MAT (Return of Ultraman: MAT Arrow 1 Takeoff Order)

The is the defense team appearing in the independent special effects film Return of Ultraman: MAT Arrow 1 Takeoff Order produced by DAICON FILM. This team is a reinterpretation and homage to the similarly named defense team that appeared in Tsuburaya Productions' Return of Ultraman.
The main mission of this defense team, corresponding to the original series, is to combat monsters that pose a threat to cities and countries. They face a crisis involving a monster, Kiruan, released by a fallen meteorite in the film.https://www.ntv.co.jp/tokusatsu/news/cat288index_12.html
==History==
===Return of Ultraman: MAT Arrow 1 Takeoff Order===
One morning, Hinatsune City was suddenly hit by a catastrophic event. A meteorite named "Lambda 1" plummeted from the sky, crashing directly into the downtown area, turning it into ruins and unleashing a disaster akin to a landslide. Upon receiving the report, MAT learned that this disaster had caused enormous losses, including the collapse of over 1300 homes and the deaths or disappearances of more than 16,000 people.
Based on collected data, MAT used computer simulations to assess the situation of the meteorite impact and the extent of the city's damage. Scientists determined the diameter and mass of the meteorite through methods like optical measurements and soon discovered three life forms emerging from it, beginning to move within Hinatsune City.
Under the command of the captain, MAT members piloted fighter jets to engage in combat. However, when they were preparing to launch flame bombs to deal with these life forms, the three life forms merged into a giant monster, designated by MAT as "BugJewel". Due to BugJewel's powerful protective shield, MAT's attacks were ineffective. In the intense battle, the aircraft piloted by member Hayakawa was attacked by the monster and crashed, turning Hinatsune City into a sea of flames. Within the team, Hayakawa recognized BugJewel as "Kiruan", the strongest monster in the universe.
Despite more than 20 hours passing, an effective means of attacking the monster had yet to be found. Upon returning to the base, the higher-ups at TDA decided to use nuclear weapons. Captain Ibuki expressed his willingness to take responsibility and insisted on taking control of the mission himself. However, Hayakawa believed that there might still be survivors in the area and that member Ibuki might still be alive, so he strongly opposed the use of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, Captain Ibuki rebuked him and issued an order for his confinement.
The next morning, Captain Ibuki personally piloted the MAT Arrow 1 equipped with nuclear weapons. Later, Hayakawa transformed into Ultraman Jack to resolve the crisis. In the end, the monster was eliminated, and the explosion of the nuclear weapons on the ground was prevented. In the final scene, the MAT members who arrived for the rescue expressed joy at finding Captain Ibuki and member Ibuki alive and well.
==Bases==
The MAT headquarters is depicted as a massive military building located in the city center, boasting grand architecture. The command room serves as the core of the headquarters, where not only permanent members but also multiple analysts work as assistants, responsible for tasks such as communication and intelligence analysis.
The base also features individual rooms for members to provide accommodation and rest spaces. Additionally, it has a huge hangar and an airport runway used for storing and launching fighter jets like MAT Arrow 1, 2, and 3 for missions against monsters.
MAT Base 1983 04.png|Command room
MAT Base 1983 02.png|Hangar
MAT Base 1983 03.png|Runway
==Members==
==Arsenal==
===Mecha===
==Gallery==
===Return of Ultraman: MAT Arrow 1 Takeoff Order===
MAT 1984 001.png
MAT 1984 002.png
MAT 1984 003.png
MAT 1984 004.png
MAT 1984 005.png
MAT 1984 006.png
MAT 1984 007.png
MAT 1984 008.png
MAT 1984 009.png
MAT 1984 010.png
MAT 1984 011.png|The MAT laser unit is a weapon equipped on the MAT Arrow 1.
MAT 1984 012.png
MAT 1984 013.png
MAT 1984 014.png
MAT 1984 015.png
MAT 1984 016.png|MAT MK VIII
MAT 1984 017.png
MAT 1984 018.png
MAT 1984 019.png
MAT 1984 020.png
MAT 1984 021.png
===Miscellaneous===
MAT 1983 logo.png
MAT 1983 00002.jpg
MAT 1983 00003.jpg
MAT 1983 00004.jpg
==Trivia==
*The uniforms of MAT were designed by director Hideaki Anno. The costume design is considered to have been influenced by the UG featured in Ultraseven and the Earth Federation uniforms seen in Mobile Suit Gundam, as there were no specialized cosplay costume stores or prop shops during that era. These costumes were made based on design sketches by Anno and then ordered through regular clothing stores. One staff member had connections in the clothing industry, so they were customized through a familiar clothing store and completed two weeks later. However, due to the mismatch between clothing sizes and the actors' body shapes, adjustments were ultimately made only through boots, belts, and small accessories to balance them out.http://www.gainax.co.jp/wp/archives/daicon3-memory_bangai2/
*At the beginning of the main film, the map of Hinatsune City displayed on the computer monitor in the MAT base was actually modeled after the map of Hiroshima City. However, the real-life urban scenes of Hinatsune City, such as the opening credits and the final scenes, were filmed in Osaka Prefecture.
*All the MAT mechas and scale models featured in the film were made entirely of paper (including paper balls and construction paper). The models used in the filming at that time are still preserved today.https://twitter.com/annohideakiten/status/1532935298283237376/https://twitter.com/Info_ATAC/status/1515209463807979527https://akiba-souken.com/article/53019/
**In 2021, in conjunction with the Hideaki Anno Exhibition, the model maker Toru Saegusa, who participated in the production of the models for this work, recreated the models of MAT Arrow 1 and MAT Gyro using the same paper specifications.https://twitter.com/Saegusa61587590/status/1444085983289372676
==References==
Category:Teams
Category:Allies
Category:Defense Teams
Category:MAT