Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Encyclopedia
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987
–88
science fiction/action television series, merging live action
with animation based on computer-generated images
, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication. A toy line was also produced by Mattel, and during each episode there was a segment that included visual
and audio
material which interacted with the toys.
in the 22nd century following the Metal Wars, a cybernetic revolt
that resulted in the subjugation of the human race
by intelligent machines
. Captain Jonathan Power and a small group of guerrilla
fighters, called "The Soldiers Of The Future," opposes the machine forces that dominate Earth.
"Power on." Actor Timothy Dunigan
, outfitted in his character's full regalia, would turn to the camera and deliver this line.
Then Brad Crandall, a noted voice-over artist, would declaim:
By 2132, advanced robot
ic soldiers known as Bio-Mechs had replaced humans in the armed forces of the world's nations. The existence of Bio-Mechs meant that wars could be fought without significant loss of life. This had the effect of transforming the concept of war
into a nearly harmless battle between machines, and wars became an everyday event. A group of scientists led by Dr. Stuart Gordon Power (Bruce Gray
) began working on an advanced supercomputer
capable of overriding the control systems employed by the world's armed forces to operate the Bio-Mechs, and thus stop them, bringing an end to war.
The supercomputer, OverMind, required an equivalent to human brain patterns to become operational. Dr. Power's closest associate, Dr. Lyman Taggart (David Hemblen
), became impatient with the slow pace of the project and hooked himself up to OverMind, using his own brain patterns to bring the supercomputer to operational status.
Both Taggart and OverMind were changed by the experience. Taggart became obsessed with the precision and "perfection" of machines and convinced himself that the next step in human evolution involved the merging of human consciousness in perfect mechanical bodies. OverMind became sentient
and shared Taggart's beliefs. Using OverMind to take control of Bio-Mech armies throughout the world, Taggart launched a crusade to bring his vision to life. In mere months, the world was devastated by the Metal Wars, an apocalyptic
conflict between Taggart's machine legions and the rest of humanity.
Desperate, the world governments turned to Dr. Power to find a way to stop Taggart. He developed the "Power Suits," exoskeletal
armored suits coupled with advanced weapons. But before testing this new weapon, Power died trying to rescue his son Jonathan from Taggart. Taggart himself was severely wounded and OverMind "repaired" him by transforming Taggart into a cyborg. Discarding his previous identity, Dr. Lyman Taggart became Lord Dread.
By 2147, fifteen years after the Metal Wars broke out, humanity had been largely annihilated by Lord Dread's forces, and those who survived lived miserable existences in hiding. To bring about his ideal world, Dread deployed forces of BioMechs around the world to "digitize" human beings, storing them within OverMind. These Bio-Mech armies were usually led by advanced sentient machines called Bio-Dreads or by human officers and troopers loyal to Dread, who controlled the world from his headquarters in Volcania, somewhere in North America
; subsequent fan fiction located this city on the former site of present-day Detroit, Michigan.
There are still human resistance groups that battled the Bio-Dread Empire. Some were mere bands, but others such as the East Coast Resistance, and "The Soldiers of the Future," led by Dr. Power's son Jonathan, are organized movements.
Holding the rank of captain, Jonathan Power commanded a group of five soldiers against Dread's forces. His soldiers used the Power Suits developed by Dr. Power, making them much more effective in dealing with the Bio-Mechs. They operate out of a "Power Base," an abandoned NORAD installation concealed in the Rocky Mountains. They relied on a supercomputer
programmed with the Mentor, an artificial intelligence whom Dr. Power had created in his own image and with his own voice so that his son would never be without him.
Captain Power's group used a system of teleportation
portals both to move quickly around North America and to keep their base's location secret. But at the conclusion of the first season, Lord Dread broke the codes used to operate this system and sent forces to assault the base. Power and most of his team escaped the facility, but Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase (Jessica Steen), a former member of the "Bio-Dread Youth," was cornered inside and activated the base's self-destruct mechanism, killing herself and the Bio-Dread troops.
J. Michael Straczynski
was the writer of the last episode of the series. He commented about Pilot's death, revealing that the scene was inspired by an especially tragic event in his own past.
The plot also covered the team's quest to find "Eden II," a supposed secret human refuge mentioned in the first season, while setting up a base of operations on a facility that was the prototype of the Power Base. Lord Dread would have gained a new mechanical form, as actor David Hemblen was not required back (safe perhaps for voice work). His new army consisted of 'Hunter-Seeker' troops and a new BioDread warlord called Xenon. Dread would also have a new assistant called Morgana II, a mechanical with the mind of his former lover – who would prove to be Jonathan Power's mother.
OverMind would have taken a larger role in the war and revealed a hidden agenda: after digitizing all the remaining human beings, it would erase them from existence. Wanting to keep this secret from Dread, it would have proved to have given Soaron, in case case Dread showed any objection or signs of suspicion, secret programming ordering him to get rid of Lord Dread.
Ultimately, however, this became the show's undoing; it was seen as too violent for children (e.g. toys for shooting at the television, live-action violence), and its less mature aspects, such as the title, drove away adult audiences. Other factors contributing to the show's failure included the higher cost of a live-action show (each episode cost an estimated $
1 million to produce) compared to the cheaper production costs of a cartoon
, as well as the fact that the gameplay
between the show and the toys was extremely poor. Poor timeslot choices also contributed to the show's cancellation: it was sold to syndication as opposed to a regular network timeslot, which resulted in some television stations airing it in the 5-6am timeslot on Sunday mornings. The subsequent poor ratings hastened the show's demise. In an article from Starlog #128 written by Marc Shapiro with quotes from one of the writers of the show, Larry DiTillio
, there are the following statements:
J. Michael Straczynski commented about the show's cancellation and the planned second season.
In 1987 Captain Power was the target of anti-toy related children's television advocates who claimed that the series focused on selling children expensive toys to fully participate.
. Some ships and playsets, when firing at the screen, would interact during various segments of the Saturday morning TV program. Video releases were available as well.
In 1988, a second and slightly more scarce series was released. The Dread Trooper and Dread Commander are still unconfirmed if they were ever released. Pictures of these figures were shown in the Mattel dealer catalog.
The first interactive toy
and game
for the series was a toy XT-7 jet with a video cassette. There were three tapes in all. "Future Force Training," "Bio-Dread Strike Mission," and "Raid On Volcania." The tapes had openings and closings in live action with the cast of the television show. The actual mission itself was animated and took place in the jet cockpit from the first-person point of view of the pilot/player. Players would hold the toy jet and face the screen. The toy was actually a sort of light gun
that responded to signals from the television playing the tape. The more the player fired at appropriate targets on the screen, the more points the toy jet would rack up. The more times the sensor on the toy jet got "hit," the more points the jet would lose. Upon reaching zero points, the cockpit would eject automatically. The XT-7 also could interact with the live action television broadcast in the same manner. Since the "game" was only a VHS tape, the missions played out the same way all the time. Other interactive objects in this series were the "Phantom Stryker" Bio-Dread ship, the "Interlocker Throne" for Lord Dread, which consisted of a stationary tank on a tripod and an optional target viewer that could be taken on and off, and the "Power On" platform which one could plug the Captain Power figure into and whenever the transformation was triggered on screen or the base was fired at by one of the other vehicles, the toy would immediately trigger the "Power On" sequence causing the chest of the figure to glow.
A promotional video produced months before the series aired featured a sixth "Soldiers of the Future" member, Col Nathan "Stingray" Johnson, a specialist in seaborne operations.
in 1988–1989, illustrated by Neal Adams
with stories by J. Michael Straczynski
, who was also the series story editor, writing half the episodes and providing stories or outlines for many more.
announced on September 9th, 2011 that the complete series would be released on DVD on December 13th, 2011.
1987 in television
The year 1987 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1987.For American TV schedule, see: 1987–88 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
–88
1988 in television
The year 1988 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1988.For the American TV schedule, see: 1988-89 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
science fiction/action television series, merging live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
with animation based on computer-generated images
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication. A toy line was also produced by Mattel, and during each episode there was a segment that included visual
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
and audio
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
material which interacted with the toys.
General plot
The storyline was set on EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in the 22nd century following the Metal Wars, a cybernetic revolt
Cybernetic revolt
Cybernetic revolt or robot uprising is a scenario in which an artificial intelligence decide that humans are a threat , are inferior, or are oppressors and try to destroy or to enslave them potentially leading to...
that resulted in the subjugation of the human race
Machine Rule
The concept of machine rule is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which an artificially created lifeform takes over the naturally evolved beings that created them....
by intelligent machines
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. Captain Jonathan Power and a small group of guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
fighters, called "The Soldiers Of The Future," opposes the machine forces that dominate Earth.
The central storyline
Each episode began with the following introduction, plus a recap of the storyline:"Power on." Actor Timothy Dunigan
Tim Dunigan
Timothy "Tim" Dunigan is an American actor who is best known for having played the lead role of Captain Jonathan Power in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. He also played con-man 1st Lt. Templeton "The Face-Man" Peck in the pilot for the 1980s hit The A-Team, but was replaced by Dirk...
, outfitted in his character's full regalia, would turn to the camera and deliver this line.
Then Brad Crandall, a noted voice-over artist, would declaim:
By 2132, advanced robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic soldiers known as Bio-Mechs had replaced humans in the armed forces of the world's nations. The existence of Bio-Mechs meant that wars could be fought without significant loss of life. This had the effect of transforming the concept of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
into a nearly harmless battle between machines, and wars became an everyday event. A group of scientists led by Dr. Stuart Gordon Power (Bruce Gray
Bruce Gray
Bruce Gray is a Puerto Rican-born Canadian actor.-Early years:Gray was born Robert Bruce Gray in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Canadian parents...
) began working on an advanced supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
capable of overriding the control systems employed by the world's armed forces to operate the Bio-Mechs, and thus stop them, bringing an end to war.
David Hemblen
David Hemblen is an English-born actor who frequently works in Canadian film, television and theater. He was a mainstay on the television series Earth: Final Conflict, playing Jonathan Doors, and played recurring roles in A Nero Wolfe Mystery and La Femme Nikita . He voiced Magneto on the popular...
), became impatient with the slow pace of the project and hooked himself up to OverMind, using his own brain patterns to bring the supercomputer to operational status.
Both Taggart and OverMind were changed by the experience. Taggart became obsessed with the precision and "perfection" of machines and convinced himself that the next step in human evolution involved the merging of human consciousness in perfect mechanical bodies. OverMind became sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
and shared Taggart's beliefs. Using OverMind to take control of Bio-Mech armies throughout the world, Taggart launched a crusade to bring his vision to life. In mere months, the world was devastated by the Metal Wars, an apocalyptic
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
conflict between Taggart's machine legions and the rest of humanity.
Desperate, the world governments turned to Dr. Power to find a way to stop Taggart. He developed the "Power Suits," exoskeletal
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
armored suits coupled with advanced weapons. But before testing this new weapon, Power died trying to rescue his son Jonathan from Taggart. Taggart himself was severely wounded and OverMind "repaired" him by transforming Taggart into a cyborg. Discarding his previous identity, Dr. Lyman Taggart became Lord Dread.
By 2147, fifteen years after the Metal Wars broke out, humanity had been largely annihilated by Lord Dread's forces, and those who survived lived miserable existences in hiding. To bring about his ideal world, Dread deployed forces of BioMechs around the world to "digitize" human beings, storing them within OverMind. These Bio-Mech armies were usually led by advanced sentient machines called Bio-Dreads or by human officers and troopers loyal to Dread, who controlled the world from his headquarters in Volcania, somewhere in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
; subsequent fan fiction located this city on the former site of present-day Detroit, Michigan.
There are still human resistance groups that battled the Bio-Dread Empire. Some were mere bands, but others such as the East Coast Resistance, and "The Soldiers of the Future," led by Dr. Power's son Jonathan, are organized movements.
Holding the rank of captain, Jonathan Power commanded a group of five soldiers against Dread's forces. His soldiers used the Power Suits developed by Dr. Power, making them much more effective in dealing with the Bio-Mechs. They operate out of a "Power Base," an abandoned NORAD installation concealed in the Rocky Mountains. They relied on a supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
programmed with the Mentor, an artificial intelligence whom Dr. Power had created in his own image and with his own voice so that his son would never be without him.
"Project New Order"
During the show's only season, there was a story arc involving Project New Order, Lord Dread's plan to eradicate human life and develop his ideal world. The plan consisted of four stages:- StyxStyx (mythology)The Styx is a river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld . It circles the Underworld nine times...
, the release of a powerful toxin into the human population; - CharonCharon (mythology)In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
, the creation of an army of advanced Bio-Dread warriors; - IcarusIcarus (mythology)In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax...
, the construction of a massive orbital platformSpace stationA space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
capable of large-scale digitizing; - PrometheusPrometheusIn Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
, the release of a plasmaPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
storm capable of scorching the Earth surface.
Captain Power's group used a system of teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
portals both to move quickly around North America and to keep their base's location secret. But at the conclusion of the first season, Lord Dread broke the codes used to operate this system and sent forces to assault the base. Power and most of his team escaped the facility, but Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase (Jessica Steen), a former member of the "Bio-Dread Youth," was cornered inside and activated the base's self-destruct mechanism, killing herself and the Bio-Dread troops.
J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
was the writer of the last episode of the series. He commented about Pilot's death, revealing that the scene was inspired by an especially tragic event in his own past.
"I've never talked about this before—said I was in a thoughtful mood—but I've known several people, friends, who've taken their own lives. In one case, I spoke to her just beforehand. Tried, through the phone lines, to reach her one more time, pull her back from the edge. I couldn't. Years pass. Time comes for me to write the last filmed episode of Power."'
"Jennifer Chase is going to die, partly of her injuries, partly of her own volition. Part of my life went into that scene, in the way it was constructed, and what was said. And what was not said, what never had the chance to be said, and thus still burns. I knew that, at the crucial moment of that scene, he couldn't be near her, as I wasn't near my friend...it had to be long-distance, hearing but not seeing her, and the terrible pain of arriving too late. I cannot watch that episode without crying. Ever."
Proposed second season
A second season entailed an anguished Captain Power neglecting his duties as the leader of the team and focusing more on a thirst for revenge on Dread and the slicer who betrayed them, Locke. Major Hawk would have taken on more of a leadership role with the team in Power's absence. Two characters were to be introduced: Chris "Ranger" O'Connor, a woman who would be Tank's love interest and Private Chip "TNT" Morrow, a soldier who appeared in the first season under the name of Andy Jackson.The plot also covered the team's quest to find "Eden II," a supposed secret human refuge mentioned in the first season, while setting up a base of operations on a facility that was the prototype of the Power Base. Lord Dread would have gained a new mechanical form, as actor David Hemblen was not required back (safe perhaps for voice work). His new army consisted of 'Hunter-Seeker' troops and a new BioDread warlord called Xenon. Dread would also have a new assistant called Morgana II, a mechanical with the mind of his former lover – who would prove to be Jonathan Power's mother.
OverMind would have taken a larger role in the war and revealed a hidden agenda: after digitizing all the remaining human beings, it would erase them from existence. Wanting to keep this secret from Dread, it would have proved to have given Soaron, in case case Dread showed any objection or signs of suspicion, secret programming ordering him to get rid of Lord Dread.
Adult storyline
A great majority of the show's story line was filled with romance and intrigue, which was made for the adults who watched the show with their children. Thus, the story was filled with romantic kisses, sexual innuendo, and occasionally scenes which implied sexual encounters between characters. Mild profanity was also present; "damn" was said on at least one occasion, and Pilot told Blastaar to "go to hell" in response to his order to surrender. In addition, the violent death of one of the major ongoing characters in the series (detailed above) was also an unusual development for a children's series. The inclusion of a "Bio-Dread Youth," which recruited young survivors to Lord Dread's ideals to further advance his agenda, also paralleled the Nazi regime.DVD Release
On 06.12.2011 the complete series was released on a 4 disk DVD set in region 1. The set contains all 22 episodes plus many bonus material including interviews and commentaries with cast members.Criticism and cancellation
Captain Power attempted to appeal to both children and adult audiences, with its dark, post-apocalyptic storyline showing the aftermath of nuclear war and featured allegories on topics such as Nazism.Ultimately, however, this became the show's undoing; it was seen as too violent for children (e.g. toys for shooting at the television, live-action violence), and its less mature aspects, such as the title, drove away adult audiences. Other factors contributing to the show's failure included the higher cost of a live-action show (each episode cost an estimated $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 million to produce) compared to the cheaper production costs of a cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
, as well as the fact that the gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
between the show and the toys was extremely poor. Poor timeslot choices also contributed to the show's cancellation: it was sold to syndication as opposed to a regular network timeslot, which resulted in some television stations airing it in the 5-6am timeslot on Sunday mornings. The subsequent poor ratings hastened the show's demise. In an article from Starlog #128 written by Marc Shapiro with quotes from one of the writers of the show, Larry DiTillio
Larry DiTillio
Lawrence G. "Larry" DiTillio is an American film and TV series writer. He is most famous for his role as executive story editor of the science-fiction series Babylon 5, and for writing or co-writing most of the episodes in the animated series Beast Wars...
, there are the following statements:
But for all those noble sentiments, Captain Power, to the public at large, is perceived as just another excuse to sell toys. It is a notion that rubs story editor Larry DiTillio the wrong way.
"We're not writing stories with the idea of turning each episode of Captain Power into a video game," declares DiTillio. But DiTillio, a first season staff writer who became story editor when J. Michael Straczynski (Starlog #111) left the position for a similar post with the revived Twilight Zone, claimed that ramrodding the script side of Captain Power hasn't been easy.
"This show has definitely not made my life easier," chuckles DiTillio. "This is not just another kid's cartoon show. The writing is always to an adult level. There is the interactivity which has been centered mainly in the battle sequences but we aren't in a position of having to write X amount of animation and interactivity into each episode. I want to make it very clear that around here, we're working for the story."
There is a tone of desperation in DiTillio's voice as he defends the writing integrity of Captain Power. It's a desperation resulting from dealing with cliché story submissions that have come streaming in amid the confusion about how childlike or adult Captain Power is. "People are coming in with the same old stories," DiTillio laments. "I'm getting Star Trek, Star Wars and Terminator. If I wanted another Terminator, I would call James Cameron."
J. Michael Straczynski commented about the show's cancellation and the planned second season.
Re: Captain Power "...Yeah, that's a show that is an example of what to strive for, and how sometimes good intentions can get derailed. We genuinely wanted to come up with a long-term story, and by and large, we succeeded. The problem was the marketing in front of the show, and the merchandising behind the show...we got killed from both sides."
"There's an entire second season of unproduced CP scripts, story edited by Larry DiTillio, in which he follows up on the arc that I and others established during the first season. You would have found out what Dread became, what happened to Power's mother, where Eden was (and there would be direct contact), what the secret was in Soaron's programming, and so on."
In 1987 Captain Power was the target of anti-toy related children's television advocates who claimed that the series focused on selling children expensive toys to fully participate.
Action figures & interactive game
Captain Power was also an attempt to cash in on the interactive television game market by MattelMattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
. Some ships and playsets, when firing at the screen, would interact during various segments of the Saturday morning TV program. Video releases were available as well.
In 1988, a second and slightly more scarce series was released. The Dread Trooper and Dread Commander are still unconfirmed if they were ever released. Pictures of these figures were shown in the Mattel dealer catalog.
The first interactive toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
and game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
for the series was a toy XT-7 jet with a video cassette. There were three tapes in all. "Future Force Training," "Bio-Dread Strike Mission," and "Raid On Volcania." The tapes had openings and closings in live action with the cast of the television show. The actual mission itself was animated and took place in the jet cockpit from the first-person point of view of the pilot/player. Players would hold the toy jet and face the screen. The toy was actually a sort of light gun
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
that responded to signals from the television playing the tape. The more the player fired at appropriate targets on the screen, the more points the toy jet would rack up. The more times the sensor on the toy jet got "hit," the more points the jet would lose. Upon reaching zero points, the cockpit would eject automatically. The XT-7 also could interact with the live action television broadcast in the same manner. Since the "game" was only a VHS tape, the missions played out the same way all the time. Other interactive objects in this series were the "Phantom Stryker" Bio-Dread ship, the "Interlocker Throne" for Lord Dread, which consisted of a stationary tank on a tripod and an optional target viewer that could be taken on and off, and the "Power On" platform which one could plug the Captain Power figure into and whenever the transformation was triggered on screen or the base was fired at by one of the other vehicles, the toy would immediately trigger the "Power On" sequence causing the chest of the figure to glow.
- Future Force Training
- As you prepare for your flight training as one of the Soldiers Of The Future, Captain Jonathan Power himself takes you on a simulated flight mission aboard the PowerJet XT-7. This tape was included in some editions of the XT-7.
- Bio-Dread Strike Mission
- This is the real thing! Your target is a massive Bio-Dread military industrial complex—which is manufacturing robotic troopers. Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase and Captain Jonathan Power will be flying with you. Human survivors are depending on you!
- Raid On Volcania
- Soaron is leading the attack, backed up by hundreds of Interlockers and Phantom Striker jets! Captain Jonathan Power, Major Matthew "Hawk" Masterson, Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase—and you—seem to be hopelessly outnumbered. In desperation, the team targets the battle computers in Volcania.
Season 1
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original air date | Production code |
|---|
Season 2 (unproduced)
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original airdate | Production Code |
|---|
Characters
- Tim DuniganTim DuniganTimothy "Tim" Dunigan is an American actor who is best known for having played the lead role of Captain Jonathan Power in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. He also played con-man 1st Lt. Templeton "The Face-Man" Peck in the pilot for the 1980s hit The A-Team, but was replaced by Dirk...
– Capt. Jonathan Power. The son of a prominent scientist who tried to create a special computer to handle all BioMechs around the world, Captain Power leads a band of soldiers to combat Lord Dread's forces. - Peter MacNeillPeter MacNeillPeter MacNeill is a Canadian film and television actor who has starred in several TV shows and movies.His film credits have included The Hanging Garden , Geraldine's Fortune, Giant Mine, Lives of Girls and Women, The Events Leading Up to My Death, Dog Park, Something Beneath and A...
– Maj. Matthew "Hawk" Masterson. A specialist in air operations, Masterson is seen as the team's father figure and was an old friend of Stuart Power. - Sven-Ole ThorsenSven-Ole ThorsenSven-Ole Thorsen is a Danish actor, stuntman, bodybuilder and strongman competitor. Sven won Denmark's Strongest Man in 1983....
– Lt. Michael "Tank" Ellis. The team's burliest member, "Tank" Ellis is an expert in heavy weapons and wears a heavily-armored Power suit. - Maurice Dean WintMaurice Dean WintMaurice Dean Wint is a British-born, Canadian-based actor who has starred in several television shows and movies; the most notable ones include "Cube", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", RoboCop: Prime Directives, Psi Factor and the TekWar movies and television series.Wint moved to Canada in 1969 with...
– Sgt. Robert "Scout" Baker. The team's communications expert, who wears a special power suit that can help disguise him as a BioDread Empire trooper. - Jessica SteenJessica SteenJessica Steen is a film and television actress, noted for her roles in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Homefront, Earth 2, Armageddon, Left Behind: World at War, NCIS, and Flashpoint....
– Cpl. Jennifer "Pilot" Chase. A former BioDread Youth member and the only woman in the "Soldiers of the Future," Chase helms the group's aircraft. She and Power have a mutual attraction that is not resolved with her death in the season finale. - David HemblenDavid HemblenDavid Hemblen is an English-born actor who frequently works in Canadian film, television and theater. He was a mainstay on the television series Earth: Final Conflict, playing Jonathan Doors, and played recurring roles in A Nero Wolfe Mystery and La Femme Nikita . He voiced Magneto on the popular...
– Lord Dread/Dr. Lyman Taggart. A world-renowned expert in artificial intelligence, Taggart became Lord Dread after his experiment linked his mind with that of the computer OverMind. - Bruce GrayBruce GrayBruce Gray is a Puerto Rican-born Canadian actor.-Early years:Gray was born Robert Bruce Gray in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Canadian parents...
– The Mentor/Dr. Stuart Gordon Power. Father of the show's main protagonist and the creator of the Soldiers of the Future's Power Suits, Dr. Power was close friends with Dr Lyman Taggart until their differences surfaced over how the BioMechs should be used. He dies trying to save his son from being assimilated by Taggart. He also made Mentor, an artificial intelligence version of himself to help Power live life even after his death.
A promotional video produced months before the series aired featured a sixth "Soldiers of the Future" member, Col Nathan "Stingray" Johnson, a specialist in seaborne operations.
Voice actors
- Deryck Hazel – Soaron. A flying "Warlord-Class" Bio-Dread designed to digitize humans at will.
- Tedd Dillon – OverMind. A supercomputer created by Drs Power and Taggart to manage all BioMechs around the world, OverMind casts his lot with Taggart after he assumes the personality of Lord Dread.
- John Davies – Blastarr. The only product of Project New Orders Charon program, Blastarr is a BioDread equipped with fingertip lasers and feet that also have tank treads.
- Don FrancksDon FrancksDonald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.- Life and work :Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist...
– Lackki. A BioDread servant who is actually working for OverMind, but Lord Dread sees his real purpose and engineers an accident to dispose of him for good.
Comic book
The show also spurred a short-lived comic-book of the same name, published by Continuity ComicsContinuity Comics
Continuity Publishing, also known as Continuity Comics, was an American independent comic book company formed by Neal Adams in 1984, publishing comics until 1994....
in 1988–1989, illustrated by Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
with stories by J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
, who was also the series story editor, writing half the episodes and providing stories or outlines for many more.
DVD release
The official Captain Power page on FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
announced on September 9th, 2011 that the complete series would be released on DVD on December 13th, 2011.
External links
- CaptainPower.com
- Captain Power official DVD release
- Captain Power Lives! Blog
- Captain Power 20th Anniversary Website
- Captain Power Virtual Toy Chest
- Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future Show Info and videos
- parryGamePreserve.com Captain Power photos
- List of episodes with summaries and credits
- Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future official Facebook page