Originally based on Bandai’s Spiral Zone toy line, Spiral Zone is a science fiction, action, and adventure animated series. Once Tonka bought the rights to bring Spiral Zone to the west, they also brought over the cartoon with a few changes. A collaboration between Atlantic and Kushner-Locke television production produced this series. The original series aired between September 21 to December 18, 1987. The show ran for a single season which had 65 episodes.
Overview of the Spiral Zone Cartoon
The series centered on an intelligent but power-hungry scientist and his creation of a new region that he called Spiral Zone. The zone generators that he dropped with a neon military space shuttle created each region.
After dropping the Zone generator, Dr. James Bent trapped millions of people who later became zoners. The zoners are essentially zombies whose yellow eyes and red patches on their skin are defining features. Like other zombies, they neither have the will to do anything nor resist any order given by their principal, the scientist known as “Overlord.”
The Black Widows
From his control room in New York City, Dr. James gives an order to his lifeless creations, who he has built into a slave army. The accomplices of Dr. James are known as the Black Widows, some of which include Bandit, Razorback, Raw Meat, and many others. Dr. James’s device does not control this elite group outright. However, their consistent exposure to the zone makes them display similar features despite their possession of devices known as Widow Makers. A Widow Maker is a device that neutralizes them from the mind manipulation devices of Dr. James.
The Zone Riders
Ultimately, Dr. James’ master plan was to bring the world under his control through the zone generators. With the influence of the Overlord and his black widows growing excessively, subduing nations, and making them his subjects, different nations realize the need to stop the Overlord and his immense influence from putting the world under his control.
With his powerful invention of the zone generators and an extremely large army, the Overlord was almost unstoppable except for the presence of five soldiers whose suits can help them resist the influence of the zone. However, the five soldiers soon realize that zone generators are easy to destroy, but they are almost impossible to capture because of the traps built around them.
The possible saviors of the world emerge out of a quest to fight off the domination of the Overlord. The Zone Riders, an elite team of military men led by the highly courageous Col. Dirk Courage, embrace the role of preventing the spread of the zoners and limiting the operation of the black widows. The riders destroy the zone generators over each region which immediately wades off the influence of the Overlord over them. The war between the two forces made the Spiral Zone an interesting, animated show.
Join us on a retrospective through the Spiral Zone Cartoon Series
Episodes 1-10
The first episode, ” Holographic Zone Battle,” was the first attempt by the Overlord and the black widows to discover the plan of the Zone riders. To achieve this aim, a member of the Black Widows, Bandit, disguises himself as a shop owner, close to the base of the riders. So, Hiro, a member of the zone riders, falls victim to the ploy when he accepts Bandit’s game.
Hiro becomes hypnotized and walks into a zone without his jacket, which gave them resistance to the zone generator. Thus, Hiro becomes a zone after walking into the zone and discloses the riders’ plans to the Overlord after manipulation. The riders alter their plans and decide to attack, but they must pass through their manipulated ally.
The Overlord then devices another ploy by staging a scene where a zoned man drives his way out of the zone after chasing a black widow. The riders identify the man as Donovan, a former combat pilot. After meeting with the riders, he shows the Overlord’s plans to the riders, who the Overlord entrapped by planting a generator in Donovan before deliberately sending him off the zone. A member of the riders, Kat, received severe injuries in the ambush.
Continuing the fight for freedom
The third episode reveals a Montreal girl who seems immune to the zone. Her immunity stirs curiosity in the Overlord, who became distracted as the riders destroy more zone generators.
The other episodes continue with the Overlord and the black widows constantly looking to extend their influence by going a step ahead of the zone riders. The riders also continue to try to stop the Overlord, including looking for a flower that can fight off the component of the zone, but the black widows were close enough to foil the attempt.
In the 9th episode, the riders capitalize on the Overlord’s desire to make many zones in Puerto Rico after a huge storm hit the small island. The riders fake their surrender and attack the Overlord.
Episodes 11-20
In the eleventh episode (Duel in Paradise), the Zone Riders seem to be having an advantage when they captured Bandit in their bid to destroy a generator. However, Bandit finds a way to crash the plane on an Island where he faces off with Dirk in a strong face-off. However, the two sides arrive and ensure no winner emerges from the duel.
Bandit returned to action in the following episode as he impersonated President Greg Rogers. Bandit learns of the zone negator built by Dr. Lawrence and finds a truce as a suitable solution between the US and the Overlord. However, the riders’ intervention orchestrates their destruction as the Overlord and the zones surrounded them. However, they found their way through and exposed Bandit as an impostor.
The riders continue their attempt to destroy more generators, including trapping the Overlord with his ex-wife and allying with another warrior named Sima, who showed them how to plant explosives under the generators and sink them underground.
While Dr. Lawrence continues his desire to build a zone negator under the protection of the riders, the Black Widows capture Razorback. However, he builds a force in prison. Then, the idea of Max being undercover backfired as he became a hostage before Razorback initiates his escape.
Next, the riders captured the Overlord, but he also found a way to escape after Duchess Dire aided him. Before his escape, Razorback and Reaper were planning to take out Bandit from his position.
Episodes 21-30
A new scientist named Gideon Rorshak was convinced to join Dr. Lawrence after he discovered that Gideon was the scientist who buried chemical weapons under a farm. He was convinced by the riders and aided their cause by joining Dr. Lawrence.
Meanwhile, the Overlord continues his mission to dominate the world by planning to zone off Hong Kong with the help of Jade Scorpion, a powerful criminal who has a daughter that the Overlord held hostage. However, the riders were there to foil the attempt.
Overlord also tried to control England by making several propositions to Arthur. However, with the help of the riders who destroyed the generator, Arthur was able to stand his ground against the forces of Overlord.
The Overlord continues to try to extend his influence by dropping a zone generator over the training base of the green berets. Thus, the riders must fight off the green berets before destroying the generator.
The Overlord continues his influence by zoning Dirk’s town, including his parents. The courageous soldier deploys a tactic that almost got the Overlord captured.
Episodes 31-40
Internal division begins to divide the Black Widows as Reaper continues to engross himself with power and seeks to destroy the Overlord, leaving spaces for the riders to exploit. A scientist, Lewis Greyson, develops a resistance in his house that prevents the zone from overtaking him. However, the Overlord soon discovered him then destroys his home.
The two forces continue to fight for dominance, with the riders neutralizing Chicago from the zone while the Overlord continues to make more alliances, although weakened by the internal divisions.
Nevertheless, the Overlord attempts to zone China, but the riders foiled his effort. The riders also discover that the Overlord is planning to build a satellite in Singapore where he intends to zone the other parts of the world. With the help of Ned, the zone riders foil the attempt.
Episodes 41-65
Overlord deploys a new tactic to reveal Barry, a top-ranking member of the Riders cadet, as a son with fake documents to prove it. However, the riders discover that documents were fake, so Barry returns to the riders.
The riders continue to destroy several generators and consistently met with several scientists who know the working of the generators. On the contrary, the black widows continue to launch several attacks on countries including Switzerland, Japan, and New Mexico.
In a huge victory for the Overlord, Duchess Dire pretends to leave the Overlord and contacts the king of England. She pretends to destroy the generators.
However, new generators emerge, and over 500,000 soldiers fall victim to a zone in one of Overlord’s biggest victories. Overlord’s victory was beginning to make the people lose faith in the Riders, who are gradually becoming ineffective as Overlord zones more places. However, some of the final episodes of the season were a remix of the earlier ones.
Final Thoughts on Spiral Zone
Spiral Zone was one of the animated shows that ushered in the zombie apocalypse genre. Audiences warmly received the cartoon. Thus, it became a highly rated animated show for its creativity.
Do you have old and used Spiral Zone toys?
If you have a collection of old and used toys, you can turn those toys into cash. There is no reason to let those old toys collect dust. Contact us today to sell your Spiral Zone toy collection.
About the author
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!