Spiral Zone — Season 1

198765 episodes7.7/10 (10 votes)

About this season

Spiral Zone is a 1987 American science-fiction animated series produced by Atlantic-Kushner-Locke. Based in part from a toy line made by Japanese company Bandai, the series focused on an international group of soldiers fighting to free the world from a scientist who controls much of the Earth's surface. It only ran for one season, with a total count of 65 episodes. Tonka acquired the license from Bandai and created a different treatment to the series, plus a short-lived toy line. Spiral Zone is known among fans as a series that stood out from other contemporary cartoons of the 80s because of its dark story. The series has not been officially released on DVD by Hasbro, who had acquired Tonka in the 90s, including all the copyrights to their properties.

Episodes (65)

1. Holographic Zone Battle

Aired 21 September 1987

While the Riders prepare to take out a zone generator that is blocking San Francisco harbor, Bandit infiltrates their base and tricks Hiro into accepting a hypnotic device disguised as a holographic computer game.

2. King of the Skies

Aired 22 September 1987

The Zone Riders rescue King Donovan, a retired military pilot and Dirk's former CO, as he is being pursued out of the zone. He has details on an Overlord plot to increase the size of the zone by hooking a generator up to the Hoover Dam, and a plan to stop it. But instead of allowing them to sneak up on the generator, the suggested rout leads the Raiders into an ambush, and King ends up suspected of treason.

3. Errand of Mercy

Aired 23 September 1987

4. Mission Into Evil

Aired 24 September 1987

5. Back to the Stone Age

Aired 25 September 1987

6. Small Packages

Aired 28 September 1987

The Black Widows slips a miniature zone pod into McFarlands clothes, activating it inside the MCC while the Zone Riders are on a mission. Forced to go up against their own defenses and Overlord at the same time, the Riders have one hour to take out the pod before a UN ordered air strike reduces the place to rubble.

7. Zone of Darkness

Aired 29 September 1987

The Zone Riders bring a scientist to Miami, looking for a possible cure to the zone bacteria in the form of a local plant. Dirk also hopes to find an old friend who was in the area during the zone attack.

8. The Gauntlet

Aired 30 September 1987

9. Ride the Whirlwind

Aired 1 October 1987

The extreme weather is slowly flooding San Juan, while making airborne evacuation impossible. The only route of escape is through the zone, but can the Riders take out the generator in time?

E10

10. The Unexploded Pod

Aired 2 October 1987

An unactivated zone generator, found in Katerina's hometown, could provide the first and only opportunity to study the zone release mechanism. Well aware of this, Overlord is determined to keep it out of the Riders hands.

E11

11. Duel in Paradise

Aired 5 October 1987

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12. The Imposter

Aired 6 October 1987

E13

13. The Hacker

Aired 7 October 1987

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14. Overlord's Mystery Woman

Aired 8 October 1987

In this episode we discover Overlord's romantic side. The Zone Raides find the woman he was in love before he entered the take-over-the-world business. Using her as bait the riders set a trap to capture the leader of the Black Widows. Dashing out of the Zone in shining armour Overlord goes to rescue his love, but he doen't have only romance in mind.

E15

15. The Sands of Amaran

Aired 9 October 1987

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16. Zone Train

Aired 12 October 1987

A train carrying scientists reseaching the Spiral Zone to a conference is routed by the Black Widows into the Zone. The Zone Riders are dispatched to stop the train from reaching a power plant within the zone; however things go from bad to worse when Tank's suit fails and he becomes a Zoner and is ordered by Dutchess Dire to stop his colleagues.

E17