Original subtitles

[NARRATOR] Last time on Dragon Ball Z!

As Goku recovered from his illness,

a dark shadow loomed over the fallen hero.

The Androids have not forgotten their quest

to destroy Earth's mighty champion,

and each moment finds them closer to their goal!

Meanwhile, in the West City suburb of Gingertown,

once busy streets stood desolate,

as Piccolo was forced to deal with

a far more immediate dilemma!

A terrible evil is preying upon

the city's unsuspecting citizens!

You gotta help me! I beg of you! Please!

Please, you have to help me!

[groans]

[NARRATOR] Horrific as it seems, this monstrous life form

claims its victims by absorbing their life energy

through its deadly spiked tail!

[NARRATOR] Unwilling to allow this creature's spree

of terror to continue, Piccolo attacked full force,

assaulting the sinister behemoth with a dizzying flurry

of kicks and punches!

In fact, it seemed Piccolo's new-found Super Namek powers

would easily overwhelm the evil monster!

[NARRATOR] But the treacherous beast proved to be

far more resilient than it first appeared.

As it stood in defiance of the mighty Piccolo,

the mysterious invader prepared to unleash

a special attack of its own!

And it looked like-- the Kamehame-Ha Wave?

Can it really be? Find out today!

[stammers]

No...

[CREATURE grunts lowly]

[chuckles]

[gasps]

[CREATURE growls]

[chcukles]

Ka...

Me...

[thinking] No... it can't be! It's impossible!

[CREATURE] Ha...

Me...

[thinking] Where did he learn this move?

Who taught him?!

[CREATURE] Haaaaa!

[PICCOLO groans]

[grunting]

[yelling]

[grunting]

Aah!

I've got you now!

[yells]

[screams]

[groaning]

[CREATURE] Resistance is useless, my friend.

In no time at all, your energy will be mine!

[yells]

Hey, Trunks. Any ideas on what this thing

that Piccolo's fighting against might be?

Sorry. All we found was its shell.

We couldn't tell what it was or where it came from.

Do you think it's possible that this one creature

is causing us to sense the power levels

of Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza?

Yeah. I think so.

Aaah...

I was afraid you were gonna say that!

[KRILLIN] I hate to admit it, but it looks like we've got

one heck of a fight on our hands!

[birds cawing]

Your father seems to be getting stronger every day.

Uh, he's okay. Right, Mom?

[CHICHI] Almost, Gohan.

--[CHICHI] Goku? --[GOKU yawns]

--[GOHAN] Daddy? --[GOKU yawns]

[breathes heavily]

[GOHAN] Ahhh...?

[CHICHI] We should let him rest.

But do you think he'll wake up soon, Mom?

Possibly...

Great! I'm gonna go tell the others the good news!

Hey everyone, my dad's waking up!

[GOHAN laughs]

[YAMCHA gasps] [ROSHI groans]

[MALE TV ANCHOR] Once again: Local units of the armed forces

have been mobilized in response to

the mass destruction which occurred in

the West City Suburb of Gingertown earlier today.

Whoa... Crazy!

A spokesperson for the Army tells us

that the situation is under control,

and that the crisis will be resolved very shortly.

[OOLONG, ROSHI] Huh?

What... is goin' on?

This just in. We are now able to take you "live" to Gingertown

where our correspondent has arrived on the scene.

Now to Gingertown...

Ah... It seems we're having some technical difficulties.

Uh--what? Now...? To Gingertown.

I'm standing on the outskirts of Gingertown.

Behind me you can see the dust rising as a column of tanks

[FEMALE REPORTER] makes its way into the heart of the city.

[FEMALE REPORTER] The army has made no comments

regarding its tactics, but we'll have all the details

as they become available.

[PICCOLO grunts]

[yells]

[CREATURE chuckles]

[PICCOLO groans, yells]

Ah-ha!

[beeping]

There! That's him!

You! Up there!

[ARMY COMMANDER] We have you surrounded!

Make no attempt to resist!

Surrender immediately!

I repeat, surrender immediately

or we will be required to use force!

[PICCOLO groans]

What?! Can't the fools see I'm busy?

[growls, grunts]

[CREATURE chuckles]

[ARMY COMMANDER] Open fire!

Ha-ha! Bingo!

[SOLDIER B] Commander! Look!

Ah--huh?

[CREATURE chuckles]

[grunts]

[ARMY COMMANDER] Hit him with everything you've got, men!

Haaa...!

[ARMY COMMANDER] Aaah!

[yells]

[SOLDIERS yell]

[CREATURE] That takes care of that little nuisance.

Now where were we?

Oh yes... How could I have forgotten?

[PICCOLO groans, yells]

[screams]

[KAMI and PICCOLO scream]

[gasps]

Oh Kami...

[grunting]

[PICCOLO panting]

Aaah...

[birds chirping]

[ANDROID 16] Hm.

[beeping]

What was that? Something wrong?

Something is happening to his power level.

He seems to be losing energy.

You're talking about that fighter you said

was as strong as 17?

I am.

It's like I said,

what you're detecting is impossible.

You're sensors are going to have to be recalibrated,

and that's all there is to it.

[ANDROID 17] No one is as strong as I am.

[groaning]

[chuckles]

You may have escaped for the moment,

but I'm afraid that with only one arm

you won't be able to hold me off much longer.

[CREATURE] Face it, Piccolo. Time's up.

Yes, you're right.

Hm?

It's clear that I'm no match for you.

I can't fight without my arm...

I have no choice but to surrender.

[laughs]

[CREATURE] So, you have finally realized the futility

of your efforts. But don't feel bad, Piccolo.

You will soon be a part of something far,

far greater than you can possibly realize!

What do you mean?

You will be absorbed into... perfection.

[PICCOLO] All right... But before I submit to you,

I ask that you honor my final request.

Tell me. Who are you?

Why can I sense Goku's energy in you?

And Frieza's? And Vegeta's?

Hmmm...

[groans]

Ha-ha-ha! Very well...

[CREATURE] Since you're literally dying to know,

I suppose there's no harm in telling you.

My name is Cell.

I am an Android.

You--You're an Android?

I am the single greatest achievement

of my creator, Dr. Gero.

[grunts] As I should have known.

You see, in his efforts to create

a supreme fighting organism, Dr. Gero devised a means

by which he could fuse the cells

[CELL] of the world's greatest fighters into one,

and then cultivate that cell

into a singular invincible entity!

Unfortunately for the good doctor, however,

he soon realized that his project was far too complex

to be completed during his lifetime.

As such, he diverted his attention

to more immediate pursuits--

but only after he had programmed his computer to finish

the enormous task which he had begun.

[CELL] The computer worked tirelessly to complete

the fusion of cells that had been gathered

from the mightiest warriors ever to walk the earth!

Warriors such as the Saiyan Nappa...

The young but powerful Gohan...

And of course cells were gathered from you, Piccolo,

so that your great strength and determination

might also be harnessed for our purposes.

[CELL] Most notably, perhaps, the cells of Goku

were incorporated into the design.

As were those of the mighty Saiyan prince Vegeta.

Ultimately, the cells from these sources and others

were formed into one.

And although the traits of some were chosen by the computer

to be more dominant than others in the final design,

at least some element of each was retained.

[CELL chuckles]

Hm. Now I understand!

[PICCOLO] You learned the Kamehame-Ha Wave

when you inherited Goku's cells.

That's right.

Aah! When I get my hands on--

[FRIEZA yells]

[CELL] Goku's were not the last cells I would inherit, however.

In a most fortunate turn of events,

Frieza paid a brief visit to Earth.

And although it seemed that he was mostly machine at the time,

it was possible to extract a few of his remaining cells

before he finally met his end at the hands of Trunks.

Dirty little Saiyan!

[KING COLD yells]

[CELL] Trunks' cells would have also been collected,

but Dr. Gero's computer had determined that there was

already a sufficient collection of Saiyan powers

within my make-up.

[PICCOLO] So tell me this, how did Dr. Gero get the cells?

I don't recall seeing anyone suspicious around.

There is a simple explanation.

By now you must have learned of Dr. Gero's tracking device.

Huh?

The device is very small. Insect like.

Comparable to a common housefly.

There, do you see it?

It's watching us now at this very moment,

waiting for an opportunity to gather more cells.

[gasps]

[CELL] Quite remarkable, don't you agree?

[laughs]

[beeps]

[yells]

[laughs]

Excellent work, Piccolo.

But once again I'm afraid you've only managed

to waste your effort.

The computer already has the cells it needs

for my completion back at the lab.

You're wrong! We destroyed Dr. Gero's lab

and all of his equipment!

Luckily the computer was hidden

in a bunker below the laboratory.

[grunting]

I see...

[PICCOLO] It's not too late, you know.

One of the others is bound to find that computer

[PICCOLO] and destroy it!

[CELL] Don't be absurd!

The computer will work undisturbed

for the next 24 years--

at which time, I'll be completed.

Now then...

let's put an end to all of this chit-chat.

Just one more question!

[PICCOLO] Why are you here? Why did you come to this time?

[CELL] My, you are full of questions.

Well I suppose I'll answer this last one.

It's quite simple, really...

You see, I cannot realize my full power

from the energy of humans alone.

According to the computer, I am looking for

a very specific source of energy.

[grunts]

More to the point, I require the energy

of Androids 17 and 18.

What?!

[CELL] You see, the powers of Vegeta, Goku, Frieza,

and so many others have already been

incorporated into my being.

But even these powers pale in comparison

to the strength of the Androids.

It is this strength which I must possess for myself.

Unfortunately, in the time from which I came,

Androids 17 and 18 no longer existed.

They had somehow been destroyed by Trunks,

[CELL] and along with them my hopes for

ever reaching my final, perfect stage.

Luckily, however, I discovered that

Trunks possessed a time capsule,

which I decided to borrow for myself.

Huh?

Aah...

[CELL laughs] [TRUNKS yells]

[TRUNKS gasps]

[CELL] I dispensed of young Trunks easily enough,

but using the time machine itself proved to be

a much more interesting challenge.

As I mentioned before,

in order to fit inside the time capsule

I was forced to regress to my larval state.

[CELL] That being accomplished, I activated the machine

and was instantly transported to another time and place.

A time in which I hoped I would find

Androids 17 and 18 alive and well.

In which I would be able to realize

the true potential of my power!

Understandably, I could not begin my search

while still in larval form.

I had to wait until I'd regained my fighting shape.

And so I burrowed into the ground,

where for the last four years I have been lying in wait--

gestating, gathering my strength,

growing into the superior being you see before you today!

[PICCOLO] But why did you choose this particular time?

[CELL] I didn't.

The coordinates were preset by Trunks.

I merely pushed a button, and the machine

went where it was programmed to go.

[thinking] Now it's starting to become clear!

Trunks had set the co-ordinates to the present

in order to tell us that he had destroyed

the Androids in the future!

But instead, this creep hijacked it!

The computer told me one more thing.

[growls]

Once I have absorbed the other Androids

I will be the most powerful being who has ever lived!

But what for?!

You were already the strongest creature alive in your time!

[CELL] This is true. But my design was meant to include

the powers of Androids 17 and 18.

Without them I can never be complete.

I had to seek them out. It's what I was created to do!

Of course, it may also be the blood

of Vegeta and Frieza coursing through my veins

[CELL] which fuels my desire for more power.

I see...

Now, are we done talking?

Yes, I'm ready.

You've said more than enough!

[grunts]

Huh?!

[yells]

Hm?!

I just needed a little time.

You tricked me!

[CELL] I should have known you were up to something!

I will never allow you to become competed.

You're going down, Cell!

I intend to put an end to your diabolical schemes

once and for all!

[yells, growls]

[NARRATOR] With Piccolo's power fully restored,

the Super Namek is prepared to continue his epic battle

against the most terrible evil

ever to set foot upon the earth!

And it seems the valiant warrior

is about to get some help!

But even with fresh troops to aid him in his struggle,

will Piccolo be able to stop the treacherous Cell?

Or is the key to winning the ultimate battle still missing?

Find out on the next exciting episode

of Dragon Ball Z!