Shadow Raiders

Infobox Television
show_name = Shadow Raiders(War Planets in USA)


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runtime = 30 minutes
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country = Canada
network = currently: YTV's Bionix
first_aired = 1998
last_aired = 1999
num_episodes = 26

website =
imdb_id = 0169510
tv_com_id = 6888

"Shadow Raiders" was an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment that aired from 1998 to 1999. The show was loosely based on the Trendmasters toy line, "War Planets". The original character designs were created by ReBoot designer, Brendan McCarthy. Although the show ended after its second season, tying up most of the loose ends, a proposed third season that would have answered major questions, like the origin of the Beast Planet, was never made.

The series focuses on the four warring planets of a solar system as they are forced to set aside their differences and form an alliance against the threat of the Beast Planet. The planets, Fire, Rock, Bone, and Ice have warred for years over their natural resources, Fire produces energy, Rock produces metals and minerals, Bone produces food, and Ice produces water. However, when an alien named Tekla comes from another solar system, she brings a warning: the Beast Planet is coming. Now Graveheart, a humble miner of Planet Rock, must convince the leaders of Fire, Rock, Bone, and Ice to put aside their differences and stand together against the Beast, their new common enemy.

Planets

The Engines

Planets Ice, Rock, Fire, Bone, Sand and Jungle are all equipped with World Engines while the Prison Planet is equipped with Teleport Engines. Built by an unknown race long before the inhabitants of these worlds evolved, the engines have the power to move the planets through space at great speeds; the Prison Planet's engines can teleport the world to different locations in space. Each set of engines is located at the core of its world and can be reached using Telepods, small platforms on the surface of each world. The Telepods send the user to the core of the planet where they can use the computer to move the planet. The Telepods can also be used to move people from one planet to another. The engines use a gravity matrix, atmospheric shields and massive engines buried beneath the planet to move it safely through space. The Prison Planet operates in a similar way, except that it is instantly teleported through space.

The World Engines and Teleport Engines were discovered during the battle against the Beast Planet. Lamprey appeared to know about the World Engines; thus, it is possible that all worlds are equipped with these engines.

The World Engines are equipped with sensors, one of which is a Null Energy sensor designed as an early warning system. The AI also warned the characters to move the planet away from a massive blast of Null Energy. They respond to voice commands, allowing any planet denizen to use them.This shows that the creators were an enemy of the Beast. The Telepod technology was reverse-engineered by Tekla to create a forcefield generator so anyone can can physically fight the Beast without disintegrating.

Main Characters

The Story

The story begins moments before the destruction of Planet Tek. Princess Tekla and Voxx, her robotic companion, flee their world as it is consumed by the Beast Planet and escape attacking Beast Drones. She escapes her solar system to the system of the Cluster through a Beast Armada hole in space. Tekla travels to the Cluster to warn them of the approaching danger. As she travels through the system, the Beast attacks her and she crashes on Planet Ice, where she is rescued by Graveheart. Soon the Beast attacks, which convinces King Cryos to form an alliance of the Cluster worlds against the Beast Planet. The first season revolves around the efforts of Graveheart, who has become the de facto leader of the Alliance, to convince the leaders of the other Cluster worlds to join the Alliance. The first planet they visit is Planet Rock, but Lord Mantle insists that the Battlemoons are enough to defend their planet. Thus, Rock does not join the Alliance. After an attack on Planet Rock by Beast Drones, Graveheart's friend Jade joins him to help rally planets Fire and Bone to his cause. In the end, Planets Fire and Bone join the Alliance and they soon realize that the Beast Planet must have set up a base somewhere nearby to attack the Alliance. They find out that the base is on Remora and the three worlds send a huge fleet to wipe out the Beast Drones on the planet. They are victorious, but the destruction of Remora only serves to anger the Beast Planet, which has just arrived in the system. Planet Rock has now joined the Alliance, using its five powerful Battle Moons to help destroy Remora, but the Beast Planet destroys one of the moons with ease from half way across the solar system, and sets out to consume Planet Fire.

Another moon is lost in the battle to defend Planet Fire and nothing is able to stop the Beast Planet. Planet Ice is almost destroyed in the battle but Tekla discovers the World Engines and saves the planet. As the Alliance relocates the people of Planet Fire to the Battle Moons, the World Engines on Fire are also activated. But Fire’s engines are damaged by the Beast Drones and the planet is too slow to avoid the Beast Planet. The Grand Vizier then uses the engines to ram the Beast Planet with Planet Fire. Fire is consumed by the Beast Planet and the rest of the Alliance worlds use their engines to move away from the Beast Planet. On their journey, they discover Planet Sand, which joins the Alliance, and Planet Jungle, which the Alliance uses as a trap. They fill it with enough explosives to destroy the planet, detonating them as the Beast Planet consumes Jungle, but the Beast Planet is still in one piece. The plants of Jungle live on, as a single cutting is given to the Alliance.

The Alliance then discovers the Prison Planet, which has appeared near the Alliance worlds. Graveheart, Jade, Cryos and Emperor Femur are sent to investigate but they all crash on the planet. As a rescue is about to be attempted, the Prison Planet teleports away.

On the Prison Planet, Graveheart and Cryos are captured by a faction of convicts led by Jewelia, a devious woman who takes a liking to Graveheart. Femur, unfortunately for him, is taken, along with Jade, by a second faction commanded by Sternum, Femur’s nobler brother, and arguably the rightful ruler of Planet Bone. Convinced that their friends have been slain by the other faction, the two pairs join the fight on the side of their respective faction until the truth is revealed.

Meanwhile, the Beast Drones attack the Alliance and Lord Mantle takes control of the Alliance by force. Thinking that his planet is superior to the Beast Planet, Mantle sends the Battle Moons to attack the Beast Planet, but an armada of Beast ships capture Planet Rock and Blokk kills Lord Mantle in single combat. As the Beast Planet is about to consume Planet Rock, the Prison Planet teleports into its path. Graveheart and his group use Sternum's Telepod to travel to Rock. Sternum then teleports the Prison Planet out of the system, taking the Beast Planet with it. A final battle between Graveheart and Blokk results in Blokk’s demise, Jade’s rise to ruler of Planet Rock and the Alliance's new era of peace. Meanwhile, the story ends with a scene in a distant part of the galaxy, moments before the destruction of Planet Reptizar at the hands of the Beast Planet.

Episode List

DVD releases

The series was released originally in North America in six volumes, each containing four or five episodes. Much like fellow Mainframe Entertainment series ReBoot, the North American DVDs are long out of print and rare, though tend to fetch substantially less than other Mainframe DVDs. Both complete series are available in two sets in the United Kingdom.

Cast

*Donna Yamamoto - Tekla
*Paul Dobson - Graveheart
*Mark Oliver - King Cryos
*Enuka Okuma - Jade
*Matt Hill - Prince Pyrus
*Scott McNeil - Pelvus and Blokk
*Jim Byrnes - Grand Vizier
*Gary Chalk - Emperor Femur
*Tasha Simms - Lamprey
*Blu Mankuma - Lord Mantle
*Tegan Moss - Lady Zera
*Janyse Jaud - Jewelia
*Ellen Kennedy - Zuma
*John Payne (II) - Sternum

War Planets Toy Line

The Shadow Raiders series was based on the War Planets toys from Trendmasters. Toys of Planets Ice, Fire, Bone, Rock, Sand, Tek, Water, Reptizar, Remora, the Beast Planet, several Battle Moons and Beast, Bone and Ice Tanks were created. The series is not strictly set around the toys since more worlds than just Rock have Battle Moons. Several toys were brought out that were based on the Shadow Raiders series but they were either figures of the main characters or ships.

External links

*imdb title|id=0169510|name=Shadow Raiders
* [http://www.tv.com/war-planets/show/6888/summary.html "War Planets" page at TV.com]
* [http://www.mainframe.ca/ Official site of Mainframe]
* [http://www.virtualtoychest.com/warplanets/warplanets.html "War Planets" toy line]
* [http://www.starman-imaging.com/shadow_raiders/index.htm Now we are Seven: Image gallery]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/warplanets/ War Planets LiveJournal for fans]

ee also

* Trendmasters makers of War Planets
* Mainframe Entertainment producers of Shadow Raiders
* List of Shadow Raiders characters
* List of Shadow Raiders planets