Anyway, since the splash page synopsized what happened, let's keep going...
To Be Continued Next Monday!
In its' original Japanese incarnation, Combatra (aka Combattler V) is, like the various Voltrons and Power Ranger Zords, a multi-part/multi-operator robot!
Here's a pic of the original team...
...and here's the TV series' opening sequence, demonstrating how the separate vehicles merge...
...so let's get the pilots aboard their mecha...and let them cut loose!
Well, three-on-one was a tad unfair!
To Be Continued Next Month!
But, Next Week
Another Mechanical Marvel!
This never-reprinted conclusion to the story from Marvel's Shogun Warriors #2 was written by Doug Moench, penciled by Herb Trimpe, and inked by Dan Green.
...normally, I'd explain what's going on, but the characters themselves, a rather chatty bunch, are happy to do so...
You and me both, Richard!
We'll return to the robot controller training session
Next Monday!
But I have a question...are all the robots designed for multiple controllers? And, if so, why don't we have more potential pilots being trained? Will Raydeen function as effectively with only one pilot?
..an ancient society of benevolent alien scientists called the Followers of the Light have recruited expert human pilots of land, sea, and air vehicles to operate a giant robot named Raydeen against a huge extraterrestrial menace known as Roc-Korr.
The recruits are about to learn why they were chosen and what threat the planet Earth faces...
We'll return to the tale of the three titanic robots next month!
Next week, however, a quite different mechanical man takes the stage!
...as we feature robots big and small, some sentient, some controled by humans and/or aliens!
You'll have to wait until next Monday to learn the backstory created by writer Doug Moench, penciler Herb Trimpe and inker Dan Green in this never-reprinted tale from Marvel's Shogun Warriors #1 (1979)! (They ignored all the backstory and plotlines used in the Japanese animated series and packaging info for the toys.)
But we're not totally-heartless!
Here's a kool video about how the Shogun Warriors were assembled by Mattel out of three totally-unrelated robots, all with their own animated series from different Japanese TV studios, but all the toys were from the same Japanese toy company, Popy!
You'll note the TV commercials have the robots interacting with Godzilla, also from Mattel, but the characters never met up in the comics, although both the Godzilla and Shogun Warriors series were drawn by Herb Trimpe! In fact, Mattel utilized Herb's artwork in some of their advertising!
Despite promoting the series in a special science fiction issue of their Prozine FOOM (as shown HERE), the best the project got was a serialized reprint in Marvel UK's sci-fi anthology, Future Tense. It then disappeared from everybody's radar! Apparently, two British readers found that reprint enough to inspire their imaginations. And, two decades later, after they turned professional, the duo pitched a sequel to the original tale! After a highly-promoted reprint (with a couple of promotional articles detailing the new series) of the decades-old original story...
...a 4-issue limited series appeared in 1998 with an extra-long premiere issue!
Personally, we loved the original tale and enjoyed the sequel, which was left open-ended for more adventures with the crew of Seeker.
Sadly, over 25 years later, it's been forgotten yet again, without even a reprint hardcover or trade paperback to inspire yet another generation of creatives to continue their interstellar exploration!
But here's your chance to see "what might have been" by clicking on the links!
