The years was 1980's... This is a decade of space traveller futuristic mind-blowing creatives thinking imagination period... So much explosion happened on that yesteryears and the fans still stuck-up in their minds... And it's all happened in animated trajectory... So you want to know what am I talking about? Found out in this 5 favorable choices of ingenious striking colours and plotlines that I selected as the best cartoons bio-tronic ever! Read On!
1. Bionic Six
Genre : Animation
Written by :Gordon Bressack/Jean-Marc Lofficier
Directed by :Osamu Dezaki (Supervising Director)
Country of origin : United States
Language(s) : English
No. of seasons : 2
No. of episodes :65
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s): TMS Entertainment
Distributor : MCA TV
Broadcast
Original channel :USA Network & syndicated
Original run :19 April 1987 – 1 November 1989
Bionic Six is an American/Japanese animated television series from 1987, produced by TMS Entertainment and distributed by MCA TV (now NBCUniversal Television Distribution). Renowned Japanese animation director Osamu Dezaki was involved as chief supervising director, whose distinctive style (Golgo 13, Cobra) is evident throughout.
Summary...
The title characters of the series are a family of machine-enhanced human beings possessing unique powers after being augmented with bionic technology, much like The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. After a skiing vacation accident involving an alien radiation source renders Bennett family members comatose, Professor Amadeus Sharp deduces that bionic augmentation would nullify the effects of the radioactivity. Each family member is thereafter given a specific bionic power, and thus they form a superhero team named Bionic Six.
The Bionic family and inventor...
Professor Amadeus Sharp.
* Professor Amadeus Sharp is the genius scientist who infused the Bionic Six team with bionics. All of his research is supported by the government, and Sharp's technology must be periodically reviewed by government agency Q10. He lives alone in his private museum, which houses his secret Special Projects Lab, the hidden base of the Bionic Six. Amadeus is also Scarab's brother. Sharp excels in the fields of aeronautics,animatronics,archaeology, bionics, and neurology. He was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer.
The Bennett family includes Jack, Helen, Eric, Meg, J.D., and Bunji. They live in a secluded oceanfront home in the fictional city of Cypress Cove, in northern California. Each member wears a special ring and a "wristcomp" (a mini-computer hardwired into the wrist), which they use to activate their bionic powers. The Bionic Six can also combine their powers by joining hands, creating a "Bionic Link" to amplify their abilities.
* Jack Bennett, aka Bionic-1 is an engineer, expert test pilot, and the secret agent known to the world only as 'Bionic-One.' He enjoys gourmet cooking, even participating in the Paris Food Conference. Bionic-1's powers are mostly related to his bionic eyes (including "x-ray vision," telescopic sight, energy blasts, and low-powered beams that temporarily cause electronic devices to malfunction or even turn against their users), and enhanced hearing (this last capability beyond even the powers of the other team members, who each possess superhuman levels of hearing in their own right). His family was initially unaware of his secret bionic identity until bestowed with powers of their own.
* Helen Bennett, aka Mother-1, is Jack's wife. She is an oceanographer and an accomplished marine biologist. Mother-1 possesses various ESP powers that allow her to occasionally see glimpses of the future,telepathically communicate with other sentient and non-sentient beings, determine the function and operation of mechanical devices by mentally 'tracing' their internal workings, and can mentally project hologram-like optical illusions.
* Eric Bennett, aka Sport-1 is Jack and Helen's blond, athletic son. At local Albert Einstein High School, Eric is a shortstop on the baseball team, the Einstein Atoms. He routinely employs baseball vernacular in his dialogue. As Sport-1, he affects electromagnetic powers to attract or repel metallic objects with tremendous force, meld them together, or even rip them apart. This force is directional and — by varying the configuration of his hands, or by using one or both arms — Sport-1 can adjust the strength of attraction/repulsion. He can also use objects as he would a baseball bat, including steel beams, lampposts and other objects (including baseball bats) to redirect incoming objects and energy blasts; infused by the same field that comes from his arms, he can use those ordinarily fragile objects to hit and deflect things they normally could not (in one instance, he used a steel beam to hit an incoming asteroid).
* Meg Bennett, aka Rock-1 is Jack and Helen's daughter and is Eric's younger sister. Meg is an excitable and somewhat ditzy teen who loves music. She is prone to habitual use of the future-slang phrase "So-LAR!" (comparable to "awesome"), as well as the prefixes "Mega-!" (as befitting her first name) and "Ultra-!" At Albert Einstein High School, Meg is a member of the debate team and in a number of episodes is seen dating a classmate named Bim. As Rock-1, she can emit sonic beams from blaster units mounted on her shoulders — the blaster units are only visible when she assumes "bionic mode." She can also run at blinding speeds, faster than other members of the team (who can all run at superhuman speeds in their own right). Meg and Eric are Jack and Helen's sole biological offspring.
* J.D. Bennett, aka IQ, is Jack and Helen's remarkably intelligent, adopted African-American son. He enjoys amateur boxing, although he is not particularly skilled at it. As IQ, he has both super-strength (he is even stronger than the other, superhumanly-strong members of the team) and super-intelligence. J.D. was the only team member whose bionic codename did not include the number "1" as a suffix.
* Bunjiro "Bunji" Bennett, aka Karate-1, is Jack and Helen's Japanese foster son. He was placed under their guardianship after his own father disappeared 10 years earlier somewhere in the East. Bunji is an avid karate enthusiast. As Karate-1, he has enhanced martial arts skills, made more formidable when applying his bionics.
* F.L.U.F.F.I. is a gorilla-like robot who lives as a housekeeper with the Bennetts. He regularly demonstrates a comical craving for aluminum cans that extends to casually devouring the Bennetts' cookware, vehicles, or other metal objects. Despite his bumbling behavior, he nonetheless proves helpful around the Bennett home, or assisting the Bionic Six with physical tasks in the field.
The bad guys...
Dr. Scarab (Dr. Wilmer Sharp).
The primary antagonist of the series is Dr. Scarab — real name Dr. Wilmer Sharp, who is Amadeus Sharp's brother. Scarab is a hefty, egotistically brilliant and occasionally comical man who yearns for the secret to eternal life and world domination. His right eye has been modified with a monocle that has a low-powered scanner that can detect individuals with bionics, even when they are disguised, and a destructive, high-powered beam. In rare instances throughout the series, he seemingly demonstrates superhuman, bionic strength of his own (on at least one occasion, he picked up Mother-One effortlessly and threw her around; in another instance, he was seen carrying as much solid gold out of Fort Knox as his other bionic minions -several hundred pounds' worth.
Dr. Scarab has assembled a motley team of henchmen,the traitorous Glove, the dim-witted Mechanic, the ruthless Chopper, the seductive Madame-O and the grotesque Klunk. imbued with an apparently lesser from of the same bionic powers employed by the Bionic Six (another one of Scarab's goals in the series to try and figure out the secrets behind his brother's superior bionics knowledge). (Lot more HERE)
Serving me good!
This is a family sum up with multi hot spicy action! A family of super hi-tech bionic cyborgs to fight for justices and terror... Together they bonded a multi-races skins colors to protect the citizen from the evil twisted scientist absurd to be immortal and earth's primer... Here come the bio-humanoid family to rev it up and still making it look good!
2. Silverhawk
Format :
* Animated series
* Space Western
* Science fiction
* Action
* Adventure
Created by :Rankin/Bass
Country of origin : United States
No. of episodes :65 (List of episodes)
Running time :23 minutes
Production company(s) Rankin/Bass
Distributor :
* Telepictures
* Lorimar-Telepictures
* Warner Bros. Television
Broadcast
Original channel :First-run syndication
Original run :September 8, 1986 – December 5, 1986
SilverHawks is an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1986. The animation was provided by Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation. In total, 65 episodes were made. It was created as a space-bound equivalent of their previous series, ThunderCats.
As was the case with ThunderCats, there was also a SilverHawks comic book series published by then-Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics.
Story...
Bionic policeman Commander Stargazer recruited the SilverHawks, heroes who are "partly metal, partly real," to fight the evil Mon*Star, an escaped alien mob boss who transforms into an enormous armor-plated creature with the aid of Limbo’s Moonstar. Joining Mon*Star in his villainy is an intergalactic mob: the snakelike Yessman, the blade-armed Buzz-Saw, the "bull"-headed Mumbo-Jumbo, weather controller Windhammer, shapeshifter Mo-Lec-U-Lar, robotic card shark Pokerface, weapons-heavy Hardware, and "the musical madness of" Melodia (uses a "keytar" that fires musical notes)
Quicksilver (formerly Jonathan Quick) leads the SilverHawks, with his metal bird companion TallyHawk at his side. Twins Emily and Will Hart became Steelheart and Steelwill, the SilverHawks’ technician and strongman respectively. Country-singing Col. Bluegrass played a sonic guitar and piloted the team’s ship, the Miraj (pronounced "mirage" on the series, but given that spelling on the Kenner toy). Rounding out the group is a youngster “from the planet of the mimes,” named Copper Kidd (usually called "Kidd" for short), a mathematical genius who spoke in whistles and computerized tones. Their bionic bodies are covered by a full-body close-fitting metal armor that only exposes the face and an arm, the armor is equipped with a retractile protective mask, retractile wings under-arm (except Bluegrass) thruster on elbows, and laser-weapons over the body. At the end of every episode, Copper Kidd was quizzed (along with the home audience) on various space facts by Col. Bluegrass.
Launching from their satellite base, Hawk Haven, the SilverHawks flew into battle five days a week for one season. The fictitious Galaxy of Limbo in which the series takes place apparently has an overall atmosphere with breathable air and acceptable living condition of temperature and pressure; characters speak in space and operate "open-air" vehicles, and Windhammer's powers work even when he is not on an actual planet. There is also gravity; characters not "flying" tend to fall downward relative to whatever vehicle, satellite, or other platform with which they lost footing. Apparently, because SilverHawks is a fantastical children's cartoon, it was not held to high standards of realism. Yet, it provided correct space facts at the end of each episode, apparently meant for the same audience.
SilverHawks Team...
* Commander Stargazer - A tough and grizzled old cop with bionic capabilities. He captured Mon*Star several years ago, and had him imprisoned. Older than the other SilverHawks, he longs to return to Earth for either a vacation or for retirement. He chiefly serves as the SilverHawks "eyes and ears", keeping them apprised of their current situation. His first name is apparently Burt. Stargazer's weapon-bird is Sly-bird. In the Silverhawks' first adventure, Stargazer is depicted as being the original keeper of Tallyhawk, who from the pilot movie onwards was teamed with Quicksilver.
* Quicksilver - Lieutenant Jonathan Quick was the former head of the Interplanetary Force H, and is the field leader of the SilverHawks. He has a cyborg/bird companion called Tally Hawk. Known for his quick reflexes (and even quicker thinking), Quicksilver is an accomplished tactician and athlete. His armor has the lightest silver-shade.
* Col. Bluegrass - He is second-in-command (as a Colonel) of the SilverHawks, and the chief pilot of the group, as well as a cowboy at heart. He is the only Silverhawk who cannot fly (other than CDR Stargazer), but he is the one that flies the team transport vehicle, the Miraj. He likes to use his weapon/instrument (portrayed in the toyline as his weapon-bird with the name Sideman)and his lazo, has an interface with the Miraj's advanced dynamic piloting system, which he has affectionately dubbed "Hot Licks". His armor has a blue-silver shade.
* Steelheart & Steelwill - Sergeants Emily Hart and Will Hart are twin siblings. They are the "gearheads" of the team. They share an empathic bond in that when one sibling feels something, the other feels it as well. They are the only SilverHawks who have had real stainless steel hearts implanted during their transformation. Their weapon-birds are Rayzor (for Emily) and Stronghold (for Will). Their armors have the same dark steel tone shade.
* The Copper Kidd - He is the youngest member of the SilverHawks, and the only one not a Terran (Earthling). A mathematical genius from the Planet of the Mimes, he "speaks" in mathematically calculated tones and whistles. His skin is azurine except the face that is white (similar to a mime). His armor is copper-colored but the wings have a silver-like appearance that is similar to those of the other winged team members. At the end of each episode, he was quizzed in several astronomy lessons by Bluegrass as training to become the reserve Miraj pilot (sure enough, he was called in to fill Bluegrass's shoes, albeit infrequently). A natural acrobat, the Copper Kidd has two razor-edged discs (one mounted on each hip) which he throws like Frisbees. His weapon-bird is Mayday.
Main Villain...
* Mon*Star - The quintillionaire alien mob boss who escaped from his cell, located on Penal Planet 10. He appears as a feline muscular humanoid with dark hair streaked with red over all the body, a voluminous red mane and beard and an eyepatch (with the symbol of a black star) covering his left eye. Utilizing beams from Limbo's Moonstar, Mon*Star's body becomes encased on spiked armor-plating as he recites, "Moonstar of Limbo, Give me the might, the muscle, the menace, of MON*STAR!". In this state, he temporarily regains his left eye with it able to fire the crimson Light Star beam which as various effects, destructive and stunning. Mon*Star rides a giant "space-squid" called Sky-Runner and has a weapon-bird named Sky Shadow. He has some bad blood with Stargazer due to their past conflicts, and extends that animosity to the SilverHawks. (Read more... HERE)
Serving me good!
A group of silver dollars!... Much like it animated cousin Thundercats; Silverhawks's a team of cybernetics law enforcement protecting the Galaxy of Limbo from the alien mob boss * Mon*Star... The storyline spread further as they fighting of goons and other alien races to keep the intergalatic in peace and secures... In hawk modes!
3. The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
Genre : Space Western/Action/Adventure
Format :Animated series
Created by :Robert Mandell
Country of origin : United States
Language(s) : English
No. of seasons: 1
No. of episodes :65 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s): Abe Mandell
Producer(s) : Robert Mandell/Bob Chrestani
Running time : 30 minutes
Production company(s): Gaylord Entertainment Company
Broadcast
Original channel :first-run syndication
Original run :September 14, 1986 – December 11, 1989
The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (broadcast between 1986 and 1989) was an American animated Space Western television series created by Robert Mandell and Gaylord Entertainment Company.
The series combined sci-fi stories with traditional wild west themes. It was one of the first anime-style shows produced mainly in the USA, although the actual animation was done by the Japanese animation studio Tokyo Movie Shinsha. At the time it aired, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers was considered a revolutionary children's show.
Story...
The show is set in the future, some time after the year 2086, when two aliens from the planets Andor and Kirwin travel to Earth to search for allies against the expansionist Crown Empire led by the Queen of the Crown. In return for the help, the two aliens gave mankind construction plans for a hyperdrive device. After this key event in human history, interstellar travel flourished and a huge number of colonies emerged in distant star-systems. Alongside the growth of human activities in space, criminal activities also grew, and the new colonies required defense against various threats, including the Crown Empire. A group known as "BETA" (Bureau for Extra-Terrestrial Affairs) was founded to cope with these tasks, with a "Ranger" division being a part of it.
Most of the colonies portrayed in the show specialized in either agriculture or mining "star stones". Many of the planets on the show have names that evoke ideas of a Western setting, Nebraska, Mesa, Ozark, and Prairie being a few.
BETA is shown to be the major military and exploratory arm of Earth. The organization's headquarters are on Earth. BETA sustains several bases on and around Earth, such as the Longshot Research Facility in the Grand Canyon and the BETA space station in Earth's orbit.
The Series-5 Brain Implant, or S5 is implied to be the closest mankind will ever get to merging with cybernetics. The S5 implant enables a dramatic boost of innate abilities due to its unique conversion of bio-electrical power generated by alpha radiation stored within the badges worn by the Galaxy Rangers.
The Crown Empire, also known as the "Crown", is ruled by the Queen of the Crown. She controls a large number of planets in a vast section of the galaxy. The Queen controls her empire using creatures called Slaverlords with whom she has a psychic link. Slaverlords derive their power from the psychic energy of other beings. After the Empire encountered humans, the Queen discovered that they were more suitable for energy extraction than any other previously encountered species.
The 5 Rangers...
All of the Rangers must touch their badges on their uniforms in order to activate their series 5 implants. The Rangers are:
Zachary Foxx
Zachary Foxx is the captain of the series 5 Rangers. He was seriously injured in a battle with a space Pirate named Captain Kidd and his entire left side was replaced with bionics which allow him to fire blasts of energy with his left arm and gives him extraordinary strength. Within Captain Zachary Foxx, the implant's function is simply to act as a power conduit: triggering the badge activates a sequence of events that supercharges his left-side bionics and enables either a boosting of the myomer muscles and tendons, or a channelling of bioelectrical energy through the bionic amplifiers to produce an energy blast of up to 16 standard carbine shots, which makes him capable of blasting a wall apart, spot-welding circuitry, or possibly punching through a ship's hull. He is married and a father of two. His wife's mind was kidnapped by the Queen of the Crown and is contained in a "psychocrystal".[1]
Shane Gooseman
Shane "Goose" Gooseman was genetically produced in a test tube as part of a government genetic experiment to create a group of enhanced mutant soldiers known as "Supertroopers". A civilian adviser dosed the Supertroopers with a gas meant to speed up their mutation and make them more powerful, but it had the side effect of making the Supertroopers more aggressive and mentally unstable. Goose was at the firing range at the time, and thus avoided the gas, thereby becoming the only remaining unaffected trooper. The other troopers had to be cryogenically imprisoned, but some escaped. Goose was given the option to avoid cryogenic freezing on the condition that he join the Galaxy Rangers and hunt down the escaped Supertroopers. His series 5 bionic implants allow him limited control over his body's molecules giving him the ability to heal, absorb energies, and adapt to various environmental conditions by temporary shapeshifting. He is not a metamorph (i.e., he cannot choose specific forms), his power evolves and adapts his body to the environment he's in. Ranger Gooseman's implant supercharges his genetic bio-defenses, enabling them to react almost instantly, instead of minutes or hours, as would normally happen. This brings him close to the level of the rogue Supertroopers, and makes him the only one capable of going one-on-one with them in personal combat. His characterization is heavily inspired by Clint Eastwood. It is also noted during the show's credits that he is the only Supertrooper with compassion.
Niko
Niko is an archaeologist specialising in ancient cultures, and has innate psychic abilities. She carries a large gun and knows martial arts. Her series 5 implant boosts her psychic abilities and she can create shields, lift objects, and has clairvoyance. Ranger Niko's implant acts as a psionic amplifier, boosting her innate psionic abilities by adding power from the converted radiation into a psionic boost which can increase her range from simple tactile up to lightyears distant. She can also generate a shield of ambient energy which will dramatically drain her implant, but can be augmented by touching the other rangers and drawing power from them. This shield can defend against all forms of attack, but cannot be held for long. Throughout the series a romantic tension exists between her and Goose.[3]
Born on the failed colony world of Alspeth, she was found after the destruction of her colony by Ariel from the haven world of Xanadu. Having been relocated to her new haven, Niko was raise and her innate psychic abilities were nurtured. At the age of 19, she left Xanadu to return to her people and joined the Galaxy Rangers. After the academy, she was accepted into the experimental Series 5 program. She was later assigned to the Series 5 Rangers as their mystic and archaeological expert - due to the number of missions they embarked on involving new cultures and varied belief systems.
Walter Hartford
Walter "Doc" Hartford is a swashbuckling character who fights with a sword, a gun, and his fists. He is a computer genius who, along with the BETA Scientist 'Q-Ball', is responsible for most of the automated systems that the Galaxy Rangers use daily. His series 5 implants allow him to control any computer system through the use of "programs" which appear as flying holographic computer animated geometric shapes that he can communicate with. Ranger Hartford's implant produces the oddest effects- and they still cannot properly be explained. Commander Walsh puts it best: Doc Hartford, your implant makes you a computer wizard, able to conjure fantastic programs.
It appears that Doc is able to bring his thoughts to life with the use of the implant and his Computer Diagnostic Unit; a compact computer which has advanced diagnostics and maintenance functions, along with sensory and computer linkage capability. The CDU acts as a focus for Doc's implant power, and also as a storage facility for his "tweakers" (Pathfinder, Tripwire, Firefly, Searchlight, Lifeline and Pixel); the computer programs that are part of his personality and which offer capabilities far beyond any normal computer program, virus, or worm.
Hartford, from the Island of Jamaica, was born to wealthy parents, and so he was educated the proper way, with years of private school, topped off with Mrs. Abercrombies Charm and Finishing School. He left there to join the Ranger Corps after he signed up with some biochemical corporations to help them produce better computer programs, but found out that his skills were not being challenged.
Cybersteeds
The Cybersteeds - robot horses. They feature prominently in the opening credits. The Cybersteeds ridden by the Galaxy Rangers are the most advanced animatronic robots so far designed by the scientists at BETA and the Long Shot Research facility.
The Cybersteeds comprise fully intelligent Artificial Intelligences combined with robot chassis in the form of a horse - enabling speech, great stability, and speed over all types of terrain.
Each Ranger has a Cybersteed matched to them, and each horse is built especially for his or her rider. The four horses are Triton (silver, Goose), Voyager (blue, Niko [although Doc often rides her]), Mel (tan, Doc [although Niko often rides him]), and Brutus (gold, Zachary Foxx [although he is listed as Z100 in the DVD booklet]). All the cybersteeds are presumed male except for Voyager, and their riders change after the second episode.
Triton is the most prominent cybersteed; it is mentioned that he is the fastest and that no one but Goose may ride him. He is the only one to speak regularly, and Goose has a very strong bond with him, unlike the owners of the other cybersteeds. He is also the most technologically advanced cybersteed {a 5000 model).
After Triton, Voyager is the second most prominent. She is mentioned as having bugs in her system, which is evident in her reasoning and the fact that she can never get Doc's name right. She and Mel are presumed to be 4000 models, and Niko and Doc often switch cybersteeds, depending on the episode.
Brutus only speaks in one episode, but he is mentioned to be the least technologically advanced. However, even as a 3000 model, he is still the strongest cybersteed.
Main Antagonists
Captain Kidd
Captain Kidd is a Plitsky (a bird-like species) pirate. He was seen in "Phoenix" as a menacing, if bumbling, pirate that captured the ship transporting the Foxx family to Kirwin. Annoyed by the Queen's refusal to allow him to take the ship as a prize vessel and her decision to take control of the situation away from him, he turned on her.
This of course, made Kidd a wanted man. He cut a deal to aid the Rangers in exchange for a "trade alliance" and continued freedom ("New Phoenix"). Other appearances have him helping BETA make first contact with the xenophobic Traash and taking possession of a memory bird (talking android birds that are used to store sensitive data) that had half of its circuitry corrupted. He also sold counterfeit starstones to the Crown, powering an armada that threatened to destroy Earth until Kidd let the Rangers in on how easy it was to destroy the brittle fakes. Consequently, Kidd became indirectly responsible for the destruction of much of the Crown fleet. (For more visit HERE)
Serving me good!
A group of polices forces uphold the laws and citizen's rights... Up in the galaxies against bad aliens and organized outlaws.... A western-style mavericks gunslinger with specific bionic power battle against bad empire seeking to occupy much of the galaxy affluence... With their own talking A.I horses they rides to withstand threat and outlaws riders much for us to enjoy! HIYOO SILVER!! (OOOpppp!!!)
4. Centurions
Genre : Animation Action
Country of origin : United States
Language(s) :English
No. of seasons :2
No. of episodes :65 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) :Joe Ruby & Ken Spears
Producer(s) :Larry Huber
Running time :30 mins
Broadcast
Original channel :Syndicated
Original run :1985 – 1987
The Centurions is a syndicated 30 minute American science fiction animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears and animated in Japan by Sunrise. Comic book legends Jack Kirby and Gil Kane contributed to the design and concepts of the show.
The series began in 1985 as a five-part miniseries and was followed in 1986/87 with a 60 episode series. The series was story edited by Ted Pedersen and written by several authors, including prolific science fiction writers Michael Reaves, Marc Scott Zicree, Larry DiTillio and Gerry Conway. The series theme and soundtrack were composed by Udi Harpaz. There was also a line of tie-in toys by Kenner, and a comic book series by DC Comics.
Plotting...
In the near future, an evil genius, the cyborg Doc Terror, seeks to conquer the Earth. He is assisted by Hacker, the cyborg sidekick and an army of Doom Drones. There were two types of drones:
* Traumatizers - the most commonly seen drones are walking robots with laser blasters for arms.
* Strafer - A flying robot armed with missiles and lasers.
Later, a wheeled Drone with a large screen and cannons as well as a submarine drone were added. Doc Terror and Hacker are able to fly by swapping their purely robot half for a Strafer missing one set of wings. They are joined on many occasions, starting with the first episode, by Doc Terror's daughter Amber.
At each turn their evil plans are thwarted by the heroic Centurions. The Centurions are a team of men dressed in specially created exo-frames that allow them (upon shouting "Power Extreme") to fuse with 'incredible' assault weapon systems, becoming what the show calls man and machine, Power Xtreme! The end result is a weapons platform somewhere between a hard-suit and a mecha. Originally there are three Centurions but two other Centurions are later added:
Original Team:
* Max Ray - 'Brilliant' Sea Operations Commander
* Jake Rockwell - 'Rugged' Land Operations Specialist
* Ace McCloud - 'Daring' Air Operations Expert
Extended Team (later additions):
* Rex Charger - ‘Expert’ Energy Programmer
* John Thunder – ‘Specialist’ Infiltration Commander
The Centurions are based on an orbiting space station called Sky Vault where the token (but very smart) female, Crystal Kane, uses a transporter to send the Centurions, and the requested weapon systems, to where they are needed. Crystal is always in the company of either Jake Rockwell's dog Shadow or Lucy the orangutan, or in most cases both. Shadow is usually more involved with the Centurions' battles than Lucy and sports a harness with dual missile launchers. Crystal suggests tactics and sends equipment as required. The Centurions also have a hidden base in New York City called "Centrum". Its entrance is hidden in a book store and must be reached via an underground railcar. "Centrum" serves as the Centurions land base of operations and also has a beaming pod for rapid transport to "Sky Vault". In addition to "Sky Vault" and "Centrum" there is also a "Centurion Academy" whose location is kept completely secret and only seen in the last 5 episodes.
Much like the Super Friends addition of Black Vulcan , Apache Chief, Samurai, and El Dorado to introduce racial diversity into the series, The Centurions saw the addition of Rex Charger, the energy expert, and John Thunder, the Apache infiltration expert.
Weapons activate!
Each of the Centurions is specialized for a particular domain, originally land, sea or air/space. They all have multiple weapon systems that can be 'charged' to their exo-frames. As evidenced in the five-part Man or Machine series of episodes, the exo-frames also serve as strength-amplifying exoskeletons. This explains how the Centurions can carry the full weight of their weapon systems without any apparent discomfort. Max was shown in the first episode of the miniseries as easily being able to lift a helicopter of considerable size and weight while wearing his Tidal Blast weapons system.
Skyvault's computer system has to assemble the assault weapons systems for them to be attached to the exo-frames. They cannot be attached manually to the exo-frames' hardpoints. The Centurions can eject the weapons systems from their suits at anytime.
The Centurions are also able to request Crystal or the Skyvault computer to recall their current assault weapons system and swap it with another platform.
* Max Ray (Sea)
o Cruiser – the basic sea system; a SCUBA system with a laser cannon and a Hydro-Missile. The propulsion system is able to function in and out of water, serving to give Max limited flight capabilities when out of the water. It also has a keelfin radar unit on the chest.
o Tidal Blast – a larger undersea system with two Shark Missiles (high-yield missiles that can fire at sea, land and air targets), a chest mounted reciprocating repulsar leison cannon, and a shoulder mounted grappling line. It is propelled by what appears to be jet engines that can function underwater, thus endowing it with high speed and limited airborne capabilities. Sometimes Max would request for the Tidal Blast system's chest-mounted repulsar leison Cannon to be replaced by the dual torpedoes from Depth Charger for heavier firepower. It also comes equipped with a harpoon, and emergency sonic thruster, as well as a targeting device.
o Depth Charger – a self contained submersible with chest-mounted torpedoes, two aqua cannons, a periscope and a "Hydro-Mine" (which is a highly destructive depth charge) that can be replenished by Skyvault as required. This weapon system has variable-geometry pontoons that allow it to either dive or skim along the water's surface and in rare cases snow.
o Sea Bat – a high-speed underwater system with guns and missiles, similar to a manta ray in appearance. It is equipped with a chest-mounted Hydrofoil unit for sea-skimming and is armed with six Hydrofoil missiles (four on the wing, two on the legs). It also has an arm-mounted harpoon that can operate in heat-seeking mode. Also is armed with a depth charge.
o Aqua-Blazer; an upgrade system for Cruiser; it comes with extra control surfaces, air hoses, seismic missiles, coral missile, sea mine, harpoon, deepseascope and search light.
o Fathom Fan – Assault weapon system resembling an Air boat or hydrofoil with missiles and a small laser in the chest. The two hydrofoil pontoons house sea-skimming missiles.
* Jake Rockwell (Land)
o Fireforce – the basic land system; has a chest-mounted Plasma Repulsar (that looks and functions like a Gatling gun), forearm-mounted laser cannon and shoulder-mounted plasma accelerator bazooka that fires Plasma Shells (that is able to blow up almost anything). Radar module on the left shoulder.
o Detonator – a larger walker, with forward Freeze Ray Cannons (that operates like a Gast Gun) and an overhead radar-guided Sonic Ray Cannon. It has two Splicer Missiles (that have very high-yield explosive warheads) on either sides of the walker assembly, and a sonic screen, similar to a defence shield.
o Wild Weasel – a gun equipped human-motorcycle that could move in a prone or standing position. In prone position, the forward cowl of the "motorcycle" is armored. The Wild Weasel system is built for charging headlong into enemy fire and ramming into enemy targets. It is equipped with two Land Lasers flanking the left and right sides above the head armor assembly.
o Hornet – a helicopter with a small freeze ray gun in front, four sidewinder missiles and a canopy-mounted laser turret. It is sometimes assembled together with Splicer missile launchers and forward Freeze Ray Cannons from the Detonator assault weapon system for heavier firepower. It also comes equipped with sonic thrusters, two HF targeting sensors, and a tracking scope mounted on the rotor.
o Swingshot – a tracked gun platform having a pair of caterpillar tracks attached to a back-mounted sub-frame. Arm-level Megablasters with integral shields carry Trajectoid Missiles on the exterior. The system also comes with a chest-mounted howitzer. The tracked propulsion system can be energized to allow it to attract to any surface. In one instance, the tracks were swiveled upwards and energized to allow it to attract to the upper surface of a tunnel, whereby Jake can traverse the tunnel without getting into the water below.
o Awesome Auger – a drill like weapons system, rarely used. Similar in application to the Wild Weasel in that it can withstand a lot of abuse and is built to ram and tunnel through structures and enemies. It has Seismic Lasers that can soften the rocks in front of it to enable the auger drilling mechanism to penetrate them. It also has a mortar.
o Land Laser – a "lightweight" system similar to Fireforce in that it doesn't hinder movement and doesn't have excessive mechanical attachments. It comes with a missile rack on each leg carrying two Generator Missiles each (for a total of four). It also comes with a large back-mounted missiles and an arm-mounted triple-blaster.
* Ace McCloud (Air)
o Sky Knight – the basic air system; small, lightly armed jet pack like air assault system with forearm-mounted heat-seeking Stincel Missiles, a chest mounted Laser Bomb, Laser Cannon Pod, and a radar early-warning system on the jet pack that doubles as a laser designator for the laser bomb. The back pack has swing wings.
o Sky Bolt – a heavily armed fighter-jet, used for reconnaissance and air superiority; it is armed with a single pulse laser cannon, two rotating heat-seeking missiles, and two "Galactic Missiles" (mounted on both sides of the forward nose cone) that can be used to take out air and land targets and deliver a high destructive capability. It is sometimes combined together with Orbital Interceptor's propulsion system and life-support helmet for extra-atmospheric or high-altitude applications. Skybolt is also equipped with a cloaking device that is sometimes utilized with Orbital Interceptor as well.
o Orbital Interceptor – non-atmospheric craft; usually used for space missions, but was used underwater on a couple of episodes. It has a "Multiparticle Missile" (that forms the nose cone of the Shuttle-like backpack) that can deliver a large blast radius. It is sometimes combined together with Skybolt's weapons package to give it heavier firepower. The leg attachments of Orbital Interceptor are Particle Beam Emitters that function like tractor beams, as well as fire energy blasts. These can be used to help Ace attract metal objects while in flight, or to allow him to hang on to metal surfaces in zero-gravity. It is also equpiped with a chest target scanner, a rear radar homing system, life support helmet, and inner and outer atmospheric thrusters.
o Strato Strike – a medium-armed weapons platform with turboprop engines that resembles a powered glider. It is lightly armed with Stun Missiles, and is highly maneuverable but is not very fast. It also has handle bars for passenger flight, and variable geometrical wings.
o Aero-Sault; an upgrade system for SkyKnight but its materials seem more to boost Orbital Interceptor. Comes with solar panels, stear jet modules, FSK bomb and launcher, capillary hoses, a blaster and a repular cannon.
* Rex Charger (Energy)
o Electro Charger Pack– backpack system that can absorb energy from surveillance devices, has laser cannons and a Nighthawk missile that creates a magnetic vortex or absolute darkness (by draining most forms of energy away from an area). It has an arm-mounted Redirection Cannon that can deliver an equal and opposite force to any form of energy that it is pointed at. For instance, it can be fired upon Strafers to nullify their lift and thus causing them to crash, or against an incoming sonic ray attack to create an opposite force of similar magnitude to hold it at bay.
o Gatling Guard – a very large weapon system that has the ability to nullify gravity and generate magnetic fields along with its own force field. The Gatling Guard platform has a large revolving missile magazine feeding the main turret. Three types of ammunition are available - Magnetic Imploder (that can also be used as a missile to deliver the energy that was absorbed from another source by the chest-mounted Energy Absorption/Retrieval Laser array), Gravity Negator (that nullifies the local gravitational field) and Solar Flare (a missile that delivers a momentary blinding flash of light of immense intensity, similar to a nuclear flash). Another possible missile type is a Magnetic Shield Generator that can erect a magnetic shield that blocks off any other electronic transmissions to an area, but does so with the side effect of altering the local weather. The Gatling Guard is also equipped with Quantum Thrusters and Solar Missiles. It is possibly the most powerful assault weapons system in terms of its sheer energy output and seemingly nature-manipulating abilities, and is often the last resort when a situation involves extraordinary phenomena that none of the conventional weapons systems can counter. The tasks that the Gatling Guard have undertaken includes neutralizing an artificial black hole and destroying an inter-dimensional portal/vortex. (Refer to Centurions Episode 51 - "Let the Lightning Fall" for a display of the Gatling Guard's capabilities).
* John Thunder (Infiltration)
o Silent Arrow – Crossbow like weapon system that is worn on his back, has a large pursuit arrow with a net inside and a sonic knife that can break through walls and doors.
o Thunder Knife – Tracked system that has wheels on his hands that fire lasers, a missile back pack, and the ability to turn into a spinning saw type weapon. This assault weapons system is quite similar in usage to the Wild Weasel, as it allows John Thunder to charge into entire groups of enemies with guns blazing (and electric saws spinning).
o In addition to his two weapons systems John Thunder utilizes non cybernetic weapons:
+ a Vibro-knife used in self defense
+ a pair of electromagnetic gloves used to climb walls and ceilings to observe or evade while infiltrating
On rare occasions, one of the Centurions might use another's weapon system. The results are usually comical as they are unfamiliar with controlling the weapon system. In the two part story "To Dare Dominion" for example, Max uses Sky Knight to provide air support in place of an injured Ace and later on uses a combination of Jake Rockwell's weapon systems Hornet and Detonator to take part in the battle at Dominion.
Serving me good!
I LOVE THESE DUDES! They're truly awesome in those day of high flying and futuristic combatant technology. They're human soldier donning in high-sophisticated machinery suits that're able to combined with specialized armoury loaded with weaponry to battle on land,sea and air... To the power's ultimate extreme! If you 're into high-explosives cartoon show with bazooka, torpedo missiles, rocket laucher then this action animate's surely for you! Ever wonder if they make a life-movie from this ruckus show? I've NO ARGUE!
5. Saber Riders and the Star Sheriffs
星銃士ビスマルク
(Sei Jūshi Bisumaruku)
Genre Space western, Mecha
TV anime
Directed by: Franklin Cofod
Studio: Studio Pierrot
World Events Productions
Network : Nippon Television
Original run: September 14, 1987 – September 2, 1988
Episodes :52
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a 1987 animated space western following a similar theme as Galaxy Rangers and Bravestarr. Originally a 1984 anime series known as Star Musketeer Bismarck (星銃士ビスマルク, Seijūshi Bisumaruku?) created by Studio Pierrot, it achieved moderate success in Japan. The English language rights to the series was purchased by World Events Productions (the same company behind the English-language version of Voltron) in 1986.[1] WEP reorganized and rewrote the series, incorporating both the original episodes and creating 6 new ones before releasing it under the name Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.
Plotline...
In the distant future humans have spread beyond Earth and colonized planets across the universe, creating a New Frontier of man. In order to protect these new settlers and maintain laws and regulations in the New Frontier, Earth's Cavalry Command was created. Cavalry Command is in essence a military organization, maintaining an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier. Within Cavalry Command is a unit of special operatives known as Star Sheriffs that functioned as field agents, investigating crimes and plots against the security of the New Frontier.
The main foe of Cavalry Command and the Star Sheriffs is a race of non-human creatures known as Vapor Beings (or Outriders) that jumped into our dimension in order to conquer it. They attack the settlers, destroy settlements and kidnap humans in order to mine various metals or crystals from the soil.
Outriders are superior to humans in battle technology, possessing a legion of gigantic robots with uncanny firepower against which the space-going fleets of Cavalry Command are no match. In order to have a chance against such supremacy, Cavalry Command develops a prototype ship known as the "Ramrod Equalizer Unit" (or just Ramrod) that has the ability to turn from a spaceship into a powerful robot that can fight the Outriders on equal terms.
Characters
The Star Sheriffs
Saber Rider
The title character in the American version of the series, Saber Rider (his real name is never revealed in the stories) is the captain of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit. He is a young man, yet is described as "legendary" for his skills and marksmanship. Saber Rider hails from the Scottish Highlands, and is an expert with both swords and horses. He is generally depicted as being a gentleman with a cool head for tactics and decisions.
Saber Rider (occasionally referred to by the nickname of 'Top Sword' in the American version) often rides a robotic horse named Steed, who has high-powered thrusters and the ability to fly, run, and function in space. However, he is not capable of long-range space travel, so Steed is kept stored in Ramrod's cargo bay, being used mainly to travel down to planets from orbit or utilized on the planet's surface. Steed is almost sentient in nature (Saber Rider once jokingly told someone to give him a sugar cube) and is capable of recognizing his master's voice and working independently when Saber Rider is in danger.
In the Japanese version (Sei Jūshi Bismarck), the character is named Richard Lancelot and is of British nationality. This explains the British Union Jack on the upper arm and the helmet of his uniform. In Sei Jūshi Bismarck, Richard Lancelot is not the captain of Ramrod (Bismarck), but instead part of a multi-national team assembled to man Ramrod to fight the invading Deathculas (Outriders).
Fireball
Fireball was once a race car driver and the youngest champion of all time. Fireball serves as the pilot of the Ramrod Unit and also controls the chest cannons and heavy weaponry located in Ramrod's chest region. He drives a race car he calls the Red Fury Racer/Turbo, which is armed with an extensive arsenal of weapons. He has a somewhat quick temper and at one time boasted of his perfect memory.
During the course of the series, he discovers that his father was a fighter pilot who fought alongside King Jaray of the Legendary Kingdom of Jarr when the Outriders first attacked fifteen years ago. Sacrificing himself, his father sent his ship into Nemesis's command ship, robbing Nemesis of his body and sending them both into the Outrider dimension where he is still lost to this day.
In the original Sei Jūshi Bismarck, Fireball is named Shinji Hikari, the Japanese leader of the crew. The Japanese flag is on his sleeve and his helmet.
Colt
Colt is introduced in the series as a bounty hunter on the trail of Vanquo, an Outrider spy. He holds an almost infallible accuracy with firearms and serves as the gunner on board Ramrod, controlling the six-iron while Fireball controls the chest cannons. His character is depicted as somewhat of a loner, but also as an outrageous flirt, making passes (mostly unsuccessful) at nearly every woman he meets. His parents were attacked and presumably killed by attacking Outriders right after Colt left to join a traveling rodeo. This event prompted him to become a bounty hunter.
For personal transportation and solo battles he uses a blue and white one-man spaceship he calls the Bronco Buster. In the Japanese version, the character is called Bill Wilcox and comes from the United States, therefore a US flag is seen as a patch on his uniform.
April Eagle
April Eagle is the daughter of Commander Eagle, and the engineer who designed and was in charge of Project Ramrod. She was trained at Cavalry Command under General Whitehawk. Before joining the Star Sheriffs, she was a professional tennis player. In early episodes of the series, April had an unrequited crush on Saber Rider, which may explain why in the WEP produced episodes, April has a robotic horse named Nova with the abilities of Saber Rider's Steed.
Throughout the course of the series, April's three love interests were Saber Rider (one-sided on her part), Jesse Blue (one-sided on his part), and Fireball (eventually reciprocated on both sides). It is an interesting quirk of the American version of the series that the heroine does not end up with the main hero, Saber Rider. (Fireball/Hikari was the hero in the original Japanese version.)
In the Japanese version, April is known as Marian Louvre and she is of French nationality, which is why her uniform bears the French tricolor.
Commander Eagle
April's father, Commander Eagle, is the leader of Cavalry Command which includes all of the fleets and armies that protect the United Star Systems - including the special forces unit known as the Star Sheriffs.
Eagle takes his responsibilities seriously, but underneath has a warm heart and caring nature. Commander Eagle loves his daughter and passionately supports project Ramrod.
In the Japanese version, the character's name is Charles Louvre.
The bad guys
Outriders...
Outriders are humanoids who come from another dimension called the Vapor Zone. They have no need of oxygen but require great quantities of water. They have also mastered the ability to disguise themselves as human beings, to the point where even a medical examination will not reveal their true identities.
Nemesis
A huge, darkly clad and masked being, Nemesis is the evil genius in charge of the renegade Outriders. He created the Vapor Trail that allows the Outriders to cross from their dimension into the human dimension and he is the mastermind behind their insidious schemes. In the last episodes of the series it is revealed Nemesis is a cyborg, and his consciousness also existed as the Nth Degree, a powerful computer on the Outrider's artificial homeworld.
Saber Rider is the only member of the Star Sheriffs to meet Nemesis one-on-one. In the episode "Stampede," the two faced each other in a laser sword duel after Saber crossed into the Vapor Zone in the wake of an Outrider ship travelling along the Vapor Trail. When Saber Rider was on the verge of winning the duel, Nemesis saved himself by emptying the oxygen from the chamber where they were fighting (Outriders do not need oxygen), rendering Saber Rider unconscious.
Jesse Blue
A somewhat unusual looking character with blue-green hair and a sarcastic streak, Jesse Blue was a promising cadet at Cavalry Command until he fell in love with April Eagle during a training exercise. When April rejected his advances and inadvertently embarrassed him in front of the other cadets, he turned against the Star Sheriffs and cultivated a personal grudge against Saber Rider, thinking it was April's affection for Saber Rider that made her refuse his love. (Read on! HERE)
The champion robot...
Ramrod
Ramrod (voiced by Peter Cullen) was developed by April Eagle (in the American version) as the technological "miracle weapon", with which mankind could oppose the Outriders. Although it can be flown by one person, the ship is designed to be operated by four people, each sitting in separate units that control specific functions: navigation (April), gunner unit (Colt), pilot (Fireball) and the commander/tactician (Saber Rider). Once the transformation sequence, or "Challenge Phase," is initiated (by Fireball on Saber Rider's orders) the ship transforms into an enormous combat robot the Star Sheriffs sometimes refer to as the "Big Sheriff."
The battle conversion to robot form is used mainly when the Star Sheriffs encounter the Outriders's form of giant robot, which is known as a Renegade or Desperado Unit.
Ramrod was named Bismarck in the Japanese version, hence the name Sei Jūshi Bismarck. The Americanized name for the battleship Bismarck, "Ramrod," possibly originates from a cowboy slang whereby "Ramrod" refers to the person-in-charge of an outfit, the leader of the pack, or the person who gets the job done.
A highlight of every episode is Ramrod's transformation from an airborne battleship into a giant robot. When the Ramrod Equalizer Unit undergoes the "Challenge Phase" it calls out its rallying cry in a heavy Western drawl, "Head 'em up, move 'em out...power stride, and ready to ride." The Ramrod vehicle will transform into a giant robot packing an oversized six-shooter at the hip, and appears to be wearing a cowboy hat and a cape. In "Maverick Quick-draw" mode, an array of assorted cannons will be deployed at Ramrod's chest, delivering the final blow to send an Outrider "Renegade Unit" back to the Vapor Zone.
The Ramrod Equalizer Unit Challenge Phase is essentially the sequence in which Saber Rider And The Star Sheriffs becomes similar to a "monster-fighter series;" otherwise the program's American form, aside from its science-fiction elements, is mainly Westerns-oriented.
Serving me good!
Another hot 80's cartoon item for a grab! This time a futuristic bunch of other western-style reinforcements cowboys plus a gigantic robots! A non-stop explosives shoot-em-up vs swordsman hero and a soft-spoken villain whose in love with one of the gender force... I like to say this is almost the one I inticipated right in my watchful eyes!... The climatic 'Ramrod' battlecry mocked against the diabolic monsters Renegades really turn me up!
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