner in a cave hideout with a hot spring running through it. As they divide the money, the second golden ball accidentally drops into the hot spring—and begins to grow.

The sphere turns out to be an egg, hatching into a slug-like alien creature known as Namegon. The newly born Namegon quickly kills the thief and his partner.

Word of the monster sighting reaches a reporter, who teams up with the pilot (her friend) to investigate. Unbeknownst to her, the pilot’s friend had found the other “golden ball,” mistaking it for a nugget and turning it into a necklace for the reporter. When the reporter and pilot arrive at the cave, they discover the dead thief just as Namegon appears and chases them up the mountain.

The pilot tricks the creature into following him off a cliff and into the sea. Just like an ordinary slug, Namegon cannot survive salt water it dissolves and dies instantly.

Later, while the pilot and reporter are relaxing, the reporter’s necklace accidentally touches a burner flame, causing the “golden nugget” to grow. They realize it’s another Namegon egg and toss it out the window. The second Namegon hatches, and the episode ends on that chilling note.

This was a strong third entry in the Ultra Q series. The episode features a well-designed monster with a believable weakness and maintains a serious tone that sets Ultra Q apart from later, campier entries in the Ultra franchise. The story feels grounded and mysterious, with a great sci-fi atmosphere. I definitely recommend checking out this episode if you haven’t seen Ultra Q yet it’s a fascinating early look at what would later become the Ultraman universe.