RoboCop: The Animated Series
Encyclopedia
RoboCop: The Animated Series is an animated series produced in the 1980s by Marvel Productions
, and is based on the character and events of the movie RoboCop
.
The animated series was derived from source material with mature themes, a trend that was maintained by series such as Rambo, Police Academy
and Toxic Crusaders
. Among the more notable changes were the removal of bullets (replaced by laser weapons) and a more science fiction setting. In this series, RoboCop had a red light in the middle of his visor (which occasionally panned the whole visor).
Based on the original movie, the first Robocop animated series features cyborg cop Alex Murphy (Robocop), who fights to save the city of Old Detroit from assorted rogue elements, and on occasion, fighting to reclaim aspects of his humanity and maintain his usefulness in the eyes of the "Old Man", Chairman of OCP
. Many episodes see RoboCop's reputation put to the test or soured by interventions from Dr. McNamara, the creator of ED-260, the upgradable version of the Enforcement Droid Series 209 and the top competitor for the financial backing of OCP. He continually develops other mechanical menaces that threaten RoboCop.
In the police force, RoboCop is befriended as always by Officer Anne Lewis, but is also picked on and lambasted by the prejudiced Lieutenant Roger Hedgecock (who appeared as a minor character in the original film
and his first name revealed in Night of the Archer), ever determined to be rid of him and his kind, whom he sees as ticking time bombs. Their rivalry comes to a fever pitch during the episode "The Man in the Iron Suit", in which Hedgecock comes close to finally beating Murphy with the aid of a new weapons system developed by McNamara. He almost kills Lewis when she interferes, enraging Murphy into tearing Hedgecock's iron suit apart and nearly crushing his skull before Lewis emerges, alive and well. Robocop is maintained by Robocop Project director Dr. Tyler.
This series' tone is darker and more mature than the subsequent animated series, RoboCop: Alpha Commando
. The title sequence features a brief animated variation on Murphy being gunned down by Clarence Boddicker and his gang, an unusually violent scene for Saturday morning cartoons. Robocop struggles to deal with the pain of losing his humanity. Other themes include racism ("The Brotherhood"), prejudice at work ("Man in the Iron Suit"), environmental espionage ("Into the Wilderness"), terrorism, and the Middle East peace process ("A Robot's Revenge").
While this series is based on the original film, there are significant changes to Robocop and his environment. Robocop is faster and has a greater range of movement than in the films. The Old Detroit of the series is also considerably more technologically advanced: lasers replace handguns, robots are commonplace, Dr. Tyler (original to the animated series) is the creator of the RoboCop Program, not Bob Morton, and also serves as one of Murphy's confidants as well as his caregiver, along with Dr. Roosevelt. Clarence Boddicker and his gang, the men responsible for Alex's Murphy's death prior to him becoming Robocop, died in the film. Here they remain at large and battle Robocop again in 'Menace of the Mind.'
VHS
volumes, distributed by Best Film & Video Corp. under the Marvel Video! banner. The episodes were: "Man in the Iron Suit!" (volume 1), "Crime Wave" (volume 2), and "A Robot's Revenge" (volume 3).
As of 2007, none of the show's 12 episodes has been released onto Region 1 DVD
.
On February 18, 2008, Jetix Films UK released the complete series in a 3 disc box set containing all 12 episodes.
Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions Ltd. , last called New World Animation, was a television and film studio subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Group , based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, then New World Entertainment and News Corporation/Fox...
, and is based on the character and events of the movie RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
.
The animated series was derived from source material with mature themes, a trend that was maintained by series such as Rambo, Police Academy
Police Academy (TV series)
Police Academy, also known as Police Academy: The Animated Series, is a 1988 American animated television series based on the Police Academy series of films. The show was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions for Warner Bros. Television. It aired on Saturday mornings and lasted two seasons for a...
and Toxic Crusaders
Toxic Crusaders
Toxic Crusaders is an animated series based on The Toxic Avenger films. It features Toxie, the lead character of the films leading a trio of misfit superheroes who combat pollution. This followed a trend of environmentally considerate cartoons of the time, including Captain Planet and the...
. Among the more notable changes were the removal of bullets (replaced by laser weapons) and a more science fiction setting. In this series, RoboCop had a red light in the middle of his visor (which occasionally panned the whole visor).
Synopsis
Omni Consumer Products (Robocop)
Omni Consumer Products is a fictional megacorporation in the RoboCop franchise. It creates products for virtually every consumer need, has entered into endeavors normally deemed non-profit, and even manufactured an entire city to be maintained exclusively by the corporation.OCP is a modern example...
. Many episodes see RoboCop's reputation put to the test or soured by interventions from Dr. McNamara, the creator of ED-260, the upgradable version of the Enforcement Droid Series 209 and the top competitor for the financial backing of OCP. He continually develops other mechanical menaces that threaten RoboCop.
In the police force, RoboCop is befriended as always by Officer Anne Lewis, but is also picked on and lambasted by the prejudiced Lieutenant Roger Hedgecock (who appeared as a minor character in the original film
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
and his first name revealed in Night of the Archer), ever determined to be rid of him and his kind, whom he sees as ticking time bombs. Their rivalry comes to a fever pitch during the episode "The Man in the Iron Suit", in which Hedgecock comes close to finally beating Murphy with the aid of a new weapons system developed by McNamara. He almost kills Lewis when she interferes, enraging Murphy into tearing Hedgecock's iron suit apart and nearly crushing his skull before Lewis emerges, alive and well. Robocop is maintained by Robocop Project director Dr. Tyler.
This series' tone is darker and more mature than the subsequent animated series, RoboCop: Alpha Commando
RoboCop: Alpha Commando
RoboCop: Alpha Commando was a short lived animated series based on the Orion Pictures film RoboCop and the series/films that followed in the 1980s-1990s. It was the second animated version of the character, following on from RoboCop: The Animated Series. The series premiered on September 7, 1998,...
. The title sequence features a brief animated variation on Murphy being gunned down by Clarence Boddicker and his gang, an unusually violent scene for Saturday morning cartoons. Robocop struggles to deal with the pain of losing his humanity. Other themes include racism ("The Brotherhood"), prejudice at work ("Man in the Iron Suit"), environmental espionage ("Into the Wilderness"), terrorism, and the Middle East peace process ("A Robot's Revenge").
While this series is based on the original film, there are significant changes to Robocop and his environment. Robocop is faster and has a greater range of movement than in the films. The Old Detroit of the series is also considerably more technologically advanced: lasers replace handguns, robots are commonplace, Dr. Tyler (original to the animated series) is the creator of the RoboCop Program, not Bob Morton, and also serves as one of Murphy's confidants as well as his caregiver, along with Dr. Roosevelt. Clarence Boddicker and his gang, the men responsible for Alex's Murphy's death prior to him becoming Robocop, died in the film. Here they remain at large and battle Robocop again in 'Menace of the Mind.'
Episode guide
- "Crime Wave": Dr. McNamara hires a very dangerous gang, the Vandals, in Old Detroit to cause mass crime waves. If RoboCop cannot stop this threat, Dr. McNamara gets his ED-260 on the streets of Old Detroit.
- "The Scrambler": A former OCP member, now criminal, hacks into RoboCop's controls system. After that he escapes prison with the help from a brainwashed RoboCop. Criminals can now control RoboCop and give him the mission to assassinate OCP’s leader The Old Man.
- "Project Deathspore": OCP's experiment Project Deathspore goes terribly wrong and it escapes into the sewers and streets of Old Detroit and feeds on the energy of the city, and the energy of RoboCop as well.
- "The Brotherhood": RoboCop meets a Ku-Klux-Klan like style of High Tech criminal gang who calls themselves The Brotherhood. Their goal is to destroys all robots & cyborgs in Old Detroit with a high tech ball which causes errors on robots & cyborgs and they become mad & destroys all things it sees, or causes power failure.
- "The Man In The Iron Suit": Dr. McNamara creates an iron suit that is designed to be far superior to RoboCop and gets Lieutenant Hedgecock—who despises RoboCop—into the suit to challenege RoboCop and prove to the Old Man that his product is far superior. The Old Man is only concerned about which product would profit the most so he has Hedgecock and RoboCop challenge one another in a competition to determine which product is superior and more profitable.
- "The Hot Seat": Dr. McNamara frees The Vandals from prison and hires them to steal RoboCop’s charging chair, without it, RoboCop is a piece of junk. The Vandals gets RoboCop’s chair and tries to sell it to Dr. McNamara. Will RoboCop & Anne Lewis get RoboCop’s charging chair back, before RoboCop runs out of power? Written by Marv Wolfman
- "No News Is Good News": Dr. McNamara sabotages OCP’s great new tank AV7. AV7 thinks all things in Old Detroit are enemies and at the same time a bad reporter attempts to "defame" RoboCop, but he doesn’t know how hard it can be.
- "Night Of The Archer": A man named Archer steals rich people's money and gives them to poor people. But what is this robber's REAL meaning and motive? Will RoboCop stop this villain?
- "Rumble In Old Detroit": Frightening gang war threatens when a very big cargo of illegal guns is stolen from Metro West Police Station. Gangs attack gangs and the only one that can stop it is...RoboCop.
- "A Robot's Revenge": RoboCop & Anne Lewis are assigned as Prince Saurus’ & Ilmars bodyguards. They are two Middle East leaders that will sign a peace treaty. But two terrorists send an ED-260 to assassinate the two leaders, just before they write the peace treaty.
- "Into the Wilderness": RoboCop tries to stop an OCP factory that pollutes the water and environment.
- "Menace Of The Mind": A dangerous amulet with micro-circuit named Zip-Chip is for sale on the black market. RoboCop tries to stop the gang when he discovers that the gang leader is Clarence Boddicker who killed RoboCop before when he was a human officer named Alex J. Murphy.
Release
In 1991, three episodes of the series were released as individual NTSCNTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
volumes, distributed by Best Film & Video Corp. under the Marvel Video! banner. The episodes were: "Man in the Iron Suit!" (volume 1), "Crime Wave" (volume 2), and "A Robot's Revenge" (volume 3).
As of 2007, none of the show's 12 episodes has been released onto Region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
On February 18, 2008, Jetix Films UK released the complete series in a 3 disc box set containing all 12 episodes.