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''Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors'' was an French / American Animated TV show which first aired on September 16 , 1985 . It was produced by Saban Entertainment for DiC Entertainment , and spawned 65 30-minute episodes.

The show featured two duelling forces. The "good guys" were humans, called the Lightning League. They drove white and silver Vehicles with assorted weaponry, and were led by Jayce. The "bad guys" were organic green Vegetable -based creatures called the '''Monster Minds''', who tended to take the shape of black and green vehicles. They travelled via large green organic Vines , that sprouted Seeds that rapidly grew into further Monster Minds. They were led by Saw Boss.

The opening titles featured the phrase:

Thundering across the stars to save the universe from the Monster Minds. Jayce searches for his father to unite the Magic Root and lead his Lightning League to victory over the changing form of Saw Boss. Wheeled Warriors explode into battle - Lightning Strikes!




BACKGROUND


Most of the episodes were written by French writers, Jean Chalopin and Haskell Barkin . The series producer was J. Michael Straczynski , and with all Orchestral Music scored by Shuki Levy .

In the United States , the series was a part of the '' USA Cartoon Express '', a popular television programming block of animation on the USA Network from 1980 to 1998 . In the United Kingdom , it was screened on Saturday mornings, on BBC1 . In France , a French Language version of the show titled ''Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière'' was broadcast on ''Les P'tits Loups'', a children's show on TF1 , beginning on 9 September 1985 ; it entered Syndication on 1 May 1986 .

Strangely, although the show was created to promote a line of Toys , no action figures of the show's characters were ever sold. This is likely because the toys came first; no backstory was given with the toys for the Lightning League and the Monster Minds doing battle, and so distinct characters were created to allow for a structured story.


PLOT SYNOPSIS


The plot concerns Jayce, son of Audric, and his quest to rejoin him. The backstory is that Audric was a Botanist who did several experiments with Plants . One of them blossomed and became Flora. However, not all of them went so well, and another experiment became Saw Boss. He had power over the Monster Minds. He took control of the lab, and transformed it into a fortress. He has psychic powers that among other things give him control over Vines , the Teleportation of his fortress and Clairvoyance . The only thing capable of destroying Saw Boss is a magic Root , of which Audric and Jayce each have half. Thus, Jayce and his Lightning League friends are constantly on a quest to find Audric and combine the halves of the Root.


THE MOVIE


Due to less than successful toy sales, Jayces' 65 episode run was not followed up, and it ended unresolved. However, according to series producer J. Michael Straczynski , a movie had also been commissioned along with the series, following in the footsteps of other toy based animated series such as Transformers and GI Joe ; if the series had proven successful in toy sales, production would have began. Straczynski wrote the script, but due to the failiure of the toyline, preparation for the movie was shelved.

Had the movie been filmed, it would have provided a sense of closure on Jayce, with his Lightning League meeting with the originals and being trained on the home world of the Guardians, he would be reunited with his father Audric, but according to Straczynski, Audric would have been killed by Saw Boss as the Monster Minds began a final assault on the Galaxy , and in a final battle, Jayce would unite the root and kill Saw Boss, ending the Monster Mind threat forever.


LIST OF CHARACTERS


  • Jayce - Leader of the Lightning League, possessed half of the magic Root, as well as the Ring of Light, a constant dea ex machina to the League's adventures.

  • Audric - Jayce's father, original master of Oon, possessed half of the magic Root, creator of the Root, accidentaly creator of the Monster minds, co-creator of Flora and the early Lightning League vehicles.

  • Gillian - a wizardly mentor to Jayce, co-creator of Flora and the early Lightning League vehicles, sole creator of the later Lightning League vehicles.

  • Flora - a young girl created from a flower, has telepathic powers, can sense Monster Minds and communicate empathicaly with animals.

  • Oon - a small worrisome Etetnal Squire (magicaly animated suit of armor servant).

  • Herc Stormsailor - a " Han Solo "ish-type character who pilots the spaceship Pride of the Skys II.

  • Brock - Flora's companion flying fish mount, "spoke" in chirps and whistles.

  • Zoggies - Flora's three pets, block-like techno-organic reptiles that sported lasers.

  • Jal Gorda - anthropomorphic alien spy, recuring guest character throughout the series.

  • Saw Boss - overlord of the Monster Minds, transforms into an oversized version of the Saw Troopers, which is noticibly missing the prominent "stripes" seen on the Troopers.

  • Terror Tank - sub-boss of the Monster Minds, oversees the Terror Trooper clones.

  • Gun Grinner - sub-boss of the Monster Minds, oversees the Gun Trooper clones.

  • KO Kruiser - sub-boss of the Monster Minds, oversees the KO Trooper clones.

  • Beast Walker - sub-boss of the Monster Minds, oversees the Beast Walker clones.

  • Saw Trooper Commander - rarely appearing sub-boss of the Monster Minds, oversees the Saw Trooper clones in Saw Boss's sted, while Saw Boss rules the Monster Minds entire.

  • Dr. Zorg - Evil scientist who coveted Audric's technologies and worked with/for Saw Boss.



LIGHTNING LEAGUE VEHICLES

The Lightning League vehicles can operate on pre-programmed Battle Plans without drivers through commands issued on Jayce's communicator.

Lightning League AI ground vehicles (early)
  • Armed Force - Armed Force is a vehicle with a large golden grappling arm mounted atop it. Gillian had intended it for Audric, but gave it to Jayce instead when Audric was unable to join the League. Seats two, unlike its toy counterpart.

  • Drill Seregeant - A vehicle with a Drill to dig tunnels. Driven in the opening sequence by Flora, who seems to prefer it, as does Gillian. Seats two.

  • Quick Draw - A vehicle with a concealed gun in a shield atop the vehicle. Gillian drives it in the opening sequence, but it has no regular driver in the series. Seats one.

  • Spike Trike - A three-wheeled vehicle built for speed. Herc drives it in the opening sequence, and it's his vehicle of choice during the series as well. Seats one.

  • Trail Blazer - A large vehicle with four legs and a front-mounted battering ram. Capable of carrying the smaller vehicles. Usually seats one, but has occasionaly been seen with unused seating for four.

  • Battle Base - A mobile Fortress that houses all the other vehicles and is usually attached to the League's ship as it's bridge. Main weapon is a large elevating gun turret.


Lightning League AI ground vehicles (created later by Gillian)
  • Fling Shot - A vehicle equipped with a Catapult . Built in "The Stallions of Sandeen." Toy was designed, but never produced.

  • Spray Gunner - A vehicle with a Cannon that sprays various fluids. Added later in the series, but has no introduction episode. Toy did not reach the production stage.

  • Motor Module - A low-riding vehicle with a powerful drive system. Often used to field repair other vehicles or to haul loads in an attachable trailer. Added later in the series, but has no introduction episode. Toy did not reach the production stage, but was designed to be motorized, and could "Stack-An-Attack" as Armed Force could (gimick unused in the cartoon).


Lightning League aerospace vehicles (not reflected in the toy line)
  • Pride of the Skies II - aka "the Barge", ship owned by Herc Stormsailer and home to the Lightning League throughout the series.

  • Space Scooter - a small air-bike.

  • Emergency Cruser - the Pride's seldom used shuttlecraft.



MONSTER MIND VEHICLES

Generally Monster Mind battles are carried out by Clones of the main Monster Minds that are grown from vines. Saw Boss is able to communicate with these clones (and communicate with others through the clones) Telepathically . These clones are referred to as "troopers"; Saw Trooper, Terror Trooper, K.O. Trooper, etc. The true Monster Minds change from their humanoid forms into vehicles upon leaving their headquarters.

Monster Minds ground legions (early)
  • Saw Troopers - Vehicles with a large buzzsaw on a roating stalk.

  • Terror Troopers - Tank-like vehicles with a large, Venus Flytrap -like mouth mounted on the body.

  • Gun Troopers - Vehicle with a cluster of cannons clenched in its teeth. Main weapon was a multi-headed spiked flail mounted on top of the body.

  • K.O. Troopers - Truck-like vehicles a large Wrecking Ball -like stalk.

  • Beast Walkers - Large, four-legged vehicles with a front-mounted claw weapon that are the powerhouse of a Monster Mind clone army. Seldom used, due to requiring more energy to spawn.


Monster Minds ground legions (developed later)
  • Flapjacks -- Van-like vehicles with a catapult. Designed, but not produced in the toy-line.

  • Lurchers -- Vehicles with a front bumber ram. Not produced in the toy-line.

  • Snapdragons -- Smaller four-legged walking vehicles with front-mounted "petals" that opened like a flower to expose a very powerful laser cannon. It is unknown if the toy would have been a motorized walker and/or possessed a light-up cannon gimmick.

  • Battle Stations -- The Monster Minds' answer to Battle Base. Unproduced in the toy-line. Any main weapon it might have possesed was unused in the cartoon. Very seldom used as it took enormous ammounts of energy to spawn.


Monster Minds aerospace legions (unrepresented in the toy-line)
  • Crusers - Larger Monster Mind spacecrafts.

  • Scouts/Satelites - Smaller Monster Mind spacecrafts. Both names refered to the same vehicle type in the animation.

  • Drill Vines - Small rocket craft with a drill nose-cone, containing a Monster Mind vine cluster, used to penetrate targets and release a growth of vines.

  • Pods - Plant-like insertion craft launched by Cruisers or Scouts when Drill Vines are not called for.

  • Space Fighters - Small Monster Mind starfighters, used much less commonly than Scouts.


Monster Mind network legions (unrepresented in the toy-line)
  • Expansion Vines - large vine growths used to infest a planet and spawn Monster Mind Troopers, also sometimes used to connect planets through open space.

  • Spore Vines - Not as large as Expansion Vines, used to deploy biological weapons in the form of gases.

  • Recepticles - Block-like plants that are used to form a teleportation point for Saw Boss's headquarters (original Audric's lab).

  • Brains - small plant mass with a single central eye, used for communication by Monster Mind agents of other races.



VOICE ACTORS




AVAILABILITY


Only one English-language DVD, titled ''Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - Escape from the Garden of Evil'', has been released; it contains the episodes "Escape from the Garden", "The Vase of Xiang", "Steel Against Shadow" and "Flora, Fauna, and the Monster Minds". The entire series has been released in French, in two boxed sets each containing five DVDs.


EXTERNAL LINKS