The STORAGE Special Aircraft robots have been known for their heroic uses, even as they have become more and more powerful. From the beloved Sevenger, to the venerable Windom, to even the mighty King Joe, the robots who have stood beside Ultraman Z have always existed as a response to the threats that face humanity.
Except for one.
One robot made not with defense in mind, but purely with power:
One robot whose creation almost destroyed its very creators.
It’s time to talk about Ultroid Zero.
To discuss Ultroid Zero, and the nightmare it would becomes, the story must first return to an ancient enemy of humanity, the Ultras, and good as a whole: Yapool. The power of the other dimensional terror had manifested as the Terrible-Monster Baraba, using its creators dimensional fissure abilities to alight on Earth.
After its defeat by Ultraman Z and Ultraman Ace, the forces of the GAFJ (Global Armed Forces Japan), manipulated unknowingly by the alien parasite Celebro, coveted the power the creature had displayed, and attempted to recreate it, forging the superweapon known as D4.
D4 alone was far too much for humanity; in its first use against a swarm of space Kaiju known as Kelbeam, the weapon went out of control immediately, destroying the Kelbeam, but continuing to cascade and sunder the dimensional bindings of the Earth itself, threatening to consume the entire planet before Ultraman Z was able to stop it with his own Zestium Beam.
Rather than be humbled by the terrible power of the weapon, however, the GAFJ instead coveted the power of Ultraman, to stabilize their horrific weapon. Disassembling STORAGE and installing the militaristic SAAG (the 1st Special Airborne and Armored Group), they studied Z’s next fight to create their final weapon: Ultroid Zero.
With a body reminiscent of Ultraman Zero, Z’s mentor, Ultroid Zero was recognized as a threat by seemingly the Earth itself, with several Kaiju converging to destroy the existential threat before it could activate.
Unfortunately, Ultroid Zero DID activate. Piloted by Yoko Nakashima, the robotic Ultra was far too much for the Kaiju, annihilating them. Jugglus Juggler, who had lived as STORAGE captain Shota Hebikura, attempted to take the machine for himself, but it was ended up falling into the hands of the creature that orchestrated its creation in the first place: Celebro.
The entire armament of Earth had been part of Celebro’s Civilization Self-Destruction Game, a twisted exercise to force a civilization to the peak of its destructive prowess, and to then destroy them with their greatest weapon. Genegarg, the very creature that had brought Z to Earrh, was the previous “winner” of this game, and now Celebro had crowned a new, terrible champion.
Seizing control over the robot by possessing the pilot, Yoko, Celebro Ultroid Zero used Ultroid Zero’s power to absorb the life forces and powers of dozens of Kaiju across the planet to further evolve, and evolve it did. As it consumed its last “meal,” a mother Red King Z himself had once spared, Ultroid Zero’s body began to shift and sunder, growing into a monstrous nightmare: The King of Death and Destruction, Destrudos.
In many ways, this is the end of Ultroid Zero. Destrudos, while possessing its powers, was a new, more horrible creature. And so, it fell on Ultraman Z, and the Ultroid’s predecessors Sevenger, Windom, and King Joe to stop it.
We could tell you how it went, but it would be more effective for you to watch how this ends yourself, either in the exclusive videos section of Ultraman Connection, or by following the new English dub of Ultraman Z on the Official Ultraman YouTube Channel. Watch for yourself, and see how the greatest battle the Special Aircraft ever participated in ends.
