Monster Force
Encyclopedia
Monster Force was a 13-episode animated television series created in 1994 by Universal Cartoon Studios and Canadian studio Lacewood Productions
. The story is set in approx. 2020 and centers on a group of teenagers who, with help of high tech
weaponry, fight off against classic Universal Monsters
and spiritual beings threatening humanity
. Some of the crew have personal vendetta
s (e.g., one has the "curse of the Wolfman" that has been handed down through generations and another had a family member taken away from her by Dracula), while others fight for Mankind out of a sense of altruism
. Universal Studios Home Entertainment
will release the first seven episodes to DVD on September 15, 2009.
, the greatest vampire in history) represent the "bad guys".
Lacewood Productions
Lacewood Productions was an Canadian animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario. It produced a television series, Katie and Orbie, as well as specials based on For Better or For Worse, and the 1990 feature The Nutcracker Prince...
. The story is set in approx. 2020 and centers on a group of teenagers who, with help of high tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
weaponry, fight off against classic Universal Monsters
Universal Monsters
Universal Monsters or Universal Horror is the name given to a series of distinctive horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios from 1923 to 1960...
and spiritual beings threatening humanity
Human Race
Human Race refers to the Human species.Human race may also refer to:*The Human Race, 79th episode of YuYu Hakusho* Human Race Theatre Company of Dayton Ohio* Human Race Machine, a computer graphics device...
. Some of the crew have personal vendetta
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
s (e.g., one has the "curse of the Wolfman" that has been handed down through generations and another had a family member taken away from her by Dracula), while others fight for Mankind out of a sense of altruism
Altruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
. Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
will release the first seven episodes to DVD on September 15, 2009.
Story
- After Im-Ho-Tep came back to life, he tried to resurrect Ananka again but was fooled and captured by the Monster Force. However, when Dracula invaded the Monster Force base, he unintentionally freed Im-Ho-Tep but the two never came face to face until the Mummy was again captured. It's highly unlikely that Im-Ho-Tep would have followed Dracula's commands, anyway, since he was just as powerful and far older.
- The Werewolf was captured and taken to the Monster Force base for imprisonment/study but was freed by Dracula when the vampire lord invaded it to destroy a reputed device that turned vampires back to humans. He then again nearly fooled his way out claiming that Crawley had used the device to cure him until one of the Monster Force crew realized that it only worked on vampires, not on werewolves and recaptured him.
Episode list
- 1.01 - Sign Of The Dragon
- 1.02 - Stalking The Beast
- 1.03 - Immortality Of Evil
- 1.04 - Return Of The Creature From The Black Lagoon
- 1.05 - Dark Deception
- 1.06 - He Walks Again
- 1.07 - Dark City
- 1.08 - Prisoner Of Kaliaga
- 1.09 - The Rage Of Frankensteins Bride
- 1.10 - The Return Of The Mummy
- 1.11 - In Pursuit Of The Wolf
- 1.12 - Caged Fury
- 1.13 - Operation Morning Light
Characters
The "good guys" bear the name of "Monster Force" and is led by Dr. Reed Crawley. Creatures of the Night (de facto led by DraculaDracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, the greatest vampire in history) represent the "bad guys".
Monster Force
- Dr. Reed Crawley alias Doc is a young yet brilliant scientistScientistA scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
who is also the main tactician and strategist of the team. He has once been Dracula's captive and since then vowed to end his reign of terror. Apparently, he is the inventor of the entire cutting-edge weaponry and equipment used by Monster Force. One of his most brilliant inventions is the EMACS (Energized Monster Armed Containment Suit) or simply power suit, which allows normal humans to fight super-human dark powers at the same level. Crawley is voiced by Lawrence BayneLawrence BayneLawrence Bayne is a Canadian actor, born November 11, 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has appeared in various movies and television series, both live action and animated, and also sings/writes with his band The Lawrence Bayne Issue....
.
- Luke Talbot alias the Wolfman is the only werewolfWerewolfA werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
in the team and the only one (apart from Frankenstein) who doesn't utilize high tech devices invented by Doc. He is actually a good-natured young man affected by lycanthropyLycanthropyLycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
, which has been the curse of his family for generations. During the full moon, when he cannot control the curse, his teammates have to restrain him but otherwise his Wolfman form makes him nearly invincible in a monster-to-monster fight. He's apparently descended from Lawrence Talbot, the original wolfman. Luke is voiced by Paul Haddad.
- Tripp Hansen alias the Martial Artist is a man of action and a self-confident optimistOptimistAn optimist is a person with a positive outlook on life.Optimist may also refer to:* A member of Optimist International* The Optimist, a small sailing dinghy sailed by children...
who enjoys fighting itself. A martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
specialist, when aided by his power suit he becomes even more powerful and deadly. He also possesses a special technique called Storm Strike. His motto: "One monster at a time!" Tripp is voiced by Philip AkinPhilip AkinPhilip Akin is a Canadian actor who has been active for over thirty years in stage, film, and television. He has had featured roles in major American films such as The Sum of All Fears, S.W.A.T., and Get Rich or Die Tryin’...
.
- Lance McGruder alias Powerhouse Marksman is the long-range weapon specialist of the team since his power suit contains the greatest amount of firepower and is capable of shoots beams of cold, heat, electricity, as well as other elements. In the normal life, he is a modest, rather shy but always good-spirited and curious young man. Lance is voiced by David HewlettDavid HewlettDavid Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
.
- Shelley Frank alias the Psychic is the infiltration and intelligence specialist of the team. She is the only female member of Monster Force, as well as the only one whose power suit enables her to fly above the ground. However, she had to sacrifice most of her power suit's firepower for this ability. She is also capable of limited telepathyTelepathyTelepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
. Apparently, one of her family members has been killed by Dracula. Her name is a play off Mary ShelleyMary ShelleyMary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
, who wrote the novel about Frankenstein's monster. Shelley is voiced by Caroly Larson.
- Frankenstein alias the Monster is the same monster that was created by Victor Frankenstein in the novelFrankensteinFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
under the same name. However, in the series he is with the "good guys" and is the member of Monster Force. He possesses incredible strength (can lift and throw ten times his own weight) and endurance as well as extremely resilient skin. Moreover, once killed, he can be resurrected if approx. 20 kVVoltThe volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
is applied to his body. Frankenstein has some familial ties to Shelley Frank. Frankenstein is voiced by Howard Jerome.
Creatures of the Night
- Dracula alias Prince of Darkness (although originally he was a CountCountA count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, not a princePrincePrince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
) is the arch-villain of the series and the archenemy of Monster Force team and, personally, Dr. Crawley. He is a vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
and a Master of Evil but seems polite, charming and noble. His abilities include metamorphosis, hypnotic powers, illusion and summoning spells, as well as great tactical and strategic capabilities match Reed Crawley's talents. Dracula is voiced by Robert Bockstael.
- Creature from the Black Lagoon alias simply the Creature is a mysterious amphibianAmphibianAmphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
being that has destroyed entire villages throughout the decades. It can survive both above and below the water, possesses immense physical strength and a special ability of a supersonic shrill sound that shatters objects. It appears and disappears ominously.
- Im-Ho-Tep alias the Mummy is based upon the classic Universal Monster played by Boris KarloffBoris KarloffWilliam Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
. Im-Ho-Tep was a priest in the ancient EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
who loved Princess Ananka and, when she died, tried to resurrect her. For his transgressions, he has been cursed and entombed for thousands of years and but modern archaeologists accidentally revived him. As an undead sorcerer, he possesses many powers like super strength and limited invulnerability (not against energy attacks), commands sandstormDust stormA dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
and can turn into a dust devil. Moreover, he is able to cast a super cold breath that instantly freezes objects and people. Im-Ho-Tep is voiced by Robert Bockstael.
- Niles Lupon alias Bela the Werewolf is a seemingly harmless older man who inflicted the curse of lycanthropy upon the Talbot family starting with Lawrence Talbot (Luke Talbot's grandfather). His harmless facade fooled just about all of the Monster Force members until the wolf-headed cane he always carried with him was recognized from Lawrence's journal. Though old, his werewolf form is extremely powerful with super strength, speed, and invulnerability to all but silver and energy weapons. Though his name technically references actor Béla LugosiBéla LugosiBéla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
, who played the werewolf responsible for infecting Lawrence Talbot with LycanthropyLycanthropyLycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
in the 1941 Wolf Man film, this is merely consistent with the original film, where the character's name was also 'Bela'. Lupon is voiced by Rob Cowan.
- The Bride is the female monster created by Dr. V. Frankenstein to be a companion for his original creature. Not really evil, she simply wants to be left alone by everyone, including her intended husband who still loves her deeply. She has the same powers as the Monster.