BotP Close-up 007

Aired in the US, Canada, UK and other English-speaking territories
Post Reply
User avatar
Bobkat
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:30 pm

BotP Close-up 007

Post: # 233Post Bobkat »

Sorry I'm a day late! Here is the latest close-up, aka plot write up, for BotP. This week's ep is "Ace from Outer Space."

The OtherJason's review/write up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep7.html

Enjoy!!

E07: Ace from Outer Space

Act One

7-Zark-7 is in his ready room in Center Neptune, "a regular beehive of activity". Zark has been in the middle of designing a new starship in time for the latest air show. Susan calls from Pluto complimenting him on his imagination and to warn him about a ship from the hostile planet of Ergos. The ship has an unusual design: an old-fashioned bi-plane. Zark suspects it's heading to the Intergalactic Air Show and should make for some interesting programming. Zark says Susan really "charges his accelerators," wishing he could see her someday.

The air show is impressive with a demonstration team filling the sky as several static displays are parked on the ground. Mark has been selected to test the new space patrol scout. The XF-97 is a faster than light ship with a "new radical design". Security Chief Anderson shakes Mark's hand before he boards giving him good tidings. Chief Anderson has high hopes for the fighter as it could greatly strengthen Galactic Security all over the place. Mark is confident and says he'll "turn her inside out Chief". Mark radios back that she lifted off well and "climbing like a homesick angel" but he sees the bi-plane closing in and fast!

The pilot stands atop the plane taunting Mark and his "new toy". A pair of whips deploy ripping into the XF-97! By taking some of the tail, the fighter is now uncontrollable crashing into the ocean. Fortunately, Mark was able to eject and he parachutes down. Unfortunately, the bi-plane's pilot isn't through: he destroys several static displays on the ground before leaving. Chief Anderson radios Mark who answers that he's okay but the XF-97 has bit the dust. Chief Anderson says their new enemy is Captain Doom, who Jason identifies as a space pirate from planet Ergos. Chief Anderson sends the team out to pick up Mark and get the Phoenix airborne. The team leaves.

The Phoenix begins her mission to hunt down Captain Doom as he continues flying in his bi-plane. They soon catch up to him as he notices them behind him and he turns to meet them. He threatens to take them down with his laser whip and comes close on the first pass. Circling back around, Jason fires a missile that is a direct hit but it does nothing due to a force field! They fly too close to the bi-plane and the laser whip takes out the rudder. Captain Doom bids his farewell as he drops into the bi-plane and it forms into a rocket! Captain Doom escapes at a speed of Mach eight as the Phoenix is left circling to stabilize enough to land without a rudder!

In the laboratory, Chief Anderson analyzes the pieces from the Phoenix, calling it "fantastic". It harder than any known element and seems to be indestructible. Chief Anderson surmises the element is from an asteroid that wandered into the solar system and captured by the planet Ergos. He goes on to say they may be the only ones who know of any defense against the element. He also tells them that Zark found an unidentified object about "200 million miles beyond Venus" and he's hesitant to send them because there is no defense against the laser whip. There is also the chance they may not survive but Tiny speaks for all of them that they volunteer for this impossible mission.

The Phoenix takes flight and goes into time warp on its way to Ergos, which they reach in a short amount of time. Zark tells them to turn on their infra-scanners to try to find what they're looking for. The sensors go crazy and they pinpoint where they need to go lowering into a canyon only to have missiles fired at them! Mark orders evasive actions and they're successful. Mark has an idea to go into "the wounded bird act" as Tiny starts the smoke after a near miss. As Tiny takes the Phoenix down, Mark, Jason, Princess and Keyop exit to enter the base.

Inside the base, the Spectran soldiers report the Phoenix has been destroyed with Captain Doom quite pleased with the results. Captain Doom has grand plans of his own wanting to conquer Earth himself rather than planet Spectra! Outside as the defenses close up, the four team members sneak in!

Act Two

Zark paces again wanting to be more than "the stay-at-home coordinator" because he worries about his "family" of G-Force. Flying over to his monitors, Zark muses it may not be emotion but rather his "linear transducer" getting worked up.

The base on Ergos is part of an abandoned mine deep within a mountain. Mark, Jason, Princess and Keyop jump to the floor when the coast is clear. There's a bit of sniping going on as Keyop wants to blow up the place and Jason and Princess disagree on who should be sent back to the Phoenix because of the danger. Mark tells them all to knock it off! They have a job to do and they split into pairs to accomplish it.

Mark and Princess sneak along finding a single guard and knocking him out. They look over a railing down into what appears to be a power generator. As Mark climbs down a ladder to get a closer look, a pair of guns appear taking shots at him. Mark demolishes them with his sonic boomerang, waving to Princess as he makes it to the bottom. Mark then checks in with Jason who tells him they found a generator of some kind and they're about to take it out when Captain Doom finds them!

Captain Doom admonishes them for not realizing they would be noticed when they arrived on Ergos! Jason and Keyop have no choice but to throw down their weapons with Jason telling Keyop to be ready to move at any second. Meantime, Mark and Princess have found what seems to be a computer core. Mark wants to try to figure out what it does in a hurry and she's willing to try. As she works, Mark notices some tracked praying mantis shaped mechs behind them. They swipe their claws at them trying to take out the G-Force members. In face of adversity, they form a two-person Whirlwind Pyramid! No only do the pair escape, but the mechs wind up destroying the module they were trying to figure out. Mark and Princess run for it as the room explodes.

As they try to escape upward, Captain Doom is ready to meet them at the railing! Captain Doom uses his laser whip to destroy the ladder that Mark and Princess are on. She throws her yo-yo to the railing giving them an escape route as they jump to the same level as Captain Doom. Meantime, Jason and Keyop have escaped and found weapons to take out the generator just as Captain Doom is about to take out Mark and Princess! The alarm sounds as the main power unit is malfunctioning. Mark attacks Captain Doom disarming him of the laser whip, however, the leader has vanished into thin air! Princess tells him to forget him because the place is going to explode. Mark radios Jason and Keyop to meet up and high tail it out!

The team runs for it as Jason opens an outside door for Tiny to lower the Phoenix so they can board. Jason and Keyop make it aboard okay but Mark and Princess have a serious challenge with molten metal or rock spills into the room just as they're about to jump! Mark uses the laser whip to get out hanging onto Princess. Tiny has issues flying the Phoenix though as the excessive heat may have jammed the lift system. Through a bit of magic, Tiny is able to take off just prior to the base exploding! As the Phoenix flies off, Captain Doom vows that one day Ergos will "conquer all". During the flight, Mark disposes of the laser whip, hopefully keeping back a sample so their scientists can work on it.

At Center Neptune, Zark looks forward to another air show and laments his new starship was destroyed during Captain Doom's visit. Princess stops by telling him they want him to rebuild his starship because the design is sound. This is good news as they can all move on.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2020. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
Post Reply