Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light | |
|---|---|
 Visionaries title screen |
|
| Genre | Sci-fi / Fantasy /Animation |
| Creator(s) | Flint Dille |
| Voices of | Susan Blu Peter Cullen Jim Cummings Roscoe Lee Browne Jennifer Darling Bernard Erhard Jonathan Harris Chris Latta Michael McConnohie Hal Rayle Neil Ross Beau Weaver |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Syndication |
| Original run | September 21, 1987 – December 14, 1987 |
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light is a half hour animated television series from 1987. It is based on the action figure toy line of the same name by Hasbro. A total of 13 episodes were produced by Sunbow Productions, and were released on Region 2 DVD in 2004. There was also a short-lived comic book series published by Star Comics and eventually Marvel Comics - it lasted only 6 issues, and was cancelled mid-way through a 4-part adventure.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
Set on the planet Prysmos, located in another dimension, the Visionaries consist of two groups of knights — the Spectral Knights and the Darkling Lords, both of whom have their magical powers gifted from Merklynn after successfully completing a quest to reach Merklynn's shrine on Iron Mountain.
[edit] Spectral Knights
The Spectral Knights are those who use their powers for good. They are led by Leoric, the leader of New Valarak. Their members are:
| Picture | Character | Description | Totem | Voice Performer |
 |
Leoric | Leader of the Spectral Knights and prince of New Valarak. He possesses the totem of the Lion and his Power Staff bestows the Power of Wisdom. | Lion | Neil Ross |
 |
Ectar | Leoric's lieutenant. Before the Great Cataclysm, he was a policeman in the City of Valarak, often matching wits against a master thief named Reekon who later becomes a Darkling Lord. He possesses the totem of the Fox. He has no totem staff but is one of the knights able to power vehicles. His main vehicle of choice is the Lancer Cycle. In the comics, this held the Power of Protection. | Fox | Michael McConnohie |
 |
Feryl | The youngest of the Spectral Knights. Like Ectar and Leoric, he lives in New Valarak. He possesses the totem of the Wolf. He has no totem staff but boasts an additional ability to activate vehicles. His main vehicle is the Capture Chariot. In the comics, this held the Power of Fire. | Wolf | Beau Weaver |
 |
Cryotek | The oldest of the group. He hails from the northern city of Northalia which has a cold climate. He possesses the totem of the Bear and his totem staff bestows the Power of Strength. His main adversary among the Darkling Lords is Cindarr. | Bear | Bernard Erhard |
 |
Witterquick | He possesses the totem of the Cheetah and his totem staff bestows the Power of Lightspeed. | Cheetah | Jim Cummings |
 |
Arzon | He possesses the totem of the Eagle and his totem staff imparts the Power of Knowledge. | Eagle | Hal Rayle |
 |
Galadria | The only female knight among the Spectral Knights, hailing from Androsia. She possesses the totem of the Dolphin. Galadria is the love interest of Cryotek. In the comic books, she gained the Power of Healing. | Dolphin | Susan Blu |
[edit] Darkling Lords
Headed by Darkstorm, the Darkling Lords use their powers for selfish aims and are fittingly considered the villains of the series.
| Picture | Character | Description | Totem | Voice Performer |
 |
Darkstorm | The leader of the Darkling Lords. Even before receiving his totem powers, he commanded the allegiance of Reekon and Mortredd. He secures the allegiance of the other members of his group when finding them caught in a trap during the quest to Merklynn's shrine, having them swear loyalty to him in exchange for freeing them. He bears the totem of the Mollusk and his power staff holds the Power of Decay. The cartoon showed he also had a secondary power to reverse his own Decay. | Mollusk | Chris Latta |
 |
Reekon | A career thief during the Age of Science, Reekon serves Darkstorm for primarily mercenary reasons. For his stealth and treachery, Merklynn awards him the totem of the Lizard. During both the Age of Science and the Age of Magic, Reekon finds himself engaging in a battle of wits against Ectar. Reekon has no totem staff but has the ability to power vehicles. His main vehicle is the Dagger Assault, which features a containment cell that serves as a Magic Extractor. | Lizard | Roscoe Lee Browne |
 |
Mortdredd | Darkstorm's most loyal Darkling Lord. An unapologetic sycophant, Mortred is utterly devoted to Darkstorm. He possesses the totem of the Beetle, and like Reekon has the ability to power vehicles. His main vehicle is the aerial vehicle known as the Sky Claw, which has the power of Flight. | Beetle | Jonathan Harris |
 |
Cindarr | Previously a construction worker during the Age of Science, Cindarr's main adversary is Cryotek. He is considered the most dim-witted of the Darkling Lords, occasionally displaying kindness toward others which exasperates his fellow Darkling Lords. Cindarr bears the totem of the Gorilla and his power staff invokes the Power of Destruction. | Gorilla | Peter Cullen |
 |
Cravex | The most short-tempered of the Darkling Lords, Cravex bears the totem of the phylot (a dinosaur-like scavenging bird on the planet of Prysmos) and his power staff invokes the Power of Fear. | Phylot | Chris Latta |
 |
Lexor | He possesses the totem of the Armadillo and his power staff offers the Power of Invulnerability. Lexor is generally regarded as a liar and a coward. | Armadillo | Michael McConnohie |
 |
Virulina | Prior to the Age of Magic, Virulina was a newscaster. She is the only female Darkling Lord, and possesses the totem of the Shark. Her main adversary is Galadria. In the comic books, she gained the Power of Disease. | Shark | Jennifer Darling |
[edit] Other characters
Merklynn - The wizard who occupies the shrine at Iron Mountain. Merklynn invites knights from across the land to compete in an obstacled race to his shrine, rewarding those who reach its hall with magical abilities. In exchange for recharging their power staffs at his magical cauldron, Merklynn contracts both the Darkling Lords and Spectral Knights to venture in other quests on his behalf.
Fletchen - A young woman from a village near New Valarak. In the episode "Lion Hunt", Darkstorm used her superstitious people as unwitting pawns in his plan to trap Leoric in his Lion form. She was the first to discover what had happened to Leoric, but, though she was able to convince his fellow Spectral Knights of the truth, her own people (urged on by Darkstorm) refused to listen and only stopped attacking the Spectral Knights once Leoric was freed from the spell which trapped him. Fletchen only appears twice in the series, but there is strong evidence of a romantic relationship between her and Leoric.
Falkama - One of the wizards who inhabit Prysmos and a member of the same circle of wizardry as Merklynn. The Visionaries encountered him not long after they gained their magical powers; at the time, he was guarding the Dragon's Eye which Merklynn needed to replenish his magic pool. Later in the series, Darkstorm used him in his plot to depose Merklynn, before sending both wizards to the Wizards' Jail. In the wake of that episode, Falkama escaped but was later recaptured by the Spectral Knights.
Bogavus - An enigmatic wizard. He was among those who escaped the Wizards' Jail, but Merklynn had never known him to commit evil and, when caught by the Spectral Knights, he denied knowing any real magic. Merklynn subjected him to a test which would cause him to be consumed by fire if he was dishonest - when Bogavus appeared to pass, he was allowed to go free. However, the question of whether he was genuinely innocent or had somehow evaded Merklynn's detection was never resolved in series canon, though the episode ended with him giving a sinister smirk to the camera.
Wheezasqueeza - A wizard condemned never to tell the truth. He escaped from the Wizards' Jail at the same time as Falkama and Bogavus, remaining at large until the Spectral Knights captured all three rogue wizards. But, before they could take the wizards to Iron Mountain, the Spectral Knights were ambushed by the Darkling Lords, prompting them to release Wheezasqueezar as a diversion. Wheezasqueezar then joined forces with the Darkling Lords and led them to the Lost Shrine, where he betrayed them. When the Spectral Knights caught up with their enemies, they too came under attack from the Shrine's magical guards, eventually leaving only Leoric to thwart Wheezasqueezar's plans.
[edit] Unreleased Characters
A second wave of characters was planned for release in 1988. Unfortunately, both the cartoon and the accompanying toy line were cancelled, so these new characters never made it beyond toy industry catalogues and it is not known what role they would have played in the series. Indeed, there is little canon information available for them, apart from their names and alliances.
There were eighteen characters in this unreleased set, nine Spectral Knights and nine Darkling Lords. The members of each faction were as follows:
Spectral Knights
- Lazorslash
- Slywire
- Malitor
- Ramazon
- Hydron
- Aquarrior
- Craggor
- Ramak
- Cybron
Darkling Lords
- Kabor
- Braxe
- Cerator
- Cyclor
- Lizar
- Pyrok
- Croil
- Draculan
- Osteon
[edit] Magical powers
Knights on both sides had magical powers of lightspeed, fear, wisdom, might, etc. once the characters spoke a special verse out loud. Among the verses are:
SPECTRAL KNIGHTS
- Leoric Wisdom
"Whispered secrets of a shattered age,
I summon you: renew this sage!"
- Arzon Knowledge
"A whim, a thought, and more is sought.
Awake my mind; thy will be wrought!"
- Cryotek Strength
"Three suns aligned pour forth their light
And fill the archer's bow with might!"
- Witterquick Light Speed
"Sheathe these feet in the driving gale,
Make swift these legs o'er land I sail!"
- Ectar Protection
"Shield this craft from one and all.
Reflect, deflect, depose and fall!"
- Feryl Fire
"Draw upon the breath of stars,
And scorch the sky with fiery scars!"
- Galadria Healing
"By warmth of heart, your pain I feel.
Grant me the power, your wounds to heal!"
DARKLING LORDS
- Darkstorm Decay
"By what creeps, what crawls, by what does not,
Let all that grows recede and rot!"
The cartoon showed an additional power to reverse this Decay:
"Power of rot, obscuring truth,
What once was old restore to youth!"
- Cindarr Destruction
"By nature's hand, by craft, by art,
What once was one now fly apart!"
The cartoon showed an additional power to reverse the Destruction:
"What was asunder and undone,
Now be whole, the two make one!"
- Cravex Fear
"Oh mist-filled pits, dark, dank, unclear,
Touch all before me with frost-fingered fear!"
- Lexor Invulnerability
"The arrows turn, the swords rebel,
let nothing pierce this mortal shell!"
- Mortdredd Flight
"Wings of steel shall ride the breeze.
Invade the air, the land, the seas!"
- Reekon Magic Extractor
"Flay the flesh, lay bare the bone.
Upon this field, let grief be sown!"
- Virulina Disease
"Wind of sickness, illness most vile,
Strike down my enemy, with disease revile!"
[edit] The action figures
Enter a futuristic world filled with spellbinding intrigue where magic is more powerful than science. In 1987 Hasbro produced this set of figures in conjunction with the cartoon series. These figures had holograms embedded in their chests as well as their staffs, and were expensive to produce. The action figure line only lasted one year with 8 figures produced and 4 vehicles. Each of the vehicles also had an exclusive figure packaged with it. A second series of figures in 1988 was never produced including 18 figures, 6 Sun Imps, 6 vehicles and the Iron Mountain playset.
[edit] Visionaries episodes
There were only thirteen episodes in the television series, each of which was written by Flint Dille, Buzz Dixon or Douglas Booth.
| # | Title | Writer | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "The Age of Magic Begins" | Flint Dille | September 21, 1987 |
| When technology fails on the planet Prysmos, an Age of Magic begins. As the world descends into chaos, the knights of Prysmos embark on a quest to conquer Iron Mountain, lured by the wizard Merklynn's promise of magical powers. But only fourteen succeed and it soon becomes clear that several of them joined the quest for personal gain. | |||
| 02 | "The Dark Hand of Treachery" | Flint Dille | September 28, 1987 |
| Darkstorm and his fellow Darkling Lords, aided by magical vehicles, trap Leoric and his followers one by one. Imprisoned in the dungeon at Darkstorm's castle and stripped of their weapons, Leoric and his followers seem to be in a hopeless situation. Soon, however, Leoric realises they must unite and names them the Spectral Knights. | |||
| 03 | "Quest for the Dragon's Eye" | Flint Dille | October 05, 1987 |
| After escaping from Castle Darkstorm and acquiring magical vehicles of their own, the Spectral Knights capture the Darkling Lords and put them to work in a factory. Shortly afterwards, however, the Darkling Lords escape and ambush the Spectral Knights, who are heading to Merklynn's Shrine to have their Power Staffs recharged. But, in exchange for more magic, they must bring Merklynn the Dragon's Eye. | |||
| 04 | "The Price of Freedom" | Doug Booth | November 09, 1987 |
| The Darkling Lords encounter a city whose inhabitants are reluctant to give up their Age of Technology lifestyle. Lured by Darkstorm's promise to give them human slaves to replace the robots which used to do all the work in the city, the people infiltrate New Valarak and enslave the Spectral Knights. But the Spectral Knights find an ally in a woman who feels that freedom at the expense of others is wrong. | |||
| 05 | "Feryl Steps Out" | Buzz Dixon | October 12, 1987 |
| Dejected after getting into difficulties during a battle with pirates, Feryl leaves the Spectral Knights. Darkstorm tries to turn the situation to his advantage and, after an initial attempt to enlist Feryl in the Darkling Lords fails, lures Leoric into a trap by making him think Feryl's life is in danger. But Feryl soon learns what has happened and trails the Darkling Lords to Castle Darkstorm. | |||
| 06 | "Lion Hunt" | Buzz Dixon | October 19, 1987 |
| The Darkling Lords seek the aid of an old witch, who gives them a potion which will trap Leoric in his animal form. Unable to revert to human form, Leoric soon finds himself under attack from the Darkling Lords, a group of superstitious villagers and even his fellow Spectral Knights, who believe he has been killed. When the Spectral Knights discover the truth, they face a race against time to restore their leader to normal. | |||
| 07 | "The Overthrow of Merklynn" | Flint Dille | October 26, 1987 |
| Tired of constantly having to answer to Merklynn, Darkstorm deposes the wizard and seizes control of Iron Mountain. But he quickly becomes over-confident and unleashes a spell which triggers a series of violent cataclysms. Believing that Prysmos will be destroyed unless the spell can be broken, the Darkling Lords are forced to seek out Merklynn and free him from the Wizards' Jail to which Darkstorm banished him. | |||
| 08 | "The Power of the Wise" | Doug Booth | November 02, 1987 |
| The Spectral Knights are afraid of being rapidly aged by the power of Darkstorm's Staff and, when Merklynn refuses to help them, set off on a quest to find a magic spring whose waters have rejuvenating properties. During the quest, Leoric falls victim to Darkstorm's Staff and, to ensure he cannot be restored to his true age, the Darkling Lords destroy the spring. But the experience teaches Leoric (who is restored to normal by the end of the episode) that there is more to old age than being weak and feeble. | |||
| 09 | "Horn of Unicorn, Claw of Dragon" | Buzz Dixon | November 16, 1987 |
| A magical Plague strikes Prysmos, leaving Visionaries from both sides close to death. Their only hope of survival is a spell, the key ingredients of which are a unicorn's horn and a dragon's claw. The few Visionaries (two Spectral Knights and two Darkling Lords) who have escaped the Plague set off on a quest for these ingredients, but can they fulfil their mission without taking any lives? | |||
| 10 | "Trail of the Three Wizards" | Flint Dille | November 23, 1987 |
| Merklynn sends the Spectral Knights to the Anarchy Zone to round up three rogue wizards, but, just as they have completed their mission, the Darkling Lords ambush them. Releasing one of the wizards as a diversion, the Spectral Knights return to Iron Mountain, where Merklynn sends one of the wizards to the Wizards' Jail and (apparently) proves the second wizard is innocent. The Spectral Knights then return to the Anarchy Zone to recapture the remaining wizard, who is heading to the Lost Shrine with the Darkling Lords. | |||
| 11 | "Honor Among Thieves" | Flint Dille | November 30, 1987 |
| Merklynn gives the Spectral Knights a magic crystal which will warn them of impending danger. But Darkstorm soon learns that the crystal can be neutralized by an enemy who is wearing a "Cloak of Concealment". After Reekon (wearing such a cloak) infiltrates New Valarak and steals the crystal, Ectar and Arzon are forced into a dangerous game of subterfuge in order to get it back. | |||
| 12 | "Sorcery Squared" | Doug Booth | December 07, 1987 |
| Cryotek is captured by the Darkling Lords, who try to remove his Totem power. Instead, he ends up with Cravex's Totem in addition to his own and starts behaving strangely as the two Totems fight for control. Learning what has happened, the Spectral Knights and Darkling Lords decide to put their differences aside until he is found and Cravex's Totem can be removed from him. | |||
| 13 | "Dawn of the Sun Imps" | Flint Dille | December 14, 1987 |
| Learning that the tomb imprisoning six mischievous imps has been exposed, Merklynn sends the Visionaries to rebury it. But Lexor tricks Cindarr into freeing the imps, who then start playing tricks of both factions. As a result, the Spectral Knights and Darkling Lords are forced to work together in order to recapture the imps and return them to their tomb. | |||
