AKA: Red Impulse/Kentaro Washio (Gatchaman, G-Force) Colonel Cronus (BotP), Harley Harris (Eagle Riders) Nationality: Japanese Age: Unknown Occupation: Test pilot, spy for the ISO, and leader of the Red Impulse Squadron, a special task force of the ISO. Info: Kentaro Washio is Ken's father. When Ken was four years old, Kentaro embarked on a very difficult mission: to spy on the Gallactor's longest-running operation, the V-2 Plan. In order to protect his identity, he faked his death in a plane crash and placed young Ken under the foster care of Dr. Nambu. He then took the identity of the Red Impulse leader, and acted as Ken's friend and rival. His true identity was revealed only moments before he was forced to embark on a suicide mission to save the Earth from the V-2 Plan-- something that has left Ken extremely bitter. Kentaro is a headstrong, arrogant man who strongly believes in the concept of "tough love" when dealing with his son. There are two other members in the Red Impulse Squadron: the tall, grim Oniishi, who was rendered mute by the Gallactors when he was a child; and the stocky, grizzled Masaki, a veteran pilot. Both meet a tragic, bullet-riddled demise at the end of the first series. Name: The Gatchaman/Eagle Ken AKA: Ken Washio (Gatchaman) Mark (BotP) Ace Goodheart (G-Force) Hunter Harris (Eagle Riders) Nationality: Japanese Age: 18 Cover Occupation: Test pilot. Also works part time delivering airmail to remote locations and doing other odd jobs which require the use of a small plane. Lives in a small shack beside a private airstrip, on a few acres of land willed to him by his father. Info: As The Gatchaman, Ken is the showman--the super spy, martial artist and ninja. He's quick and charismatic, and don't let those big blue eyes fool you--he's a hell-raiser who constantly takes foolish risks. He is amazingly inept at romance, either too heavy-handed or totally ignorant of the girl's feelings. He might do this because he feels a romantic relationship would interfere with his duty... or maybe he's just dense. Ken seems happiest when he's up in the air, flying alone in his little "Cessna" or testing some new flying machine. He spends most of his social time at the Snack Jun, running up a tab he never gets around to paying. Ken's goals are noble enough--to restore peace to the world--though for a short time, he fights to avenge his father's death. The burden of leadership lies heavy on his shoulders, especially during the final escalation of events at the end of the series. Voice Actors: Mori Katsuji (Gatchaman); Onozaka Masaya (Gatchaman 94); Casey Kasem (BotP); Sam Fontana (G-Force); Richard Cansino (Eagle Riders) Diinzumo's Review: Mistaken myths about the "Boy Scout" The biggest misconception about Ken is that he's an overly noble, anally retentive, naive "boy scout," when nothing could be further from the truth. Ken is the worst hell raiser and rebel on the team, but since he's the leader, he's used to getting his own way and always appearing right. He's constantly butting heads with the team's administrator, Dr. Nambu, to the point where the Doctor actually slapped him across the face during a mission briefing. He runs off by himself during missions, often without warning, causing a lot of anxiety among the others. Sure, he sets a fine example, but the others had best not follow it or suffer the consequences. Ken will not tolerate his kind of behavior from his subordinates. The blame for Ken's prim and proper image can be placed on his American counterpart Mark, from Battle of the Planets. Mark was noble, self-effacing and wise, constantly spouting out platitudes like, "Two wrongs don't make a right." Add that gentle-looking face and those big, blue eyes, and bang! Instant Eagle Scout. Ken seems to be completely dense when it comes to finding a girlfriend. Throughout the series, beautiful women have practically thrown themselves at him, only to be ignored. I suspect this is on purpose--Ken has nothing in common with these women, and once past the initial physical attraction, there would be nothing to the relationship but complications he doesn't need. His almost-but-not-quite-relationship with Jun, aka Princess, reinforces his angelic stereotype: he has feelings for her, but due to his dedication to his position and his duty, he chooses to ignore them until the war is over. For this, fans call him anal, and some have even decided he's gay (there's absolutely nothing in the series to support this theory). Imagine falling in love and demonstrating closeness with a teammate, then watching her die in battle. If you are a human being, that death would incapacitate your judgment--something you cannot afford. And what if the reverse happens: what if you are hurt or killed? Your partner would wind up incapacitated by emotion, enough that she or someone else could be killed. Not a good thing. A friend brought up another thought: the Kagaku Ninjatai are like a substitute family, five orphans raised and trained together for a long period in their lives. What if Ken considers Jun a sister? That would put a damper on one's relationship for sure. It's also interesting to note that in the first Gatchaman series, neither Ken nor Jun openly admit attraction to one another. Their secret relationship was born in the minds of their fans. AKA: Professor Kozaburou Nambu (Nambu Hakase) (Gatchaman) Chief Anderson (BotP) Dr. Benjamin Brighthead (G-Force) Dr. Thaddeus Keane (Eagle Riders) Nationality: Japanese Age: 48 Occupation: Chief scientist and administrator for the International Science Organization (ISO), a powerful group that leads the war against the Gallactor Syndicate. Mentor/dispatcher/sponsor of the Kagaku Ninjatai. Info: Nambu is a respected alumnus in several prestigious universities, including Harvard and Cambridge, and his field of expertise is astrophysics. He is a ruthless leader and a stern disciplinarian who is used to having his orders followed. Dr. Nambu adopted and most likely trained the five young people that became the Kagaku Ninjatai. He is physically and mentally much tougher than he appears. Voice Actors: Oohira Tohru (Gatchaman); Sawaki Ikuya (Gatchaman 94); Alan Dinehart (BotP); Jan Rabison (G-Force); Greg O' Neill (Eagle Riders)