Fireball XL5: The Vault

12 - The Alien Planets and Life Forms/XL5 to H20

By the time of 2062, mankind has an incredible understanding of the universe around him and the planet and life forms. In spite of these important achievements, man still has yet to fully comprehend the entire universe around him. Accidents and unexpected disasters were still common, which in turn makes us realise in fact how little we have really grasped about the universe we live in. It is in Sector 25 of the galaxy where Steve Zodiac and his crew aboard Fireball XL5 maintain their intergalactic patrol across the universe keeping the galaxy safe from potential danger. Usually, we only get to see one or two aliens of a species, but sometimes if the situation is very serious we would see up to three different aliens of a race altogether at once, and some in the Space Pen! The majority of planets and strange worlds we encounter are able to sustain human life, maybe even with oxygen pills helping secure survival. The planets usually possess a similar gravity to the Earth's, and enough sunlight and warm enough temperatures so spacesuits are not required. On planets such as Arctan and Zavia, the temperature is much colder, and therefore further distance away from a sun to warm up the planet's climate. Both species, the Icemen and Jedums are suited to their colder atmosphere.

Among their first mission we see with them, we encounter the ruthless Subterrains, a green-skinned, war-like underground native species. They have much technological power, and following the capture of their Leader, the alien race has sworn vengeance on mankind and have tried to destroy the crew of Fireball XL5 and the crew of Space City on more than one occasion, such as on the derelict planet Pharos. The crew of XL5 returned to Space City to be told to take some Vesivium Nine, the greatest explosive in the Universe, back to the planet and destroy it where, by which time, the evil Subterrainians plotted their revenge against Steve and his friends. Meanwhile, on Platonia, rich metals such as platinum are traded with across the galaxy where they trade minerals with planets such as Earth. Venus' lazy, semi-telepathic pet, Zoonie, comes from the planet Colevio. During his early appearances, he can say no more than "welcome home". His vocabulary expands as the series progresses, often due to him mimicking other characters. They are an important species in the TV species, who greatly fear the almost extinct Zanadus species who hate all Lazoon-kind. But the Lazoon species are greatly feared by the Lilipsanians for their noises and ugly appearances. Their planet, New Earth, has a thin atmosphere and little gravity that was to be colonised by the crew of the spaceship Mayflower-3 in the episode Space Immigrants. The spaceship Fireball XL7 was sent out in advance to prepare for the arrival of the Mayflower-3, only to be captured by megalomaniacal aliens.The Domeheads bare a strikingly similar appearance to the Lilispanians, who were successful in using their strange alien powers to succumb the XL5 crew to their will. The planet from the same episode was named after Professor Matic himself to become planet Matic!

The alien life forms do indeed come in all shapes and sizes. Zodan and Kazak bare a resemblance to those living in Eastern Europe, and are part of the Rajuscans species from The Sun Temple. However, the Clorophon is undoubtedly one of the strangest creatures so far encountered by the XL5 crew. Born from the creation of Dr. Rootes and from the hostile plant world of Hedera, he sent the missile that leased an Ivy called Hedera Elixer upon the planet Earth and would have transformed the crew of into plant-life like him through a chemical known as Hermo-Chorophil, if not for the timely intervention of Robert, who repeatedly pummeled the creature to death. A similar plant ruled planet exists in the galaxy. In 2063, the XL5 crew were Floran to explode an Ellvium bomb in the atmosphere to kill Planetoid Three, a plant disease, so that plant life can be restored. The crew were then met by another form of life - the Florans. The universe is filled with jungle planets such as Herbos, whereas some planets are fuelled with fire such as Membrano, or a barren desert planet such as Monotane.

 Another creepy encounter made by the XL5 crew was the creepy Suventan brain from Hypnotic Sphere - home to the strange world of the mysterious energy being. The Solars on their home planet of Magneton appear to have no physical form, being invisible to human eyes, possibly left to the minds of we Earthmen to only guess at their being. Further mysterious aliens appear in The Doomed Planet, where the aliens from the flying saucer on the tranquil planet of Membrono communicate telepathically. Meanwhile, the giant Monotane monster is one of the biggest creatures throughout the universe! It is a carnivore, and stalks the planet hunting for meat such as humans to eat. Another ruthlessly hostile alien attacked two survivors of planet Zofeit. This same strange and hostile Aquaphibian used armed a poisonous gas gun to take care of his enemies. The Triads on their home planet, although essentially human in appearance, are giants by our small comparison. Electric rocks can be found on the planet Electon, and are protected by the Groverians from Groveris. Some worlds we never get to see, such as Amazonia, a member of the United Planets Organization alongside Earth and had banished its mad queen to an unnamed planet alive with active volcanoes.

Illegal space pirating is a problem being tackled by the WSP across the universe and on planets such as Aridian, Conva and Minera. The troublemakers known as Space Spies Boris and Griselda and the evil Grothan Deblisare among such troublemakers who threaten the peaceful harmony the WSP enforces to control and maintain. The Arcons from Electra are another hostile race, as was the prisoner on the Misty planet, the beautiful goddess-like Aphors, who used her beauty in a way to lull Steve into falling for her and taking her advantage to escape her prison. Not all planets in the universe are hostile. Olympus makes for a great holiday experience, if only Kemble shared the same reputation. On Nutopia the two aliens, Privator and Perfectos, both want to keep the beautiful Venus as their eternal companion, whereas the evil Granatoid robots, probably invaders from another world, invaded Planet 73 with their indestructible and powerful Granatoid tanks. These robots share a very strong likeness with the robots created by Professor Himber from the robot's Robotivia (or Planet 82) so they could be from the same planet. At one time, Space City was invaded by evil invaders who produced a strange cloud to deceive Earth's forces as the war-like militaristic unidentified aliens landed their ships and took control of Space City. 

Over the course of the series, a vast array of planets and worlds of all kinds are encountered by the crew of Fireball XL5 in their space adventures. Peaceful aliens have been helped, aggressive hostiles have been fought, whether they are giant, whether they are tiny, or whether they are beautifully attractive, repulsively hideous, or are completely invisible, the universe in Fireball XL5 is teaming with a wonderful array of life across the galaxy. Many more civilisations remain unexplored and uncharted and yet to encounter by Steve Zodiac and the crew of the Fireball XL5...

XL5 TO H20;

Written by Alan Fennell

Directed by John Kelly

Original UK Airdate: 9th December 1962 (ATV London, Westward, Anglia and Channel)

Additional Voice Cast:

Rald David Graham Jerek John Bluthal

The Aquaphibian in this story would later go on to influence Titan's Aquaphibians in Stingray. The teeth to the ruthless Aquaphibian was in fact made of tooth picks! Another notable episode in the run of the show, we get to see a totally different form of alien life form, one of the more believable, convincing aliens in the series through its aquatic appearance. The opening appearance of the Aquaphibian is memorable with the terrific effects and with the perfect build up of music. It's also nice to see Fireball go underwater on an alien planet. I notice a step up in the improvement of the visuals in this story, refined in this story because of the huge amount of effects required. The technique of shooting the models behind a tank of filled up water, so the models wouldn't get wet, first began with Supercar. These techniques would be refined throughout Stingray, which created a revolutionary means of underwater filmmaking. I notice a step up in the improvement of the visuals in this story, refined in this story because of the huge amount of effects required.