Been a while...

Can't believe the last time I posted something on here was March 2011!!! Time sure flies when you're having fun.

Anyways, I'm back and I'll be posting more new stuff really soon.

But I guess I can sneak in just a little blurb about everyone's favorite show and toyline of yesteryear, The Centurions!!!

I'm working on a story titled "Centurions: Power X-treme THE FINAL BATTLE". It reads pretty good, and when I do share it with you guys I'm sure you'll be very pleased.

I've been very busy the past couple of months (isn't that obvious with the lapse of almost 2 months of not posting anything?).

I attended Wonder-Con 2011 in San Francisco and hooked up with other creators in hopes of working with them on some projects. I'm an ARTIST, see, and I'm always looking for some cool stories to draw. So, if you you wanna hook up, let me know right here!

I've also been very busy tracking down Centurions stuff to fill the holes in my collection :) Finally got a COMPLETE Depth Charger Weapons System off eBay. Not a bad deal either. Got it for a really good price. Now all that's left are Max Ray's Tidal Blast, Ace McCloud's Orbital Interceptor and the VERY HARD TO FIND Jake Rockwell's Swingshot. The joy is in the hunt, as they say.

Well, that's it for now. I'll be back (for sure this time!) with more Centurions goodness!

Until next time...let the cry ring out: POWER X-TREME!!!

Cybernetic Mad Man DOC TERROR!!!

Growing up in the 70's and 80's, there was ONE thing all the bad guys/villains in film and cartoons had in common: TOTAL DOMINATION.

They wanted COMPLETE CONTROL over everything, and to have everyone submit to their whim and bow to their will. And they sure had the resources to make their twisted dream a reality.

Take the Centurions main antagonist, the one and only Doc Terror. Here's a guy who was SO devoted and obsessed with his dreams of conquering the world, he actually experimented on himself and FUSED his human part with a robotic half named Syntax. He obviously had technological know-how on how to do that, but remember what I wrote earlier about 'resources'? Well, this guy had it, and then SOME.

Almost every episode, the Centurions would go up against dozens, sometimes HUNDREDS, of Doc Terror's Terror Drones. He must have been either VERY RICH, or was being funded by all the known terrorist organization in the world, or maybe he was just very good at rebuilding his drones whenever they got destroyed.

Whatever the case, it's suffice to say that Doc Terror had a purpose, and was so hell-bent on seeing his dream become a reality that he just kept coming back no matter how bad the Centurions beat him. And beat him they did. Repeatedly.

But let's talk more about Doc Terror, and what makes him a great villain.

For starters, there's the name. DOC TERROR. If that doesn't give you enough indication of what he's all about, then there's something wrong with you. He's a scientist, and he's out to spread terror. Don't you just LOVE the simplicity of the 80's villains? Just the name alone let's you know if the character's a bad guy or good guy.

And he sure LOOKS the part, too. Just imagine if he were REAL and you had the unfortunate experience of running into him. I'd bet my bottom dollar you would wet your pants while crying for your mommy. He doesn't look like the sleek, could-pass-for-a-human entity we've come to expect from a cyborg nowadays. He was a hulking, half-human, half-machine cybernetic MONSTROSITY. He was half robot and wasn't afraid to show it. There was nothing pleasant about this guy, and he was always about brute force and intimidation.

I haven't read the comic mini-series from DC that came out in the 80's. Supposedly it reveals the ORIGIN of the Centurions. But if I know anything about villains, it's a good bet that Doc Terror's origin is tied in with the Centurions. Just the fact that he's wearing an EXO-FRAME implies that he may have been involved in the creation of the suits. There's nothing better than having a personal connection between the hero and the villain, and the Centurions and Doc Terror seem to have it.

The extent of Doc Terror's abilities was never fully shown in the cartoon. His strength's obviously been enhanced. And even being half-machine has done nothing to hamper his MOBILITY. He's shown running full speed from a herd of angry dinosaurs in the episode "Found: One Lost World".

He's also been shown being able to fire laser blasts from his cybernetic arm, and what is probably the COOLEST thing he can do is the ability to MERGE with his Terror Drones, most of all the Doom Drones STRAFER. This all makes sense since the premise of the show is "...man and machine..."

Merging with the Strafer greatly enhances Doc Terror's abilities. Already a formidable foe, he gains additional firepower and also the capacity for flight. I don't know if he was able to merge with one of his Traumatizers, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did.

But probably his most dangerous trait is his vast INTELLECT, and his mastery of fusing flesh with machine. It's perplexing to think why he never accomplished his goal of taking over the Earth. Let's face it, even with the Centurions stopping him, it was only a matter of time until he would eventually succeed. I guess if there was one weakness Doc Terror had, it was his obsession of destroying the Centurions. He would become so focused on the Centurions it would distract him from the big picture, and his original plan of world domination.

Even now, the people who grew up watching the cartoon and the ones who collected and STILL collect the toys will tell you that Doc Terror ranks high up there with the all-time classic VILLAINS.

Until next time...POWER X-TREME!!!

Assault Weapons Systems

Pretty much self-explanatory, the Assault Weapons Systems are the weapons of choice the Centurions use to combat the cybernetic forces of Doc Terror. All the assault weapons systems are designed for a specific Centurion, although on rare occasions they can be used by another Centurion, often with unexpected and comedic results.

I wrote in an earlier entry that there was no background given as to where and how these weapons systems were developed. That's only PARTIALLY true. The "where" is actually an underwater research station named SEA LAB. Not very original, but it's definitely easy to remember, and pretty much gives an accurate description of the facility. It's a lab found beneath the sea. Fair enough.

These weapons systems gives the Centurions the ability to engage Doc Terror's cybernetic forces, whether it be on land, air or sea. I've often wondered exactly HOW MANY Terror Drones each Centurion can wipe out depending on what type of weapons system he's using. The cool thing about the Centurions is that they actually RUN OUT of ammo! This makes their battles more believable, and makes them employ some STRATEGY in combat. If they can take out multiple targets with one shot, why not? Let's go into more detail on that, shall we?

Let's start with Ace McCloud's SKY KNIGHT.

So, what does he have? He's got two (2) heat -seeking "Stincel" missiles, a chest-mounted laser-guided bomb, and a laser-cannon pod. Not much, if you really think about it. But if anything, the Centurions were very creative in the use of their weapons systems. So, let's do the math: with Ace being the hot-shot pilot that he is, and him being on the top of his game, PLUS having lady-luck in his corner, he could probably take out two (2) Strafers with each missile. One direct hit, and if there's another Strafer in close enough proximity, the debris from that hit would take out the other Strafer. If he used those on the Traumatizers on the ground, he's probably take out one (1) for each missile. That's two (2) to four (4) drones right there.

With the laser-guided bomb, I'll say five (5) to ten (10) Traumatizer drones on the ground (using the chain-reaction/debris factor again) on a well-placed hit, and maybe three (3) to four (4) Strafers in the air.

That's eight (10) to eighteen (18) drones so far. And he still has his laser-cannons!

With the laser-cannons he could probably shoot down another five (5) Strafers, and maybe eight (8) to ten (10) Traumatizers.

Tallying all that up, Sky Knight could POTENTIALLY eliminate fifteen (15) to twenty-eight (28) of Doc Terror's drones all by it's lonesome. Not bad for starters.

So if Ace alone, using Sky Knight, could potentially eliminate that many targets, just imagine what he could do with a more POWERFUL assault weapons system. Like, say, SKY BOLT?

Let the debate begin :)

Until next time...POWER X-TREME!!!

Ace McCloud, Daring Air Operations Expert!!!

If there's one thing that's so common about the way hot shot air combat pilots are portrayed in American film and cartoons, it's that they're so COCKY and ARROGANT, and they've got this devil-may-care attitude that's so APPEALING because they appear to be FEARLESS, with no regard for their own safety, at the same time having a blast while doing what they do.

Let's face it, everyone loves a risk-taker. There's just something about an individual that takes risks other people won't take. What spurs them on is anybody's guess, but a good bet is that it's the ADULATION that comes with it. People CHEER for these daredevils, and in turn these daredevils soak it up. They LIVE for the danger, and having conquered their fear, they believe that nothing will be able to stop them.

THAT, in a nutshell, is Ace McCloud, daring air operations expert for the Centurions.

Although all the members of the Centurions are ready to risk their lives for the good of mankind, Ace is not only ready, but seems to ENJOY what he does.

He's the typical "shoot first, ask questions later" kind of guy. Whatever the mission requires him to do, he'll do without hesitation, and have a great time doing it.

I guess 'arrogant' may not be the correct word to describe Ace McCloud. "Confident" is a better description for him. VERY confident, as a matter of fact. He has complete confidence in himself and his abilities that it tends to rub off on his Centurion team-mates, which is a good thing. Going up against Doc Terror and his seemingly limitless legion of Terror Drones, you'll need all the confidence you can get.

Fortunately, Ace has a limitless supply of that.

Until next time...POWER X-TREME!!!

Jake Rockwell, rugged Land Operations Expert!!!

Jake Rockwell. Just the name gives you enough information that he's got something to do with land operations. It's tough, gritty and fits the character quite nicely.

As with Max and Ace, there wasn't any back-story regarding the origins of the Centurions. Again, like their Exo-Frames, we just accepted that they were there and that the characters used them to fight the cybernetic forces of Doc Terror and that was the end of it.

This was never OFFICIALLY mentioned in any of the shows, but people just assumed that each member of the original Centurions served in a branch of the U.S. Military. I say "original Centurions" because eventually two (2) new Centurions were added to the roster, but more on that later.

It has been stated that Jake Rockwell was an Army Ranger, which fits his specialty of being a land operations specialist. Brute Force is definitely his specialty. Forget the finesse with this guy, he gets in and gets the job done. And as much as I love Max Ray and his weapons systems, I have to admit that Jake has the BEST weapons systems out of all the three original Centurions.

And he had the MOST weapons systems, too. If you really think about it it makes sense. There's just so much you can do on, under and above land. And Jake's weapons systems are some of the most imaginative you'll ever see. I'm resisting the urge to write about Jake's weapons systems in this entry, but I guess I can give some information about his primary one, FIRE FORCE.

Fire Force is Jake's "basic" weapons system, and is almost always the first one he calls for, next to the WILD WEASEL. It's light-weight, but is more than capable for getting the job done. Fireforce includes a Power Back Pack which includes a chest piece, Twin Laser Cannons which can be mounted on either his arm or shoulder, a Radar Sensor on his back pack, a huge Plasma Accelerator Cannon on his back (pretty much like a rocket launcher), and a Plasma Repulsar (a gatling gun) which is mounted on his chest piece. This weapon system was LOADED and he could hold off an entire ARMY with this thing!

So there you have it. Just a brief (?) introduction to who Jake Rockwell is and his role on the Centurions team. Definitely a great guy to have on your team. Tough and dependable, just like a 4x4 pick-up :)

Until next time...POWER X-TREME!!!

Go get 'im SHADOW!!!

Shadow was Jake Rockwell's loyal canine sidekick. Although he wasn't always accompanying the Centurions on their missions, he always seemed to be eager to be at his master's side. He looks like a Husky, at least that's how he looked like to me.

Cool thing about Shadow was that he also had an Exo-Frame of some sorts. He had a harness that could fire twin rockets. Although rarely used, Shadow sure made those two rockets count when he did use them.

Shadow also seemed to be very intelligent for a dog. He seemed to understand what Jake was trying to convey, but hey, this was a cartoon so anything was possible.

Unfortunately, like Crystal Kane, no toy was made of good ol' Shadow. And again I have to scratch my head as to why this was never done. I almost always compare the never-made Centurions toys to the G.I. Joe toys because if G.I. Joe could make toys out of their characters, why not the Centurions?

Anyway, G.I. Joe's resident ninja master/commando Snake-Eyes had a wolf named Timber. And although Timber was a wolf and Shadow was a dog, what I'm trying to explain is that they were both canines.

Well, there you go. All I'm saying is that it would have been GREAT if Kenner had made a Shadow toy, complete with his twin-rocket firing exo-frame.

Anyways, here's a fun fact for you:

In the game Dead To Rights: Retribution, the main protagonist's name is Jake Slate, and his dog is named, you guessed it, SHADOW! Now, I'm sure a LOT of research went into the names of the main characters, but this is just TOO much of a coincidence. It could be that "Jake" and "Shadow" blend well together, or maybe some of the people who worked on developing this game are huge Centurion fans, and either did this as a tribute to Jake and Shadow from The Centurions, or made this an inside joke.
Whatever the reason was, it's good to see that Jake and Shadow live on, albeit in different form.

Until next time...POWER X-TREME!!!

The lovely Ms. Crystal Kane

If there was one reason why the Centurions were able to function efficiently as a team, you didn't have to look any further than the lovely Ms. Crystal Kane.

Crystal's position in the Centurions was like a police dispatcher. Almost all calls for Centurions assistance went through her, and she in turn would relay that information to Max, Jake and Ace. She was one of only two entities (the other one is the Sky Vault computer) that could beam or transport the Centurions and their weapon systems to anywhere they were needed.

Crystal rarely left the Sky Vault space station, but when she did she was more than capable of fending for herself. Her character came across as very level-headed like Max. Cool, calm and collected would be the best description for her.

Actually, she was SO calm under pressure she appeared almost STOIC, showing little to no emotion at all. Even thougn she was the token female in the show, she was never the "damsel in distress". Although she did not have an exo-frame like the rest of her male counterparts, she more than made up for this with quick thinking and adaptability.

If you really think about it, the entire Sky Vault orbital space station was her weapon, which made her a force to be reckoned with! She seemed to know every nook and cranny of that place, as shown in the episode "Micro Terror" where the Sky Vault computer was infected with an alien microbial life form or "virus". Trapped on Sky Vault with Jake Rockwell, it was her extensive knowledge of the entire station that bought them enough time to come up with a plan to thwart the alien menace.

Sadly, there was never a Crystal Kane toy made by Kenner. This never made any sense to me since Scarlett from G.I. Joe has been around ever since the G.I. Joe toyline was introduced. As a matter of fact, she was one of the FIRST action figures to come out along with Snake-Eyes, Flash, Stalker, etc...But I'm drifting away from the main topic. If ever I have enough time I'll probably write a blog about G.I. Joe as well, but as of now, it's all about the Centurions!

So, Crystal Kane was a very integral part of the Centurions team. She brought poise and charisma to the team, as well as strategy and quick assessment of a situation. She'll forever be etched in the minds of every kid who grew up watching that show. Well, all of those kids are grown-ups now, but we all remember her. That just goes to show you how memorable her character is.

Until next time...Power-Treme!!!