Poco and his father examine their catch


Mark gets one of the weird squid


Poco and Peru want to help G-Force


The Spectra base commander

 

 


Siege of the Squids

Written by: Harry Winkler
Alternate Title: None known
Production Number: 36
Airing Number: 2
Script Completion Date: 6/9/78
Episode Completion Date: Unknown
Preview / Trailer: Trailer *
Credit Version: A**
Title Card Version: A
Official episode synopsis

..To obtain and decode the formula for turning Solodium into energy.
..To determine the cause of s series of ship sinkings off the coast of Portugal.

 
......

While a father and his two sons named Poco and Peru are fishing off the coast of Portugal, a series of bizarre events take place. One of the sons catches a very unusual squid and then a strange fog descends over them. While surrounded by the fog, they notice a lighthouse on shore that has moved from one location to another. The father and his sons watch in horror as a ship is then attacked and sunk by a school of squid and finally one massive mechanical one.

A red alert is sounded at Center Neptune and G-Force is called in. The ship that was attacked was carrying a top formula for the process of converting the mineral Solodium into energy, and there is suspicion that it might have fallen into the hands of Spectra. G-Force travels to Portugal and the small fishing village where the Father and his sons live. They are told about the mysterious occurrences with the lighthouse and discover the squid that the boy caught is mechanical.

The young boys desperately want to join the G-Force and so they take Mark and the others to a secret tunnel that leads to the mysterious lighthouse. Inside the tunnel, they uncover a secret Spectra base. The commander of the base is just about to leave in a rocket to take the Solodium formula back to Zoltar. In an effort to help G-Force, Poco and Peru jump on board the rocket. But their efforts only makes things worse for G-Force because now they can't attack the rocket for fear of hurting the two boys.

Instead of attacking, G-Force board the Phoenix and follow the rocket to its rendezvous with Zoltar. But the Phoenix is captured underwater by a Magno-Electric Kelp trap,but they are able to break free and escape attack from a school of electronic squid, which then hit and destroy the Giant Squid robot. G-Force invade the Spectra base, intercept the formula and save Poco and Peru. Zoltar runs from G-Force, taunting them on his way to an escape ship. He and G-Force are able to get out of the Spectra base just before it self-destructs.


 

 

Name: Giant Squid
Type: Giant Mechanical Monster
Body Shape: Squid (Lobster)
Origin: Planet Spectra
Sighting: Planet Earth
Weapons: Brute strength
Flight Capable: Unknown
Crew: Unknown
Status: Destroyed

Spectra used the Giant Squid robot, in conjunction with a mobile lighthouse base and schools of smaller electronic squid, to confuse crews on oceangoing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean. The Giant Squid would grab onto ship to attack and sink them. The monster was stored in a secret underground Spectra base on Earth. The Giant Squid was destroyed when it was mistakenly hit by the school of electronic squid that were fired to destroy the Phoenix.

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Portugal still exists as a country

G-Force does not take on new members

Planet Spectra closely resembles Earth

Note: Two versions of this episode are known to exist. The alternate version seems to have been used as a pilot. It can be identified by different dialogue cues from the broadcast version and the total lack of Hoyt Curtin music. At this point, the producers were likely experimenting with using only Bob Sakuma's score for the series. The later broadcast version of this episode included a mix of Bob Sakuma's and Hoyt Curtin's music.

*Home video releases do not have the trailer, although it was slated for inclusion in the script.

**The alternate version of this episode also appeared as a bonus item on an Australian DVD box set in 2004 with the pilot version credits.

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Unless otherwise stated, all program material, situations, descriptions and depictions are copyright © Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd.