Zoids: Starriors, also referred to as Zoids: R.A.T.S. (Robot Anti-Terror Squad), was a robot toyline created by Tomy in association with Marvel Comics in 1984. It was a sub-line from Zoids, but had a new, different storyline. Six Marvel mini-comics were distributed with the toys. Marvel also produced a four-issue limited series written by Louise Simonson, with art by Michael Chen, Ian Akin, and Brian Garvey, and covers painted by Bill Sienkiewicz. The toys were not commercially successful. After the initial wave, there were only eight more toys produced, and only two additional minicomics. Consumer Reports Penny Power, when it reported on robot toys, noted the economic value of Gobots ("sturdy and cheap") over Transformers in later issues.
In the future, solar flares threaten all life on Earth. Its scientists build three Classes of intelligent robots known as Starriors, which are Protectors, to restore Earth for human use, Destructors, to ward off any potential alien invasions, and Guardians, to protect humanity after they go into a state of hibernation underground and have their essences transferred into the machines. The brains of the Starriors, called control circuits, are crafted in Man's image as androids. The leader of the Destructors, Slaughter Steelgrave, becomes craven at the thought of deactivation upon the restoration of the humans and enslaves the Protectors after what he believes to be a successful attempt to destroy all of the Guardians. Eventually, the human race and the Starriors' mission is forgotten as a reality and regarded as a myth - none of the Starriors had been activated when the humans disappeared. Then the Protector Trashor, Nipper, discovers a human skull. A band of Protectors, eventually joined by a few dutiful Destructors, sets out to release the humans from their overly prolonged hibernation.
Each Starrior has a Class and a Series, while several of them have a Model. As the Starriors lived on, and their intellect advanced, they developed more defined personality traits and most took on mental gender characteristics, though with the exception of Geo, a non-toy character exclusive to the comics, their body designs were genderless.
Of additional note, the toyline also sold a package of Transfer Rings, plastic rings that contained Starrior heads and weaponry. Both a Protector-themed and Destructor-themed Transfer Ring were sold together and was the least expensive Starriors toy. They could fit over most Wastors' forearms, and their narrative function was to transfer a Starrior's mind into a new body if their old one became incapacitated, as happened to a number of the characters in the comics series.
Character | Class | Series | Model | Gender | Brief | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crank | Protector | Wastor | Speed Drill | Male | Slow-witted and gentle, with a heart as big as he is | |
Cut-Up | Protector | Wastor | Chainsaw | Male | Volatile, wants to be able to turn his chest saw on his enemies | |
Hotshot | Protector | Wastor | Duo-Laser | Male | Leader of the Protectors on the quest for Man | |
Lazerram | Guardian | Armored Battle Station | Citadel of Dreams | Male | The fortress beneath which Man sleeps | |
Motormouth | Protector | Rammor | n/a | Male | Messenger, talks far too much | |
Nipper | Protector | Trashor | n/a | Female | Amnesiac, with a genius for scavenging | |
Runabout | Protector | Strazor | n/a | Female | Imaginative, timid, shape-changing all-terrain transport | |
Stinger | Guardian | Scout | n/a | Male | One of the last of the Guardians | |
Thinktank | Protector | Rammor | n/a | Male | Wise and ancient, Hotshot's advisor | |
Tinker | Protector | Trashor | n/a | Male | Enterprising, the perfect repair assistant |
Character | Class | Series | Model | Gender | Brief | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auntie Tank | Destructor | Rammor | n/a | Female | Heavily armored, high-speed search-and-destroy | |
Backfire | Destructor | Rammor | n/a | Male | Unlucky, efforts to help always backfire | |
Cricket | Mutant | Scout | n/a | Male | Deadeye's excitable deaf-mute scout | |
Deadeye | Mutant | Cosmittor | Demolishor | Male | Blind killer with the soul of a poet | |
Gouge | Destructor | Wastor | Spiked Ream | Male | Sadistic, ill-tempered, uses his ream for destruction | |
Grub | Destructor | Trashor | n/a | Male | Lazy scavenger | |
Sawtooth | Destructor | Wastor | Buzzsaw | Male | Stolid, sometimes sympathetic to the Protectors | |
Scrapper | Destructor | Trashor | n/a | Male | Gung-ho, would rather fight than work | |
Slaughter Steelgrave | Destructor | Wastor | Vibro-Chisel | Male | Tyrannical leader of the Destructors | |
Speedtrap | Destructor | Starrunner | Sky Fighter | Female | Erratic, dangerloving high-speed shapeshifter |
Character | Class | Series | Model | Gender | Brief | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bolar | Destructor | Wastor | Thrash Whip | Male | A formidable warrior in search of the perfect opponent | |
Clawgut | Destructor | Wastor | Pincer | Male | Spiteful and cowardly, quick to instigate trouble for others | |
Flashfist | Protector | Wastor | Pulsar Laser | Male | A battery in Wastor form, uses his enemies' own energies against them | |
Ripsaw | Protector | Wastor | Blade Shield | Male | On a quest for truth, fights only to protect others | |
Slice | Destructor | Wastor | Double Axe | Male | Strict spoilsport, loves inflicting punishment on his enemies | |
Twinblade | Protector | Wastor | Cross Saw | Male | Brilliant artist, loves his own work more than the Protectors' cause | |
Twinhorn | Destructor | Stalkor | Laser Tongue | Male | Enforces all Destructor regulations, supports any Destructor that uses it for travel | |
Windstorm | Protector | Vultor | n/a | Female | High-speed and airborne, she is a useful spy vehicle and a hopeless snitch |
1. Deadeye
2. The Forest
3. Honor
4. The Trap
5. The Wall
6. Bolar!
Odyssey I. Tunnel of Doom
Odyssey II. Escape to Freedom
1. Discovery
2. Under Fire
3. Assault!
4. Quest's End!
The Protector band sets off, pursued by the Destructors. Throughout the series, the Protectors have several disadvantages to overcome. They are programmed for non-violence. Until they are able to override that programming, they cannot use their tools as weapons even if they want to. Since they are not designed for combat, they have little armor and only a few, such as the leader Hot Shot, are fitted with cutting lasers. Most have tools that are not very useful as weapons. Finally, Slaughter Steelgrave brings with him Deadeye, a Cosmittor. Deadeye is a huge tyrannosaurus rex-style robot who fires explosive discs from his mouth. Designed to destroy the largest and most powerful mutant monsters on the planet, Deadeye is far larger than any Protector, immune to their attacks, and capable of killing large numbers in a single assault. His presence means the Protectors must flee constantly. It is not until they find the Guardian, Stinger, and the Armored Battle Station under which Man sleeps, that those who search for Man gain enough firepower to mount a real defense against their enemies.
The mini-comics did not muddle who the good guys and bad guys were, unlike the comics, where the functions the Starriors were built for meant little to where their loyalties lay. Most notably in the cases of Sawtooth, who had always been sympathetic to the Protectors, and Auntie Tank, who questioned her loyalties throughout the mini-series before finally siding with the Protectors, too. The Protector Motormouth was revealed to be a spy for Slaughter Steelgrave as well. When the first human is released, it is decided that the Starriors retain their own identity and remain active amongst the humans. However, Slaughter Steelgrave remains to be reasoned with.
There is much speculation about the existence of Starriors animated material. A 1984 trade advertisement released by Tomy stated that there was currently a Starriors television miniseries titled "Starriors Odyssey" in production to air in the spring and fall of 1985.[1]
The Runabout and Speedtrap toys were originally developed for the Zoids line, but they were released as Starriors instead. As a result, the toys have a number of stylistic links to the early Zoids, such as the Bigasaur, as well as sharing similar labels and even carrying Helic Republic insignias.
Many Starriors figures and vehicles were recolored and released by Tomy in Europe under the name R.A.T.S..
The molds for Runabout and Speedtrap were reused and released in at least three-color variations each, for the small Japanese toyline Transforming Machine Beast Starriors (変幻機械獣スタリアス Hengen Kikaijū Sutariasu).