JAPAN 1983
Kagaku Sentai Dynaman
Japanese Episodes: 51 [02/05/1983 to 01/28/1984]
One Movie: Science Task Force Dynaman (reshown as episode 32)
English episodes: 6 [1987-88]

Fifth Super Sentai. Shown on the USA Cable Network in 1987-88 as a dubbed parody, Dynaman. Five inventors with dreams assembled at the Yumeno Invention Laboratory to pursue their dreams with the aid of Dr. Yumeno. ('Yume' is Japanese for 'dream.') There, Dr. Yumeno told them of the Evilution menace, gave them the Dynasuits he invented, and sent them off as Dynaman to stop the Evilution Empire. They defeat Evilution Monsters in quick succession, forcing General Kar to come up with Mechavolution monsters. They respond to this latest threat with the New Super Dynamite attack.

The Empire awakens Zenobia, who destroys the Dynastation. The failure Megiddo is sentenced to be imprisoned in the Millennium Cave. A mysterious masked swordsman, Dark knight, appears shortly thereafter to menace both Dynaman and the Empire. The Empire seeks the Retro Gene which can increase the number of their tails. It turns out that the Retro Gene was a creation of Dr. Yumeno, whom the Empire hunts down. Zenobia teams up with Dark knight to get a hold of the Retro Gene, but dies after using it to get ten tails. Dark knight defeats Aton to reveal himself as Emperor Megiddo. Megiddo and Chimera die aboard the exploding Grangizmo. Notable for its character designs by Izubuchi Yutaka (of Dairugger XV [Voltron] and Dunbine, his prominent works at the time). Dark Knight added a 'Hakaider' element to the show. The (relatively) complex villain storylines and improved character designs were to get better in Bioman.