Cinescope

Spiral Zone

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.

Animation Action & Adventure

3.9 / 5

21st September 1987 - 18th December 1987

Top Cast

Michael Bell • Hal Rayle • Dan Gilvezan

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Holographic Zone Battle

21st September 1987

Episode 1

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.

King of the Skies

22nd September 1987

Episode 2

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.

Errand of Mercy

23rd September 1987

Episode 3

No overview available.

Mission Into Evil

24th September 1987

Episode 4

No overview available.

Back to the Stone Age

25th September 1987

Episode 5

No overview available.

Small Packages

28th September 1987

Episode 6

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.

Zone of Darkness

29th September 1987

Episode 7

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.

The Gauntlet

30th September 1987

Episode 8

No overview available.

Ride the Whirlwind

1st October 1987

Episode 9

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?

The Unexploded Pod

2nd October 1987

Episode 10

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.

Duel in Paradise

5th October 1987

Episode 11

No overview available.

The Imposter

6th October 1987

Episode 12

No overview available.

The Hacker

7th October 1987

Episode 13

No overview available.

Overlord's Mystery Woman

8th October 1987

Episode 14

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.

The Sands of Amaran

9th October 1987

Episode 15

No overview available.

Zone Train

12th October 1987

Episode 16

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.