Rocky Jones, Space Ranger/Recap/Menace from Outer Space

Series: Rocky Jones Space Ranger Title: "Bobby's Comet" Alt Title: "Menace From Outer Space" Number Of Episodes: 3 Recapper: Scooter 007]

We first catch up with Professor Newton at the famous Griffith Observatory (which, it would seem, will be standing forever), where he is, um, observing what appears to be an incoming comet. Vena and Bobby arrive in her hot 50s sport car and are told the "meteor" is still incoming. Bobby, in typical childlike fashion, quickly calls dibs on naming rights -- "Bobby's Comet!" The comet is about to crash into Earth, so they all gather around the Visio-Graph to watch.

However, something doesn't seem right, and so Prof. Newton runs back to the telescope. Sure enough, he discovers that the "comet" is actually a missile. Sorry, Bobby; maybe next time. The Professor phones this development in to Secretary of Space Drake, whose aide confirms (via an adding machine) that the missile is heading toward "Newton Observatory". Rather than warn Newton and the others, Drake and the aide watch quietly as the missile closes in and finally impacts. As it turns out, the missile missed the observatory but impacted the nearby "inter-nation airport".

As the Professor goes to investigate the remains of the missile, we catch up with Rocky Jones, who is busy following up on a plot thread from a previous episode. Never mind that now, Secretary Drake tells him, come on back at once. As Rocky turns his ship around, another missile darts across his path.

Back on Earth, Prof. Newton is detailing the chemical makeup of the first missile, noting that it hints at a highly advanced society with access to incredible energy. Vena, meantime, has backtracked the missile's path and traced its origin to Fornax, a moon of Jupiter. But, Rocky interjects, Fornax has a surface of crystal so hot that nothing could live there. Since "seeing is believing", Rocky decides to go investigate.

During the briefing, contact is made with an obesrvatory in Tibet, near where the second missile landed. The officer there reports that he has dispatched a Ranger to investigate the crash -- under the watchful gun of the pirate Griff, that plot thread mentioned earlier. Griff, learning that Rocky is on his way to Fornax, decides to beat him to the punch.

And so Rocky and his crew -- Winky, Vena and Prof. Newton (and Bobby manages to sheister his way into the trip as well) -- prepare for takeoff. This notably includes the removal of all but minimal weaponry (to save weight, given the length of the journey; apparently their ship is not an interstellar one). The ship blasts off, and everyone promptly blacks out from the G forces (as per normal, we are told). However, Winky wakes up just long enough to bump the control panel, shutting off the engines before blacking out again and sending the ship into a nosedive. Fortunately, Rocky comes to Just in Time, and they're on their way.

They ain't out of the woods yet, though; they're being followed by Griff in his own ship, which opens fire on Rocky's craft. Outgunned and unable to waste fuel on a dogfight, Rocky launches a missile up Griff's exhaust shaft, disabling the pirate ship. Unfortunately, the fight has indeed taken its toll in wasted fuel. Rocky breaks the news to the crew that they now have enough fuel to get to Fornax, but not enough to return. Diverting the ship for a refuel is quickly voted down; they continue on their way and eventually arrive at Fornax. The gravity of the super-dense moon proves a bit of a problem during landing, forcing the ship to burn off the last of its reserve fuel to avoid a crash, but they manage to land safely.

Prof. Newton points out some "pyramids" which indicate a civilization living on Fornax; Rocky hopes to make friends, as their help will be needed to adopt Fornax energy to power the spaceship. A note is made of the increased gravity on Fornax (at Vena's expense), and the crew make their way to the nearest pyramid where they are met by "Zorovak, the elected Ruler of Fornax", and Professor Cardoss, the latter of whom relates that he had crashed on Fornax some eight years ago, popping Newton's bubble about being the first humans on Fornax. He then pointedly (and ominously) says that he is "a changed man". While Winky gives Zorovak a tour of the spaceship, Prof. Newton lets go with the exposition: Prof. Cardoss, performing unspecified experiments for personal gain, killed his assistants and then disappeared.

Zorovak now treats the crew to the luxuries of the Ruler's Palace, but Rocky and Winky stay behind, using the ship's sensors to spy on their hosts. All seems well; Prof. Newton is learning how to adapt the Fornax power source to the spaceship, and Bobby is making nice with Zorovak's daughter, Vena with Zorovak's wife. But when Cardoss takes Zorovak aside, his true intentions are revealed: he has filled Zorovak's head with propoganda, saying that the United Worlds is a colonistic empire bent on conquest and plunder. Cardoss prepares to disclose the next stage of his scheme; but as he does so, he enters a part of the palace that the spaceship's Magical Security Cam cannot penetrate. And so Rocky and Winky sneak in to eavesdrop in person. Cardoss reveals plans to make war on Earth; it also becomes clear that Zorovak is sincere, that he has been misled by Cardoss. Unfortunately, Rocky and Winky are discovered in the room, and their eavesdropping does not go over well. However, Zorovak is a fair ruler, and chooses to investigate for himself, by travelling to Earth and personally establishing relations, over Cardoss' objections. But Cardoss has plans of his own.

Also making his own plans is Pirate Griff, who makes his way to Ophecius and confers with Queen Cleolanta, telling her of the immense power Fornax wields and convincing her to claim the moon for herself. Cleo sends one of her military men, Darganto, to stake her claim. Meanwhile Bobby, who has stayed on Fornax and is continuing to bond with the daughter of Zorovak, stumbles across Cardoss' scheme to overthrow Zorovak and continue his campaign of war against Earth. Cardoss is quickly arrested, but is saved by the arrival of Griff and Darganto, who quickly announce their intentions and take everyone hostage; Cardoss, of course, throws his lot in with the bad guys. Another missile, armed with a warhead, is launched toward Earth; but Rocky and his spaceship quickly intercept and destroy it. And now it's off to rescue the others!

Back on Fornax, the power crystals are being loaded onto Griff's spaceship. Bobby, finding himself mostly beneath everyone's notice, sneaks off with Zorovak's daughter to the top of the pyramid, where they use a hidden astrophone to contact Rocky and appraise him of the situation. But in an attempt to sneak in and learn more, Bobby is captured by Griff. Griff's victory is brief; Rocky arrives and destroys Griff's spaceship, and the villains are promptly arrested. And so, with the bad guys getting their comuppance, friendly relations with Fornax established, and Bobby's new relationship firmly cemented, it's time to head home.