HomeEpisode 2 - 1 + 1 = ?
We start with action-a flashback to the battle from the last episode. The annoying announcer guy introduces the "lean mean stomping team", the Dark Assassins (the Dark Spiner and Killer Dome), and Black Impact (the Bladeys). Rastani's cocky, but so are Rattle and Malloy. They promptly fuse the Killer Dome and Dark Spiner into Killer Spiner. We know where this is leading, but Black Impact doesn't.
Jackie charges, going for a Blade Attack, which the Killer Spiner bounces off with an e-shield, flinging the Liger back and breaking one of its blades. The Killer Spiner opens fire with the claw gatlings, taking Jackie out. Billy and Rastani charge, then stop short when their guns have no effect on the shield. Rastani's order to hold back is too late, as the Killer Spiner shoots out the claws (dark Assassins Zoid Fuzor Attack!), grabbing both Blade Ligers by the neck, waving them around before slamming them into the ground. The poor animators were not having a good day today...
"Fuzors? You mean...Zoids linking up?"
"Bingo. As you can see, it makes us virtually indestructible."
(Note: The Japanese version of this battle is a lot better-animated and better-done, with a lot of fun vulcan action and Rastani putting up a lot more of a fight. The Killer Spiner also doesn't use a shield, instead using these cool spinny lasers on the top of its dome. The announcer is still annoying as hell, though. This is not a cut, as some people claim when slamming the dub, but an addition as Fuzors aired in Japan after the US.)
The Killer Spiner poses dramatically as we cut back to Mach Storm's base, where they're watching a recap of the battle. A lady is going on about how the combined power rating of the Dark Spiner and Killer Dome (measured in "Zells", whatever those are) is much higher when they fuse. (Look closely at the display readout-there's some really funny random English in it!) Helmut turns the TV off, saying the it rots brains. Sigma complains, then laughs at Rastani getting "shot down in flames". RD wonders how the fused Zoids generate so much power, but thinks they could beat the Dark Assassins...and it looks like he'll be getting a chance to prove or eat his words, being as Amy's just set them up for a battle-
We flashback to her talking to Rastani's father, promising to avenge his son (who isn't dead, just lying around with pilot-style bandages, complete with ones on his head). She's mentioning that Rastani's father could put money on this offer, and starts sappily clinging to Rastani's hand and begging him to say yes, getting him all embarrassed. This cues the Amy bashers to say she's a slut. They need to learn what words like that mean, methinks-silly overdramatic flirt could apply here, though, and this seems to be the way to sway Rastani, as he convinces his dad...
-and the rest of Mach Storm tease Amy for going to "such lengths" to get them a fight. She says she did it for the team, as Rastani's dad will pay them a lot if they win. Even RD is a bit suspicious, not wanting to fight the Dark Assassins and their Fuzor-ness now. Sigma thinks they're toast, and Amy starts to feel bad. Helmut says to call it off, and Hop points out that they can't: they're already in the news-the headlines, more like. The broadcast goes live to Rattle and Malloy, bragging that they'll soon have a perfect 2-0 record thanks to their powerful Fuzor-y Zoids and that Mach Storm can use as many Zoids as they want-not that that'll help them any.
Perhaps the fanboys don't like this series because it mocks them so well.
Cut to Rattle and Malloy, riding in a car driven by Burton, our Fake Evil Accent buddy from before. He's laughing at their clever setup, Rattle (he's the one in green, by the way) wondering why he hates them so much. Burton tells him to can it.
Mach Storm have turned to research, hoping it'll give them some clue as to what to do and how the Fuzors generate so much power. The computer, a lot less optimistic, tells them they're doomed-simulations say that Zoids with the sort of Zell count the Killer Spiner has would shred their Zoids in "a matter of seconds". Amy, meanwhile, is reading a book that says "The History of Zoids"...with old-school 80s logo. Woah, reffy.
The next day, RD and Sweet are on their way to a Zoids museum, the Liger Zero hopping through the desert as Sweet talks about how the museum has data on pretty much everything, even from the days of the first prototype Zoids. (The sepia-toned graphics just show animation models from the series, the lazy bums.) When they get there, they discover it's not a museum, it's a library-and RD claims to be allergic to books. The Liger Zero is left lying outside the entrance, looking as bored as its owner. Sweet tries to goad RD on, saying they might find info on the Alpha Zoid. He suddenly jumps to attention, exclaiming "Woah! Check this out! Can you believe this? A typo, do you see it?" It seems RD can read English, as the typo is "kichen". Sweet isn't impressed.
We're back to Savage Hammer's Evil Planning Group (hereafter, I will refer to these meetings as SHEPG), where Sandra says she had a feeling RD would try going to the museum, but he won't find anything. She tells Blake to keep watch on them-not take care of them, mind, watch them. Her cat meows, and Burton suggests a toast. Sandra's contribution? Here's to the elimination of Mach Storm, once and for all...
Out in the desert, the Liger Zero is starting to overheat, and Sweet scolds RD for not keeping its systems up. But they run into a mechanic, stranded in the desert by way of freaky coincidence. His name is Danny, Dan for short, and he likes Liger Zero. Lots. Fanboy lots. Shuu and Gunbluster lots. He begs RD to let him help out the Zero since he doesn't want it to get beaten up in the oncoming battle, and they head off for home, RD worrying that Sweet is going to get mad (couldn't she have crammed in next to him?). It turns out they have to hurry right to the battle instead, though, because the Dark Assassins have moved up the start time, forcing the team to start without RD.
The Liger Zero bounces on, post-haste, with Dan saying he can't work under these conditions. Maybe he feels the run cycle more.
(The Japanese version differs lots here. It cuts the cool library scene and has Dan just appear and fanboy the Zero, but adds in this cool planning session of Mach Storm's involving these demented chibi graphics of their Zoids planning out a battle. I'm not sure which I prefer-the library is neat and Dan is better introduced in the dub, but the planning bit has the chibi Zoids and more proof that Mach Storm is quite good at working as a team.)
In the arena, Helmut and Sigma stare down doom as the Dark Assassins fuse. Helmut doesn't lose his cool even as Sigma starts to panic and Amy is absent. Meanwhile, RD heads off for the arena, telling Hop he'll explain later about picking up fanboys in the desert and leaving Dan linked to the Zero's computer.
The Command Wolf scores a dead hit on the Killer Spiner to little effect, Helmut getting crab-clawed for all his level head. Sigma tells himself to "think positive thoughts" before asking who he's kidding, as RD knocks him out of the way of a shot-
Cut to Amy, gloating about getting cash for setting the battle up. But she feels guilty, running off to help...
-back to the arena, where the Boldguard is down and the Zero on the run from the Claws O' Doom. Rattle gets a good lock on him, only to get knocked aside by Amy's König Wolf, biting for the Killer Spiner's neck with the glowy teeth. He swats the KW aside to the dismay of its legions of fans, and RD SLCs...right into a shield. The Zero hits the ground hard, and tries to struggle to its feet. The Spiner stomps forward (and Zinou strangles the animators) as Dan tries to update the Zero's computers...
...and the Killer Dome pops off the Spiner, flying through the air and landing on its back as both collapse. "The horror...the horror..." Rattle comments.
The announcer calls it a win-the Liger Zero is still standing, after all. RD wonders what happened, and Blake watches from an ominous spot above the arena, saying "it's only a matter of time, RD", presumably until something nasty happens. Or maybe he's waiting for his instant noodles.
(The Japanese version totally blows the original away here, Amy being with the team from the start in an awesome, well-coordinated battle that's better-animated too. Mach Storm work well together, the end bit with the Zero fighting against the claw to overheat/outlast the Spiner rocks, and Amy gets to do stuff. Again, this footage was added later, so it's not fair to blame the dub for the difference.)
The battle is later ruled a draw due to mechanical failure: it turns out Fuzors have a time limit, explained here as running out of batteries, though that's proven to not be meant literally later. It also turns out they don't get any money, but as Helmut says, at least no one was hurt. And as Hop says, they now know about the time limit-that's something. Dan thinks they can upgrade the Liger, giving RD a bit of hope.
Sweet, on the other hand, is more than a bit miffed at having been left in the desert, forgotten by RD but not the writers.
Previously: Knockover on Planet Zi
Next up: Enter the Fire Phoenix
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