Joe is defined in the series guidelines as a "tragic, troubled loner," and indeed he seems to be a magnet for disaster. He lives to take revenge on Gallactor for killing his parents back when he was eight years old. It appears his father, Giuseppe Asakura, was a high-level leader in Gallactor until he either ran afoul of organizational politics or developed a conscience and decided to seek asylum with the ISO. It's unclear what his motives were, but he was waiting to meet with Dr. Nambu when a Devil Star fatally shot him and his wife, Katarina. Joe was nearly killed by the Devil Star as well, but was rescued by Dr. Nambu and later trained for the Kagaku Ninjatai. For a long time, he had no clear memories of his parents' deaths or Gallactor's motive for their assassination. Joe acts as a counterbalance for Ken--impulsive, impatient and furious when Ken is lucid; stable and sensible when Ken is acting irresponsibly. Joe is a top-class marksman and acts as chief gunner for the team. His preferred mode of action is "Shoot it now and improvise the rest," but he is by no means a cold-blooded murderer. He's good at hot-wiring his way out of tricky situations. Excels at throwing darts and knives; every member of the team carries feather shuriken, but use of these weapons becomes Joe's trademark. Cover Occupation: Private race driver; drives in endurance rally and stock car races. Lives in a small trailer, which he tows from race to race.

Due to dangers of decreasing resources and growing pollution, the International Scientific Organization is established to improve environmental conditions throughout the world. But an international criminal group, Gallactor, tries to achieve world domination by taking control of the ISO. Gallactor was created by a mysterious being from outer space known as Generalissimo X, who gives orders through its chief commander on Earth, the masked Berg katse. To fight Gallactor and its robot monsters, the ISO's Dr. Nambu enlists five brave youths into a combat squad called Gatchaman,the Science Commandos. Special scientific powers and dramatic birdlike costumes make the Gatchaman Squad a match for Gallactor, wherever on Earth it may strike. Ken(the Eagle) is the wise leader, assisted by sometimes-foolhardy Joe(the Condor), pretty Jun(the Swan), eager little Jinpei(the Swallow), and strong Ryu(the Horned Owl). Each has individual scientific weapons, but their main power lies in their aircraft, the Phoenix, which can transform itself into a fiery arrow capable of piercing the most massive threats. GATCHAMAN is a series of dynamic action and tension as ken, Joe, Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu hold themselves in constant readiness to meet each new threat by Gallactor to conquer the world. 
(Source: Official Site)

Brian Jepson is an American voice actor who works for ADV Films along with various other companies including Retro Studios, creators of the Wii video game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Brian also works as a graphic designer and stage actor.    Born in Houston, Texas, Brian currently resides in Austin, Texas.    Brian attended Sharpstown High School and then The University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from UT in 1992.    Brian is a member of Austin's Beatles Tribute Band, The Eggmen. The Eggmen won the Austin Chronicle's Music Award for 'Best Cover Band' seven times from 2000 through 2009.    Brian is a founding member of the Rutles tribute band OUCH!    Brian is also a member of The Nairobi Trio, an Austin-based band whose original music and stage show is planted firmly between Liverpool and Luckenbach, musically.    Brian is a graphic designer as well as a veteran stage performer. He is a member of the Austin, TX theater company Onstage Theatre Co.    Brian is married and lives with his wife Courtney in Austin.

A.D. 2066 - Shortly after a small country separates itself from the United Nations, members of the International Science Organization mysteriously disappear without a trace. Renowned scientist Kouzaburou Nanbu realizes that the secret organization known as the "Gallactor" is making its move to conquer the world. To counter this terrorist group, he prepares his ultimate weapon: five brave heroes that comprise the Science Ninja Team - Gatchaman.
 
(Source: Anime News Network)

__Hometown:__ Los Angeles, California (Born and Resides)    

__Non-anime roles:__
~!Azazer in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (Video game)  
Benoit Manderubrot in Silent Bomber (Video game)  
Cross Ward in Radiata Stories (Video game)  
Dauragon C. Mikado in The Bouncer (Video game)  
Hasdal in Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King (Video game)  
Issac in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (Video game)  
Jiraiya in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (Video game)  
Kaun in Bushido Blade 2 (Video game)  
Pang Tong in Dynasty Warriors 4, 4: Empires, 4: Xtreme Legends, 5, 5: Empires & 5: Xtreme Legends
Sikst in Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King
The Minstrel in Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song (Video game) (uncredited) 
Wilhelm in "Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht" (Video game)  
Yoshimoto Imagawa in "Samurai Warriors" (Video game)  
Yoshimoto Imagawa in "Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends" (Video game)  
Onmyoji (film) - Fujiwara no Morosuke  
Alfred Ashford In "Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles" (Video game)!~

Two years after the defeat of Galactor and the apparent death of Condor Joe, a cruise ship is attacked by Leader X, killing nearly everyone on board. One of the survivors, a young girl, is captured by X and rapidly aged into the bizarre, masculine-voiced villainess Gel Sadra. Though she has the appearance of an adult, Gel Sadra is not immune to throwing childish tantrums and behaving immaturely. 
In the midst of the revival of Galactor, the Science Ninja Team is called back into action, with a shady man known as Hawk Getz acting as the replacement for Joe. Getz is quickly revealed to be a Galactor agent in disguise (and had killed the actual Getz who was to join), and winds up killed by a mysterious feather shuriken. After hints spread in the first three episodes, Joe reappears in the fourth episode, having somehow survived his fatal injuries at the end of the first series, and rejoins the team. It is later revealed that he was rescued by an ex-Galactor scientist at the brink of his death, and was the subject of various cybernetic augmentations. 
Later in the series, a female scientist known as Dr.Pandora is introduced, who had lost her husband and daughter in the cruise ship disaster. Unbeknown to her, her daughter Sammie survived and is in fact Gel Sadra.

After Leader X is seemingly destroyed for good at the end of Gatchaman II, a fragment of him that survived grows and mutates into Z. With the head of the Egobossler family, Count Egobossler (and his two subordinates Mechandol and Kempler), Z is bent on destroying the Earth, and the Science Ninja Team, once more. 
In the wake of Anderson's death, Dr.Nambu has become the new head of the ISO, while the team is now confined to the Gallatown (aka "G-Town") underwater base. Engineer Kamo is introduced, and after the New GodPhoenix is destroyed early on, the team receives the new Gatchaspartan as their mecha. The Gatchaspartan has a special mode as well, called Hypershoot, that can only be utilized by Ken (with his new "Gatchafencer" sword). 
As the series progresses, it is learned that the radiation exposure from constant use of the Hypershoot is slowly killing Ken, and that continued use would mean death. Meanwhile, Z plans to destroy the earth with an antimatter asteroid, codenamed "Poison Apple".

This is the condensed theatrical adaptation of the original TV series' first season. The sinister mutant Berg Katse has launched armies of henchmen and giant weapons of mass destruction against Earth. But the forces of evil are about to meet their match! The Science Ninja Team stands ready to take the battle back to the bad guys. (Source: HIDIVE)

The excessive adventure begins when a mysterious flying life-form, UBO came to "Tatsunoko Anime World Island" where all the Tatsunoko animation characters live. TV special animation program featuring all-star Tatsunoko characters. 
 
(Source: Official Website)

Joe Asakura