Project A, for Astral

"Project A, for Astral"
Season 1 Episode 6

General information
Setting	Istanbul, Turkey San Francisco, California, United States
Aired on	October 28, 2000
Production Number	06
Credits
Written by	David Slack
Directed by	Bryan Andrews
Produced by	Michael Goguen
Episode guide
Previous episode "Shell Game"	Next episode "Bullies"

"Jade took the Talisman and now she is trapped in astral form while an evil spirit walks in her body!"
— Uncle to Jackie Chan.

"Project A, for Astral" is the sixth episode of Season 1 of Jackie Chan Adventures, and the sixth episode overall. It debuted on October 28, 2000.

Synopsis[]

Jackie finds the Sheep Talisman. While Jackie and Uncle research the Talisman's power, Jade discovers its power of Astral Projection and its unexpected consequences.

Plot[]

Jackie finds the Sheep Talisman in a Turkish freight train bound for Istanbul, but he is immediately attacked by Shadowkhan, who take the Talisman and throw it to the Enforcers, who are in an attack helicopter. They then launch missiles to destroy a bridge ahead of the train's path to crash the train, but Jackie escapes, boards the helicopter, and escapes with the Talisman. Jackie subsequently arrives at Uncle's shop where Jade is waiting for Jackie to take her to the Melvin World amusement park, but Uncle insists that Jackie help him research what power the Talisman holds.

While the others do research, Jade steals the Talisman from its anti-dark-magic box, intending to activate it on her own. She succeeds, resultantly projecting her soul (or astral self) from her body. She realizes that she can fly and move through walls, and she is invisible and inaudible. Meanwhile, Finn and Ratso sneak into the shop, using Shendu's Talisman Locator to sneak past the library and take the Talisman from Jade's body. It's so surprisingly easy that they exaggerate it as they give the Talisman to Valmont, claiming to have fought Jackie to get it. Without comment, Valmont gives the Talisman to Shendu, who is pleased with it but still needs the others. Then Ratso lets slip that they got it of a sleeping child, and Shendu realizes that the child has projected her soul, leaving her body empty. He flies to Jade's body, arriving just after she gets back to the room and notices the Talisman missing. Before she can do anything else, he possesses her body

He then goes downstairs. "Jade" tells Jackie that he/she wants to go to Section 13, while the real Jade tries and fails to warn her family. Jackie tells Captain Black to pick her up, but Jade wonders why this ghost is so interested in going there. With a shock, she realizes it's after the Talismans and exclaims that it must be working for the Dark Hand. As "Jade" is taken away, Uncle learns the power of the Talisman, and as he describes the abilities of astral projection, he says astral bodies cannot be heard or seen unless they enter someone's dreams. Jade hears this and seizes the opportunity when Jackie falls asleep doing chores. She enters Jackie's dreams and warns him about the spirit. He doesn't believe her at first, and he nearly meets disaster by sleepwalking on the roof, but she convinces him to check the box and see that the Talisman is gone. Waking up, he and Uncle confirm this, and Uncle realizes, "The Sheep Talisman has put a wolf in sheep's clothing." He immediately begins research on a Chi spell to evict the demon, and he sends Jackie to stop the impostor.

Meanwhile, Shendu is unpleasantly surprised to find that Jackie told Captain Black about "her" wished-for vacation. Instead of going to Section 13, she has been taken to Melvin World. Although "she" tolerates the diversion in angry silence, this changes when Jackie catches up to them and tries to warn her chaperones. "She" responds by knocking them out and moving to fight Chan. She cannot prevail against him, so she summons the Shadowkhan instead. The battle moves onto a rollercoaster, with Shendu in one car hoping to run Jackie down. Just then, Jackie gets a cell phone call from Uncle, who has found the spell and requests that Jade be put on the phone. Jackie struggles his way to her side and puts the phone to her ear. Uncle chants the spell, and the magic goes through the phone line, expelling Shendu from Jade's body as he screams in helpless agony. Hurled back to his statue prison, he furiously curses under his breath that he cannot break free, Valmont sardonically remarks, "Back so soon, Shendu? And what, no Talismans?"

Jade quickly moves back into her body and apologizes to Jackie. He acknowledges that it is her fault that the Dark Hand now has a Talisman, but it is also thanks to her that the rest of them are still safe.

Characters[]

Protagonists[]

Objects[]

Talismans
- Rooster Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Ox Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Snake Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Rabbit Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Sheep Talisman - Shendu (×2; first vision), Jade Chan
- Dragon Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Rat Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Horse Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Monkey Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Dog Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Pig Talisman - Shendu (vision)
- Tiger Talisman - Shendu (vision)
Shendu's Talisman Locator - Finn

Voice Talent[]

James Sie - Jackie Chan, Shendu
Stacie Chan - Jade Chan
Sab Shimono - Uncle
Clancy Brown - Captain Black, Ratso
Julian Sands - Valmont
Adam Baldwin - Finn

Broadcast[]

USA: The WB (Kids' WB) - Saturday, October 28, 2000
UK: BBC One (CBBC) - Saturday, October 20, 2001

Transcript[]

Main article: Transcript:Project A, for Astral

Trivia[]

The title of this episode is a reference to the film Project A, which starred the real life Jackie Chan.
The in-universe theme park Moose World likely pays homage to the Walley's World theme park from the 1983 American comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation. The mascot for Walley's World, Marty Moose, appears to have inspired the mascot for Moose World, Melvin Moose.
The Sheep Talisman is one of only two Talismans that remains in Shendu's possession until the Season 1 finale, the other being the Dragon Talisman.
This episode features the first appearance of Uncle's iconic "Yu-Mo-Gui-Gwai-Fai-Di-Zao" chant: literally "All evil demons and wicked spirits begone!", it would remain his signature incantation for the series.
This episode marks the first time that Jade and Jackie meet Shendu (albeit with the former meeting the dragon in his spirit form and the latter meeting the dragon while possessessing Jade).
This episode starts a pattern for the rest of the series that a minor antagonist (or a major antagonist's alternate form) is introduced, and will return to become a regular threat or the main antagonist in the next season. In the case of this episode, Shendu's spirit form is introduced and demonstrates the ability to possess a human host. In this instance, the spirit's physical vessel is shown with glowing red eyes, foreshadowing Shendu's function in the next season. This pattern will be followed by Hak Foo, Daolon Wong, Tarakudo, Drago, and the Ice Crew for each subsequent season.

Episodes
Season One
The Dark Hand • The Power Within • The Mask of El Toro Fuerte • Enter the Viper • Shell Game • Project A, for Astral • Bullies • Tough Break • The Rock • The Jade Monkey • The Dog and Piggy Show • The Tiger and the Pussycat • Day of the Dragon
Season Two
Through the Rabbit Hole • The Warrior Incarnate • Snake Hunt • The Mother of All Battles • The Stronger Evil • The J-Team • Jade Times Jade • The Curse of El Chupacabra • Rumble in the Big House • Lost City of the Muntabs • And He Does His Own Stunts • Showdown in the Old West • Queen of the Shadowkhan • Origami • Shanghai Moon • The Lotus Temple • Armor of the Gods • Agent Tag • Tale of the Demon Tail • The Return of the Pussycat • Scouts Honor • Danger in the Deep Freeze • Into the Mouth of Evil • The King and Jade • The New Atlantis • The Eighth Door • Demon World (Part 1) • Demon World (Part 2) • Enter the Cat • Pleasure Cruise • Tough Luck • The Chosen One • Glove Story • The Chan Who Knew Too Much • Chi of the Vampire • The Good, the Bad, the Blind, the Deaf and the Mute • Shrink Rap • I'll Be a Monkey's Puppet • The Amazing T-Girl
Season Three
Re-Enter the J-Team • The Powers Unleashed • Viva Las Jackies • Aztec Rat Race • Monkey a Go-Go • When Pigs Fly • Rabbit Run • Sheep In, Sheep Out • The Invisible Mom • A Jolly J-Team X-Mas • Little Valmont, Big Jade • The Ox-Head Incident • Animal Crackers • Tohru Who? • Re-Enter the Dragon • A Night at the Opera • Attack of the J-Clones
Season Four
The Masks of the Shadowkhan • Samurai Ratso • The Amazing T-Troop • Black Magic • The Demon Behind • Fright Fight Night • Half a Mask of Kung-Fu • The Shadow Eaters • The Good Guys • Deja Vu • J2: Rise of the Dragons • The J-Tots • Ninja Twilight
Season Five
Relics of Demon Past • It's All in the Game • Black and White and Chi All Over • Dragon Scouts • The Demon Beneath My Wings • Mirror, Mirror • Antler Action • Clash of the Titanics • Stealing Thunder • Weight and See • J2 Revised • The Powers That Be (Part 1) • The Powers That Be (Part 2)