
| English Title: | The Star Chariot |
| German Title: | Der Sternenwagen |
| Alternative German Title: | |
| French Title: | Le carrosse étoilé |
| Location of the episode*: | Canyon Creek, Arizona & Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, U.S.A. |
V.E.N.O.M. are on the hunt to find the missing part of the Emerald Arrowhead, which when joined with the rest of the emerald, will lead to an alien spacecraft, the Star Chariot, that was buried in the desert 1000 years ago.
For Chief Slow Eagle, the day begins peacefully. He is driving through the desert with his dog when the roar of engines suddenly draws closer. Out of the dust come the vehicles of VENOM. Piranha and Manta stop only a few yards in front of him, while Cliff Dagger and Vanessa Warfield close in on the old chief. Miles Mayhem has spent years searching for the second half of an ancient Emerald Arrowhead, and today he believes he has finally found the right trail.
Slow Eagle first tries to deflect the questions from the VENOM team. Miles and Vanessa, however, make it clear that they are not there for a polite conversation. Miles uses his mask to increase the pressure. Vanessa lashes out with her Whip mask, sending an electric lasso through the air and tearing Slow Eagle's hat from his head. Under threat, the chief finally reveals that he gave the arrowhead to his grandson Daniel. That is exactly what Miles wanted to hear.
A little later, Slow Eagle reaches the estate of Matt Trakker and tells him about the attack. When Matt learns that Daniel is out fishing at Canyon Creek with Scott Trakker, he immediately realizes that both boys are in danger.
(Read more)The scene then shifts to the computer room at Boulder Hill. Matt selects the right team for the mission. The computer chooses Bruce Sato with Rhino, Dusty Hayes with Gator and Gloria Baker with Shark. Moments later, the vehicles leave the M.A.S.K. headquarters.
Meanwhile, Scotty, Daniel and T-Bob are enjoying a quiet day by the water. T-Bob tries his luck at fishing and pulls nothing but a rusty tin can from the river, much to everyone else's amusement. Daniel has better luck. As a sign of friendship, he gives Scotty half of the Emerald Arrowhead. Proudly, Scotty hangs the green amulet around his neck. To Daniel, it is an old tradition of his tribe. To VENOM, it is exactly what they have been looking for.
Hidden among the rocks, Miles watches the scene. When he spots the arrowhead around Scotty's neck, he immediately orders the attack. Within seconds, the peaceful fishing trip turns into a fight between M.A.S.K. and VENOM. Piranha cuts off the escape route, Vanessa attacks with Manta, and Switchblade appears above the cliffs. While Daniel and his mother try to get away, T-Bob is supposed to call for help. But of all moments, a fat frog lands on his antenna and blocks the radio signal. T-Bob shakes himself in panic while explosions are already bursting around him.
Then M.A.S.K. arrives.
Thunderhawk streaks over the canyon, Rhino powers through the rocks and Gloria goes straight after Vanessa. Bruce lifts enemy vehicles with his Lifter mask, Dusty brings Gator's special functions into play and Matt tries to reach Scotty at the same time. When VENOM realizes that M.A.S.K. is gaining the upper hand, the team splits up. In the confusion, Cliff grabs not Daniel, but Scotty, who is still wearing the arrowhead. Before anyone can stop him, Jackhammer disappears between the rocks with its prisoner.
For Daniel and his mother, the next danger follows immediately. Their vehicle is hit and quickly becomes trapped by flames. Fire spreads along the cliff wall and blocks every way out. Daniel tries desperately to help, but the heat keeps growing. Even Dusty's fire extinguisher is not enough. Only when Bruce activates his mask and pushes the burning debris aside does the team manage to pull both of them from the fire in time.
After the rescue, the final piece of the puzzle falls into place. Daniel explains that he gave the arrowhead to Scotty. Now M.A.S.K. understands why VENOM took him.
At VENOM headquarters, Scotty is tied to a chair. In front of him, Miles joins the two halves of the Emerald Arrowhead and reveals his plan. The arrowhead is not just a jewel, but a key to an ancient secret. Together with the symbols on an old woven tapestry, it points the way to the Star Chariot, an alien spacecraft hidden for centuries. Miles is already dreaming of using its propulsion system for a new generation of VENOM vehicles.
Matt later manages to track VENOM's course. The trail leads straight to Mesa Verde. While Matt flies ahead, Bruce prepares an ambush. Rhino sits in the road as if it has broken down, until it suddenly transforms and the trap snaps shut. For a moment, the plan seems to work. But Miles reacts quickly and presents Scotty as a hostage. Reluctantly, M.A.S.K. has to call off the attack.
The chase finally leads to the famous cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. There, the moment the whole episode has been building toward arrives. The completed arrowhead sends out a green beam of light. The ground begins to shake, the rock face splits open, and behind the breaking stone the secret Miles has been chasing for years finally appears: the Star Chariot.
Before both teams lies a vast alien spacecraft.
Miles already believes victory is within reach. But before he can take control, Matt steps in. Between the Star Chariot, the stone walls and the vehicles, a chaotic battle breaks out. Energy flashes through the chamber while huge rocks begin to fall from above. When the debris comes crashing down toward Scotty, T-Bob throws himself in front of his friend. Seconds later, both are buried beneath a landslide of stone.
For a moment, even Matt seems to lose hope.
Meanwhile, VENOM tries to haul the Star Chariot away with heavy chains. At that very moment, Rhino drives into the chamber. Bruce activates Rhino Ultra Bright and floods the entire cave with blinding light. Dazzled, the members of VENOM lose all sense of direction. The chains snap, control slips away, and the Star Chariot comes to life.
With a thunderous roar, the spacecraft rises from its centuries-old hiding place. Before the eyes of M.A.S.K. and VENOM, the Star Chariot bursts through the ceiling of the chamber and vanishes into the sky.
Moments later, the pile of rubble covering Scotty and T-Bob begins to move. Both emerge unharmed and tell the others about a strange dream. Independently of each other, they describe the same vision: a distant spacecraft and unknown beings who healed their injuries. No one can truly explain what happened down there.
Miles manages to escape once again, but the Emerald Arrowhead remains in the hands of M.A.S.K. For Scotty, T-Bob and their friends, it is an adventure they will not forget anytime soon.
When you think of “The Star Chariot,” two images come to mind almost immediately: Scotty wearing the Emerald Arrowhead around his neck, and the moment the rock wall at Mesa Verde opens. Between those two scenes, the episode delivers almost everything a strong M.A.S.K. adventure needs: a treasure hunt, desert chases, a VENOM attack, a dramatic rescue from the flames and plenty of vehicle action. On top of that, the small moments between Scotty and T-Bob give the story its own charm. Once Rhino Ultra Bright fills the entire cave with light and the Star Chariot appears for the first time, it is easy to see why this adventure still stays with so many fans.
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•Chief Slow Eagle
•Daniel
•Daniel's Mother
MASK Boulder Hill (click for images)
Scott & T-Bob as native (click for images)
Switchblade remote control (click for images)