WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Ultraman: The Trials of Ultraman #3 by Kyle Higgins, Mat Groom, Francesco Manna, Espen Grundetjean and VC's Ariana Maher, on sale now.
Marvel's Ultraman has been through a lot recently, though he doesn't seem any worse for the wear. Outside of some public resistance, fighting Kaiju across the globe has been a winning endeavor so far, though the human element working against Ultraman and the U.S.P. have thrown a bold new threat into the heroes' paths in the form of their very own mechanical Kaiju. Ultraman has already taken down one of these mechanized monstrosities, although he nearly lost his life doing so. To make matters worse, Ultraman may have to face more than he can handle.
Shin Hayata and Kiki Fuji have recently gotten themselves way in over their heads while attempting a clandestine rescue attempt of former United Science Patrol Agent Dan Moroboshi. Dan had only recently returned to Earth from inside the Kaiju Vault when he was kidnapped by the J.A.D.F., a terrorist organization dedicated to bringing the U.S.P. to their knees, and when Shin and Kiki arrived they just happened to walk right into the line of fire. Thankfully, Shin was able to transform into his Ultraman form and deflect any bullets headed Kiki or Dan's way, but the mechanical Kaiju that the JADF deployed in response was more than any of the heroes were prepared for. To make matters worse, Shin inadvertently supercharged the machine's core. Forced into a deadly race against what had effectively become a ticking time bomb, Ultraman ripped the core from the machine in the hopes of getting it far enough away to prevent any real harm from being done.
Shin was barely able to avert disaster and survive the experience himself. With such limited time in his Ultraman form, Shin has once again beaten out the clock without a second to spare, carry on his dangerous new habit. It might seem like a mechanical enemy would be easier to deal with than, as U.S.P. Specialist Ide describes them, "squishy natural Kaiju," but the fact that these mechanized monsters are being engineered creates a whole new set of problems for the heroes. Ide explains that these Kaiju are at least in part built on the U.S.P.'s own technology. What Ide doesn't mention is that this also means these Kaiju can be custom-built to do whatever their masters require, and that could very well spell utter disaster for Ultraman and the rest of the world.
While investigating the origin of the mechanical Kaiju, the U.S.P. team meet with the organization's former star engineer turned tech billionaire, Katsuichiro Kato. Though Kato himself doesn't have any hand in these mechanized threats, he believes a man named "Professor" Nikaido does. Nikaido had previously worked for Kato and hosts a popular online video series that features him "debunking" various Kaiju attacks and sightings as acts of terror committed by the U.S.P. Not only is he spreading his own fears and hatred, but Nikaido is directly connected to terrorist groups that hold the same beliefs, presumably the J.A.D.F. themselves.
The idea that Nikaido created or facilitated the creation of these monsters is a terrifying concept in itself, considering his technical expertise. This isn't a mere possibility, though, as nefarious forces have already completed their next monstrosity, and it is far greater than what Ultraman has already seen.
This new mechanized Kaiju appears far larger and far more powerful than its predecessor. With a massive size and claws and fangs to match, there is no telling just how much help Ultraman is going to need to win his next battle, or if that is even possible. While the latest mech appears to be another iteration of simple, Bemular-type reptilian threats, what weapons it holds beneath its scaly surface remains to be seen. There is no doubt, however, that it is well equipped to do some serious damage.