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Masked Rider (TV series)

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Kamen Rider BLACK RX

Masked Rider is an American adaptation of the Japanese television show Kamen Rider Black RX, one of the many sequels of the popular Kamen Rider franchise. It was produced by Saban and aired in 1995. It was a spin-off of the show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (which was based on the Super Sentai series).

The main title character of Masked Rider was featured on a 3-part Power Rangers episode before his own series was started. The Rangers themselves were never mentioned in the Masked Rider TV show, however, as Saban reformatted the series to sever links with Power Rangers, the popularity for which had been gradually beginning to slide following the first movie, although the Rangers made a guest appearance in Masked Rider's short-lived comic book adaptation.

Plot

The series began with the character of Dex escaping the Plague Patrol with a small group of Edenoi rebels, before leaving for Earth, the next target of his sinsiter uncle Count Dregan, who ruled Edenoi with an iron fist after displacing Dex's grandfather, the king, who also gave Dex the Masked Rider powers (though where the powers came from is a mystery).

Arriving on Earth in a massive crater, Dex finds himself in the care of the Stewart family, a multiracial group with a white father and daughter (Molly), an asian wife, and a black son (Albee). The addition of an extra Stewart was not noticed by anyone in Leawood, the town the series took place in.

Edenoi was mentioned in Power Rangers as the planet where Alpha 5 (and presumably the Alpha line of robots) was created, though not one single building or factory to be seen on the planet surface of Edenoi, it is largely assumed Dregon's domination of the planet was absolute and rendered it a dying husk. Indeed, the original storyline saw Dex being despatched to Earth by his Grandfather King Lexian as Edenoi was prepared to explode, ripping into an aspect of the Superman mythology. The scene in which Dex is given his powers by Lexian (a scene which differs from the telivised version) remains in the title sequence, possibly one of the few remaining aspects of the original pilot.

Dex's Masked Rider armor was also eventually given upgrades to change into "Masked Rider Super Gold" a gold and black variation coming with a powerful laser rifle, and "Masked Rider Suber Blue", a blue and grey variation with the power of liquified teleportation.

The Edenoi race are descended from bugs, not apes. Dex is not aware that humans did not evolve from bugs (as he discovered in an episode where he gives a report about how humans evolved from insects). Edenoi humans also possess telepathic abilities that are focused through a gem in the forehead, which can be hidden telepathically, though in times of stress can become visible. The gem is capable of focusing mental energy, as well as creating mental imagery that can be shared with others.

Dex apparently possesses the knowledge needed to detoxify Leawood's rivers using solar-powered lasers.

Dex had a furry friend named Ferbus, a small bear/duck-like creature that followed him to Earth. Ferbus was kept hidden by Molly and Albee because the father is allergic to fur. Furbus is eventually revealed to the entire family during the course of the series.

Dex is a loquacious individual. In the first episode, Molly and Albee told him to speak like a regular person, and that he could learn how to do that by watching TV. Sadly, Dex misunderstood and speaks like a television show announcer.

Masked Rider ran for just 40 episodes before it was cancelled.

Criticism

Despite the use of the official English-translated name of "Kamen Rider" in general ("Masked Rider") in the title, at the demands of Toei and creator the late Shotaro Ishinomori, many American fans of Kamen Rider hated this Americanized adaptation and would rather disavow its existence. Masked Rider, unlike Power Rangers, was not a flawless transistion in adapting the footage for Kamen Rider, and glaring errors would occur time and again, as the team began using footage from completely different Kamen Rider series and movies to the extent not even long distance shots could disguise the fact the Masked Rider costume in such footage did not resemble the costume used in the U.S. version on the most frequent basis.

Rumors

The series has long been a target of unfounded U.S. comeback rumors in the fandoms of Power Rangers, Sentai, and Kamen Rider fans alike, each hoping for a new, more accurate and less sloppy interpretation than the original had offered, but this may never happen. The most notable rumor concerning Kamen Rider coming back to the U.S. was in 2003 with false announcement of "Future Dragon Rider," a new Masked Rider series done by Disney using the footage from 2002's smash hit, Kamen Rider Ryuki. It was supposed to premiere alongside "Power Rangers Reloaded" (which would later to be revealed as Power Rangers: Dino Thunder). Despite being a false rumor, the backlash continues to this day mostly because a majority of those who were being introduced to the henshin hero genre (mostly those from the Power Rangers fandom) watched Kamen Rider Ryuki as their first legit tokusatsu show and greatly accepted by many from the "adapt" community. Many feared another "hack job." Whether or not another Masked Rider series will be made is anyone's guess, but based on the fan following, it wouldn't be surprising if Disney would consider the idea.

Characters

Main

  • Dex Stewart: The hero of the story. Dex originates from the fallen planet of Edenoi. On Edenoi, he is its prince and his grandfather, its king. In Edenoi's royal family, the powers of the Masked Rider are passed down from generation to generation. Dex, as the current Masked Rider, is sent to Earth to stop his uncle Count Dregon from enslaving the Earthlings. Dex is adopted by the Stewart Family and tries to interact with American culture. Dex has many capabilities that Earthlings don't have. Dex can materialize a crystal on his forehead to transmit his thoughts to others, use it to scan and X-Ray, and sense nearby danger. He has superhuman strength, super speed, and telekinetic abilities. While trying to blend in, he appears unusual to everyone else.
  • Ferbus: Dex's pet and friend. Ferbus is a furry biped animal with a beak. Ferbus wants nothing more than to be at Dex's side. He has a big appetite and can get into some trouble at times. Dex manages to bail him out at the right moment. When he first arrived, the kids had to hide him due to Hal's allergies; once he revealed himself, Ferbus was accepted as part of the family.
  • Hal Steward: Dex's adoptive Earth father. Hal's a full time handyman and part time inventor. His personal workspace is filled w/assorted junk & recycled parts. He often assembles a weird invention in his spare time which sometimes backfires. He has, however, invented very useful items with some help from Dex. One of his more successful creations is the alien detector alarm that goes off when Dregon or his agents get within radius of the house. Hal was at one point allergic to animal fur; he has seemingly developed a tolerance as he no longer sneezes around Ferbus.
  • Barbara Steward: Dex's adoptive Earth mother. She works as a caterer and part time as a homemaker. Barbara keeps on eye on the family's well being and constantly has her husband stick to his diet. In one episode, Dregon banished Narfaria and brainwashed Barbara into his new commander but her love for her adoptive son Dex broke the spell.
  • Molly Steward: Dex's adoptive Earth sister. Molly always tries to steer Dex in the right direction and help him adjust to life on Earth. Since his arrival, they develop a strong sibling relationship. Dex, in turn, always supports Molly the best of his ability. In one episode, she tried out for the cheerleading squad and made the cut, though her career as a high school cheerleader's never mentioned afterwards.
  • Albee Steward: Dex's adoptive Earth brother. Albee looks up to Dex with enthusiasm as any little brother would. Albee tries to help Dex get accustomed to Earth by encouraging him to watch a great deal of television. Of course, Albee's help can sometimes lead to Dex acting strange in public. In one episode, Albee dreamt that he gained the Masked Rider powers. In his dream, Dregon put Albee through a triple deathmatch against 3 tough Insectovores.

Villains

  • Count Dregon: The main nemesis and Dex's uncle. Because of his place in the royal lineage, Dregon couldn't inherit the Masked Rider powers. He was banished for his evil deeds. Dregon is determined to have the powers even at the cost of destroying his own family and his home world. Dregon took advatage of Edenoi's peaceful way and enslaved everyone in full swoop. He wears a gold mask to hide scars he sustained in a duel with King Lexian, and in "A Friend in Need" is said to be an old rival of Lord Zedd from Power Rangers.
  • Nefaria: A female human in black and red armor. She uses the yellow feather on her helmet as a weapon or to send messages. Nefaria hardly goes into battle and often seen on Earth giving commands. Nefaria has sometimes flirted with Dregon, but she's often ignored.
  • Cycloptor: A blue robotic biker in a leather jacket, slack, and one red eye on his face. Cycloptor has faced Masked Rider in battle occasionally. He is armed with laser gun and a powerful motorcycle named Cannon Wheels.
  • Double Face: A tall man dressed in a blue-green naval coat and white tights. Double Face's distinct feature is that he has two faces: his primary face is the large red visor on his "helmet", and the tiny face on his forehead. He has gone to battle Dex personally with swords and daggers.
  • Gork: A small, unusual creature that speaks in rhyme. Gork is constantly hopping about and annoying everyone else on the Spider Base. He is most cowardly and is quick to ditch a battle before its even over.
  • Fact: A small robot that gives out statistical data, calculations, and probabilities concerning a plan before Dregon makes any final decision.
  • The Maggots: Tall humanoid maggots that serve as grunts. They're not so bright, and hardly get the job done. Dregon makes reference, in one episode, that The Maggots belong to Nefaria when he commands her to "dispatch her Maggots".
  • Commandoids: An alternate set of grunts with hockey mask-like faces. They come in three colors: gray, brown and black.
  • Plague Sentry: Leader of the Plague Patrol that oversees the enslaved Edenites. It helmet has two long horns, rides a horse, and clearly immume to the toxic gas the Edenoites are forced to excavate. It also appeared in Power Rangers episode "A Friend in Need".
  • Cogwarts: A trio of toad-like mutants that were sent to assist Plague Sentry and his Plague Patrol.

Supporting

  • King Lexian: Dex's grandfather. King Lexian bestowed the powers of the Masked Rider to Dex when he became far too old to carry on the responsibility. He still communicates with Dex from time to time sending Dex guidance. Lexian also built Alpha 5, who had been assisting Zordon years before Dex began his mission on Earth.
  • Magno: Masked Rider's talking car. Magno is a red car modeled after an ant-like bug. She is capable of driving at high speeds and digging underground.
  • Combat Chopper: Masked Rider's talking chopper. Chopper is wisecracking bike modeled after a grasshopper. He can go at faster speeds than Magno. With the help of Dex, Chopper can also change into two other variations depending of which color Masked Rider uses, Super Gold or Super Blue.
  • Patsy Carbunkle: A slender female version of Bulk. Patsy is a spoiled brat that thinks the world should revolve around her. Patsy always lies to further enhance her reputation as the most popular girl. Patsy is condecending towards the Stewarts and thinks they're all weird, and often rivals with Molly. She does, however, have a soft spot for Dex and occasionally tries to flirt with him.
  • Herbie: Patsy's friend and unwitting partner in her schemes. Herbie is your stereotypical geek. Although he is friends with the brattiest girl in Leawood, his is still a nice, by cowardly, guy.
  • Principal Chalmers: The Principal of Leawood High School. Chalmers is much like Principal Caplan and encourages teamwork and enforces disipline. He has an obsessive suspision of Dex's unusual behavior. Although he means no harm, Chalmers constantly keeps his eyes on Dex hoping to find answers.
  • Moon Dude: The owner of the arcade that Dex, Molly, and Albee frequently hang out at. His arcade has been host to several events and competitions that Dex and his siblings have particpated in, like a dance contest and a video game tournament. In one episode, Moon Dude employed Dex when Dex was looking for a job.
  • Masked Rider Warriors: The previous Edenoi champions who used the powers of Masked Rider, summoned through time to help Dex battle the super-monster Bruticon. Their varied appearances suggest the Masked Rider armor somehow changes with each user.
    • Warrior Leader: Wore black bodysuit, green armor, silver gloves and boots, and red scarf. This was Kamen Rider 1.
    • Warrior Commander: Had a green costume, red helmet with green eyes, and a V on his Accelerator. This was Kamen Rider V3.
    • V3: Gray suit with a large X on his chest. This was Kamen Rider X.
    • Riderman: Looked more a red/green lizard than grasshopper. This was Kamen Rider Amazon.
    • Masked Rider X: Helmet had large green eyes, red armor over black bodysuit, and a big S on his chest. This was Kamen Rider Stronger.
    • Amazon: Green and brown Rider with ability to fly (never seen flying onscreen). This was Skyrider.
    • Strongman: Wore black and silver costume. Had special abilities built into his gloves. One of his arsenal included a dimiensional warp which he used to retreat the Warriors from battle. This was Kamen Rider Super-1.
    • Z-Cross: A warrior in red and silver armor. This was Kamen Rider ZX.

Two additional Masked Rider Warriors appeared but were not named. One looked like the Warrior Leader, but had red gloves and boots (Kamen Rider 2). The other had an interchangeable arm weapon and wore a blue helmet that exposed half his face (Riderman).

Monsters

Main article: List of Masked Rider monsters

Cast

Trivia

  • The cut editing in Masked Rider was so bad that you could see the face of Japanese Actor, Tetsuo Kurata's character, Minami Kotaro (Kamen Rider Black RX's civilian form). The same goes for the terrible editing between the RX Footage and the ZO and J Footage.
  • Note that only Dregon & Nefaria appear in the American footage while the other main villains are provided with the Black RX footage.
  • Ferbus (stunt double: used in full body and long shots) was portrayed by Verne Troyer, the actor who would go on to play the Mini-Me character in the Austin Powers movies: "The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Gold Member." Verne was added to the cast when it was found that the mechanical "stunt Ferbus" didn't work properly. Ferbus was primarily an animatronic hand puppet performed by Paul Pistore (who performed the voice) and assisted by puppeteer Michael Brachfeld. The puppet was constructed by the Chiodo Brothers who are known as the creators of the cult classic "Killer Clowns from Outer Space". Ironically, Ferbus looks strikingly similar to a Furby toy; which didn't come out until later on in the 90s.
  • In the Japanese run, it was common near the end of the series for the heroes of previous Kamen Rider series to team up with the current hero against the leader of his enemies. These characters actually appeared in an episode near the end of Masked Rider as well, supposedly the Edenoi warriors who had wielded the Masked Rider powers before Dex, in the episode "Invasion of Leawood." Their original names are kept, but except for ZX ("Z-Cross") are all ascribed to the wrong Kamen Riders (Skyrider is Amazon, Amazon is Riderman, etc.); meanwhile, some had to be renamed, specifically Stronger became Strongman.
  • The Black RX weapon the Riboken, known on Saban's Masked Rider as the Electro Saber, finished off monster by shooting fireballs at the monster; in the Japanese version, the weapon was thrusted into the monster then slowly sawed in half. That was an obvious edit by censors, who probably felt that the original footage was extremely violent in nature to be used in children's programming.
  • The Masked Rider/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team up is the closest thing to a Kamen Rider/Super Sentai Team Up. So far, the only other tokusatsu hero that Kamen Rider (of any incarnation) has teamed up with was Ultraman.
  • Ken Merckx made additional appearances on Power Rangers Time Force as well as provided the voices of monsters such as Nayzor for Wild Force.

See also


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