Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad (often referred to as simply Vor-Tech or Vortech) was an animated television series produced by Universal Animation

Universal Studios

Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....

 which aired in first run syndication as part of The Power Block. This show also had a toy line.

Synopsis

The VOR-tech undercover conversion squad is a group of secret agent

Secret Agent

Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...

s led by Hudson Roarke. Their mission is to stop Lord Matrix, Hudson’s older brother, and his evil Bio Mechs (much like the Phalanx creatures in the X-Men

X-Men

The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...

 comic titles) from infecting the world with a techo-infectious plague. In their battle with the Bio Mechs, VOR-tech agents use special computer systems with VOR-technology that imbue them and their vehicles with special powers. Similar to M.A.S.K.

M.A.S.K.

M.A.S.K. is an animated television series directed by several uncredited Japanese studios, KK C&D Asia, Studio Juno, Studio World, Ashi Production , and produced by the French-American DIC Enterprises, Inc and also the toyline of the same name sold by Kenner.-History:A total of 75...

 agents, VOR-tech agents also had special masks and transforming vehicles.

Characters

One of the voice actors who did this show was David Sobolov

David Sobolov

David Sobolov is a Canadian voice actor. David began his creative career as a french horn player in pit orchestras and small ensembles, then studied acting in New York with the legendary Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse...

, who played the evil Lord Matrix (alias Damien Roarke), the other voice actor was Michael Donovan, who played Shepard (aka Hudson Roarke), who led VOR-tech.

The other members were (Hardfire), John Payne voiced by Ian Corlett, Thomas Pickett, Scott McNeil (Stinger, the car), Venus Terzo

Venus Terzo

Venus Terzo is a Canadian actress best noted for her role as Detective Angela Kosmo in Da Vinci's Inquest and its spinoff, Da Vinci's City Hall. She was nominated in 2002 for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in that same role...

, who voiced (Miranda/FireFly), Pauline Newstone, Dale Wilson, Pauline Gitts, Jim Byrnes (Brad's brother Vance), Linda Boyd, Maine Miller, Colin Murdoch, Christopher Gray, Richard Newman, Mark Heldreth, Chris Turner, Andrea Libman (M.J. Sloan), Lenore Zahn, Saffron Henderson, and Elizabeth Carol Savenkoff (characters: Rick/Ace, Tate/Hacksaw, Mac/Gearhead, Brad/SnakeOil).

Cancellation

Vor-Tech ended on a cliffhanger, having been cancelled when it could not build up a large enough audience for the toyline or series. It would be many years before the concepts seen in either Vor-Tech or M.A.S.K would be seen again in the form of A.T.O.M.

A.T.O.M.

A.T.O.M. is a French animated television series, which chronicles the adventures of five teenagers , set in the fictional Landmark City...

, an animated series developed by Kenner's eventual owners, Hasbro. A.T.O.M. has since become a successful franchise and series in Europe

Vor-Tech has yet to be released on DVD.

External links

• Albert Penello's Mask Page — MASK and Vor-Tech Toy pictures and information
• MASK.de with pictures of all VOR-tech toys
• VOR-tech toy wiki