Title Card for "Man or Machine PART 1".
Summary: New Centurions are recruited by the team and trained in the Centurion Academy, whilst Sealab develops new weapon systems for the original three. Meanwhile, Doc Terror makes contact with an alien computer called "Gog".
Science Lesson: "Radio astronomic telescopes" by Ace.
Synopsis[]
An observatory is under attack by Doom Drones, while the personnel evacuates the facility, Hacker arrives and steals a disk that Doc Terror was looking for. The Centurions arrive at the observatory, but its already too late, Hacker has escaped. Jake Rockwell wants to give that cyborg a lesson. Ace McCloud tells the others that the attack doesn't have any sense, because there's nothing in the observatory's computer archives that could be useful for Doc Terror. Max Ray replies that there was something there that he was searching with urgency and they have to figure out what Terror is looking for.
In Dominion, Doc Terror analyses the disk's data, which contains information about the Milky Way galaxy, Hacker doesn't understand what Terror is looking in the galaxy, and Terror tells him he's looking for a specific star.
In Sealab, Mei Lee tells Ace and Jake they come for a pacific mission and to check the new Assault Weapons Systems. Sealab is recovering from the attack that almost destroys it and now is growing. As Jake remembers how the virus infected Sealab's technologies and they had no other choice than destroying Sealab, but as the Phoenix, Sealab re-emerged from the ashes. While he remembers that incident, Ace and Mei Lee go on a walk together while Shadow stays with Jake.
In Centrum, Crystal Kane communicates with Max, there's no problems in Sealab, but his friends want to try their new Assault Weapon Systems. Max is beamed to Sealab and reunites with Ace and Jake. Mei Lee introduces the new weapons for the three Centurions: The Strato Strike for Ace, the Fathom Fan for Max and the Awesome Auger for Jake. As they swear to use the weapons on the right moment, Jake looks at a different Weapon System, and asks Mei Lee if its for them, and she replies that's for the new Centurions, surprising Jake. Max tells him he was about to tell them; the World Council of Scientists think they need to recruit new members. Ace replies Max saying he thought the Centurions were like the "Three Musketeers", but Mei Lee explains them they're specialists in their own fields: Jake in Ground, Ace in Air and Max in Sea. The Council needs new specialists capable of backing them up in other circumstances.
Back in Dominion, Doc Terror has found the constellation where the virus-inhabited meteorite came from, and it wasn't an accident that the meteorite crashed on Earth. It was sent by someone.
In Skyvault, Max and Crystal introduce the new Centurions: First, a man from Iceland who fills the Council's requirements as an energy specialist: Rex Charger, a man of wealth who earned the reputation as the best Alternate Energy scientist in the country. Ace questions the decision of including Rex since he looks more like a thinker than a warrior, but in fact he has the requirements needed for the job as a Centurion.
The second Centurion is from New York's neighbor state: John Thunder is a genuine Chiricahua Apache and the direct descendant of Geronimo. He will be the specialist in espionage when the Centurions need to act with delicacy instead of violence. Now that they know who are the new Centurions, the original three are sent to the Centurion Academy to train the new teammates.
Back In Dominion, Doc Terror made contact with the alien civilization located on the distant star, now its up to the computer to translate the message from the aliens, hoping they can give him what he always desired: The way to destroy his enemies, the Centurions.
In a western town, John Thunder is playing arm wrestling with the cowboys in the saloon, Jake challenges John in an arm wrestle game, where he wins in the end. As they leave the saloon, Jake invites him to work as a team but that's not John's style as he prefers to work alone. In an energy facility Ace and Rex are talking about his new duty as a Centurion. Is an honor for Rex to work with them but If it was Ace's decision he wouldn't invite him to the team since the Centurions is not a place for a bookworm. Rex disagrees with Ace's comment and he wants to prove he can act as well as he thinks. Suddenly, an attractive blone walks in front of them, and they get attracted to the girl. Ace tells Rex that at least they have "something" in common.
Back in Dominion, Doc Terror finally translated the message from the aliens: It's the specific instructions to create a Supercomputer. Terror tells Hacker they must build it immediately and sends Hacker to steal all the required materials. This time Hacker doesn't have to worry for the Centurions since they're going to be busy in other place.
In Sealab, Mei Lee is having trobule with the coordinates given by Skyvault, and Max explains her that the coordinates are classified for security reasons, but the destination is the Centurion Academy, and its location is Top Secret. Suddenly, the alarms wail on Sealab: Seaborgs are attacking and heading on a collision course. Max is equipped with the Depth Charger to counterattack the enemy, but his Weapon System is damaged during the attack, forcing him to abandon the Depth Charger. When everything seems to be lost for the Centurion, Mei Lee and two weaponized dolphins arrive in time, saving him. When Mei Lee asks Max what is going on, he believes the attack was a mere distraction and Doc Terror is planning something big.
In Computer Manufacturing Inc. facilities, Hacker and a pair of Strafers steal a truck with multiple computer parts. Meanwhile, in the desert, Groundborgs attack Jake and John's car, knocking them unconscious, while Ace and Rex are attacked by Strafers during a test flight. While Ace manages to destroy most of them with the Skyknight's weapons, Rex ejects from the jet, crashing it with a Strafer, destroying it. Back in the desert, Shadow tries to halt the Groundborgs but is thrown away by one of them, Jake can't reach his Exoframe in the wreck of their hovering car, so they have to improvise. John trows a rock at the screen of one of the Groundborgs causing it to malfunction and shoot one of them, while Jake makes the surviving Groundborg attack the malfunctioning one, destroying themselves in the process Jake, John and Shadow survived the assault.
Back in Centrum, Crystal tells the Centurions that Doc Terror was stealing integrated circuits for important computers while they were busy. Max realized that Terror is planning something big and dirty. The only way to stop Terror is to increase the Centurions firepower and that means learn to use their new Assault Weapon Systems, so they're going to the Centurion Academy to begin their training.
In Dominion, Doc Terror has finished the construction the supercomputer, but it doesn't seems to work despite Terror followed the instructions correctly. Suddenly, the computer tells him he is working and Terror proceeded correctly and his reward will be to work for the supercomputer. Doc Terror asks the supercomputer what is looking for on Earth, and it replies saying "What he's looking for on all planets". When the humans of their planet had their last war, their species suffered a lot. All of their creators perished. Only a computer survived, and through it they were born again and created their world on their own image. Doc Terror is surprised about the story of a world were machines rule the planet because it is what he was dreaming all this time. The supercomputer has analyzed all of Dominion's databanks and knows everything about Doc Terror and the Earth. The episode ends with Hacker facing a robot similar to the one seen in the flashback as the supercomputer tells Terror they will achieve together what he couldn't do all this time: The birth of an intelligent machine and the elimination of all mankind.
Science Lesson[]
In the middle of the night, Ace tells viewers that man was always attracted by the stars. Centuries ago, the first telescope taught us more about the universe where we live.
In an observatory, Ace explains that modern technology gave us new and much more powerful tools that increased our knowledge about the cosmos. Photographies taken with optical telescopes allow man to study the most distant galaxies.
Outside of a dish-shaped Radioastronomic Telescope, Ace explains that despite of its dish-shape, that's a telescope, it is a large antenna that picks the radio waves from space. This new branch of astronomy was discovered by accident. The suspended reciever concentrates weak signals and makes it bounce against it.
Ace concludes the lesson saying this technology has taken us to the farthest regions of the universe. It is also used to send signals to space with the intention of stablishing contact with a distant intelligent life form. That's what Ace calls a real "Long Distance".
Curiosities[]
- "Man or Machine" is the only multi-part series that uses the arabic numbers for the parts instead of the roman numbers.
- This episode is the last one where Eduardo Borja voiced Doc Terror in the spanish dub. Juan Domingo Mendez will re-take the role for the last four episodes.
- First appearances of Gog and Magog.
- Apparently there's a swarm of crickets in Sealab as we hear their chirping in the night as Mei Lee, Ace and Jake talk about the events of "Battle Beneath The Ice".
Superhuman Centurions and Superanimal Pets[]
- Max is capable to shout "Power Xtreme!" underwater prior to his Depth Charger equipping.
- Shadow can survive being trown by a Groundborg and run like if nothing happened.
Foreign names[]
- Hombre o Máquina - Primera Parte (Man or Machine - First Part) - Spanish dub