- This article describes Gatlantis from Space Battleship Yamato 2 and Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato. For the Gatlantis people and culture in Space Battleship Yamato 2199 and its sequels, see Gatlantis (2199).
Gatlantis is a massive spacecraft that is under the command of Zwordar and is the capital, heart and headquarters of the White Comet Empire. It is often compared to an artificial comet.
Technological Specifications[]
The spacecraft resembles a massive city rested upon a semi-circle-shaped planetary body riddled with craters. Most of the time, Gatlantis itself is covered by a white spiral that makes it resemble a real comet. It is actually a massive plasma construct that breaks down and destroys space matter, such as asteroids and debris from destroyed worlds for fuel. The spiral can be put down via a mass-Wave Motion Gun attack. The vessel is armed by equatorial missile and energy cannons that can rotate to provide coverage if one should fail. The lower hemisphere is also protected by retractable cannons that provide cover fire for fighters leaving the bottom hangar, which is also the ship's sole weak point. Gatlantis is capable of moving under its own power, propelled by multiple thrust valves that expel tachyon particles, and speed is determined by how many valves are open at any point of time. Due to its complicated nature, a massive control and navigation room is needed. It is suggested that Gatlantis, with its sheer speed, does not have an independent warp system, but rather faster-than-light is just a speed the craft can accelerate into. The upper hemisphere is protected by a powerful shield system that can withstand multiple impacts from a Wave Motion Gun without major damage.
Interior[]
The vessel’s interior is quite spacious, possessing many hallways, rooms, and important areas such as the medical facility, guest suites, engineering section, dungeon, conference lounge, and most importantly, the main energy plant, which functions as the vessels heart and main generator that supply’s power to the vessel’s city and functions. The vessel’s main control room is a spacious area that not only functions as the vessel’s bridge, but it is also the main throne room for Emperor Zwordar himself. There are also multiple aircraft tubes which are also connected to many of the skyscrapers and even the main hanger bays where their fighters and shuttles are kept. Their fighters enter and exit through the bottom South Pole entry point which is also an exploitable weakness. There is even a massive secret hanger bay for Emperor Zwordar’s massive dreadnought battleship.
History[]
Space Battleship Yamato II (Main Timeline)[]
The Gatlantis served as the primary main capital of the White Comet Empire's civilization presumably since long before their invasion of Earth and the Milky Way Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy was possibly conquered using this colossal fortress.
When the Gatlantis started appearing in Earth’s Solar System, Emperor Zwordar wanted to conquer Earth itself because not only was it the most beautiful planet he ever saw, but it would also be perfect to force all of the primitive humans to be their slaves.
For the majority of the Earth-Comet Empire conflict, The Comet Empire fortress Gatlantis stayed on it’s course towards both planet Terezart and Earth, while it’s fleets began attacking several of Earth’s outermost and poorly defended colonies and distant outposts.
The Gatlantis attempted to attack the Yamato at the dead planet Terezart, but it’s advance was halted by the space goddess Teresa, who manage to temporarily disable the Comet Empire, thus allowing the Yamato to escape. Humiliated by such a defeat, Emperor Zwordar ordered Admiral Valsey’s fleets to begin their invasion of Earth’s Solar System. Against orders Commander Ryu Hijikata, the captain of Earth’s newest flagship the Andromeda began to order every available warship to gather at Titan, located near Saturn in order to halt the Comet Empire’s advance.
The White Comet arrived too late to avert the Comet Empire fleet's loss at The Battle of Saturn, but it immediately attacked the Earth fleet, destroying the EDF carriers, and critically damaging the Yamato. The Andromeda and the remaining Earth battleships closed formation and prepared their wave motion guns. At Ryu Hijikata’s order, the fleet instantaneously opens fire, hitting the target dead on. However, this does not damage the comet whatsoever. Commander Ryu Hijikata and crew aboard the Andromeda are all shocked and horrified upon seeing the smoke clear as the White Comet Empire reveals itself as the massive, artificial city spaceship Gatlantis, it’s true form.
The Earth fleet charges at the massive mechanical monstrosity, but Gatlantis suddenly returns fire with heavy torpedoe volleys that destroy every single Earth vessel, and thus crippling the Andromeda. Ryu Hijikata realizing his fatal mistake, immediately radios the Yamato, giving them advice to remember to attack the bottom of the enemy fortress, while urgently telling them to fight and survive. The Andromeda soon perishes while attempting a last ditch ram towards the enemy fortresses bottom, only to graze the revolving rim and be destroyed, leaving the White Comet Empire victorious. With Earth’s own fleet annihilated, the White Comet Empire Gatlantis then continued on their course towards Earth unopposed. The Yamato had to be repaired on one of Saturn’s surviving hidden moon bases, and her acting captain Susumu Kodai was injured, but still alive.
The Gatlantis soon arrives at Earth and has it’s fleets destroy the orbiting battle satellites, before sending a representative Razera to demand Earth’s surrender. The Earth President pleads with the Comet Empire to negotiate in peace talks, but Emperor Zwordar dismisses this and laughs in amusement as he realizes that the foolish humans are attempting to stall for time. Emperor Zwordar then orders Gatlantis to target Earth’s Moon as a demonstration of their power in order to force them to surrender, which works in crippling most of humanity’s spirit, save for the crew of the Yamato who remained determined as ever to bring the massive artificial monster down.
The Yamato, now repaired, attempted to catch up to the Comet Empire, but yet again had another encounter with the exiled Gamilon leader Dessler, who wanted revenge. Later, when he and Kodai had a final face off, which ended in Kodai collapsing from his injuries when the two were about to have a duel. Yuki Mori rushed to Kodai’s side, which in turn causes a now remorseful Dessler to realize that both Earth and Gamilas are not so different from one another and that the Comet Empire are nothing more than just unjust conquers that kill without mercy. Before leaving Dessler tells Yuki to tell Kodai to remember the Battle of Gamilas, and urges them to resist the Comet Empire by attacking their fortress from both the top and bottom. The crew of the Yamato were at first a little hesitant of trusting their former enemy, but Kodai, Yuki and Shiro Sanada all decided to trust Dessler’s advice.
When the damaged Yamato finally arrived at Earth, the Gatlantis had already landed on one of the planet’s oceans in order to receive the representatives. The Yamato and her crew radioed their intentions to make one last final desperate attempt to destroy their enemy by attacking them from both top and bottom. Realizing that there was no way of stopping them, Heikuro Todo ordered the speed boat to reverse course and allow the crew of the Yamato to carry out their mission to destroy the floating fortress Gatlantis. Emperor Zwordar quickly receives word of this and decides to punish the humans for their insolence. The submerged Yamato quickly fires torpedoes underwater at Gatlantis causing damage and forcing the city itself to head into space, with the Yamato and her fighters pursuing their adversaries.
The Yamato and her fighters engage Gatlantis in a fierce final battle, taking many losses on both sides. Kodai, Sanada, Kato, and captain Saito use fighters to infiltrate the Gatlantis and eventually succeed in destroying it at the cost of losing many people including both Saito and Kato. With his empire crumbling, Emperor Zwordar decides to settle this once and for all. The Yamato begins bombarding the smoldering Comet Empire capitol Gatlantis with their remaining weapons, unfortunately Earth’s victory over the Comet Empire is short lived.
As his once-mighty empire began to crumble around him, Emperor Zwordar took the chance to escape the massive station's fate in a new, secret, dreadnought, while leaving Sabera, Goenitz, and Razera behind to die for their failure. Leaving its companion ship behind, the massive battleship erupted from the flames of Gatlantis, much to the shock of the Yamato’s crew. After the massive dreadnought unleashed a full broadside with its main armament on the Yamato, almost destroying her, and killing a large portion of her crew including the ship’s chief engineer. Emperor Zwordar then sadistically taunted the exausted crew, proclaiming himself the "Emperor of Space". Emperor Zwordar then had his massive vessel leave the crippled Yamato, as Emperor Zwordar wanted them to watch helplessly as he pummels Earth and it’s people into dust as punishment. He then unleashed a devastating weapon, a much larger and more powerful Magma Flame Cannon, onto the Earth below, hitting targets across the blue planet with near-pinpoint accuracy, and slaughtering many of innocent men, women, and children alike down below. As the world below felt the full wrath of Zwordar, Kodai and Yuki prepared to stop him by using the Yamato itself as a battering ram against the dreadnought.
However, Teresa, carrying the recently-revived Daisuke Shima, arrived in front of the two and quickly explained that she was going to destroy the dreadnought herself instead of them. Not long after, she instantly appeared in front of the massive battleship, catching Emperor Zwordar by surprise. Slack-jawed and in both shock and fear, Emperor Zwordar desperately tried to evade her, but she kept up and eliminated the giant ship in a gigantic flash of light, which destroyed it, thus bringing an end to both the White Comet Empire and the vile Emperor Zwordar, thus saving Earth. What remained and became of the wrecked Gatlantis’s fate remains unknown. ( “Space Battleship Yamato II”)
Notes[]
- Despite several characters saying it is the size the quarter of the Earth, it can land on Earth's ocean.
- Although, the references of the city being a quarter-size of the Earth might include the white spiral that was removed by the Andromeda and EDF fleet.
- Its equivalent in the reimagined series is the Ark of Destruction, which also resembles an artificial comet.
Japanese language information[]
ガトランティス Gatorantisu