''Inhumanoids'' is the title of an animated series and the name of a

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...

toy property that were both released in 1986. In the tradition of other Hasbro properties such as ''

Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...

'', and ''

G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...

'', the show was produced by

Sunbow Entertainment Sunbow Entertainment (known as Sunbow Productions until 1995) was an American animation studio and distributor, founded on June 23, 1980, and owned until May 4, 1998, by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York City and in the United States. Griffin ...

and

Marvel Productions New World Animation Ltd., formerly known as Marvel Productions, was the television and film studio subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It later became a subsidiary of ...

and animated in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Toei Animation () is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...

. ''Inhumanoids'' tells the story of the scientist-

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

group, Earth Corps, as they battle a trio of subterranean monsters called the Inhumanoids with the aid of elemental beings, the Mutores.

''Inhumanoids: The Movie''

The ''Inhumanoids'' series did not begin as a conventional 22-minute cartoon, but rather as a slate of six-to-seven-minute shorts that aired as part of the collective '' Super Sunday'' half-hour block alongside other Marvel/Sunbow series, ''

Jem and the Holograms ''Jem'', also known as ''Jem and the Holograms'', is an American animated musical television series that ran from 1985 to 1988. The series is about record company owner Jerrica Benton, her singer alter-ego Jem, and the adventures of Jem and her ...

'', ''

Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines ''Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines'' is a 1985 American animated TV mini-series that aired on the animated half-hour TV series '' Super Sunday'' and ''Super Saturday'' containing 9 segments that ran for 6 minutes each weekend, along with '' Jem'', ' ...

'' and ''

Robotix ''Robotix'' is a 1985 American animated series based on the original Milton Bradley toyline of the same name featured on the '' Super Sunday'' programming block. The toyline is of the construction type that includes motors, wheels and pincers an ...

''. Although ''Bigfoot'' had only nine episodes, the other shows ran to 15 episodes, telling a complete story across their numerous installments, which were later edited together to form "movies" that were released on video. Out of the four, ''Jem'' proved to be the most popular, and was eventually made into an ongoing series that lasted for 65 episodes.

Summary

The story begins with the discovery of a monstrous creature encased in an

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...

monolith buried in

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...

national park, that is recovered by ''Earth Corps'', a government-funded

geological sciences Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Eart ...

research team. The finding spurs Blackthorne Shore, a corrupt industrialist, to clandestinely uncover and release a second monster buried elsewhere—a giant vine-like creature called ''Tendril'', who attacks the amber block's public unveiling in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

to release the macabre colossus trapped within, ''D'Compose''. They rampage through city streets before fleeing into the watery darkness of the bay. The Earth Corps member code-named Liquidator returns to Big Sur in search of further clues to the origin of these monsters, whereupon he discovers a race of sentient tree-beings, the ''Redwoods'', who explain that they are part of a race of subterranean creatures known as ''Mutores'' and that their kind sealed the evil ''Inhumanoids'' Tendril and D'Compose beneath the Earth ages ago. The malevolent Inhumanoid leader, ''Metlar'', remains imprisoned below the surface, paralyzed by the magnetic field of a Mutore duo named ''Magnokor''. A nocturnal assault by Tendril demolishes the Earth Corps base, prompting a chase into the depths of the Earth, but even with the help of another Mutore species, the rock-bodied ''Granites'', they are forced to retreat to the surface. When their budget is summarily cut by Senator Masterson, a crooked politician in Blackthorne Shore's shady pocket, they are approached by Sandra Shore, Blackthorne's sister, who has learned of her brother's sinister plot to liberate Metlar. Funded by Sandra, the team constructs new vehicles and embarks back below the Earth's surface, tracking D'Compose and Tendril to the city of the Granites, where an ensuing battle frees Metlar from Magnokor's hold. Having pilfered the Earth Corps's engineering schematics via his ties to Masterson, Blackthorne joins the fray, now equipped with his own battle suit whose magnetic powers he wields against Metlar, only to be derailed by Tendril's interference while Sandra falls victim to the mutative touch of D'Compose. Earth Corps manages to escape and forms an alliance with the Granites. Herc accompanies them to D'Compose's domain of ''Skellweb'' while Auger and Liquidator venture into Metlar's kingdom of ''Infernac'' and Bright convinces the Redwoods to help defend the surface world against attempts by the Inhumanoids to acquire sources of power. Herc and the Granites are able to defeat D'Compose's reanimated soldiers and restore Sandra to normal. Blackthorne pursues Auger and Liquidator to Infernac and tries to use his magnetic powers on Metlar once again but is foiled by Magnokor and taken captive by Metlar. Acting on information forced from Blackthorne, the Inhumanoids raid a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

airbase, stealing a handful of nuclear missiles. A seemingly repentant Blackthorne warns Earth Corps that the missiles are intended to shatter the divide between the Earth's crust and mantle, but upon traveling into the Earth to preclude this catastrophe, the team discovers that Blackthorne has set them up and that the missiles are actually meant to detonate the planet's core. Earth Corps is able to convince D'Compose to allow them access to Infernac — a deal made easier by the fact that the Inhumanoid already fears for his survival in the face of Metlar's insane plan — and they manage to defuse enough of the missiles to thwart the explosive scheme. Following a climactic battle, D'Compose is re-sealed in amber casing, and Tendril is imprisoned by the Granites. Finally, Magnokor succeeds in neutralizing Metlar even as Blackthorne is arrested by Earth Corps. Senator Masterson provides the Earth Corps team with a new headquarters facility, but a ''tissue sample'' secured from Tendril during their first encounter with the monster has mysteriously gone missing.

The series

''Inhumanoids'' and ''Jem'' surpassed their fellow "Super Sunday" offerings by going on to be expanded into independent full-length shows. ''Jem'' achieved the greater success, eventually running to 65 episodes spanning several seasons, while ''Inhumanoids'' lasted only one season. In both cases, to begin the series, the introductory "movies" were cut into five separate 22-minute episodes composed of three shorts apiece. ''Inhumanoids'' was thereafter given the series subtitle, ''The Evil That Lies Within'', a phrase which was included in the lyrics of the opening credits of the show in every episode. A further eight 22-minute episodes were then produced to yield the standard thirteen-episode TV season. The series proved unusual among children's cartoons of its time by the strong narrative flow that linked episodes in sequence with continuing storylines and suspenseful threading of subplots. Visually, the show was distinctive for its application of heavy shadow, use of split screens, and sometimes brow-raising for its gory content, such as monstrous amputations or writhing deaths by corrosive acid, which would be hard-pressed to sneak their way into contemporary "children's hour" programming.

Episodes

Characters

The Earth Corps

* Dr. Herman "Herc" Armstrong, codename 'Hooker', is the leader of Earth Corps, decisive and outspoken. His exosuit sports a powerful grappling hook mounted in an arm gauntlet, which he uses to scale vertical extremes in his

spelunking Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

adventures. He was voiced by

Neil Ross Neil David Ross is a British-American voice actor and announcer. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''Voltron'', ''G.I. Joe'', and ''Transformers'', as well as video games, inclu ...

. * Dr. Derek Ericson Bright, codename 'Digger', is the maverick engineer responsible for designing Earth Corps' vehicles and other high-tech equipment. * Dr. Edward "The Fist" Augutter, codename 'Auger', is the bald member of the team, a distinguished archaeologist and Earth Corps' resident mechanic, constructing the team's protective exosuits and weaponry. * Mr. Marcus Capello, codename 'Captain Action', is a master Policeman. He was voiced by

John Aniston John Anthony Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis, , July 24, 1933 – November 11, 2022) was a Greek-born American actor who played Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama series ''Days of Our Lives'', which he originated in July 1985 and played ...

. * Dr. Johnathon Martin Slattery, codename 'Liquidator', is a master chemist. He was voiced by

William Callaway William Ronald Callaway (born March 11, 1940) is an American retired voice actor. He is also known as Bill Callaway and Bill Calloway. He is known for playing Aquaman in ''Super Friends''. Filmography Animated roles * '' Aladdin'' - Zarasto * ' ...

. * Sandra Shore, codename 'Ms. Navigator', the only female Earth Corps member. She was voiced by

Susan Silo Susan Silo (born July 27, 1942) is an American actress who is known for her work in voice-over roles. Early life Susan Silo was born in New York City. Both her parents were actors. Career Her acting career started in television on the episo ...

. * Colonel Anatoly Kiev, codename 'Tankmaster' is a veteran member of the

army and world-famous chess master. He was also voiced by

. * Bradley Joseph Armbruster, codename 'Sabre Jet', is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Cast

Charles Adler Charles Adler may refer to: * Charles Adler (broadcaster) (born 1954), Canadian broadcaster * Charlie Adler (born 1956), American voice actor * Frederick Charles Adler (1889–1959), usually known as F. Charles Adler, English-German conductor * ...

- George Landisburg ("Primal Passions") * Michael Bell - Auger, Blackthorne Shore *

- Jonathan M. Slattery/Liquidator, Nightcrawler/Dr. Herman Manglar (from "Cypheroid" to "Cult of Darkness") * Fred Collins - General Kursakov * Brad Crandel - Narrator *

Ron Feinberg Ronald Aaron Feinberg (October 10, 1932 – January 29, 2005) was an American character and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. Career At 6' 7", the towering Feinberg played the character Fellini, opposite Don Johnson, in the ...

- Nightcrawler (from "Negative Polarity" onwards) *

Dick Gautier Richard Gautier (October 30, 1931 – January 13, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and caricaturist. He was known for his television roles as Hymie the Robot in the television series ''Get Smart'', and Robin Hood in the TV comedy s ...

- Magnakor/Pyre/Crygen, Senator Masterson ("Cypheroid"), George Landisburg ("The Masterson Team" and "Auger... For President?") *

Ed Gilbert Edmund Francis Gilbert (June 29, 1931 – May 8, 1999) was an American actor, with extensive credits in both live-action roles and voice work in animation, although he was better known for the latter. He is also credited, under his birth name (E ...

- Metlar, Senator Masterson *

Chris Latta Christopher Charles Collins (born Christopher Lawrence Latta; August 30, 1949 – June 12, 1994) was an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known as the voice of Cobra Commander in the '' G.I. Joe'' animated series and Starscream i ...

- D'Compose, Tendril, Granahue *

- Herc Armstrong, Tank, Ssslither, Sabre Jet, Hector Ramirez * Richard Sanders - Derek Bright *

Stanley Ralph Ross Stanley Ralph Ross (July 22, 1935 – March 16, 2000) was an American writer and actor. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York, starting his career in advertising with Chudacoff and Margulis Advertising in West Los Angeles, then soon going to ...

- Redlen, Redsun, Joe Abdullah *

- Sandra Shore, Stella Blaze, Statue of Liberty, Female Statue Warriors, Barbara Walker * John Stephenson - Granok, General Granitary *

– Mr. Marcus Capello, Captain Action *

Stephen Nichols Stephen Earl Nichols (born February 19, 1951) is an American actor, recognized for his roles on American daytime soap operas. He has portrayed the beloved role of Steve Johnson (Days of Our Lives), Steve Johnson on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives'' on ...

– Willie Grapers, Piranhatron *

Mary Beth Evans Mary Beth Evans (born March 7, 1961) is an American television actress, known for her role as Kayla Brady on the NBC daytime soap ''Days of Our Lives'', and her role as Sierra Estaban on the CBS daytime soap ''As the World Turns''. Career Evans ...

– Eliza Masterson, Moleculer * James Reynolds - Spiderdragon *

Philip L. Clarke Philip Lewis Clarke (September 8, 1938 – April 23, 2013) was an American voice actor. He provided voices in several TV series, films, and video games, including his leading role as Malcolm Betruger in ''Doom 3.'' Roles * ''Oliver Twist'' - ...

- Dirty Beggar, Witch Insecticides

Action figures

A series of action figures based on the cartoon was produced by

and designed by David McDonald (now VP of Product Development/Design at Spin Master LTD) in 1986. The scientist figures each had an action power and all figures had "glow in the light" features. Metlar, Tendril, and D'Compose were 14" figures and are the most sought after. The original series of Mutors had a variety of toy figures: Redlen (dark redwood), Redsun (light redwood), Redwood Race (grey redwood), Granok (grey granite), and Granite Race (beige granite). A second series of ''Inhumanoids'' figures was in the works at the time of the line's cancellation. The only character confirmed to reach the prototype stage by an ex-Hasbro employee was Sslither (although the animated designs of Tank, Sabre Jet, Nightcrawler, and Blackthorne's second suit all strongly indicate that they were based on intended toys).

Comic book

Marvel Comics (1987)

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

produced a short-lived ''Inhumanoids'' comic book under its

Star Comics Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and featured titles that were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys. The last comic published under the imprint f ...

imprint in 1987, adapting the storyline of "The Evil That Lies Within". The series ended after only 4 issues and left readers with the

cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...

of Metlar's escape from captivity and Sandra Shore's transformation into an undead minion of D'Compose. Within the

Marvel Comics multiverse Within Marvel Comics, most tales take place within the fictional Marvel Universe, which in turn is part of a larger multiverse. Starting with issues of ''Captain Britain'', the main continuity in which most Marvel storylines take place was des ...

, the Inhumanoids reality is designated as Earth-87119.

2009 cancelled series

In 2009,

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...

was rumored to be writing a reboot for the ''Inhumanoids'' comic series, with George Pratt doing art. In 2010, Smith said via Facebook that he was not penning a script for Inhumanoids, but told that ''"it was a killer series back in the day, t'sa shame it didn't last longer, had some really gruesome shit that I wouldn't mind tackling someday"''. Nothing has been mentioned since after his statement.

IDW Publishing (2020)

The 2020 miniseries '' Rom: Dire Wraiths'' by

IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...

set in the

Hasbro Comic Book Universe The Hasbro Comic Book Universe (HCBU) is an American comic book franchise and shared universe created and published by IDW Publishing, based on various properties of the toy company Hasbro. Publication history Following the bankruptcy of Dreamwa ...

features characters and references to ''Inhumanoids''; for example, the Earth Corps are renamed as the Adventure-One Team.

References

External links

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