The 26th episode of Star Blazers, an English rewrite and dub of the 1974 anime series Space Battleship Yamato, premieres in syndication across the U.S. This is the final episode of the first season, which fans collectively refer to as the Quest for Iscandar; on most stations, the show loops back to its first episode the following day and continues to air in sequence. 
D minus 131 days: After a one-month layover on Iscandar, the Argo heads back to Earth – but Desslok has escaped with one last Gamilon destroyer and plans to exact his final vengeance on the Star Force. But even Desslok’s sneak attack goes wrong when the Argo goes into warp – and rematerializes around the Gamilon vessel. Desslok takes advantage of the collision and the chaos, leading his men into the belly of the Argo and pumping a radioactive sleeping gas into the ship to render the crew unconscious. Nova makes a last-ditch attempt to save the crew by prematurely activating the radiation-cleansing Cosmo DNA machine, but nearly pays for it with her life – she inhales enough of Desslok’s gas to fall into a coma. The Star Force returns to Earth at last, but the first day of the human race’s salvation will be Captain Avatar’s last day alive.
written by Keisuke Fujikawa & Eiichi Yamamoto
directed by Leiji Matsumoto
music by Hiroshi MiyagawaCast: Kenneth Meseroll (Derek Wildstar), Tom Tweedy (Mark Venture), Amy Howard (Nova), Eddie Allen (Leader Desslok), Lydia Leeds (Starsha), other actors unknown
Corresponds to Yamato episode: Earth: Yamato Returns
LogBook entry by Earl Green