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.
Spiral Zone (Season 1)
Holographic Zone Battle (Episode 1)
Writer: Richard Mueller
Air date: 1987-09-21
Overview: 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 (Episode 2)
Writer: Francis Moss
Air date: 1987-09-22
Overview: 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 (Episode 3)
Writer: Eric Lewald
Air date: 1987-09-23
Mission Into Evil (Episode 4)
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Air date: 1987-09-24
Back to the Stone Age (Episode 5)
Writer: Michael Reaves
Air date: 1987-09-25
Small Packages (Episode 6)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-09-28
Overview: 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 (Episode 7)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-09-29
Overview: 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 (Episode 8)
Writer: Michael Reaves
Air date: 1987-09-30
Ride the Whirlwind (Episode 9)
Air date: 1987-10-01
Overview: 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 (Episode 10)
Writer: Patrick J. Furlong
Air date: 1987-10-02
Overview: 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 (Episode 11)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-10-05
The Imposter (Episode 12)
Air date: 1987-10-06
The Hacker (Episode 13)
Writer: Patrick J. Furlong
Air date: 1987-10-07
Overlord's Mystery Woman (Episode 14)
Writer: David Schwartz
Air date: 1987-10-08
Overview: 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 (Episode 15)
Writer: Eric Lewald
Air date: 1987-10-09
Zone Train (Episode 16)
Air date: 1987-10-12
Overview: 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.
Breakout (Episode 17)
Writer: Buzz Dixon
Air date: 1987-10-13
When the Cat's Away (Episode 18)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-10-14
Island in the Zone (Episode 19)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-10-15
The Shuttle Engine (Episode 20)
Writer: R. Patrick Neary
Air date: 1987-10-16
The Mind of Gideon Rorshak (Episode 21)
Writer: Haskell Barkin
Air date: 1987-10-19
Canal Zone (Episode 22)
Writer: Gerry Conway
Air date: 1987-10-20
The Lair of the Jade Scorpion (Episode 23)
Writer: Kent Butterworth
Air date: 1987-10-21
The Man Who Wouldn't Be King (Episode 24)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-10-22
The Way of the Samurai (Episode 25)
Writer: Michael Reaves
Air date: 1987-10-23
The Best Fighting Men in the World (Episode 26)
Writer: Frank Dandridge
Air date: 1987-10-26
The Ultimate Solution (Episode 27)
Writer: Patrick Barry
Air date: 1987-10-27
Hometown Hero (Episode 28)
Writer: Francis Moss
Air date: 1987-10-28
In the Belly of the Beast (Episode 29)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-10-29
The Last One Picked (Episode 30)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-10-30
So Shall You Reaper (Episode 31)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-02
The Secret of Shadow House (Episode 32)
Writer: Michael Reaves
Air date: 1987-11-03
Zone of Fear (Episode 33)
Writer: Michael Reaves
Air date: 1987-11-04
Bandit and the Smokies (Episode 34)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-05
Heroes in the Dark (Episode 35)
Writer: Ken Kahn
Air date: 1987-11-06
Zone with Big Shoulders (Episode 36)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-09
Behemoth (Episode 37)
Writer: Patrick Barry
Air date: 1987-11-10
The Power of the Press (Episode 38)
Writer: Gerry Conway
Air date: 1987-11-11
Starship Doom (Episode 39)
Writer: Ray Parker
Air date: 1987-11-12
The Electric Zone Rider (Episode 40)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-13
An Australian in Paris (Episode 41)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-16
The Enemy Within (Episode 42)
Writer: Michael Kirschenbaum
Air date: 1987-11-17
Anti-Matter (Episode 43)
Writer: Brooks Wachtel
Air date: 1987-11-18
The Siege (Episode 44)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-19
A Little Zone Music (Episode 45)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-20
The Element of Surprise (Episode 46)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-23
Seachase (Episode 47)
Writer: Francis Moss
Air date: 1987-11-24
The Right Man for the Job (Episode 48)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-25
High and Low (Episode 49)
Air date: 1987-11-26
Profiles in Courage (Episode 50)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-11-27
The Darkness Within (Episode 51)
Air date: 1987-11-30
Power Play (Episode 52)
Writer: Kent Stevenson
Air date: 1987-12-01
Duchess Treat (Episode 53)
Air date: 1987-12-02
Oversight (Episode 54)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-12-03
Assault on the Rock (Episode 55)
Writer: Frank Dandridge
Air date: 1987-12-04
They Zone by Night (Episode 56)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-12-07
Conflict of Duty (Episode 57)
Writer: Cherie Dee Wilkerson
Air date: 1987-12-08
The Final Weapon (Episode 58)
Writer: Ray Parker
Air date: 1987-12-09
The Face of the Enemy (Episode 59)
Writer: Mark Edward Edens
Air date: 1987-12-10
Brother's Keeper (Episode 60)
Writer: Gerry Conway
Air date: 1987-12-11
Little Darlings (Episode 61)
Writer: Francis Moss
Air date: 1987-12-14
Nightmare in Ice (Episode 62)
Air date: 1987-12-15
Evil Transmissions (Episode 63)
Writer: Jim Wager
Air date: 1987-12-16
Zone Trap (Episode 64)
Writer: Jim Wager
Air date: 1987-12-17
Countdown (Episode 65)
Writer: Jim Wager
Air date: 1987-12-18
