Dr. Baxter and Orion


Orion barely makes his way back


Spectra puts the Refractor to use


Zoltar thinks he's won

 

 


Orion, Wonder Dog of Space

Written by: Peter Germano
Alternate Title: G-Force's Best Friend, also Deadly Ray Vulture
Production Number: 37
Airing Number: 36
Script Completion Date: 7/19/78
Episode Completion Date: 10/27/78
Preview / Trailer: Preview*
Credit Version: B
Title Card Version: B
Official episode synopsis

..To melt the North Pole and flood the Earth.
..To rescue Dr. Baxter and stop Spectra from using his Solar Reflector.

 
..........



Stay tuned! Coming up next on Battle of the Planets!
Orion, the wonder dog of space, joins G-Force in combating extraterrestrial invaders from planet Spectra. Can G-Force, with the help of their best friend Orion, stop Spectra from melting the North Pole and flooding planet Earth? Will Orion with his Cerebonic super-powers find a way to come to the rescue of G-Force?
Be sure to watch this exciting cosmic adventure, as a courageous dog gives his all to bring peace to our galaxy! Coming up next!
.


Spectra has launched a new full-scale ecological attack on Earth with a Super-Thermal Dynamo, capable of altering the climate and global temperature. As a result, Earth is suffering from a worldwide drought. To combat this, the Federation has sent Dr. Baxter, their top solar scientist and his St. Bernard, Orion to the polar ice cap. Dr. Baxter has invented a solar reflector which they hope to use to melt part of the cap and bring water to the world.

While in the Arctic to determine where to place the reflector, Dr. Baxter finds a hidden Spectra base. Unfortunately, they also see him and jam his helicopter's communications. Spectra helicopters surround him but he manages to get clear for a moment to open his windscreen and tell Orion to get his photographs back to G-Force. The brave dog takes Baxter's camera, leaps from the helicopter and lands in the snow below. As he's running away, Baxter sees Orion slip into a deep crevasse. He thinks all is lost, but Orion is actually okay.

At Center Neptune, G-Force is hanging around when Orion comes limping in with Chief Anderson. Chief Anderson shows them the photos Orion brought back. He wants G-Force to travel to the area where Dr. Baxter disappeared, not only to get him and the solar reflector back. If it falls into the wrong hands it could be used as a terrible weapon to melt the entire North Pole and flood Earth. Chief Anderson tells the team to take Orion along. The dog has the same type of Cerebonic power booster all of them have and he could be a great asset.

Zoltar is trying to get Dr. Baxter to divulge the secrets of his reflector so they can add it to their latest weapon, the Space Vulture. But Baxter thinks Zoltar is mad and won't talk with him.

G-Force arrives in the Arctic region and they follow Orion as he leads them inside the Spectra base. Zoltar is aware of their presence though and uses Dr. Baxter to lure Orion and trap him along with G-Force in an invisible shield. He then fills Orion's chamber with water, which seems to drown the dog. G-Force is left to watch helplessly.

Later, still trapped in their prison, Mark tries to reach Orion. He feels the dog is still alive... and he's right. Orion has washed up ashore at an aboveground lake. The dog wakes up and makes his way back into the base and G-Force. He corners a Spectra guard and forces him to open the invisible shield.

Zoltar launches the Space Vulture toward one of Earth's major cities. Dr. Baxter is in the room watching the proceedings on a monitor. Zoltar hints if Baxter gives him the invention, he'll stop the attack, but Dr. Baxter refuses again. Just then, Orion bursts into the control room and rescue Dr. Baxter. They escape the base to make their way to the Phoenix, with hordes of Spectra soldiers in pursuit on snowmobiles. While defending Dr. Baxter, Orion goes over the side of another deep ravine. They think he's lost as they make it back to the Phoenix and escape.

The Space Vulture has arrived back at the Arctic and Zoltar is using it to combat the Phoenix, but the machine overloads and explodes. Although G-Force is caught in the tremendous heat of the explosion, they manage to get away safely. Dr. Baxter is exhausted but alive. The Spectra base and machine are destroyed. But everyone is sad because Orion is gone.

At Center Neptune, 7-Zark-7 is able to pick up strong receptions in the area above the lake... looking more closely, he sees fresh footprints from Orion, he's made it! 7-Zark-7 sends an Arctic Patrol to rescue him.


 

 

Name: Giant Space Vulture
Type: Giant Mechanical Monster
Body Shape: Vulture
Origin: Planet Spectra
Sighting: Planet Earth

Weapons: Destructive rays
Flight Capable: Yes
Crew: Yes
Status: Destroyed

Spectra used the Giant Space Vulture to try to leverage Dr. Baxter into cooperating. It fired destructive rays from its eyes that were powerful enough to destroy buildings. It was apparently guided via remote control. The Space Vulture exploded when, at Dr. Baxter's suggestion, G-Force forced it to overload its radial projectors.

Orion works at Center Neptune's Science and Research department and has Cerebonic implants and powers, just like the G-Force team members

Princess carries a special hand blade

*The standard Battle of the Planets trailer was originally slated to be used with this episode, but a preview was created instead

.

 

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