AnimaDroidz

2ND EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

In hot pursuit of Eevil’s relentless search for energy the Animadroidz learn that they too can travel the dimensional conduit, arriving in the same time frame and place some five minutes later. Emerging from the conduit, Frankie and the AnimaDroidz find themselves in the Egyptian Sahara. What could Eevil possibly want here? Desert Fox is able to quickly establish the direction Eevil is headed and they follow. Along the way, they come across a stranded Egyptian cabbie who provides a valuable clue. A strange man (Eevil can morph, remember?) asked him where the eye of Pharaoh was. The eye is a mythical stone said to have fallen from the sky, and a tremendous source of power once carried before the armies of Pharaoh. It is said to be buried in the Tomb of Osirus, in the Valley of the Kings. The man disappeared abruptly upon hearing this. Frankie thanks the man, and rejoins the AnimaDroidz. Grease Monkey had secretly fixed the jeep while Frankie and the cabbie were speaking: both the fuel and the battery were drained. Eevil!

With directions to the Valley of Kings, the AnimaDroidz start out again: however, they soon encounter a fierce sandstorm (which may or may not be Eevil’s doing) – more peril! With their vehicles, Frankie, Lock Jaw, Grease Monkey and Desert Fox can outrun the storm. Steel Wool is not as fortunate, and must go it on hoof. The AnimaDroidz split up.

Frankie, Lock Jaw, Grease Monkey and Desert Fox arrive at the valley, and it is soon apparent from the weird lightning and cloud activity that Eevil is there too. He is moving, and so most likely has not found what he seeks. Using his mystic “second sight” Lock Jaw is able to locate the crypt: the problem is that it’s buried under hundreds of feet of sand. Just then Steel Wool arrives, grittier than usual but o.k.. Using his hydrophaser like a water drill, he clears the sand from the entrance. Inside the tomb Lock Jaw guides them through the winding chambers to the treasure room where the eye is enshrined. Suddenly, Eevil materializes, and thanking the AnimaDroidz for their help waves his ectoscepter. Compelled by Eevil’s magnetic force, the dozens of sarcophagi lining the walls spring open, and their mummified contents attack the AnimaDroidz . The mummies aren’t imposing foes, but there are a lot of them - more than enough to keep the AnimaDroidz busy. It looks as if nothing can stop Eevil, but as he makes for the Eye he sets off an ancient booby trap. The treasure room floor begins to fall away, taking the Eye with it. The whole tomb begins to collapse. Cursing the AnimaDroidz, Eevil turns to make his escape. He emerges just as the tomb entrance collapses, and assuming that the AnimaDroidz are buried, opens the portal, and exits. Seconds later the AnimaDroidz and Frankie blast through the rubble (with water, of course), mount their vehicles and exit - a narrow escape indeed!

Back at the Lube Lab, Frankie laments the loss of the Eye and fabled Tomb of Osirus. The AnimaDroidz console him, and Lock Jaw reminds him that at least the Eye is safely out of Eevil’s clutches. Last scene is the Eye glowing in the rubble.—

3RD EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

Eevil’s dimensional conduit sometimes intersects rifts in space and time, allowing transport to other times, other planets, even other dimensions. One such rift, lands Frankie and the AnimaDroidz on the forested banks of a large lake. What could Eevil be up to now? Drawn by the sound of chanting they decide to investigate. Coming to the edge of the forest they find the source of the chanting: a stonehenge-like stone circle built on a high bluff overlooking the lake. A huge bonfire blazes within the circle, and a solemn procession of white-robed figures, many in ceremonial masks, climb the bluff toward it. Within the circle stands a tall, robed figure whose “mask” bears unmistakable, huge horns. Eevil.

The AnimaDroidz are thoroughly confused by all of this, and Lock Jaw and Steel Wool decide to scout the bluff. They depart, leaving Frankie with Leap Frog and Scales of Justice. Meanwhile things are starting to click for Frankie. Looking out at the all too familiar outline of the lake, he realizes that he recognizes it - Loch Ness! And that bluff - that’s the place Urquat castle was built on - in the 13th century! They must be in Scotland, during the dark ages. But why is Eevil here? Frankie remembers that the stone circles are known to be centers of unexplainably strong energy, especially during periods of planetary alignment. A quick glance at the aurora-tinged sky confirms it - the planets will align tonight. Eevil is here to try to use this ancient magic to steal that energy!

Frankie’s revelations are suddenly interrupted when Lockjaw and Steel Wool stumble back, both with several Amperz attached. As Frankie and the other two AnimaDroidz remove the parasites, Lockjaw and Steel Wool manage to tell the others that they were ambushed by Breakers, and that they are on their way. Then they pass out. They’ll be fine, but they’re out of the game for now. Leap Frog and Scales, quickly dispatch the Breakers when they arrive, but now Frankie is faced with stopping Eevil without his two best soldiers. Not to worry: our boy has a plan.

Frankie sends Leap Frog and Scales to the loch, while he stays with their fallen comrades. Once there, they split up: Leap Frog swims toward the bluff, while Scales goes into high-speed swim mode, scouring the huge lake for something. Once at the bluff, Leap Frog scales its sheer, lakeward surface, using his suction cup feet. Once at the top, he uses his mouth mounted snorkel gun to put out the bonfire, causing disruption. Eevil orders the celebrants to continue the ceremony as the planets are nearly aligned, and then turns on Leap Frog. He is just about to let him have it when Scales explodes from the loch surface, the Loch Ness Monster (of all things) hot on his tailfins. The robed figures scatter, and even Eevil is taken aback for a moment. Frankie yells to them to hurry, because, if his calculations are right, the alignment will close the conduit. Sure enough, he is, and the AnimaDroidz barely make it through before it closes, leaving a close following Eevil stranded (at least for the moment) in 9th century Scotland, with the Loch Ness Monster, and a horde of angry Druids.—

4TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

Without their leader Eevil (still stuck in the time warp from episode #3), the F.O.E.s have continued to hoard energy, apparently operated by Eevil’s will from beyond the void, or perhaps programmed ahead of time.

The AnimaDroidz emerge from the conduit to find themselves in the middle of a high speed chase along a winding mountain road in the Rockies. A group of Breakers, both flying and below ground, are chasing a plain gray truck, though they’re having more trouble than usual in Eevil’s absence. The Breakers and the truck are soon out of sight, but Bat Bot is able to get a fix on their position in no time. By monitoring the truck’s communications, he is able to learn that it is secretly carrying a decommissioned nuclear warhead, clearly the Breakers target.

The AnimaDroidz hatch a plan: Lockjaw and .45 Caliber Slug will try to catch up on the road, while Leap Frog and Steel Wool take a short cut down the side of the mountain.

Things seem to be going well for Leap Frog and Steel Wool when suddenly, the cliff face begins to vibrate. Breakers! One of the mindless creatures, with no regard for its own life, rockets from the mountainside, nearly taking Steel Wool with it as it hurtles to the ground, landing in a pool of its own gelatin. Steel Wool holds on for dear life, then looses his grip, only to be saved by Leap Frog, who catches him in mid-air and then absorbs the shock of their landing in his hydraulic spring legs. The two tumble to a stop in the road, – right in the path of the truck! They manage to roll away just in time. Lockjaw and .45, meanwhile, have caught up despite the best efforts of the Breakers. Amperz bounce off of the stealth painted armor of .45’s mixing drum and Lock Jaw’s fairing. .45 Caliber Slug and Lock Jaw manage to gelatinize the three most persistent Breakers, and just in time. Bat Bot breaks in with news that the truck has lost its breaks, and is headed straight for a nearby town. .45 puts on a burst of speed, gets in front of the truck, and bumps it to a stop.

Just when it looks like the incident is over, the light begins to warp, the clouds gather and shift,– Eevil has made it back!!! The trucks driver, a soldier, runs for his life. With .45 and Lock Jaw exhausted from their efforts in stopping the truck, and Leap Frog and Steel Wool far back, it looks as if nothing can stop Eevil. However, just as he is about to take the missile, the sky opens, the rain shorting Eevil and gelatinizing his Breakers. A frustrated Eevil gathers his casualties and limps back through the rift, leaving the AnimaDroidz victorious!

The government of course, denies everything.

5TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

Thus far, Eevil has been thwarted at every turn, both by the hand of fate and by the heroics of the AnimaDroidz. As one might expect, this has left the multi-dimensional warlord quite frustrated indeed. Frustrated, and in search of an ultimate weapon.

This story begins with a F.O.E. raid on a power station near the now abandoned Ft. Sandy. The raid is pretty typical, and the AnimaDroidz are doing well against the Breakers and Globules, but Lock Jaw suspects that something is up. Sure enough, a strong tremor shakes the ground, and a huge worm-like creature erupts from the desert floor. The baffled AnimaDroidz try to stop it, but it blows right through them. Even Steel Wool hits it with all he’s got, but finally has to dive for cover as the beast shakes off his attack. The worm savagely attacks the power plant, sucking it dry in seconds. The sky warps, and though he doesn’t appear, Eevil’s laughing voice can be heard telling them to meet his Extensor, and their world’s doom.

The attack complete, the AnimaDroidz must regroup. Frankie remarks that the attack feels like a test, the target was far to small. Lock Jaw, meanwhile, has noticed that the Globules have a great deal of trouble controlling the Extensor. Lock Jaw reasons that the Extensor is somehow controlled by Eevil against its will Telling Frankie to stay there and call for reinforcements, Lock Jaw follows his hunch, into the conduit.

On the other side, Lock Jaw finds himself on a strange Dune-like desert world, where Breakers are in the process of trapping another Extensor. Eevil appears and fires something from his Ectoscepter into the thrashing beast’s head. It immediately calms down, and follows, as Eevil commands it into the conduit. Lock Jaw of course, follows at a discreet distance.

On the other side, Frankie has called out the heavy artillery. Desert Fox with the Desert Vette, Leap Frog with the Deluxe Tank, and .45 Caliber Slug, show up just in time to follow the Earth bound F.O.E.s into the conduit. They arrive at Hoover Dam, where the F.O.E. launch their attack. Steel Wool provides cover, as the other three AnimaDroidz set up a defensive line around the hydroelectric plant. The conduit becomes active again, then comes the telltale rumbling of an Extensor, this time with Eevil on hand to watch. Desert Fox, Leap Frog and .45 Caliber Slug, do their best to hold it off with their heavy weapons, but the Extensor is so huge and fast, it finally gets by them. It looks as if it’s unstoppable, when a piercing howl announces Lock Jaw’s arrival. Moving fast, and with help from his comrades, he runs a gamut of Breakers, and leaps from his speeding cycle onto the monster’s back. His armor boots smoldering from the Extensors corrosive slime, Lock Jaw runs right up its back, and locating the parasite, pries it off with his water saber and leaps to safety. The Extensor immediately turns on Eevil and chases his entire force into Lake Meade. The surface of the lake flashes brightly, then all is calm. Moments later, a bedraggled Eevil, his jelly balls in tow, emerges from the lake and exits. The AnimaDroidz follow suit.

6TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

F.O.E. to the Fire (or: Eevil gets in you eyes)

Outside the New South Wales, Australia: Whipped by powerful Pacific trade winds, a raging “bush fire,” as they’re called down under, has rampaged for days, laying waste to hundreds of acres of forest and scrub. An unusual side light to this disaster has been the persistent reports, from “bushmen,” aboriginals, and firemen alike, of strange coronas of light and bizarre flying and walking creatures. Already harried, officials have dismissed these reports as a combination of heat prostration and too much Foster’s. On the other side of the world, however, in a run down old gas station, there are more receptive ears.

Realizing that the fire will be as much an enemy as F.O.E., Frankie assembles the team best suited to the mission: Lock Jaw on his armored cycle, and Grease Monkey on the Dunerunner Cycle, and Desert Fox in the Desert Vette, for their mobility and all terrain capability, Leapfrog in the DeLuxe Tank, for sheer water output capacity, and Bomber for aerial support.

The AnimaDroidz arrive at the scene to find that the human fire fighters have abandoned this position as hopeless. Sure enough, the F.O.E. are there. Globules, seemingly impervious to the heat and choking smoke, bloat as they absorb the fire’s radiant energy. Breakers mounted on Resistors, flit moth like, in and out of the towering flames. Though the fire only affords our heroes fleeting glimpses, they see enough to know what they’re dealing with.

Frankie and Desert Fox quickly devise a plan: Leap Frog and Bomber will outflank the F.O.E.’s into a fiery corral. Producing shovels from the rear of the DeLuxe, the trunk of the Vette, and Grease Monkeys cluttered side car, Frankie Hope, Lock Jaw, Grease Monkey and Desert Fox start digging (Desert Fox requiring some persuasion from Lock Jaw) while Leap

Frog takes up his position and Bomber wheels skyward. Initially the plan seems to be working—Bomber and Leap Frog cut wide swaths through the inferno, forcing the F.O.E.’s to close ranks. Then a sudden change in wind direction traps Leap Frog in a ring of fire. He tries to escape, but the heavy DeLuxe bogs down in the loose, sandy soil. He’s stranded, and desperately low on water. But fear not! Before he gets his hydraulic frog legs (insert your “Tastes like chicken” joke here) barbecued, bomber radios the other AnimaDroidz for help. and soon afterward takes a hit from an Amperz, crash landing safely among sleeping Koalas in the boughs of a Eucalyptus tree, finding their comrade surrounded in raging flame, the AnimaDroidz spring into action. Lock Jaw drives right through the wall of fire (trick riding!) and quickly slings the beleaguered amphibian onto the back of his cycle. Desert Fox then uses the Aquazooka to knock a hole in the flame just big enough for them to escape. Leap Frog is safe: the Deluxe, however, is a goner.

Before our biomechanical wonders can even catch their breath, Desert Fox takes an Amperz to the back. Another bounces off of Lock Jaw’s armor. The AnimaDroidz wheel around, only to find themselves facing Eevil himself.

Meantime the wind shifts again, and now the inferno closes in on the AnimaDroidz as a group. Eevil cackles at the expectant destruction of his nemeses, and makes some villainous comment. Suddenly, far above, a plane appears and as all watch, it wheels right, swoops overhead, and drops a huge load of water, drenching the fire, Frankie, the AnimaDroidz, Eevil, and his minions. Eevil is defeated by human firefighters who don’t even know he exists! Relieved, the AnimaDroidz gather their fallen comrades and exit. —Fin

7TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

The Garden of Eevil

Fresh from their toughest encounter to date with the F.O.E., the AnimaDroidz return to the Mesa of Hope to recover. As Frankie and Grease Monkey are busy constructing a new Deluxe for an anxious Leap Frog, Steel Wool monitors the ERADS, (Eevil Rift Activity Detection System) and Lock Jaw stands guard. Suddenly the ERADS lights up. Steel Wool is convinced that it’s a malfunction. The system indicates that the rift is practically on top of them. Then Lock Jaw calls to them. Outside, the night sky over the mesa has drawn back like some huge curtain, revealing a strange, molten, lime-green ether which emits low organic sounds. The AnimaDroidz brace for a F.O.E. attack! Then, a burst of wind, a sound like falling rain, then… nothing. The “curtain” closes. The puzzled AnimaDroidz (and Frankie) figure that the F.O.E. got stuck in the rift, and go back inside.

Several hours pass. Lock Jaw is roused by a heavy, dry, scraping sound from outside. Investigating, he is shocked to discover droves of plant-creatures attacking the gas station in zombie-like fashion. Lock Jaw summons Frankie, who arrives, just as one of the “plantoids” is breaking through a window. Lock Jaw dashes it to bits with his water saber (without water naturally), then escorts Frankie who takes a sample back to the lab. They close the vault-like protective door, and with the help of his trusty microscope and his dog-eared copy of “Botanical Atlas” he identifies it as a common Australian shrub, infused with alterzone genes. Eevil’s handiwork. The rain-like sound, was obviously mutant seeds, being ejected from the Rift. The situation is growing serious. The plantoids have completely overrun Hope’s Last Chance and the upper portion of the mesa, becoming a dense tangle of writhing, animated vines. Steel Wool wants to blast his way out, naturally, but Frankie nixes that idea. The vines are still just plants—water will only make them grow more! Not to worry—our boy genius, as always, has an idea. Frankie Hope asks Lock Jaw if he thinks he can cut him a path through the vines. “No problem” Lock Jaw responds, hoisting his saber. He then asks Grease Monkey to drive him to this little place outside Carlsbad…“ Trust me!” With that, Grease Monkey and Frankie Hope climb into the Animatanker and the outside door is opened. Sword in hand, Lock Jaw hacks enough of the vines away to let them pass. However, as the tanker rumbles past, one of the vines catches Lock Jaw by the ankle and he’s completely ensnared. Worse, the plants have assumed some of the FOES energy absorbing ability while in the Alterzone. He’s now trapped and helpless. The other AnimaDroidz have no choice but to close the garage door and hope that Frankie’s plan works.

More time passes. The vines now start to find their way inside the Lube Lab. Desperately, the AnimaDroidz hack at them with shovels, axes, tire irons, and blow torches (with the “plantoids” promptly absorbing the energy and growing quicker). Things look grim: then from outside, the sound of a truck—Frankie and Grease Monkey, with a weak Lock Jaw have returned! Wasting no time, they open the rear of the truck and out pile hundreds of Nutria, muskrat-like rodents from Central and South America, infamous for defoliating large portions of Louisanna and Florida. They are voracious eaters. Without hesitation, the furry little beasts descend upon the seething mass of vegetation encasing the station and mesa. Before long the vines are gone, and all that’s left to do is round up the well fed Nutria and return them. Thanks to Frankie’s unorthodox solution, the AnimaDroidz have survived another close one. —Fin

8TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

The Long Trek South

The AnimaDroidz are finishing the repairs of the damaged Deluxe Tank inflicted by Eevil’s mutant vines. As Frankie and Grease Monkey are putting the finishing touches on the New Deluxe Tank, the all to familiar ERADS alarm sounds. Frankie rushed to the screen, then groans with concern: the F.O.E. activity is centered, it seems in Antarctica.

Hastily, our heroes take whatever winterizing steps they can for themselves and their vehicles. On this mission, Leap Frog, a cold blooded amphibian, must stay behind. The Deluxe will be manned instead by Frankie and Grease Monkey. Desert Fox and the Desert “Vette, Lock Jaw on Stealth Cycle, and Steel Wool will round out the team, with Bat Bot providing low-orbital surveillance and communication support.

It is a strange trip through the rift, which opens as a zipper in the Antarctic sky and ejects the AnimaDroidz unceremoniously, along with a quantity of fluffy debris best described as lint. As the team collects itself, Lock Jaw notes that there are no tracks to follow, and that it’s too cold to pick up a trail. Frankie radios Bat Bot to see if he can get a fix on Eevil’s position. Moments later Bat Bot responds with the coordinates. Doing some quick figuring with the aid of his internal navigation program, Desert Fox is able to determine Eevil’s heading, straight for the pole! Frankie theorizes that with his magnetic properties, Eevil can absorb the Pole’s concentrated magnetism, effectively making himself The Pole. If he accomplishes this, he could use the very planet as a sort of mammoth electric motor! The effects, of course, would be cataclysmic.

The AnimaDroidz continue on as fast as possible, but the going is rough, numbing cold and wind-driven snow. Suddenly, cresting a rise, they are confronted by two Breakers. Instinctively, the AnimaDroidz raise their water weapons to fire but the results are nothing more than a feeble squirt! The anti-freeze has failed! Our heroes brace for the Breakers onslaught, but clearly something is wrong with them, they are lethargic, and moving erratically. Finally, one crashes into a snow ledge, while the other simply hovers. The cold has slowed their molecular activity to such a crawl they can no longer function. Eevil appears over the rise, and with a disgusted hiss absorbs the two Breakers back into himself, then quickly turns and makes off. The AnimaDroidz give chase. After a short distance, they come across the Mantataur, abandoned and immobile. Eevil has continued on foot, across a dangerous stretch of pack ice. The AnimaDroidz follow, but must leave their vehicles behind. Steel Wool, sure footed on his motorized, tracked feet quickly closes the gap. Eevil wheels to fire an Amperz, but the proximity to the pole has crippled the Ectoscepter’s magnetic conduction. Frustrated, Eevil turns and continues, but he too is experiencing problems, the cold has made his already dense matter even more so, and he labors to move. Worse, the ice can’t take his massive weight, and begins to fissure, and splits with a load crack, hurtling Eevil forward onto an ice flow and tumbling the close following Steel Wool backward into the water! The AnimaDroidz rush to help their fallen comrade. He proves to be just beyond Lock Jaws reach, and his saturated wool begins to pull him under. Acting fast, Desert fox and Lock Jaw form an AnimaDroidz chain, and Desert Fox catches Steel Wool’s horns just as he slips under. With help from Grease Monkey and Frankie Hope they pull him to safety. Eevil, meanwhile, finds himself helpless for the first time in his existence. As the AnimaDroidz watch their nemesis, the ice unable to sustain his weight, sinks out of sight, his density and magnetic pull drawing him toward the bottom. —Fin

9TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

A lone atoll, somewhere in the Pacific. Without warning, a strange, multi-hued cloud appears and gathers above it, gradually lowering and turning itself a multitude of hues. Of course, as it’s uninhabited, there is no one there to see it.

“What could Eevil possibly want on this rock?” Frankie wonders aloud, surveying the craggy, sparsely vegetated surroundings. “I believe that may hold a clue, old boy” Desert Fox pipes in, pointing to a volcano at the far tip of the atoll. Sure enough, Eevil is close at hand, and he’s not alone… he’s brought an Extensor!

Arriving at the base of the volcano, Frankie, Desert Fox, Lock Jaw and Scales of Justice find a huge tunnel, apparently dug by the Extensor. Following the path made by the worm, Frankie notices that the inside wall is hot: This tunnel is following the path of the magma shaft! At one point, Eevil appears. He fires one Amperz, just as an attention getter, and then taunts the AnimaDroidz to follow him… if they dare! It seems that Eevil is intent on tunneling to the earth’s very core! As they go deeper, the heat becomes more intense. Soon it is more than Frankie can stand. Next Desert Fox and Steel Wool peel off, unable to take any more. Even with his self-contained atmosphere, Scales cannot continue. Finally, Lock Jaw, his stealth amour nearly glowing, must turn back. All is lost! Eevil will reach the earth’s core, and tap it’s immeasurable energy. Then, a miracle: the Extensor strikes a geothermal vent, dousing it and Eevil in super heated water and steam. Defeated and humiliated, Eevil tears past the AnimaDroidz and across the atoll, through the rift. The AnimaDroidz are grateful for their luck.

—Fin

10TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

Deep mine Peril

Deep within the Earth, in the heart of Appalachian coal country, miners ply their hazardous trade. Suddenly, an alarm sounds, and the glistening black walls begin to shake, culminating in the explosive emergence of dozens of Extensors, backs laden with Globules. What ensues is the quickest evacuation in deep mining history.

Catapulted through the Rift our heroes suddenly find themselves tumbling down a darkened mine shaft landing in a heap at the bottom. Frank has brought Lock Jaw, Steel Wool, Leap Frog, and .45 Caliber Slug along for this mission, and has taken the extra steps of fitting out the Deluxe Tank with a full compliment of driving lamps, spot beams and switching .45 Caliber Slug’s fibre optics over for night vision. The AnimaDroidz know that the FOE, many of who are basically subterranean to begin with, will have the advantage in this environment, and they proceed with caution.

Soon after entering the mine, the AnimaDroidz are attacked by Breaker sentinels who emerge from the walls. Several Amperz ricochet harmlessly off .45 Caliber Slug stealth painted shell. The AnimaDroidz return water, squirting their weapons at full force, but the Breakers dance out of the beams of the Deluxe and are gone. The four continue on even more aprehensive, and before long are rocked by a familiar rumbling. They cut the lights, and rely on .45 Caliber Slug’s new found night vision. Meanwhile, Frankie dons a pair of night vision goggles, another souvenir of Ft. Sandy. What they see is remarkable, Extensors and Globules by the dozen, gorging on coal, all under Eevil’s direction. Steel Wool suggests burying them in the mine, but Lock Jaw points out that they’d only dig their way out. Meanwhile, Frankie studies the walls. Noticing a small trickle, he gets an idea. He asks Steel Wool if he thinks he could hit a specific spot if he marked it with his Homing Beacon Beanie. Steel Wool replies that it shouldn’t be a problem. Then Frankie directs the others to create a diversion.

With everyone in place, the lights come on, and the AnimaDroidz go on offense. .45 Caliber Slug and Leap Frog with Tank, stun the Extensors while Lock Jaw holds off the Breakers and picks off the Globules. As this happens, Frankie clambers along the wall, finds his spot, and marks it by sticking his Beanie to the wall with a spike and turning the beacon on. Just as it looks as though the tide is turning against the AnimaDroidz, with Eevil joining the fray, Steel Wool’s hydrophaser cuts through the coal like butter, opening up the groundwater table and flooding the shaft! Our heroes must then high tail it out of the mine before the rising water drowns them, or the now weakened walls collapse. They emerge just as the whole mess falls in with a resounding wet crash. “That ought to hold them for awhile.” Frankie offers, “Yes…” Lock Jaw retorts “… but they’ll be back!” —Fin

11TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

Swamp Surprise

The F.O.E.’s unending quest for energy to rob, this time leads the AnimaDroidz to the steamy depths of Florida’s Okeefenokee swamp. Their special talents well suited to this hostile environment, Leap Frog, Grease Monkey, Wacko Gecko, and the ever present Lock Jaw disembark with Frankie to meet the latest threat.

This time the Rift intersects a particularly difficult dimension, wherein our travelers are liquefied and travel through in viscous balls, emerging from the portal in huge drips and then reassembling. Once through, they must try to discover what Eevil is after. However, to do that, they must first find the F.O.E.. Relying on Grease Monkey’s natural ability to maneuver in heavy vegetation and Lock Jaw’s tracking ability, they soon come upon a group of Breakers swooping about the Will O’ the Wisps. Frankie initially believes that they’re after the swamp gas, but Lock Jaw spots something half submerged in the mire which seems to be the actual target. While the others drive off the Breakers, Leap Frog swims over to the object and, using his hydraulically sprung legs, jacks it up and out of the muck.

The object seems to be some sort of strange, spherical craft. As the AnimaDroidz examine the object, a door pops open with a hiss, and out pile its occupants—three , lizard-like creatures (an older, mustachioed one, a young wiry one, and a big dumb one, plus a strange, three armed being speaking an even stranger, buzzing pop/clicking language, and lastly an old, wild eyed man with a mechanical arm. It’s none other than the Interplanetary Lizards of the Texas Plains!

While Morris and Doc thank the AnimaDroidz for getting them out of the mess, Tumbleweed asks everyone in sight for food, and Rattler complains about Willabeets driving. The Breakers return, only now there are more. Excitable Rattler tears into them with guns a blazing, but of course the Breakers just absorb the shots before Lock Jaw can explain. A Breaker fires back but Rattler ducks, Tumbleweed isn’t as lucky. Confused, he peels the Amperz off, pronounces it disgusting, flips it into the water, announces that he’s sleepy, and passes out.

Now briefed in the ways (and weaknesses) of the F.O.E., the Lizards and Morris borrow more appropriate weapons. And, as Willabeet, Grease Monkey, and Frankie Hope attempt to fix the Probes’ universal generating capacitator (the F.O.E.’s apparent target), fight back to back with the AnimaDroidz to hold off the swarming Breakers. The combined water power of the Lizards and the AnimaDroidz eventually overwhelms the Breakers, and drives them back through the Rift. While Frankie and the AnimaDroidz would be thankful for the help, Doc explains their quest to return home, and Rattler complains about Willabeets driving again. With the usual Lizard noise and hilarity, they pile back into the Probe, juice up, and pop out (of course Tumbleweed is awake, and hungry again). “Nice bunch of guys.” Leap Frog observes. “Yeah,” Frankie Hope answers him, “Kind of gives you hope, doesn’t it?” —Fin

12TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

As we’ve seen in previous stories, the dimensional Rift opened by the Rioplasm experiment does not respect Earth’s conventional time line. With the development of the ERADS, (Eevil Rift Activity Detection System), the AnimaDroidz and Frankie can now tell when this will occur (no end point is shown for the Rift activity). These missions tend to be more dangerous (one could get stranded, as Eevil did in episode #3) and only the bravest AnimaDroidz undertake them. This time, as usual, Lock Jaw, Steel Wool, and Desert Fox are eager to volunteer.

Our heroes find themselves hurled to the sand on the shoes of a beautiful island by a powerful, inter-dimensional wind. This has been a rough trip through the Rift, and they’re all a bit shaken. “Wh… where do you think we are?” wonders Frankie Hope. “Well it’s not Kansas” answers Steel Wool. “Something’s coming, watch out!” Desert Fox interjects. They quickly scramble behind some rocks as an ornate, chariot-like vehicle bears its handsome passengers along—several feet above the ground! “Did you see that?!” exclaims an excited Frankie Hope “No horses, no motor, no exhaust, nothing… it just goes!!” “That” offers Lock Jaw “… has everything to do with Eevil’s presence here.” He starts off after the strange vehicle, down a road toward an unsure destination, the others follow.

As they travel along the road, it becomes obvious that they are nearing a city. Finally, cresting a hill the city comes into sight. A magnificent city of white stone columns and gold. Roads branch out like spokes in five directions and everywhere there are bulls—images of bulls, live bulls wandering free, bulls led by men with ropes. Bulls and those strange hovering chariots. Something clicks for Frankie. “I know where we are, I saw something on Discover about this, this is Minoan Crete!” “Crete?” the AnimaDroidz question in unison. Frankie nods, “Most people would call it Atlantis.” Meanwhile, Desert Fox has spotted something in his field glasses. “Look there!” Dozens of the chariot-craft are gathering around a strange structure of bronze, tethered to it with bronze cables. Frankie Hope wants to see for himself, and borrows Desert Fox’s field glasses. The structure consists of two huge bronze cisterns filled with bubbling water, joined by a coil, attached to a whirling system of gears, pulleys, and flywheels, like some massive generator. “Wow!” exclaims Frankie Hope “That looks like a fusion reactor! That must be what Eevil’s up to!” But there’s more, the bronze edifice rises from the middle of an elaborate maze “The Famous Labyrinth”.

At the gate of the labyrinth, Frankie asks the AnimaDroidz for string “It worked in the myth” he offers. Lock Jaw assures him that his “second sight” can guide them. And guide them he does, deep into the maze, until a low menacing bellow stops them cold. What can that be? Then from the gloom, it emerges—a huge creature, half man, half bull. “The Minotaur!” Frankie Hope shouts, “I thought it was just a myth!” The beast lowers its head, and paws the earthen floor—it’s going to charge!!! Steel Wool steps up “Let me handle this, butting heads is my department!” But before impact Steel Wool is thrown back by a violent, electric shock. The Minotaur begins to change in shape, becoming the equally horned but more familiar form of Eevil!: “Fool!” Eevil cackles, as he turns and hurries toward the reactor. “We’ve got to stop him!” Frankie cries “If he learns how that reactor works, he’ll be invincible!” While Frankie Hope and Lock Jaw go after Eevil, Desert Fox checks on Steel Wool “Are you all right, chum? “Whoa… what a rush!” Is his answer.

©1996 LEADBELLY PRODUCTIONS

Deep in the heart of the maze, Eevil has reached the reactor. Frankie gets there first “No!” he exclaims. “Your too late boy!” Mocks Eevil, “in a few moments I will have all I need!” Then fate intervenes. A low rumble begins, then the ground shakes violently. Earthquake! The walls of the Labyrinth begin to tumble, and the great bronze collapses onto Eevil, the water dousing him. “We’ve got to move!” Lock Jaw shouts, grabbing Frankie Hope “What about Eevil?” Frankie Hope asks. “Shorted out—forget him!” Lock Jaw answers. The AnimaDroidz flee the maze (again guided by Lock Jaw’s second sight) and emerge amidst panicked Minoans who scarcely notice them. “Hurry! Back to the Rift!” Lock Jaw shouted, breaking into a run. “Look!” Desert Fox exclaims, pointing at the horizon where the ominous wave gathers: Tsunami (tidal wave)! The AnimaDroidz hit the beach with only minutes to spare, and pass through the rift to safety. But what of our villain? Back at the ruin of the Labyrinth, Eevil digs himself out from under the wreckage. Weakened but not destroyed, he now mounts the Mantataur and ruthlessly exhorting it to higher speeds, passes into the portal in the very face of the Tsunami, mere seconds before the Cretan civilization is dashed to the dust of history and myth.

—Fin

13TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

The Secret of the Skulls

The Smithstoneian Institute, Washington, D.C.. The night sky cracks, splinters, fissures, and falls away, (like a broken window), revealing a queer, yellow-orange atmosphere filled with floating cheese-like objects (you know, blocks, round cheese!). Amidst the floating formage, three dark objects appear, moving fast. Breakers! Soundlessly, they swoop down upon the famous museum, defeat the security system (by absorbing the laser triggers), disable the security guards (bio-electric shock), and steal into the Ancient America exhibit. Within moments they’re gone, back through the Rift, and the cheese sky drips away. Everything returns to normal, the only evidence left behind—a thin layer of what seems to be melted Meunster. The only item taken: a curious Pre-Columbian artifact known as the Moché Skull.

Meanwhile, in the Lube Lab, Frankie monitors the event on the ERADS (Eevil Rift Activity Detection System) console. Quickly, he contacts Bat Bot, who’s flying low-orbital reconasense over the U.S.. Bat Bot intercepts police transmittal’s, and reports back fully on the incident. Frankie is puzzled: what would Eevil want with an ancient Mayan artifact? Bat Bot remembers a blurb he caught while pirating CNN’s satellite signal (his favorite hobbie), and plays it back for Frankie: a second skull had been discovered in Peru, together with a Petroglyphic script telling of three skulls which when assembled, create enormous energy. No sooner has the tape ended than the ERADS lights up again: you guessed it—Peru! Wasting no time, Frankie assembles Leap Frog, Steel Wool, and Bomber and sets off for the portal, leaving the Lab in Lock Jaw’s capable, ah… paws.

Bat Bot meets them at the Peruvian dig. It’s too late—the skull is gone: But, by eavesdropping on the scientists (archaeologists), Bat Bot has learned that the third skull is rumored to be somewhere nearby. Bomber flies some low level reconnaissance, and soon spots rift activity at an overgrown, hillside ruin. He radios the coordinates back to the others, and Leap Frog and Steel Wool then lead the trek through the jungle. Once at the ruin, Bomber leads them to the temple he saw Eevil enter. Immediately upon going in they are attacked by Breakers. While Leap Frog and Steel Wool can hold them off, even with-out aerial support from Bomber (they’re inside now, remember), and Bat Bot having little in the way of weaponry, they’ll never overcome the Breakers in time to stop Eevil. Eevil cackles in expectant triumph, then Frankie gets an idea. He makes a few quick changes to one of Bat Bot’s parabolic microphones, and then covers his ears as Bat Bot begins to emit a horrible, high pitched squeal. In fact, everyone covers his ears, even Eevil. Then Frankie’s plan plays out: the high frequency vibrations shatter the crystal skull, and it falls to pieces just inches from Eevils clutches. A disgusted Eevil says something typically villainous, and takes off, minions in tow, leaving the other two skulls behind, emitting an erie glow.

—Fin

14TH EPISODE

(Rough Draft)

The Problems With Globules

The setting is a vast grain field (wheat, corn, oats, soybean—your choice) in America’s Midwest. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the harvestmen are hard at work, just another day on the farm. Suddenly, there’s a low rumble of thunder from the clear sky, and then the sky itself begins to open in a star burst shape (like a camera lens), exposing a weird, bright purple atmosphere beyond. This aperture then quickly darkens with a horde of evil shapes, led by Eevil himself. Panic stricken farmers flee their fields in fright, some leaping from their still moving combines and bailers, which then crash spectacularly (nice visual, huh?).

At the Lube Lab, Frankie and the AnimaDroidz monitor the activity on the ERADS. (Eevil Rift Activity Detection System). Judging by the amount of activity, they assemble the heavy artillery—Leap Frog in the Deluxe Tank, Desert Fox in the Desert ‘Vette, .45 Caliber Slug, Lock Jaw with his Armoured Stealth Cycle, and Steel Wool, and set off with all haste for the Rift.

Emerging from the Rift, our heroes are shocked at what awaits them. Globules! As far as the eye can see, legions and legions of Globules, apparently “eating” their way thought the fields. Frankie realizes that the Globules are converting the grain to pure energy: however, their numbers present a sticky problem. The AnimaDroidz try water blasting at the sea of Globules, but the dissolved balls are simply replaced by the ranks behind them. Their numbers extend all the way to the horizon—there’s no way to tell just how many there are: and there’s no obvious way to stop them.

Frankie and the AnimaDroidz put their heads together to try to come up with a solution. Desert Fox suggests diverting a river, but both Frankie and Lock Jaw rebuke him, the damage to property and danger to the innocent would be too great. Leap Frog looks hopefully at the sky and offers “Maybe it’ll rain.” “Not Likely.” answers Desert Fox, who’s on the radio to Bat Bot “Satellite photos indicate no rain for at least a week. “A week!” Steel Wool interjects “These things’ll eat their way to the sea by then!” But Frankie has an idea. He takes the radio from Desert Fox and asks Bat Bot to patch him through to the Lab.

At the Lab a sleepy Bomber is rousted by a grumpy Grease Monkey “Radio call for you.” Frankie has specific instructions for the somewhat stunned Bomber. Back at the scene, Steel Wool wonders if Frankie is sure this will work? “Frankly, No!” Is his answer. The unmistakable sound of Bombers turbo props heralds his arrival as he circles high above, then begins to drop his water bombs, now reconfigured to burst high above the ground and filled not with water, but with dry ice. Cloud seeding! Within moments, clouds boil up, and a steady downpour begins. Another crisis averted!

Watching Bomber trace lazy circles in the sky, Lock Jaw muses, “Maybe we’ll make an AnimaDroidz of him yet.”

—Fin

FUTURE VENUES/EPISODES

• The moon, where Eevil plans to intercept solar energy before it reaches Earth.

• A satellite high above the equator, where Eevil conspires to tap the energy of storms.

• Victorian London, where a “mad” scientist has harnessed

atmospheric electricity.

• The Mezazoic era (dinosaurs in this one), where Eevil attempts to harness the primordial forces of Earth

• A nuclear test site in cold-war era Siberia, where the

AnimaDroidz must prevent Eevil from harnessing the

enormous power released by a hydrogen bomb test.

• Eevil finds out the AnimaDroidz are using the Rift to follow

and intercept him. So he lays a trap to catch the AnimaDroidz

between worlds forever!