Dino-Riders


Dino-Riders is an American animated television series that first aired in 1988. The cartoon was primarily a promotional show to launch a new Tyco toy line. Only fourteen episodes were produced, three of which were produced on VHS for the United States. The show aired in the U.S. as part of the Marvel Action Universe programming block.
The series focuses on the battle between the Valorians and Rulons on prehistoric Earth. The Valorians were a superhuman race, while the Rulons comprised several types of humanoid animals. Both races came from the future but were transported back in time to the age of dinosaurs. Once on Earth, the Valorians befriended dinosaurs, while the Rulons brainwashed them.
Ownership of the series passed to Disney in 2001 when Disney acquired Fox Kids Worldwide, which also includes Marvel Productions.

Overview

The Valorians are a species of peaceful humanoids who live on the planet Valoria until it is invaded by the predatory Rulons. A group of Valorians led by Questar attempt to escape the Rulon invasion using a spaceship equipped with the "Space Time Energy Projector", which malfunctions and transports them to Earth during the prehistoric era. Unknown to them, the Rulon flagship, the Dreadlock is also sent back through time.
After successfully landing on prehistoric Earth, the Valorians use their AMP necklaces to communicate with the dinosaurs they encountered and eventually befriend them. On the other hand, the Rulons—led by the warlord Krulos—use brainwashing devices known as brain-boxes to control dinosaurs for their own needs. The Rulons then launch an attack on the Valorians, who call upon their dinosaur friends to assist them in fighting back.

Characters

Valorians

The Valorians are a race of superhumans from the planet Valoria who were renamed as the Dino-Riders and the main protagonists of the series.
  • Questar – The leader of the Valorians who is strong-willed and courageous.
  • Mind-Zei – A blind elderly warrior with a sixth sense for detecting people around him. He offers advice to Questar and is also Serena's grandfather.
  • Yungstar – Young and eager for action, is prone to letting pride get in his way. He rides a Deinonychus and flies a Quetzalcoatlus in later episodes.
  • Serena – Able to heal other beings and can sense when someone is in trouble. She is also the granddaughter of Mind-Zei.
  • Turret – A technician and scientist. Turret is in charge of the S.T.E.P. crystal.
  • Llahd – The youngest of the Dino-Riders.
  • Gunnur – A hardened war veteran and high-ranking official who trains the other Dino-Riders.
  • Tagg – A mid-level official who also helps instructs in the training of the Dino-Riders. He rides a Pachycephalosaurus.
  • Ikon – A statistician as well as a pragmatist. Ikon is one of Questar's top advisors. He possesses a staff that allows him to answer Questar's questions almost instantly.
  • Vector – Vector is one of Questar's top advisors. He is a general contractor who has a computerized wrist strap that allows him to assess projects.
  • Aero – The competitive rival of Yungstar. He flies a Quetzalcoatlus and can maneuver it better than anyone.
  • Tark – A high-ranking Dino-Rider official. Questar would often consult with Tark on a number of important matters, his years of experience, and his vast amount of knowledge has earned him respect from his peers.
  • Ayce – He usually teaches training and equipment familiarization classes.
  • Aries – Aries is a young warrior who is frequently unsure of himself and is always seeking guidance from the other Valorians. He mainly mans the artillery of the Diplodocus.
  • Neutrino – He assists in various training courses. Although much of Neutrino's time is spent training others, Neutrino is more than capable on the battlefield.

    Commandos

The Commandos are a special forces military unit within the Dino-Riders.
  • Astra – A hardened war veteran and leader of the Commandos. Formerly a teacher at the Valorian University and once counted Questar as a student.
  • Bomba – An explosives expert who is utilized to make clearings or remove obstacles.
  • Kameelian – Specializes in surveillance and reconnaissance. Kameelian is a master of disguise.
  • Glyde – An aerial reconnaissance and artillery cover who uses a glider to navigate through the air.
  • Faze – Artillery expert.
  • Rok – Expert in crossing rocky terrain such as mountains.

    Cro-Magnons

The Valorians have also made allies with a tribe of Cro-Magnons after the Commandos were accidentally sent into the Ice Age. Among the known Cro-Magnons are:
  • Zar – The leader of a clan of Cro-Magnons. He leads his clan against the evil Neanderthals of Grom and refuses to succumb to his powers like the other tribes before him.
  • Kub – A young but courageous Cro-Magnon who lost his father during an earlier attack by Grom. He helps the Valorians in their fight with the Rulons ever since going with them to the past to reunite with the Dino-Riders.
  • Maya – A compassionate Cro-Magnon and healer.

    Rulons

The Rulons are a race of aliens who are the enemies of the Valorians and the main antagonists of the series.
  • Krulos – The frog-like leader of the Rulons. He mostly uses a Tyrannosaurus when going into battle.
  • Rasp – A snake-like creature who is the leader of the Viper group and Krulos' second-in-command. Rasp always tries to usurp Krulos's place while keeping Hammerhead and Antor from trying to take his status.
  • Hammerhead – A shark-like creature who is the leader of the Sharkmen and one of Krulos' top generals. Hammerhead usually vies with Rasp and Antor for second-in-command status.
  • Antor – An ant-like creature who is the leader of the Antmen and one of Krulos' generals. Antor usually vies with Hammerhead and Rasp for second-in-command status.
  • Krok – A crocodile-like creature and one of Krulos' generals. He is entirely obedient to Krulos and focuses on serving his master rather than getting involved in the petty squabbling in which his fellow generals engage.
  • Skate – A manta ray-like creature who is a low-ranking official of the Rulons.
  • Lokus – A locust-like creature who is a low-ranking official of the Rulons.
  • Algar – A crocodile-like creature.
  • Buzz – A locust-like creature.
  • Dedeye – A Sharkman.
  • Demon – An Antman.
  • Drone – An Antman.
  • Fang – A member of the Viper Group.
  • Finn – A Sharkman.
  • Fire – An Antman.
  • Gill – A Sharkman.
  • Gorr – A crocodile-like creature.
  • Gutz – A crocodile-like creature.
  • Kraw – A crocodile-like creature.
  • Mako – A Sharkman.
  • Pox – A locust-like creature.
  • Rattlar – A member of the Viper Group.
  • Rayy – A manta ray-like creature.
  • Sidewinder – A member of the Viper Group.
  • Six-Gill – A Sharkman.
  • Skwirm – A member of the Viper Group.
  • Sludj – A manta ray-like creature.
  • Snarrl – A crocodile-like creature.
  • Squish – A locust-like creature.
  • Sting – An Antman.
  • Termite – An Antman.

    Neanderthals

Zar's tribe of Cro-Magnons have been at war with a rogue tribe of Neanderthals and eventually threatens the Commandos after they were sent to the Ice Age by accident. Among the known Neanderthals are:
  • Grom – The leader of a deadly clan of Neanderthals who seeks to control or annihilate all neighboring tribes. He has ruled his tribe for years and has struck fear into the hearts of many rival Neanderthal tribes. Following the fight against the Dino-Riders, Grom was accidentally pulled back to the Dino-Riders' time and runs off to join the Rulons. He is the Neanderthal equivalent of Krulos.

    Episodes

The Dino-Riders series consisted of a single season of 14 episodes. The first two episodes were produced for release on VHS as standalone specials, the first in 1987 and the second in 1988. Also in 1988, the series transitioned to television, with a further 11 episodes being produced and added to the specials to create a standard season's worth of 13 episodes. Lastly, in 1990, an additional VHS special was produced to promote the new range of "Ice Age" figures, released as "Ice Age Adventure". Below is a list of each episode along with the date it first aired.
Episode #TitleWritten byAiredSynopsis
1"The Adventure Begins"Gerry Conway and Carla Conway1987
October 1, 1988 		While trying to escape from the Rulons, the Valorians end up on prehistoric Earth and settle down with the various dinosaurs. However, the Rulons have been taken to Earth as well and are determined to return to their own time at any cost.
2"Revenge of the Rulons"Michael WalkerOctober 8, 1988Llahd is taken prisoner by the Rulons, who are also planning to steal the S.T.E.P.
3"The Rulon Stampede"Larry ParrOctober 15, 1988Krulos plans to steal the S.T.E.P. crystal by sending a dinosaur stampede through the Dino-Riders' camp.
4"The Blue Skies of Earth"Kayte Kuch and Sheryl ScarboroughOctober 22, 1988The Dino-Riders practice their flying skills while Hammerhead and Rasp fight for Krulos' favor.
5"Toro, Toro, Torosaurus"Paul Kirshner,
Kayte Kuch, Sheryl Scarborough, and Donald F. Glut 		October 29, 1988When Llhad runs off, the Dino-Riders split up to look for him, giving Krulos an opportunity to attack.
6"T-Rex"Christy MarxNovember 5, 1988Turret feels that he is of no use to his fellow Dino-Riders. Meanwhile, Krulos steals a baby Tyrannosaurus to get its parents to attack the Dino-Riders' camp.
7"Krulos"Kayte Kuch and Sheryl ScarboroughNovember 12, 1988Krulos' exo-suit is damaged by an earthquake and his subordinates plan to steal his position.
8"Tagg, You're It!"Donald F. GlutNovember 19, 1988Tagg discovers that the Rulons are digging their way underground to the Dino-Riders' camp but is captured.
9"Thanksgiving"Alan SwayzeNovember 26, 1988The Dino-Riders' Thanksgiving celebration threatens to be ruined by the Rulons damming up the river.
10"To Lose the Path"Alan SwayzeDecember 3, 1988Yungstar's anger at the Rulons may remove his ability to communicate with dinosaurs.
11"Enter the Commandos"Christy MarxDecember 10, 1988The Commandos break into the Dreadlock to rescue stolen Triceratops eggs.
12"Battle for the Brontosaurus" Paul Kirshner,
Kayte Kuch and Sheryl Scarborough 		December 17, 1988The Dino-Riders rescue a Brontosaurus from the Rulons and Krulos leads an attack to get it back. However, that is not all the Rulon emperor has up his sleeve.
13"One to Lead Us" Paul Kirshner,
Kayte Kuch and Sheryl Scarborough 		December 24, 1988Having successfully framed Questar as a traitor, Krulos takes the Brontosaurus and the S.T.E.P. crystal. Questar, the Commandoes and several others must stop him before the Rulons wipe out the Dino-Riders for good.
14"Ice Age Adventure"/"Dino-Riders in the Ice Age"Paul Kirshner1990 After the S.T.E.P. is repaired, the Dino-Riders work to keep it from being claimed by the Rulons. However, an accident sends Astra, Kameelian, Bomba, Faze, and Glyde to the Ice Age, where they encounter a tribe of Cro-Magnons led by Zar and befriend the animals. As the Commandos work to repair the S.T.E.P. and reunite with the Dino-Riders, they must help Zar's tribe in their fight against a Neanderthal tribe led by Grom.