 This article is about a foreign adaptation in the Metal Hero Series.
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Beetleborgs Metallix is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment.[1] It aired for two seasons on Fox Kids between September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. Reruns later aired on UPN Kids during 1998-1999. On May 7, 2010 the copyright for Beetleborgs was transferred from BVS International to SCG Power Rangers.[2]
The series adapted combat footage from the Metal Hero tokusatsu-series B-Fighter Kabuto.
Synopsis[]
The events of Big Bad Beetleborgs lead directly into the second season, Beetleborgs Metallix. In it, the Crustaceans have replaced the Magnavores as the Beetleborgs' new arch-enemy. Nukus discovers that his creator is actually Art's incarcerated brother, Les Fortunes. Nukus busts Les out of prison. Les now serves him by creating new villains and monsters for him. In response, Art creates new powers, armor, and weapons, which Flabber then bring to life again for the kids, who rechristen themselves as Beetleborgs Metallix, hence the title. They are later assisted by the Astralborgs, four Beetleborgs created by Art Fortunes as a child when he and Les worked together on their only collaboration, the Lost Comic.
Nukus formed his own evil group, named the Crustaceans. He would later recruit more faithful followers from the Lost Comic in the form of the Mantrons. Nukus and Vilor eventually gained upgraded Mega forms. To counteract this, the Beetleborgs were given an upgrade by Roboborg, who fused their Metallix powers with their original powers, creating the Mega Spectra Beetleborgs. Vilor's "mega" form did not last long and he quietly returned to his original look without explanation; however, Mega Nukus retained his upgraded look.
The series concluded with the Beetleborgs gaining the enemy Boron as an ally, stripping Nukus of his greatest weapon; and Les Fortunes made the decision to return willingly to Charterville prison, disabling Nukus' ability to create new monsters out of illustrations. With no known way of returning the Crustaceans to the comic world, the Beetleborgs were left with an unresolved final battle with what was left of their foes.
Characters[]
Beetleborgs[]
- Main article: Beetleborgs
Beetleborgs with Astralborgs
| Chromium Gold Beetleborg | Andrew McCormick |
| Titanium Silver Beetleborg | Roland Williams |
| Platinum Purple Beetleborg | Josephine McCormick |
Astralborgs[]
| Dragonborg | Dragonborg |
| Fireborg | Fireborg |
| Lightningborg | Lightningborg |
| Ladyborg | Ladyborg |
Battleborgs[]
Allies[]
- Hillhurst Monsters
- Arthur "Art" Fortunes
- "Nano" Williams
- Abbie Williams
- Heather
Crustaceans[]
Monsters[]
- Aqualungs
- Hagfish of Gar
- Changeling
- Fernzilla
- Roo-thless
- Ultimate Conqueror
- Torch Mouth
- Ultra Vulture
- Brain Sucker
- Monster Smasher
- Triplesaurus Rex
- Piranha Khan
- Emily the Seed of Evil
- Fangula Bat Monster
- El Scorpio
- Shellator
- Mole Monster
- Monster Mother: Root of all Evil
- Repgillian
Episodes[]
- Crush of the Crustaceans
- Metallix Rising
- Battle Station Alert
- Ghoul Trouble
- Totally Slammin' Sector Cycles
- Headless Over Heels
- Monster Imposter
- Horror Hotel
- Les is More
- Sunset Boo-levard
- Extra... Beetleborgs Revealed
- Who's that Ghoul?
- Attack of the Brain Suckers
- Don't Fear the Reaper
- The Old Gray Flabber
- Son of Frankenbeans
- How Does Your Garden Grow?
- The Curse of the Mummy's Mommy
- Halloween Haunted House of Horrors
- Booger Man
- The Poe and the Pendulum
- The Lost Comic
- Enter the Dragonborg
- To Foretell the Truth
- Wolfie's Wild Ride
- Lady and the Champs
- Astral Ransom
- Astral Ambush
- Roboborg
- Mega Spectra Beetleborgs
- Battle of the Giants
- Robo Rumble
- Super Fang
- Experiment in Evil
- Mega Borg Power
Production[]
It was not uncommon to see cardboard cut-outs and wall decorations of the Beetleborgs characters on the walls of Zoom Comics where the three kids worked. Other decorations used included the costume heads of King Sphinx of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the original head from the monster costume Kappa from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (The monster was used as "Parrot Top" in MMPR) which was used to create the costume Malavex. Toys from the Bandai Beetleborgs toyline could also be seen in various displays.
Beetleborgs Metallix ultimately ended because the Saban crew were left with no more B-Fighter Kabuto footage to adapt, the show was left on a cliffhanger. Their predecessor, VR Troopers also ended for the same reason.
Reuse[]
Various monsters from both Beetleborgs seasons were re-used along with un-used B-Fighter Kabuto monsters as enemy monsters in the Power Rangers series:
- In Power Rangers in Space, Triplesaurus Rex and a Stego Dreg were seen at the Onyx Tavern in "Flashes of Darkonda." Aqualungs, Changeling, Emily The Seed Of Evil, Hagfish Of Gar, Spider Dreg, Stego Dreg, Torch Mouth, Triplesaurus Rex, and Ultra Vulture were each seen with each army in "Countdown to Destruction." Unused B-Fighter monsters Anemolala, Kapparapa, Meltzura and Pineappler also appeared there.
- In Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, a Stego Dreg, Mole Monster and Ultra Vulture were seen at the Onyx Tavern.
- In Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Emily the Seed of Evil, Hagfish of Gar, and Torch Mouth were seen in the Shadow World in "The Fate of Lightspeed" Pt. 2. Unused B-Fighter monster Meltzura also appeared.
- In Power Rangers S.P.D. El Scorpio was re-used in the episode "S.W.A.T." Part I as the scorpion monster that was a holographic monster Sergent Silverback used as a way to train the rangers to use S.W.A.T. Mode.
Some of the monsters costumes from Beetleborgs appeared in the The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog in repainted form. Among these costumes are Scorpix, Shellator, Emily the Seed of Evil, Fangula Bat Monster, Fernzilla, and 2 monsters from B-Fighter Kabuto that were unused in this series (the ant monster Baneria, and the porcupine/stingray monster Porcuray). The costumes for Shellator, Fangula Bat Monster, and B-Fighter monsters Baneria and Porcuray were used to portray the Spectres of Banshee Woods in Episode 24.
Five random Beetleborgs suits (including Dragonborg (minus his antenne), Fireborg, and Ladyborg) were re-used in the Power Rangers Wild Force episode Forever Red as remnants of the Machine Empire, who would plan to reactivate Serpentera.
In Episode 54, Saban featured in "Gravesoul Owns."
On location[]
The show was filmed in a number of locations.
- Much of the show was filmed in Santa Paula, California, a small rural town in Ventura County.
Streaming[]
From June 15, 2011 to January 30, 2021 all episodes of Big Bad Beetleborgs and Beetleborgs Metallix were made available on Netflix.
Home video releases[]
On June 11th, 2013. BettleBorgs Metallix season 2 Part 1 was released on DVD by Shout Factory. In the summer of 2013, Shout Factory cancelled the last BettleBorgs Metallix DVD due to poor sales of the first season of Big Bad BettleBorgs and the first half of Metallix. Shout Factory stated that if the DVD sets go well, they would release the final volume. On May 5th, 2015, Shout Factory released BettleBorgs Metallix Season 2 Part 2 on DVD but only available by their website. On January 1st 2015, Shout! Factory released volume 2 in stores everywhere. Both sets for Metallix as well as Big Bad Beetleborgs are out-of-print as of 2019. There are currently no plans for a Region 1 re-release.
References[]
- ↑ Get Ready For `Beetleborgs': Kids, Superheroes And A Ghost Named Flabber Chicago Tribune, September 5, 1996, Mangan, Jennifer
- ↑ United States Copyright Office Public Catalog Search the name "SCG Power Rangers".