Revival

Revival (復活) is the first episode of Kamen Rider Kuuga.

Synopsis
A group of archaeologists found a strange sarcophagus in Mount Kuro, upon researching the area, they accidentally disturbed the seal which was enough for the Gurongi Lord to break the barrier completely.

Plot
The episode begins with a flashback showing Riku ,the original Kuuga, fighting many Gurongi in his four basic forms. After defeating all the Gurongi, Riku is shown sealing himself away in a sarcophagus. In the present a group of archaeologists find Riku's sarcophagus, as the researchers open the sarcophagus they comment on how they can't believe that somthing like it was made in Japan, and how it was "completely different from anything else on Earth". Then the mummified Riku's hand moves but this gose unoticted by the group.

'New Tokyo International Airport, 04:05 p.m'

Outside the airport, Yuusuke Godai talks to a young crying boy who lost his parents saying that he always thought guys who could smile through hardships were cool, and then he tells the boy about the time when he was 8 he got lost on a peak called Annapurna in Nepal. Then, Yuusuke begins juggling, this gets the boy to stop crying and Yuusuke gives him a thumps up. Soon after the boys parents find them and thank Yuusuke for finding him.

'Tokyo, Jounan Univeristy Archaeology Offices, 11:28 p.m.'

Sakurako Sawatari is shown examining photos of Riku's sarcophagus on her computer.she answers the telephone and it is someone named Makoto, Sakurako tells them she is busy deciphering ancient text from the Kurougatake ruins, she tells Makoto that other civilizations may have had similar texts. At this point Sakurako's co-worker leaves, leaving her alone in the office, Sakurako then tells Makoto that "there's no way it's an incantation for a curse". Then, a masked figure climbs up the vines on the outside of the buidling, climbs in the window, and then sneaks up behind Sakurako. Before turning around Sakurako tells the masked figure,who she revels to be Yuusuke Godai, not to come in through the window. Yuusuke then asks Sakurako "don't you get the feeling this place tells you to climb it?", and she answers "it dosn't! We're the ones that they complain to". Yuusuke then gives Sakurako the mask he was wearing saying that it was a souvenir from Indonesia and that it works as a talisman. Sakurako then asks Yuusuke if he wants coffee but he says he can't because he has was going to the Kurougatake ruins. However, at that moment Sakurako's computer gets done translating two of the glyphs from the ruins, one of them meaning "death" and other meaning "warning", and Sakurako calls the investigation team to discuss it.

'Kurougatake Ruins Excavation Site, 11:30 p.m.'Their equipment starts malfunctioning, as one of the archaeologeist calls the police asking for help and another one video tapes a mysterious shadowy figure that was attacking them.

Jounan Univeristy Archaeology Offices, 11:30 p.m.

Sakurako hears the groups crys for help over the phone and in a stunned way asks Yuusuke what they should do,however, Yuusuke is already headed out the door saying he will go over and take a look.

Chuuou Motorway, Komagane Interchange, 03:07 a.m.

Yuusake is driving his bike down the road in the rain when he stops at a red light, he then looks over and sees a large light blue energy beam shooting into the sky from the Kugrogatake ruins and it releases many bolts of electricty into the surrounding air.

Kurougatake Ruins Excavation Site, 03:07 a.m.

The shadowy figure that attacked the archaeology group, which will later become known as N-Daguva-Zeba in his incomplete from or Unidentified Life Form #0, is seen walking though the forest with with a blue arua and trees exploding around him. #0 then shoots energy at the ground and says somthing in the Gurongi language, then several monsterous hands rise out of the ground as all the Gurongi that were defeated by Riku come back to life.

Kurougatake Ruins Excavation Site, 07:31 a.m.

The Police, including detective Kaoru Ichijo, have already arrived and started investigating the scene. Detective Ichijo comments that it was "a bit much for lightning", he also asks one of the officers if it was possible that there was an explosion, and the officer replys "No, I also checked with Kyushu University but there were no recored of any local earthquakes". Yuusuke is then shown to be observing the site from the tree line, and upon seeing the entrance to the ruins Yuusuke gets a sort of "flash" that suprises him enough to make him jump back. Yuusuke then tries to sneak on to the site by running past detective Ichijo saying "sorry I'm late, i will get back to work" but the detective stops him and asks who he is. at which point Yuusuke asks "sneaking in no good", and the detective asked what he was doing there. and Yuusuke simply replys "warning of death" and then Yuusuke explains about that being what Sakurako translated from the ancient texts at the ruin. at that point the detective asks Yuusuke if he was related to the investigation team, and after explaining that he was "just passing through" Yuusuke hands the detective his card which reads "Godai Yuusuke, A Man Who Chases Dreams, Possessing 1999 skills. Detective Ichijo then asks a officer to take Yuusuke to a patrol car. but on the the way to the car Yuusuke points to the sky and yells "wait, whats that" all the police get distracted by this and Yuusuke makes a break for the ruins entrance. Detective Ichijo sees this and blocks his path, but Yuusuke gets around him by ducking under his arm, however, the detective then grabs Yuusuke's ankle causing him to trip and the detective catches Yuusuke before he falls and hits his head on a metal box. After getting back up Yuusuke remarks "your good, detective", Ichijo then tells Yuusuke that if he keeps interfering he will arrest him. At this point Yuusuke beings to leave but then he sees an officer carry the Arcle out of the ruins in a large evience bag and this triggers Yuusuke to have another "flash" this one including a vision of Riku transforming into Kuuga's Mighty Form.Also, before he leaves Yuusuke gets a good look at one of the glyphs on the side of the Arcle.

Nagano-Prefecture Police HQ, 02:13 p.m.

Yuusuke is out side the building and meets up with Sakurako, who he faxed a drawning of the glyph from the arcle too. Then Detective Ichijo meets them outside, and Yuusuke introduces the two of them. Later, inside the building Ichijo shows the two of them a video tape which was the only thing to survive, he also tells them that everyone died because they were frozen in a state of shock and fear. They then watch the video tape, which shows Riku's sarcophagus being lifted up from under it and tossed aside, then a shadowy N-Daguva-Zeba climbs though the hole that was under the sarcophagus, he is then seen holding up a belt, possible the Arcle, and then the same crys for help which were heard earlier are heard again at the end of the video. After ending the video Ichijo points out that it looked like the shadowy figure was attacked by the figure wearing the belt, Ichijo says this concerned him and that he wanted the original investigators to continue their work and that he pulled a few strings and got the Arcle out of evidence for them, then a officer enters the room and whispers somthing to Ichijo, who then excuses himself and thanks Yuusuke and Sakurako. After the detective leaves Yuusuke asks Sakurako what the glyph he faxed her ment and she said it ment "Chikara" or "Power".

Nagano City, Southern Nagano, 03:18 p.m.

Several officers are resonding to a disturbance, which is that an unkown creature had created a giant spider web there. The officers are then attacked by the creature, which is Zu-Gumun-Ba or Unidentified Life Form #1, the officers open fire on the Gurongi but it is reveled that it is bullet reisitent. The Gurongi then attacks and kills all the police officers and even chases down the one that gets in his car and drives away.

Nagano-Prefecture Police HQ, 03:20 p.m.

Yuusuke and Sakurako are on their way out of the building when suddenly a patrol car drives through the door. Zu-Gumun-Ba then crawls out of passenger side door on all fours. The Grongi then stands up and looks at the arcle which has fallen out of its case, and then suddenly the arcle glows with a bright white light,and this triggers another vision of Kuuga fight Gurongi for Yuusuke. The Gurongi then starts attacking everyone in the building which makes Yuusuke madm then just as the Gurongi gose for the arcle Yuusuke grabs it and tells Sakurako hide. Yuusuke then puts the arcle on and with intense pain it abosorbs into Yuusuke's body. The Gurongi then tosses Yuusuke outside and then contines to beat him, then as Yuusuke realizes that "at this rate, I'll die" he punchs the Gurongi and as he dose Yuusuke's arm transforms to be white and armored looking, Yuusuke then punchs and kicks the Gurongi and he changes more with each hit until finally he completely changes into Kuuga Growing Form. However, this first transformation seems to have stressed Yuusuke's body as he falls to his knees and the Gurongi takes advantage of this and throws him around some more. But then Kuuga pushes a van into the Gurongi which puts him through a wall, but the Gurongi gets back up and they continue to fight eventully making their way to a nearby rooftop. Next, the Gurongi gets Kuuga cornered and is about to kill him when suddenly Detective Ichijo arrives in a police helicopter. Ichijo then starts fireing at the Gurongi. This causes the Gurongi to get distracted and it shoots a web up to the helicopter and climbs up to attack Ichijo. However, before the Gurongi is able to strike the Detective, Kuuga jumps up to the helicopter and pulls the Gurongi out on to the side of the helicopter where they continue to fight until Kuuga finally manages to kick the Gurongi off of the helicopter and it falls through the roof of a warehouse. Kuuga then makes sure the detective is safe, Ichijo was surprised that Kuuga had saved him, and then Kuuga gives the detective a thumbs up. and when the detective asks Kuuga who he is, Kuuga simple says "later" and jumps out of the helicopter and safely lands on a nearby building. The Detective then makes a thumbs up and says "was that...".

Cast

 * Yusuke Godai (五代 雄介): Joe Odagiri (オダギリ ジョー)
 * Kaoru Ichijo (一条 薫): Shingo Katsurayama (葛山 信吾)
 * Sakurako Sawatari (沢渡 桜子): Kazumi Murata (村田 和美)
 * Tsurumaru Kameyama (亀山 鶴丸): Katsuaki Nishide (西手 勝秋)

Suit actor

 * Kamen Rider Kuuga: Kenji Tominaga (富永 研司)

Trivia

 * This is the first Kamen Rider TV series in 11 years, the previous season Kamen Rider Black RX concluded in 1989.
 * While Kamen Rider Black RX was the first to air in the Heisei period, this episode is the start of the "Heisei Period" of Kamen Rider.
 * This is the 1st appearance of Kuuga's four basic forms(Mighty, Dragon, Pegasus, and Titan), and is also the first appereance of Kuuga's Growing form.
 * Yuusuke gains access to Kuuga's Growing from in this episode.
 * The end card for this episode started as black with white glyphs, but then switched to white with black glyphs.
 * The one of opening credits dedicates the first episode to Shotaro Ishinomori who died during the planning stages of Kuuga in 1998.