History Series / Beetleborgs

* BigBad: Vexor in the first season, Nukus in the second.** [[spoiler:The trope's name itself is averted with the [[NonindicativeName first season's title]], ''Big Bad Beetleborgs''. None of the Beetleborgs would ever qualify as the primary antagonist, though Shadowborg is so far the only ''evil'' Beetleborg.]]

* BlackBestFriend: Roland

* TheDragon: Jara[[hottip:*:who also doubles as a [[TheStarscream Chronic Backstabbing Character]] to Vexor, then Horribelle to Nukus.

* {{Kid Appeal Character}}s: A team of three.
** TheHero: Drew [=McCormick=]
** [[TheSmartGuy Smart]] [[TheLancer Lancer]]: Roland Williams
** [[TheBigGuy Big]] [[TheChick Chick]]: Jo [=McCormick=]

* BigBad: Vexor in the first season, Nukus in the second.
** [[spoiler:The trope's name itself is averted with the [[NonindicativeName first season's title]], ''Big Bad Beetleborgs''. None of the Beetleborgs would ever qualify as the primary antagonist, though Shadowborg is so far the only ''evil'' Beetleborg.]]

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Don't push Wolfie too far.
** He was the only monster to try to help the Beetleborgs when they were getting thrashed by [[spoiler: Nukus. It didn't help much, but he was actually able to touch the guy, which the heroes couldn't.]]

** Only in the first few episodes. It was phased out after a while.

* LosingYourHead: There is one episode in ''Metallix'' where Roland, Drew, and Jo attempt to remove their heads.
** In the end of "Headless Over Heels", the Hillhurst Monsters sneeze their heads off their bodies thanks to sneezing powder.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Flabber, based on Liberace, Elvis Presley, and Jay Leno.
** ''TheTonightShow with Jay Leno'' commented on this. Needless to say, Jay was a bit put out...

*** As Drew's ''sister,'' it's hard to get rid of one without getting rid of the other, unless you went ''way'' too dark for this LighterAndSofter series and had her die - not gonna happen. It's far from the strangest magical mishap the show's ever had.

* ScratchDamage: An unusual example if you think too hard about it. When Nukus appeared, the Beetleborgs stood no chance against him. Between their defeat and acquiring their Metallix powers, they learned a spell that let them turned into beetles, which they once used around Nukus. They had to distract him, so they bit his foot...making him yelp out in pain. I've never known a character who could shrug off laser blasts, but had a weakness to bug bites.
** This may have been due to it being a sneak attack, as oppose to the battle where he knew attacks was coming and blocked them.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beetleborgs.jpg
[[caption-width:320:Just three typical, average kids.]]

** In the end of "Headless Over Heels", the Hillhurst Monsters shoot their heads off their bodies thanks to sneezing powder.

* ThreeAmigos: Titular heroes

The three friends, with their new powers and a little help from Flabber, must stop them. This is complicated by the "House Monsters", comic relief monsters (Count Fangula, a vampire; Wolfie, a werewolf; Mums, a mummy; Frankenbeans, a FrankensteinsMonster, and later Little Ghoul [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a... er, little ghoul]]), who often try to eat the kids, but generally have to settle for eating the screen-time.

* LosingYourHead: There is one episode where Roland, Drew, and Jo did remove their own heads.

* TheDragon: Jara to Vexor, then Horribelle to Nukus.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: There is some speculation that Saban might have used the B-fighter footage to produce more seasons of VR Troopers having run out of the previos footage of Metal Heroes that was being used. Not wanting to alienate fans. VR Troopers was canceled and B-fighter was adapted into Beetleborgs instead.

''Beetleborgs'' was a live-action series produced by {{Saban}} and aired on {{Fox}}. Called ''Big Bad Beetleborgs'' in the first season and changed to ''Beetleborgs Metallix'' in the second. A ''PowerRangers''-like {{Sentai}} show, it incorporated footage from a Japanese show (in this case, the {{Metal Hero|es}} shows, ''{{Juukou B-Fighter}}'' and ''{{B-Fighter Kabuto}}'') with new footage created in the United States. The show lasted from September 1996 to March 1998.

It starred three typical all-American kids: Drew [=McCormick=], his sister Jo, and their [[BlackBestFriend best friend]] Roland Williams, whose family owns the local comic shop, where they spend most of their time. On a dare from some bullies, they go inside the local "HauntedHouse." Once inside, they free Flabber, a wacky ghost with Elvis Presley's hair, Jay Leno's chin, Liberace's wardrobe, and all just generally filtered through TheJoker, who had been imprisoned in the pipe organ. Flabber cannot thank the kids enough, so he offers to grant a wish for them. The three young comic book fans know what they want, and that is to be able to transform into their favorite superheroes, ''The Big Bad Beetleborgs''. Flabber grants their wish, and the children are given the power to turn into the heroes, but now that the heroes exist in the real world, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor the villains from the comic book likewise come to life]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero to spread chaos]] (via the MonsterOfTheWeek).

The second season had an exchange of villains and subsequently an exchange of costumes, with a new ally in the artist who created the comics and his evil brother working for the new bad guys. Slightly DarkerAndEdgier but nothing too shocking. The show remained relatively popular, but like ''PowerRangers'' the source footage eventually ran out. Unlike ''Rangers'', there was no follow-up series to adapt (well technically there was, but it was drastically different from the previous ''B-Fighter'' shows and was somehow even more kid-friendly than ''Beetleborgs'').

* HeadlessHorseman: In "Headless Over Heels", the Headless Horseman had an encounter with Wolfgang in the old country and allergies to him is what made him lose his head. When he arrives in Charterville looking for his head, he thought Wolfgang had it and tried to claim it back (or take the head of the other Hillhurst monsters). It turns out that Little Ghoul had his head which she used for bowling and ended up giving it back. Bolts were attached to the head to keep it from falling off again.

* HitFlash: Of the ''{{Series/Batman}}'' variety; {{justified|Trope}} in that the heroes are based on comic book characters.

* {{Leitmotif}}: Each of the StockSuperpowers has an audio track to match.

<<|AmericanSeries|>>

''Beetleborgs'' was a live-action series produced by {{Saban}} and aired on {{Fox}}. Called ''Big Bad Beetleborgs'' in the first season and changed to ''Beetleborgs Metallix'' in the second. A ''PowerRangers''-like {{Sentai}} show, it incorporated footage from a Japanese show (in this case, the [[MetalHeroes Metal Hero]] shows, ''{{Juukou B-Fighter}}'' and ''{{B-Fighter Kabuto}}'') with new footage created in the United States. The show lasted from September 1996 to March 1998.

** [[spoiler:The trope's name itself is averted with the [[NonIndicativeTitle first season's title]], ''Big Bad Beetleborgs''. None of the Beetleborgs would ever qualify as the primary antagonist, though Shadowborg is so far the only ''evil'' Beetleborg.]]

* FauxSymbolism: Creator of the Beetleborgs comic book, ''Art Fortunes'', and his less successful, jailbird brother ''Les Fortunes''.

* HitFlash: Of the ''{{Series/Batman}}'' variety; [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that the heroes are based on comic book characters.

* FiveManBand: Well, three to be exact, and it's a team of {{Kid Appeal Character}}s.
** TheHero: Drew [=McCormick=]
** [[TheSmartGuy Smart]] [[TheLancer Lancer]]: Roland Williams
** [[TheBigGuy Big]] [[TheChick Chick]]: Jo [=McCormick=]
** [[SixthRanger Fourth Beetleborgs]]: Josh Baldwin in season 1, Astral Borgs in season 2

* BigBad: Vexor in the first season, Nukus in the second. [[spoiler:Averted with the first season's title, [[NonIndicativeTitle which does not depict that the Beetleborgs themselves are villains]], they're still heroes though.]]

* ByThePowerOfGreyskull

* FingerlessGloves: Flabber and Jara

* {{Invisibility}}: Josh, [[VisibleInvisibility complete with outline]]

* [[MindOverMatter Moves Things With No Hands]]: Drew

* [[SuperSpeed Runs Like Nobody Can]]: Roland

* [[SuperStrength Stronger Than A Man]]: Jo

* SuperMode: Mega Blue, and later the Mega Spectra BeetleBorgs

Unlike ''Power Rangers'', this show made little attempt to be serious, being more light-hearted and comical (meaning that it makes even the early seasons of ''Power Rangers'' look like a Sam Peckinpah film). It also had a storyline completely different from its Japanese counteparts. It even aimed to a younger demographic, evidenced by the heroes being 9-10 years old.

* FiveManBand: Well, Three to be exact...

** TheLancer / TheSmartGuy: Roland Williams
** TheBigGuy / TheChick: Jo [=McCormick=]
** [[SixthRanger Fourth Ranger]]: Josh Baldwin

* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: Subverted, the blue Beetleborg is the leader, not red, who turned out to be the TokenGirl

* [[MindOverMatter Moves Things With No Hands]]: Drew

* MindOverMatter

* SuperSpeed: Roland
* SuperStrength: Jo

* FingerlessGloves: Flabber