Television series
Battle Fever J (バトルフィーバーJ, Batoru Fībā Jei) is a live-action Japanese–American TV series. The third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise, Battle Fever J was a co-production of Toei Company and Marvel Comics. A total of 52 episodes aired on TV Asahi from February 3, 1979, to January 26, 1980,[1] following J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai and being followed by Denshi Sentai Denjiman.
The team have codenames named for countries around the world, also respectively named in their theme song: Battle France, Battle Cossack (Soviet Union), Battle Kenya, Miss America (United States) and Battle Japan. It marks the first appearance of a Black Ranger in the franchise. It was also the first series in the Super Sentai franchise where the heroes must control giant robots to defeat a monster who itself has grown to a gigantic size. Toei's tokusatsu adaptation of Spider-Man was the first to introduce this format and was also the inspiration for this and the subsequent entries in the Super Sentai series. The series was also partially inspired by the Marvel Comics character Captain America.
Battle Fever J was the first series to use the term Super Sentai (unlike the previous two who were just called Sentai, without the “Super”) until Toei announced in 1995 that its predecessors Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai were also part of the Super Sentai series, when Chouriki Sentai Ohranger was announced as the 19th Super Sentai team.[citation needed]
Plot
General Kurama assembles four young agents who had been dispatched around the world for training. They are joined by FBI investigator Diane Martin, whose father was murdered by Egos. The five don powered suits to become the Battle Fever Squad. The Battle Fever Squad's trump card is the Battle Fever Robo. Egos tries to stop the construction of the Robot, but the monsters they send to perform this task are defeated one by one by the Battle Fever Squad. Egos then unleashes the "younger brother" of the Buffalo Monster, a giant robot replica of its "older brother". The Robot, fortunately, is finished in time. Aboard it, the Battle Fever Squad defeats the Buffalo Monster and its successors. The Battle Fever Squad never stops, even when it lost two of its members (the original Miss America and Battle Cossack). With new members, the team defeats Hedder, now the Hedder Monster, and breaks into Egos' headquarters, where they are fed into the Egos Monster Making Machine so that they may be used as material for a Battle Fever Monster. The team destroys the machine and slays the mysterious deity Satan Egos himself with the Lightning Sword Rocketter sword-throwing move.
Characters
Battle Fever Squad
The Battle Fever Squad (バトルフィーバー隊, Batoru Fībā Tai) is unique among Super Sentai shows in that, originally, they did not "transform" into their costumes (as in the previous two series, Gorenger and JAKQ), instead they resorted to an unseen costume change. In most episodes, however, the members yell "Fever!" and spin around to transform although in episode 24 it is revealed they can store their costumes in their Battleceivers.
Masao Den (伝正夫, Den Masao) / Battle Japan (バトルジャパン, Batoru Japan): A former National Defense Ministry officer. He is good at judo and karate. He is armed with a spear. During the team's roll call, he performs a martial arts-inspired dance. 21 years after Battle Fever J ended, Battle Japan appeared as one of the 24 Red Rangers in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai, introduced by Liveman Red Falcon to inspire the current team.
Battle Cossack (バトルコサック, Batoru Kosakku): Unofficially the first Orange Warrior moniker in Super Sentai history who wielded twin sais.
- Kensaku Shiraishi (白石謙作, Shiraishi Kensaku) (1-33): He was good at science as well as war. During the team's roll call, he performed a traditional Soviet dance. He was the original second in command of the team. In episode 33, he left the Big Baser without his Battle Cossack uniform and was fatally shot by a troop of Cutmen, attempting to save a little girl named Mayumi from Egos' forces. He loved to play Pachinko and enjoyed eating caviar.
- Makoto Jin (神誠, Jin Makoto) (33-52): A silent cowboy. A man of action, not words. A scientist who trained in the Defense Ministry along with Kensaku. He joined Battle Fever to avenge the death of his friend. Makoto is an expert marksman. He is a loner, preferring to go off by himself. Makoto plays a trumpet to distract Egos.
Kyousuke Shida (志田京介, Shida Kyōsuke) / Battle France (バトルフランス, Batoru Furansu): He received his combat training while in France. He became the new second in command of the team after Kensaku's death. He is normally a beautician, a dandy and playboy. He enjoys eating escargot. He is armed with a rapier sword. During the team's roll call, he performs a flamenco dance.
Shiro Akebono (曙四郎, Akebono Shirō) / Battle Kenya (バトルケニア, Batoru Kenia): Unofficially the first Black Warrior in Super Sentai history. He received his combat training while in Kenya. He is a wild child who can talk to animals. He is armed with a whip. During the team's roll call, he performs a tribal dance. He eats just about anything. The smell of his cooking is not appreciated by the other team members. Shirou later appeared in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. He is also thematically similar to the Marvel superhero Black Panther.
Miss America (ミスアメリカ, Misu Amerika) : The pink-colored moniker who is armed with throwing knives. During the team's roll call, she performs a disco dance.
- Diane Martin (ダイアン・マーチン, Daian Māchin) (1-24): An FBI agent who joined the Battle Fever Squad to avenge her father Bosner, who was slain by Egos. In episode 24, after she was wounded by the Dracula Monster, she returned to the United States. Diane has a sister named Catherine.
- Maria Nagisa (汀マリア, Nagisa Maria) (24-52): An FBI agent trained by Diane Martin's father. When Diane was injured, Maria took her place as Miss America and then stayed on permanently when Diane decided to return to the United States.
Gear
- Battleceiver (バトルシーバー, Batorushībā): The Battle Fever Squad's communication device, in Episode 24 it is revealed that the Battle Fever suits can be stored inside.
- Command Bat (コマンドバット, Komando Batto): The Battle Fever Squad's standard issue weapon. It transforms into the Battle Fever Squad's assigned weapons. Forms the Penta Force (ペンタフォース, Penta Fōsu) bazooka or boomerang.
Vehicles
- Battle Fever Car (バトルフィーバーカー, Batoru Fībā Kā): Stock green Mazda RX-7 used by Battle Japan and Miss America.
- Three Machines (スリーマシーン, Surī Mashīn): The motorcycles used by the rest of the BFS. In episode 35, Miss America rode Battle France's motorcycle.
Mecha
- Big Baser (ビッグベイザー, Biggu Beizā): The Battle Fever Squad's box-like undersea headquarters. It can move from place to place under the sea.
- Battle Shark (バトルシャーク, Batoru Shāku): A submarine-like mecha carrier. Splits in half to launch the Battle Fever Robo and stores all of its weaponry.
- Battle Fever Robo (バトルフィーバーロボ, Batoru Fībā Robo): Resembling a samurai, this the first mega-robot in Super Sentai history. It has a variety of weapons:
- Lightning Sword (電光剣, Denkō Ken): Samurai-type sword with scabbard. On the grip are the letters "ACFKJ" (America, Cossack, France, Kenya, Japan).
- Bamboo Slice (唐竹割り, Karatake Wari): The Battle Fever Robo's primary finisher.
- Battle Fever Power (バトルフィーバーパワー, Batoru Fībā Pawā): The auxiliary finisher using the robot's total energy. It was used to kill Hedder Monster.
- Lightning Sword Rocketter (電光剣ロケッター, Denkō Ken Rokettā): The auxiliary finisher used to kill Satan Egos in the final battle.
- Swords Fever (ソードフィーバー, Sōdo Fībā): The throwing daggers stored in sheaths attached to the robot's legs. It was used in the Cross Fever (クロスフィーバー, Kurosu Fībā) attack.
- Fever Axe (フィーバーアックス, Fībā Akkusu): The hatchet.
- Chain Crushers (チェーンクラッシャー, Chēn Kurasshā): The chains stored in the robot's arms.
- Stick Attacker (スティックアタッカー, Sutikku Atakkā): A spear.
- Attack Lancer (アタックランサー, Atakku Ransā): A trident. It can be used in conjunction with either Chain Crusher.
- Cane Knocker (ケーンノッカー, Kēn Nokkā): A shakujo. It was used in Episode 24 to fight the Dracula Robot.
- Battle Shield (バトルシールド, Batoru Shīrudo): A defense tool. It can withstand 28,000 tons of pressure.
- Knuckle Punchers (ナックルパンチャー, Nakkuru Panchā): Knuckle dusters.
- Cross Turn (クロスターン, Kurosu Tān): The robot can attack using its detached horns.
- Fever Cannons (フィーバーカノン, Fībā Kanon): The cannons stored inside the robot's lower legs.
Allies
- General Tetsuzan Kurama (倉間鉄山将軍, Kurama Tetsuzan Shōgun): The chief of the special science office of the National Defense Ministry who established the Battle Fever Squad. He is a master of traditional Japanese swordsmanship.
- Keiko Nakahara (中原ケイコ, Nakahara Keiko): One of the operatives that runs Big Baser.
- Tomoko Ueno (上野トモコ, Ueno Tomoko): The other operative that runs Big Baser.
- Masaru Nakahara (中原マサル, Nakahara Masaru): Keiko's little brother.
- Yuki Ueno (上野ユキ, Ueno Yuki): Tomoko's little sister. Was used by Egos in episode 27 to find Battle Fever's base.
- Kyutaro (九太郎, Kyūtarō): Robot mynah bird built by Tetsuzan as a present. Often had insight into the situation. Revealed in episode 51 to have a freezing ray built in.
Secret Society Egos
Secret Society Egos (秘密結社エゴス, Himitsu Kessha Egosu) is a religion of mad egocentrists who intend to plunge the world into chaos.
- Satan Egos (サタンエゴス, Satan Egosu): The mysterious head, entirely draped in black. He creates the Egos Monster's inside the Egos heart, calling them "My beloved Children". They call him "Father". He is ultimately slain by the Lightning Sword Rocketter.
- Commander Hedder (ヘッダー指揮官, Heddā Shikikan) (1–51): The high priest of Egos. He later becomes the Hedder Monster after his death at the hands of Kurama and is slain a second time as such by the Battle Fever J's new attack, Battle Fever Power.
- Salomé (サロメ, Sarome) (19–52): An Egos American branch officer who came to Japan to aid Hedder with her super strength. She is responsible for all the assassinations in America. She allowed herself to be captured by Battle Fever after attacking and replacing several policemen with disguised cutmen, with whom she stole a billion yen to give to Egos. She believes she is taken to the Battle Fever Base, but in reality she is taken to a warehouse. She carries a hand mirror with a tracker in it, which she uses to fire solar beams or to bludgeon people. She was killed in the collapsing castle as Satan Egos fled. Her last words were begging Egos to help her.
- Cutmen (カットマン, Kattoman): The foot soldiers in grey and black armed with MP40 machine guns.
Movie
There was a theatrical release of Battle Fever J, released as part of the Toei Manga Matsuri on July 29, 1979. It was a blown up version of Episode 5 "Robot Big Dogfight".[2] Interestingly though, this theatrical version did not appear on Toei's Super Sentai Movie compilation DVD's, but it did make its way onto Toei's Tokusatsu Hero The Movie DVD series, being featured on Volume 5 of that collection.
