Challenge of the GoBots

Challenge of the GoBots is an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. The GoBots were Tonka's robot line to challenge the Transformers, the line of robot toys put out by Hasbro which had a successful cartoon developed around it. Challenge of the GoBots aired from 1984 to 1985, and focused on the battle between the Guardians (the good guys) and the Renegades (the bad guys) as their fight moved from their home planet of Gobotron to Earth (and later in the series back to Gobotron).

The Battle for Gobotron (Episode 3: Conquest of Earth, Episode 4: Earthbound, Episode 5: The Final Conflict)[edit | edit source]

The first five episodes of the series are a mini-series that sets the story for the series. The Guardians and Renegades' battle for Gobotron is carried over to Earth. The Guardians strike a decisive victory over the Renegades on Gobotron, which cause the Renegades' leader Cy-kill and his supporters to flee to Earth. The Guardians follow the Renegades; both sides make human allies, with the Renegades working with Dr. Zebediah Braxis and the Guardians being helped by Nick Burns, Matt Hunter, and A. J. Foster. Cy-kill heads Siberia to get the sorium crystal, which he then takes to NORAD Center in Colorado. There the Renegades build the pulsar generation, a device that emits a sonic pulse that puts humans under the mind control of Cy-kill. Cy-kill first uses the generator to bring the Center and the area within 5 miles under his control, then he expands that out to the entire world. With the world under his control, he has his human slave population hunt down the Guardians and build Zods to help him win the battle on Gobotron. The Guardians are able to break Nick, A. J. and Matt free of Cy-kill's control and with their help are able to launch a sneak attack on NORAD and destroy the pulsar generator and the Zod fleet Cy-kill sends to Gobotron.

Episode 3: Conquest of Earth[edit | edit source]

Dr. Braxis activates the pulsar generator
The pulse begins to affect Matt and Anya
The pulse begins to affect General Newcastle
The pulse begins to affect the NORAD staff
The pulse begins to affect the guards at the gate to NORAD
Matt and Anya come under the control of the generator's pulse
A. J. comes under the control of the generator's pulse
Nick comes under the control of the generator's pulse
Nick receives a message from Cy-kill to crush the Guardians
Nick frees Crasher and orders her to "crush the Guardians"
Matt receives a welcome message and an order to lead the Renegades to the Guardians from Cy-kill
Anya receives a message from Cy-kill that the Guardians must be defeated
"Must be defeated!!"
Anya and A. J.: "Destroy the Guardians!!!"
Matt: "Destroy the Guardians!!!"
Dr. Braxis uses the generator to enslave the entire Earth
The pulse goes around the world
The people of the world are affected by the pulse
The people of the world come under Cy-kill's control
The order to "Destroy the Guardians" goes out over the pulse
"Destroy the Guardians!!!"
Matt, Anya, and A. J. stand with the Renegades over the fallen Leader-1

Episode 4: Earthbound[edit | edit source]

Matt, Anya, A. J., and Nick under Cy-kill's control in the NORAD complex
The police chase after the Guardians
An air police officer radios to a blockade that the Guardians are headed for the bridge
A sheriff at the bridge blockade responds to leave the Guardians to them
The blockade fires as the Guardians approach
A farmer in a combine sees the Guardians and heads towards them
The farmer looks on in his busted combine as the Guardians get away
The police report the Guardians' escape to Crasher
Cop-tor brings A. J. and Nick to be leverage
Cop-tor prepares to slice up Nick and A. J. if the Guardians don't surrender
The police head out on Cy-kill's order
Nick and A. J. try to run when they see the Guardians
Turbo catches Nick and A. J. as they try to run'
An air police officer radios in a potential sighting of the Guardians
An army platoon is moving to a base on Cy-kill's order
People work on the Zods for the invasion of Gobotron
General Newcastle reports the Guardian sighting to Cy-kill
Matt and General Newcastle receive Cy-kill's order to go attack the Guardians
Nick and A. J. receive frequency neutralizers to free them from the mind control
Matt radios in the location of the Guardians and his attack on them
Matt on the ground after jumping from his helicopter before it explores
Anya is spotted at the Zod manufacturing base
Anya and others stand around and move Zods
Anya stands in front of a Zod
Workers and soldiers flee from the Guardians' attack
Anya flees from the Guardians' attack

Episode 5: The Final Conflict[edit | edit source]

Soldiers on patrol for the Guardians
A NORAD guard looks at the Guardians' Command Base landing
A soldier salutes at Scooter disguised as Cy-Kill
Dr. Braxis in the office with NORAD staff
The NORAD staff leaves the office at Cy-kill's command
The NORAD guards flee as the Guardians attack
The NORAD guards launch an attack on the Guardians
General Newcastle and two police officers launch an attack on the Guardians
General Newcastle and the officers flee as the Guardians return fire
General Newcastle and two soldiers come out of the mind control

Episode 43: The Seer[edit | edit source]

Cy-Kill and his minions capture a young psychic boy and his mother, hoping to use the boy's ability to predict the future as a way to defeat the Guardians. He hypnotizes the boy's mother to ensure their compliance.