Robo-Profile: Sevenger!

Robo-Profile: Sevenger!

Folks, if there’s one thing we at Ultraman Connection love, it’s robots.

Well, if there’s only one thing, it’s Ultraman, obviously, but the Ultraman series has robots in it, so the statement still stands. That’s beside the point! Starting today and for the next several weeks, we’re going to be talking about a trio of robots near and dear to the hearts of Ultraman fans — and a fourth one that people have a truly righteous hatred for. We’re talking about the STORAGE Special Aircraft robots from Ultraman Z! And to start us off, let’s focus on the most famous of the Special Aircraft: The plucky little powerhouse with the rocket punch, Sevenger!

Most Ultraman fans were first introduced to Sevenger during Ultraman Z, but its story doesn’t start there. Instead, Sevenger’s origins lie in 1974’s Ultraman Leo, where it was tied to a legendary hero, one that all of the Special Aircraft are tied to: Ultraseven.

Sevenger was the occupant of the Monster Ball, a weapon brought to Earth by Ultraman Jack for Dan Moroboshi, Ultraseven’s alter-ego, who had lost the ability to transform. Similar to the Capsule Monsters, Sevenger’s incredible might was offset solely by its one-minute activity time and 50-hour charge time. Ultimately, its first showing, against the monster Ashuran, was an incredible success, as the adorably powerful robot nearly beat the monster singlehandedly, only to be undone by its short operation time. Despite its impressive performance, Sevenger never had another chance to show off its skills, as Dan left the Earth to return to the Land of Light, leaving its legacy unfulfilled for 46 years…

A new iteration of Sevenger appeared with a new look in 2020’s Ultraman Z, as everyone’s favorite STORAGE Special Aircraft, SC-1 Sevenger! Limited to the same one-minute operation time at the beginning of the series, Sevenger doesn’t have the sheer overwhelming power of its older version, but its adorable expression and never-give-up spirit (which, admittedly, may come from its pilots Haruki and Yoko of STORAGE) made it incredibly popular, both in and out-of-universe!

As the first of the STORAGE Special Aircrafts to be created, Sevenger doesn’t have the sheer power of its contemporaries, which we will talk about in the weeks to come. Nevertheless, it was integral to the defense of Earth, even as its role was minimized as newer models debuted. After the debut of King Joe STORAGE Custom, Sevenger was resigned to a museum exhibit, as a major historical figure, being the Earth’s first giant robot. In the end, however, the Destrudos crisis brought it out of retirement to defend against its corrupted former ally.

After the defeat of the parasite Celebro, Sevenger returned to active service, being upgraded into the SC-1M Space Sevenger. Not only was Sevenger made capable of fighting in the vacuum of space, but all its capabilities were upgraded some, as was seen when Space Sevenger pursued and nearly caught the stolen King Joe STORAGE Custom before its thief, Alien Barossa, managed to open a wormhole between dimensions.

Sevenger is also notable, even among the Special Aircraft, for the impressive diversity in battles it has participated in as the Earth’s first giant robot protector. Some of the… stranger battles have their own miniseries, in Sevenger Fight, which you can watch right here on Ultraman Connection! And for its original adventures, you can check out Ultraman Z, also available free to members!

Next time, we’ll be looking at the second Special Aircraft to defend the Earth, whose counterparts have a history taking place over 55 years! Be sure not to miss it!