Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
Prologue
A long time ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, at the far edge of the universe, far, far away it is Might that makes Right and he who seeks power—gets it. Before the rise of the first Hero the desire of power went unchecked. Lord Zot was the worst of the bunch, a mutant whose skin was so thin his muscles were visible and raw, his body protected by a metal exoskeleton.
Zot raised an army of aliens under his rule and swept across the universe claiming numerous worlds into his thrall, there was anger, and there was dissonance. But no one had the courage; some would call it lunacy, to stand up against the most powerful being in the universe. That was until he came to an innocuous little town on a planet on the fringe of his empire. Like some unholy angel, his forces descended from the heavens and strode into town already confident in their victory.
“Your world is not a part of my empire, but today that changes,” stated Zot flatly, waving his had aside he dismissed his lieutenants “Find their leaders, kill them, and get these peons started on my palace.”
Then the impossible happened as a voice of defiance rose for the crowd “No.”
Zot’s glare swept the gathered locals for the strange response “No, No what?”
“You will not kill our leaders, you will not rule us.”
The crowd parted, small mutters rising from the peoples as Zardoz was revealed. Well built and wielding a hatchet he seemed like nothing more then any of the other green skinned people’s humble lumber jacks, his face was forgettable, his attire mundane, but his eyes—they spoke of fire and rebellion.
“I don’t know what drove you to this lunacy,” Zot said unpulsed, “but you life ends now.” Zot raised his silver lighting shaped staff, channeling the energy coursing through his body into it, amplifying it, and then released the bolt at Zardoz. Zardoz was sent flying for the force, smashing into a wall and slumping to the ground, his chest sizzling with energy, he was dead.
Zardoz opened his eyes, he felt strange, he could not feel his body but he felt a space around him. Turning his sight sky-way the face of a mechanical man loomed over him beyond a clear dome.
“W-What’s going on?” Even as a mere spirit Zardoz’s voice was defiant.
“I am quite amazed; the Core has never found a synergistic energy before.” The machine man said, And Zardoz could almost swear the automaton sounded genuine, as if it had true emotions. “You’re a sentient aren’t you, a living soul…How did you get here?”
“That’s what I want to know! What is this thing?” Zardoz demanded.
“The Core, it is part of a project to grant a being incredible physical might, an off shoot of another project of mine to release the curse on my people.” The machine man explained calmly though a hint of sadness punctured his voice.
Zardoz was livid with rage, the void around him bubbling and growing warm, “You harnessed my soul as a weapon!? Release me!”
To his surprise the machine man once more showed genuine concern as its large saucer shaped head ducked out of view. “Oh, oh of course, I would never dream to use a…soul…that was not willing, I am really sorry that you were drawn here, give me a moment to release you.”
Zardoz paused, rather surprised by the creatures willingness to release him. “Wait…” He said quickly, “Why did you construct this device?”
“I was hoping to combine the power of 2 into one to create people with the strength to preform difficult tasks, construction, rescue, repair, and other difficult tasks. I did not expect it to need a…soul…to power it, I assure you.”
“And war?” Zardoz asked apprehensively.
“Not my concern, fighting only begets fighting.” Said the machine man’s voice as he came back into view. “And my people have suffered enough ravages of war.”
“You don’t work for Zot?” Zardoz asked perplexed, if he had a face, something he wasn’t to sure of at the moment, his brow would be definitely furrowed. But as he calmed so to did he void, soon returning to its original white and neutral state.
“Lord Zot, oh no!” The machine man balked, “But I wish someone could oppose him, many have tried but...” he trailed off there.
Zardoz’s own memories of his battle with the warlord flooded back, he didn’t need elaboration to guess what happened to the others. After a short pause his mind returned to the present conversation, “Wouldn’t this invention of yours enable someone to do just that?”
The mechanical man looks thoughtful, or as thoughtful as a faceless automaton could look, “You have a point,” he said after a moment, “But the Core needs a source of power, I could never dream of using your…soul…as such, you deserve your…afterlife.” A haunted yearning echoed in the machine-man's voice as he spoke, as if reserved to a fate he could not change or accept.
Zardoz is silent for several moments of deep thought, “Use me,” he says finally “Zot, and his kind must be stopped.”
“But who, you are the only…soul…who has ever expressed the…courage…to oppose Zot and survive.”
“Then we will need to make sure our successor has equipment to survive.”
“It will cost you everything,” The mechanical man says cautiously.
“Everything I am is yours.” Zardoz says firmly.
With reservation in his voice the mechanical man spoke, “I will begin the search.”
Lord Zot descended upon a new conquest, just as he had done a thousand times before, ever since that fool Zardoz opposed him there have been minor…inconveniences…in each new territory. But none was a threat. This was the 7th conquest since that fateful day and again the black skinned insect like aliens muttered dissonance, once more one stepped forward in defiance of his power.
“Go conqueror, you are not welcome here,” spoke one with fire in his multi faceted eyes.
Zot smirked rising his staff. The heavens thundered and there was a blinding flash of light, in the claws of the alien appeared a small silver box and Zardoz’s face flickered in the sky.
“Use it,” He commanded. “Call out the name of your mightiest beast and invoke the power of the box to oppose Zot!”
Zot laughed, a cold hollow sound, as he blasts the transmission with his staff, Zardoz’s head and the signal gone in a flash. His gaze then fell to the one who had received Zardoz’s gift, “Hand over the toy child.”
The resistor clutched the device to his chest and shouted “No!” the fury of Zardoz now echoing in his own voice. The box began to glow the small crystal coin set in its center back lit by a ring of red as he invoked its power. “Zer’kerak!” he called with all his fury.
In a flash of ruby light the instinct was consumed and a new figure emerged. Clad in shaped armor the humanoid warrior seemed to bear a large shell on his back like some kind of scarab, his head wrapped in a helmet patterned after the deadly scorpion beast Zer’kerak. He raised his hand clutching at something that was not there as his hand began to glow as a sword took shape.
He charged Zot…and The First Hero was born.
T-Minus 5
In the vacuum of space five marines in single shade shaped body armor (burgundy, navy, dirty pink, black, and off gold) pursue a woman protected by a force field wielding what appears to be a gnarled wood staff studded with LE Ds. The five ride futuristic wheel-less cycles, energy streaking from the headlights. The woman returns fire with her own energy blasts from the head of her staff. The quintet’s attacks hit, throwing the woman off balance while her blasts in turn damages the cycles. The 6 of them make a crash landing toward the third planet from a yellow star.
A explosion of fire and metal marks the end of the cycles as the five warriors leap clear landing deftly on their feet, each drawing from hip holsters futuristic firearms and in synch point them at the witch as she gets back to her feet.
“Surrender Reeva,” the burgundy one commands “Your out manned, out gunned, and out maneuvered.”
The witch, Reeva, laughs, “You insects continue to oppose me? Yes! Yes! I know. Killed a few populations, but really your getting so worked up over nothing. I mean seriously, you feed on the flesh of lesser beings all the time, and my kill followed all the market slaughter laws of the Council.”
Pink gasps audibly “Those were sentient space faring races you monster, not a herd of Zer-wogs.”
Reeva shrugs “Says Sylph Taurine the Arborian.” Reeva continues her voice shifting from indifference to a bemused tone as she speaks slowly, as if talking to a pet, “Must have been really hard to learn a higher language like my own. That’s so cute. Who’s your master?”
The five marines’ [Remu’k Nad’rid’zel (Red), Zei’ga Gharen (Blue), Sylph Taurine (Pink), Vit’l Zermouth (Black), Com-Ter (Yellow)] disgust peeks as they fire in unison at Reeva. She raises her staff once more as several of the LE Ds glow, as a force field rises to easily resist the attacks. Vit’l backs away as the other four continue the assault, keeping Reeva’s focus on them as he leaps into the air.
“Awe cute you learned how to use a blaster.” Laughs Reeva as Vit’l come down upon her from above with his axe. Reeva raises her gloved hand, several LE Ds set into the material glow before blasting Vit’l onto his back
“Scatter this isn’t working!” shouts Zei’ga as the 4 break away dashing to various positions. Quickly they draw their main weapons from the ether, Remu’k’s sword, Zei’ga’s double spiked staff, Sylph’s high tech bow, and Com-Ter’s daggers. Each weapon shaped in homage to some strange alien beast just like their helmets carry the same visage of savage power in a beast’s visage.
“Let’s end this before she pulls another trick out of her staff!” shouts Remu’k, “Let’s bring them together!”
Sylph turns to Vit’l and tosses her bow “Right, Vit’l catch!”
Reeva laughs, “What this now? Do you have some new little power you want to show off? Go ahead this should be fun to watch.”
Vit’l catches the bow and in a swift motion snaps in into three parts, a scope and two arches. The arches are slid into rails inset to the sides of his axe and the scope slid into a railing at the top, the blade facing down he tosses it toward Zei’ga.
Reeva yawned, mocking falling asleep “Awe how cute.”
Zei’ga Catches the combo weapon and breaks his staff at the midpoint, then swiftly he feeds the tubes through circular segments in the bow’s body, he throws it to Com-Ter who does a similar feed with his daggers.
Reeva opens her eyes wide as she senses a surge of power “What is that ungainly thing?”
Remu’k catches the weapon sliding his sword onto the top the blade sliding around the scope as the blade splits in half down the center. The other four gather around Remu’k as he stands firm as the others kneel, acting as a brace. Power builds in the device feeding toward the main axe, the five marines also begin to glow.
Reeva can barely contain her mirth, “A united power attack that’s you’re big weapon?”
The power builds and builds finally crashing out of the cannon as a massive beam of pure, raw, pulsating energy. Reeva smirks and raises her staff. The lights glow brightly as she raises her shield. The forces meet and the world trembles. The ground shakes as the marines fight for control and then in a instant the shield crashes, the force of the blast crushes through slamming into Reeva and throwing her back from the force, she lands winded and wounded but still in the fight.
“That actually hit me you little ANIMALS!” Reeva growls.
“Well beasts I have my own trained animal.” She said with a dark laugh “Let me introduce you to…Dra’nor!”
Reeva rose with a limp and raises her staff high, a bright flash of green and HE stands before them a marine like them, clad in forest green, a golden body armor shimmering around his form. The five marines stagger in shock.
“The power of Determination!” gasps Remu’k.
“The Tall Walker,” shudders Vit’l.
Reeva smirks; “destroy them, my pet.”
“Yes master.” Dra’nor’s voice was cold, metallic, without light or soul as he strode toward the marines.
“You enslaved his mind!” Remku’k roars in anger.
“I trained him to be obedient.” Reeva smirks.
“MONSTER!” Sylph shrieks as she draws her blaster from her hip.
Dra’nor dove into the fray, an ornate dagger in hand, slashing deep into each of the five. As they rose to counter he was there and stuck. Every time they moved to counter he counter attacked before they could attack. Reeva laughs as Dra’nor decimates time and again Remu’k, Zei’ga, Vit’l, and Com-Ter.
“Wait where is the Arborian?” muses Reeva finally.
Dra’nor pauses, “Should I hunt her down master?”
“Right here!” Sylph screeches as she rises behind Reeva placing the unity weapon to Reeva’s back, the four act quick and use the chance to hold Dra’nor still.
“Do it!” Remu’k shouts.
“I’m sorry.” Sylph chokes as she pulls the trigger. The energy builds and releases, her form glows a rainbow of color as the blast rips into Reeva and the recoil hurls her back. The beam smashing into Reeva, around her, and into Dra’nor and the four. Already weakened, the four heroes fall, crumpling like paper as the power is lost and their lives…extinguished.
Reeva turns around battered and bloodies her inky black blood clotting her right eye and leaving her right arm useless. “You’re all alone.” She winces, raising her staff with her semi good arm, her arm trembling moments before it falls from her hand.
Wounded from the blast Dra’nor limps to his master gathering the staff. “You are mortally wounded mistress we must flee!”
“NO!” Sylph shouts as she fires again, the power and energy flow out of her and slam the duo and once more she is sent sailing. Her heart already stopped before she hits the ground again. Reeva weakly raises her staff LE Ds flashing as her shield materializes just as the blast hits. Diluting it before it breaks through Reeva and her pet are still forced to their knees from the force. Dra’nor and Reeva look to each other as the energy passes and in a flash they are gone, no doubt to recover.
Moments pass, the five bodies convulse, the world shakes as the powers coalesce, their souls, their power. Their bodies are consumed in a fire of light as the power burrows into the ground it reaches into the earth and into space drawing forth the SOURCE to Earth. Slowly a command center rises from the honed stone under them, shaped and hewn as if by nature from the very rock.
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
T-Minus 4 Part 1
Several years pass; the command center looms over the dusty landscape like a thumb sticking out of the Earth. A shaped outcropping in the sandstone, at a distance it is a stark and strange edifice among the sand stones but hardly unnatural in design.
Meanwhile on the Moon, hidden from even the strongest of eyes under a cloak of shadows on the dark side rests a second palace, a second building hewn of the stone. Inside its hallowed halls Reeva sits on her throne…alone. The doors of the chamber open with a regal glide and she watches the creature enters, a sphinx. A body not unlike her own with two arms and two legs. But its form is clad in midnight black fur and its head that of some great feline mixed with that of a man. His feet more beast then man and his like his hands ending in sharp, savage claws. He is clad in golden armor, patterned after some kind of insect with shaped interlocked plates covering all but his hands, midriff and his beastly feet. A open faced crown wraps around the back of his head serving to protect it from back blow while leaving his ears and face uncovered.
“And who are you?” she yawns bemused.
“I am Ra Ultimos and I served under Lord Zot.” He says confidently.
Reeva yawns hardly impressed, “Didn’t the Ra in his army have wings?”
Ra is silent…
“So you failed and he striped your wings, why would I want a failure under my command, you think you can beat those blasted marines?”
He nods…
“And what do you get out of it?”
“I wish to prove my worth to Lord Zot.”
Reeva yawns looking at her staff casually. “No, I don’t broker with animals whom can’t even do their master’s bidding.”
“I bring a gift,” Ra kneels extending his hand, a hand full of clay balls rest in his hand, he tosses them to the ground where they grow into several man sized clay men. “Disposable troops, mindless warriors. The marines can not defeat an army of drones leads by a general such as myself.”
“Is that all?” she yawns slightly bemused “I can create my own minions as well. Even grow them to massive proportions if I desire.”
Ra takes a deep breath, turning to the door “Bring in my associate Coffret.”
A bird like alien is lead in, his body lithe with a pair of small spectacles balanced on a snow white beak “Coffret is a master geneticist, with some supplies and a little time he can provide an army of monsters to crush your enemies.”
“Uh huh? And the difference from the clay men is?”
“They are intelligent, well to a degree, independent acting, they are powerful as any warrior you could create.”
Reeva prepares to open her mouth when her staff beeps. She waves it in the air creating a visual hologram of the earth below. She gasps, the pink marine is there.
Earth….
“Look I don’t want any trouble mister.” The pink marine said, her arms up in a peaceful gesture.
The man in the brown brimmed hat holds his gun steady.
“I dun know who you are little lady but you dun busted in on me and my boy’s heist.” The main said as his hand dropped to his hip, and his six shooter.
“I don’t want any trouble but if you insist on a fight!” She said as she reaches for the blaster at her side but the thief and his cohort already have theirs drawn and fire.
She bounds over the bullet flipping in mid air and firing, the rose lances of energy hits dead center, stunning the criminals, as she lands theirs a flash of pink light and she is gone. The criminals stagger about trying to locate the lady only to face the sheriff as they regain their focus.
Back on the moon Reeva looks to Ra “Destroy that town, draw out that marine, and any allies she has…destroy them!”
“Yes Master!”
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
T-Minus 4 Part 2
The clay men swarm into town, Ra on their tails, a flash of pink light resonates and the marine stands, the armies of Reeva stand firm.
“Ra,” she growls “call your goons off.”
“I don’t think so.” He growls back. “Master Reeva wishes your destruction.”
Four others crowd around the pink clad marine, standing defiant.
“Dun worry little Philly, ya stood up against Jesse and now we stand with you.” Says the tallest of the three men, and one woman, who stand with the pink marine.
“Thank you, but you can’t fight this battle, not in your current state.”
“Well miss,” Spoke up the woman, an African America indentured servant. “What you thinking then?”
The pink marine’s hands a device to each of her new friends quickly, “Just announce the name of the strongest creature you know and the device will infuse you with the energy of past warriors.”
“Well golly Pink Philly if that all we gotta do I say we do it boys.” Said one of the men, a raven haired boy with glasses, he pauses a moment after his comment and looks at the servant girl, adding quickly, “and lady.”
“Scorpion.”
“Ox.”
“Coyote.”
“Viper.”
In a flash four new marines stood, their armor a slightly different design to the pink one, their boots were still of the shaped material but were higher, almost to the knee with flared tops and spurs in the heel while frills hung from there gloves. The red one's helmet was patterned after a scorpion, blue was the coyote, black the ox, and yellow was the viper.
“Hooo Wee!” cheered the new black clad marine who was formerly a African-American man.
Pink thrust out her hand at Ra “We’re the law here, now leave peaceably!”
Ra just smiled and the attack began in earnest, guided by the spirits of warriors past the new blood dealt with the clay men army with skill that even surprised them, while Pink charged Ra. A flash of pink light and a pink Javalin formed in her hand. Cutting the air with it the arrow head of the weapon flew toward Ra as a wave of energy darts; Ra deflected each shot with his gilded sword as she leaps over his large swing landing deftly on her feet but slow on her turn, the blade swings fast toward her head.
Thunder cracks the heavens as HE rode in on a white stallion his six shooters smoking, the shots throwing Ra’s blow off. Pink gasps at the brave stranger that just saved her life.
“Get him little lady.” The rider calls confidently.
“Thanks, I owe ya one.” She calls back thankfully.
“Just stop that monster.” He replied riding hard past Ra his guns cracking the heavens as she unloading her darts at close range, slipping into a kneel as she spun around. Ra chuckles, leaping back as the blows hammer into him. He winced a few times, preparing a direct assault on the stranger on the stallion. But the battle paused, space was rent, a hole in reality torn open, rippling with all the colors of the rainbow. At the end of the portal was a strange location where five oddly dressed men and a woman then called out for ‘Claire.’ A strange metal man stood behind them all. Pink looked to the battle and the portal but did not get to decide as the vortex drew her in. The battle resumed in her absence and Reeva watched from the heavens.
“It is time to end this, Coffret, make me a monster, this battle will not be allowed to escalate I am ending it now!”
“Yes Master.” Said the snow white bird man.
Back on Earth the wild west marines dispatched the last of the clay men and gather around Ra, the White Rider circling around the battle, guns smoking.
“What did ya do to the Pink Philly?” demands the red one.
“It was not my hand, but I wish it was!” Ra chortles.
Reeva's voice boomed in the sky “Ra, leave now, this battle ends by my hand!” her voice shook the five defenders to the bone as a creature resembling a anthromophorized six shooter appeared before them and then Reeva’s staff slammed into the ground at it’s feet.
“Grow my monster, GROW!” boomed Reeva’s voice with a wild cackle of enjoyment as Ra vanished in a flash of light and the staff's LE Ds glowed, a moment later the gun beast rose into the heavens.
“W-what the hell do we do now.” stuttered the White Rider.
“We take this fight to the sky as well.” Announced the red marine with booming confidence.
“Ready!” shouted the others as the once more shouted out their totem animals, the ground shook as a giant mechanized Scorpion, Coyote, Ox, and Viper rose into the sky and the 4 leapt into the heavens to ride them.
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
T-Minus 3
1993 – Luna’s Dark Side “Houston, we have uncovered an artifact.” Crackled the time-delayed voice of the astronaut back down to earth control.
“Describe it, what does it look like?”
“It sort of resembles a trashbin or time capsule.” The astronaut turns to his partner “Help me get this lid.”
“Ok.”
Bending low the two men work on unsealing the container. There’s a metallic hiss none can hear as the lock releases and the top slides off. From the container Reeva emerges, as well as Coffret and Ra. She looms over the astronauts like a devil from hell taking in a non-existent breath.
“Ah fresh air.” Her smirk twisting into a devil’s grin “Ra, would you like a new pet?”
“What ever you wish master.” He growls.
The Astronauts turn trying to run-jump away “Houston! HUSON! We have a problem!”
Reeva raises her staff slowly as bolt of energy rips out from the staff, striking the two astronauts, their forms twisting and contorting into mockeries of the human form. A bloated blue pig like demi human and a black winged monkey. Ra grumbles as his pet has the wings that he so seeks to reclaim. Bouncing over to their master the once astronauts follow Reeva as the five of them walk deep into the dark side.
Earth – Houston
“Houston!…have …lem!” the signal comes in garbled
“We’ve lost the signal sir, the astronauts aren’t responding!” one of the technicans says with panic, turning to his supervisor.
The Command Center The Core glows, systems come to life as the holographic emitters come online, Zardoz and his successors cycles though a symphony of confused voices until the metal man stirs, he scurries to the controls adjusting settings until Zardoz comes in as the primary focus and voice.
“Rotoscope what is going on, we have sensed Reeva stirring.” The crimson head booms.
“A moment Zardoz, let me get the scanners online!” Rotoscope says scrambling about the chamber.
“Hurry, if she is indeed free we will need to find a new generation of marines.” Zardoz intones gravely.
“I’m working as fast as I can Zardoz!”
Angel’s Basin So named for the ribbed shape of the basin and its port/marinas that gives the shoreline a winged outline. In the town’s center sits the Youth Center where the teens of the basin practice their martial arts, enjoy juice, music, work the teen hotline. A failing concept, the youth center, Angel’s Basin has managed to make it thrives by localizing everything from an arcade, dojo, nightclub, and crisis center in one central location. Five teens form a prominent focus there, their passion for martial arts drawing the quintet from different walks of life to one common drive.
Suddenly, The peace is broken as a duo, a large fat boy and his stick thin cohort make their way in, their clothes tagged with the colors of the Crypts gang.
“Yo B-Fresh, da Crypts gots a message fer ya,” rumbles the fat one.
“Ya what Fatts said!” monkey’s the skinny one.
The place pauses as the duo draw their 0.9 millimeters handguns. A breath is held in the air for the moment as an African American boy rises from the bench press. “I got out of the Crypts, Fatts.”
“You don’t leave the Crypts…” the fat one threatens, “except in a body bag!”
“And sometimes not even then!” adds the skinny one know as Styx.
“Just leave,” says the boy, kneeling down to tie his shoe, “you don’t want trouble here and we don’t want any trouble from you.”
His four friends begin to stir; absently he waves them off with one hand, the other hand at his left calf, trembling.
“Look Styx he’s scarred.” chortles Fatts like a hyena.
Thunder cracks the air, twice, as a .45 shell crashes at each of the banger's feet. Starteled they jump back as B-Fresh rises the smoking .45s in each hand. “We don’t want trouble. And I don’t want to bury you jokers.” Sweat trickles down B-Fresh's brow, if they press their advantage he wonders will he be able to make the shot. His mind racing with every second; he wants to reform, but if they act, his friends and innocents could die.
He doesn’t get the chance to follow through as suddenly the ground begins to shake and tremble. Everyone tumbles to the ground as it shifts under them. But as B-Fresh and his friends hit the floor they find themselves suddenly whisked away on beams of energy, through the air and over the desert. In a flash they find themselves standing in the command center, to their right Zardoz’s head, projected by a field of hissing energy from below the floor. In front of them the metal man Rotoscope stood in greeting.
“Welcome, humans, to our command center.”
The boy in the glasses, Kenny Brice Olsen, looks on with a child’s awe at the computers “Amazing.” He whispered as walked about, examining each console.
The other four however keep their position, apprehensive of the entire situation.
“Are we like dead?” Claire, the blond haired girl in the pink jacket wondered aloud. “Is this like heaven?”
“Or hell,” Malcolm, AKA B-Fresh added, still holding his pistols at the ready.
Michael Wood, who was keeping the coolest head of the five cleared his throat and spoke up with authority “Just what the hell IS going on here.”
“You five have been recruited by Zardoz to carry on the legacy of an intergalactic peace keeping force.”
“Peace…keeping…” the words resonated with Malcolm ‘B-Fresh’ Johnson like a siren’s call. “Like the police?”
“Yes,” Zardoz’ voice boomed, his one word shaking the quintet to the bone.
“So, like, why are we so special.” Claire Mc Intyre piped in, one of the two girls of the group.
“You have the spark, the hero’s spirit. You have that special something, that special trait, where others run, you stand and fight against injustice.” Rotoscope pauses, despite appearances the robot almost sounded passionate, “You are the spiritual descendents of Zardoz over there, descendents of the first hero.”
Michael nods pulling Kenny away from the consoles “Ya that all well and good, but we gotta go.”
The others mutter, a bit hesitant, but all agree with the assessment.
“You can not leave, if you turn down my gift then Reeva will win, she will descend like a plague and consume your world.” Zardoz’s voice boomed once more.
“Who…is this Reeva?” inquired the other female, the African American Tara Mayer.
“Reeva is a age old criminal from another world. From her perspective all other sentient races in the universe are as a dog is to you. Humanity in particular, being the youngest of races and least developed technologically, she sees you are less then insects. Even worse, as a plague consuming your world and endangering all who come in contact with you.”
Michael remains cool headed, “And what does the big giant head think of us.” He says a bit mockingly.
“Your race has great potential it has yet to fully realize. I don’t know what drives Reeva to kill alien races such as yours with such vigor or why she considers them all inferior to her own. On her own world she was not a mass murderer, her worst crimes there were cruel but not monstrous treatment of the local animal life. A petty criminal really, but in the grand scheme of the universe she is a genocidal mass murderer. You five have been chosen to stop her once, and for all.”
“Right and how are we going to do that?” Malcolm inquires.
“Assuming we choose to aid you, of course,” adds Michael.
The ground shakes and a crystal globe lights up off to the groups side a series of panels project out from it displaying another place and time as they slowly rotate the orb. The four screens currently display the same scene, of Ra and his army of clay men striding into town. Already several bodies lie dead by the creature’s hands or his blade. The quintet gasp in horror and in a flash of white light a small device appears in each of their hands, simple in design the black boxes house a single unmarked crystal disc in each ones center.
“Her general attacks your home; there is no more time to talk.” Zardoz says quickly, “I have pulled from your minds the name and form of the five most powerful beasts you know. You will use that totemic power by evoking its name while holding the device I have given you to become my marines and defeat Ra. Michael Wood you are Red: The Blood of Sacrifice you are the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. Kenny Brice Olsen you are Blue: The Calm of The Mind you are the sturdy Triceratops. Malcolm “B-Fresh” Johnson is Black: The Wall of Defense drawing the power of the Mammoth. Claire Mc Intyre you’re Pink: The Love of All Life, and call the Pterodactyl your power. And lastly Tara Mayer you are Yellow: The Will to Resist All Domination, yours is the power of the Sabertooth Tiger, now go!”
“This sounds eerily familiar,” Michael comments.
In a flash the five are transformed and in an instant they are transported back to Angel’s Basin, directly before Ra the conversation cut abruptly by the sudden transport.
“There’s a children’s adaptation of a Japanese series that uses those beasts as a main focus on the air.” Kenny explains as he rematerializes.
After regaining his wits Kenny amends his last statement. “Actually a few series.”
Ra smirks, “Ah Zardoz’s lackeys. This time, we will kill you!”
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
T-Minus 2
Michael raises his hands in a peaceable gesture at the gold armored sphinx, “Look! We don’t want to fight, some psycho floating head teleported us here!”
“Oh?” Ra chuckled darkly. “Very well then, do not interfere with me and you may go.”
“Great!” “Excellent!” “Sweet!” “Cool!”
“….” Malcolm was far from thrilled to let Ra go.
The four pause, looking at the silent Malcolm before Michael pips up “What’s up M?”
“Look around.” He says grimly. “Just look around.”
The four pauses and for the first time takes in the devastation and death around them, bodies lie in crumpled heap, the ground stained in blood.
“Remember Zardoz’s words, left unchecked this creature slaughtered all these people…And were just going to…walk away.”
“Well ya but what can we do…” Claire comments.
Ra chuckles “Nothing, now go before I change my mind.”
Absently a voice of a struggling civilian draws Ra’s attention, in a flash the sword leaves his hand flying straight for the unlucky survivor. The world seems to stand still as in that instant the quintet is resolved, as if driven by a higher force, they move.
“New plan!” Michael shouts with authority.
“You’re…” “…Going…” “…Down.” Tara, Malcolm, and Claire finish in turn.
“EXCELCIOR!” Kenny adds as he leads the charge of Tara, Malcolm and Claire.
While the quartet charge Ra Michael breaks right drawing his sidearm as he runs, he knows this will take precise aim but wonders is he that good. Red energy spits from the gun in rapid succession, he finds himself saying a silent prayer to whoever is listening as the beams travel toward their mark. Meanwhile the quartet engages Ra and his goons. Even with his blade in flight Ra seems unafraid. The red beams skim their mark as the civilian tries to break into a run but is wounded and hurt making a escape from the blade impossible. Michael fires again, this time the red beams meets with a purple set in flight and the dual shots meet, deflecting the blade, but…not enough. It blasts into the chest of the civilian, shattering ribs and coming out the other side. Ra steals a glance at the scene, the teens gasp. Michael keels before the fallen man, his hand on the man’s wrist…
“He’s alive, barely…But we need to get him to the hospital!” he growls looking to heaven “Zardoz, teleport him!”
“Impossible!” Zardoz’s voice booms, “You are needed in the field!”
Michael growls, rising, his weapon dropping at his feet, “You either teleport us or I stop fighting and let cat boy kill me, and you loose your marine!”
Zardoz’s rage is palpable, even the civilians can feel it radiating out from the marines' bodies. A strange alien energy that makes him cough more blood, “You win.” Zardoz finally says and in a flash of red Michael and the civilian are gone.
The battle resumes in a instant as the quartet fight valiantly against the clay men, but the fight is pointless and draining, the clay men fight with no skill, they rush them as a mass and swing wide and loose, using sheer numbers not finesse to win. They wear down the quartet, who fight with all their skill and more drawing on power and ferocity they didn’t know they had while in the back Ra strides toward his sword to reclaim it. Drawing it just as the last of the clay minion’s fall to dust around the bruised and battered quartet and Michael reappears in a flash of red light.
“This ends now marines.” Ra gloats.
“We couldn’t agree more, monster.” Michael comments.
As a unit they charge, Ra stands back, waiting as the quintet draw their personalized weapons. In a flash a black a halberd, a sort of long poled axe swings toward Ra’s head but sparks fly as halberd and blade meets. Michael swings his broad sword while Ra is occupied with Malcolm but Ra block it effortlessly with his gauntleted fist. Kenny comes in high with his tri-linked baton with bladed ends. Ra drops to a split, knocking the feet out from Michael and Malcolm and making Kenny miss wide. He comes up as Tara hits him dead on with her daggers and an arrow head shot from Claire’s javelin hit their marks. As Malcolm and Michael scramble to their feet Ra laughs leaping over Claire only to be hammered by Malcom’s halberd. Quickly Ra deflects it with his sword but is tagged by a red bolt from Michel’s firearm launched in tangent with a yellow beam. Both launched from the twin guns in Tara’s hands.
“You will not get away!” growls Malcolm as he holds Ra’s attention.
“Get away? I wouldn’t dream of letting you get away!” laughs Ra malevolently.
With a hard kick he knocks Malcolm on his back but as he turns to the others he is hammered by a blue, yellow, red, and pink bolt fired by the girls and Kenny before meets Michael and his blade. He deflects the sword with his own only to be hammered by Malcom’s halberd which Ra blocks with his free hand, laughing all the while. Even with an halberd at his back and a sword meeting his own as well as a flurry of laser bolts scorching his armor he manages to match them all on the defense.
Ra ducks under a sword blow swinging back hard and driving his sword into Malcolm setting off sparks from Malcolm’s suit’s protection field. He spins around to take on Michael as he rises, deflecting the sword of Michael with his free hand and swings wide.
Malcolm sits up his smile hidden by his helmet “Hey goldie locks.” He taunts. “I have a present for you…”
With a quick fold of the pole and the cocking of grooved handle halfway up the pole like the stock pump of a shotgun Malcolm unleashes a blast of black/purple force at Ra. Ra reacts quickly as he leaps aside, the blast hammering into Michael causing his own suit to explode wit ha shower of sparks while Ra laughs. But as he sails into the air Kenny strikes with his pole arm, breaking Ra out of his flight and hammering him into the ground hard. Michael winces as he rises unsteadily to his feet. As Ra rises the halberd hammers him again, Malcolm suddenly in his face. Thrown off balance he is unable to counter as Malcolm hammers another halberd blast into his stomach.
Ra staggers a bit spitting green blood. “Another time.” He laughs as he vanishes into a golden light.
“No!” Malcolm demands. “Wait!” Kenny pleads. “Coward!” Michael growls. “Monster!” Claire hisses.
“Get back here!” they all roar together.
In an instant the quintet are gone, back in the presence of Zardoz and the holographic head does not look pleased.
“It appears I have chosen the wrong champions to defend this world.”
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
T-Minus 1
“It appears I have chosen the wrong champions to defend this world.” Zardoz’s words echo long in the chamber. “I gave you a gift to defend your world and you abuse my generosity by giving me orders. Without me, you would be ash under Reeva heels.”
“What good is being protectors,” Michael say stepping forward defiantly. “If we let people die in our presence!” he growls. “Didn’t you call me the Blood of Sacrifice? What am I supposed to be sacrificing for, the remains of the people who aren’t killed?”
“You called me the Will to Resist Domination but that doesn’t seem to apply when you’re the domineering one!”
“Insolent humans! I gave up everything for the power you have! My life, my soul, my after life, how dare you question my motives.” The big giant head booms.
“Maybe you’ve been in that box too long!” Michael bites back.
“Hold up guys, can't we talk about…” Kenny says trying to bring some rational thought to bear.
“SHUT UP KENNY!” growls Michael biting off Kenny’s head, figuratively speaking.
“Fine then, if that’s how you feel I’ll take back my power, and while I’m looking for your REPLACEMENTS,” Zardoz booms threatening, “Reeva and her goons will have free reign to destroy and kill your world and people.”
The quintet are rendered silent, and remain so a long while before Malcolm speaks, “Guys we have a opportunity here to protect people.”
“Ya,” Claire growls “As his slaves.”
“Maybe it would help if you told us how this started,” Kenny interjects “Maybe if we understand Zardoz we might…”
“SHUT UP…” Michael roars again, still fuming.
“Aye-Yi-Yi,” groans Rotoscope “You have no idea the sacrifices we have made.”
“YOU have made,” Michael growls, “You’re a stupid machine!”
“I am a Cyclopean! Your race was born of flesh, mine of steel but I am as much alive as you are!”
“Fascinating!” muses Kenny.
Michael sighs “Ok FINE, tell us your story, THEN we leave.”
Rotoscope pauses and then begins his tale. “At the dawn of civilization there were no heroes. In the beginning the darkness was the rule. The worst of theses was Lord Zot. In this dark time power came to those who claimed it and none stood up against the power of a warlord, none would sacrifice their life against a army without one of their own. There was no hope, no courage.”
“Until Zot came to my world to claim it” Zardoz interrupted, “I stood up and refused his rule. I was but a farmer but I would not let my people roll over to a corrupt warlord. I opposed him…and fell.”
“As his soul left his body Zardoz’s spirit drifted in the ether for 10,000 years. To give you some perspective your world was still ruled by your totems at this time. Eventually he was drawn to my laboratory where I was working on a project for my people.” Rotoscope paused, obviously dragging up painful memories, his sadness palpable even without the benefit of a face. Claire could not help herself as she wrapped her arms around the small machine man, offering him the comfort of her warmth, her hug.
“Like, go on.” she whispered.
“You see, when my people grow old,” Rotoscope continued, his metallic hands holding Claire’s for support. “We do not die, our people simply exist inside a body that can no longer function. It is a disquieting death, for we are conscious of all but can not interact with the world. I built the core so that some day, in the vastness of time, we could transfer our consciousness to a clone body, but the first step was to extract the essence. This first generation core, all it did was store spirits within. And I could not even get it to do that until Zardoz was drawn to it. In this configuration it enabled a spirit though a smaller conduit device to fuse with another being, fortifying there body and spirit with its own.”
“He wanted to release me to go to my after life,” Zardoz interjects again, “But I CHOOSE to stay and together we searched the cosmos for other defiant sparks, other heroic souls, and we gave them the power you now have by fortifying their bodies with my own soul and charged them with one mantra, to oppose injustice.”
The holographic displace flickers for a moment a multitude of faces fills the room all about them as a symphony of voices continued. “Over time, some of us, when we died, choose to join the great power fortifying further generations with our collective power, others choose to go to their afterlife.” The voices said in unison.
The holograms of the many alien faces remain around them as Rotoscope continues, “Over time the power became more then any one being could handle safely, but our technology has improved as well, some of that was diverted to give weapons and special equipment. As the legacy grew beyond just weapons and armor other equipment was born of the power, transportation and eventually at its zenith massive war machines, towering behemoths, titans who could build or destroy on a massive scale piloted by the bearer of the power. And eventually that power created six warriors, their equipment and their behemoths.”
“Wait we get giant war machines as well?” inquires Kenny.
“Yes.”
“Wait…” Malcolm pauses, “Six but there is only five of us.”
The room grows cold and dark, returning to just Zardoz’s face. Rotoscope is cold, his voice becomes hard and mechanical, more then normal. “Reeva took from us our sixth warrior. Stole his power, ripped it from the core and bound it to her own power. And when the warriors two generations your senior followed her to the third rock from a yellow star she sicked her own warrior on them, and destroyed them. She was wounded, and we both spent years rebuilding our power base. Until their was a disturbance, it was in your wild west era, your previous generation had to face Reeva and eventually they sealed her away for what we hoped was good, until recently when your astronauts released her.”
“And that brings us to the present.” Zardoz finishes. “Now go, hand your transformation device to Rotoscope and leave, I will find worthy heroes for your world.”
The quintet pause and again Malcolm speaks, “And while your looking? What then?”
“Reeva will do what ever she wishes too.”
The quintet stand immobile, the gravity of things hitting like a ton of bricks. Michael steps forward this time, “We’re not leaving, but…We need to sent boundaries.”
“Follow my orders and your world is safe.”
“Treat us like equals, respect us and we will!”
“Just who do you think you are!”
“We are your heroes, and this is our world, NOT yours.”
Zardoz is silent “We will come to terms.”
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
Writer: Tokusatsu 5YrWar
Proper named chapters are coming next but for now i shall take a break and listen for the comments.
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.
What follows is Year one of a 15+ year arc set in the World of the Wonder. The Apprentice may have been a formative member of Her Majesties Special Service back in 1899 to thwart the machinations of Lord XIII in the Victorian Era and thus the first “official” meta human team on Earth but the Marines are the first true legacy team. Originally started when Power Rangers: Ninja Storm hit the airwaves PM was born of the idea of “What if Power Rangers were a more marine team of heroes in a grim and realistic setting.” From that I began my research, studying episodes summaries for 15 years of Power Rangers, distilling the content and crafting the Marines from the result.
So yes the marines have some ties to the Power Ranger in terms of inspiration but Power Rangers is based from Super Sentai which is inspired by such things as Voltron, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force, Go! And numerous other “sentai” or super powered team concepts.
What makes the marines stand out, to me, is not that they are another “sentai” but more so that this “sentai” teams strong focus on the soul and military overtones, so enjoy!
AND C Ritique/Comment
7 friends, a robot, and a spirit, will find a way to protect us...if it kills them.