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SilverHawks

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SilverHawks
Genre
Developed byRankin/Bass
Directed by
Voices of
ComposerBernard Hoffer
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Arthur Rankin Jr.
  • Jules Bass
  • Lee Dannacher
  • Masaki Izuka
Running time23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkSyndication
ReleaseSeptember 8 (1986-09-08) –
December 5, 1986 (1986-12-05)

SilverHawks is an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass Productions and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1986.[1] The animation was provided by Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation. In total, 65 episodes were made. It was created as a space-based equivalent of their previous series ThunderCats.[2]

As was the case with ThunderCats, there was also a SilverHawks comic book series published by Marvel Comics under the imprint Star Comics.

Plot

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A bionic space enforcer called Commander Stargazer recruited the SilverHawks, heroes who are "partly metal, partly real", to fight the evil Mon*Star, an escaped alien crime boss who transforms into an enormous armor-plated creature with the help of Limbo's Moonstar. Joining Mon*Star in his villainy is an intergalactic mob consisting of Yes-Man, Buzz-Saw, Mumbo-Jumbo, Windhammer, Mo-Lec-U-Lar, Poker-Face, Hardware, and "the musical madness of" Melodia.

Quicksilver (formerly Jonathan Quick) leads the SilverHawks, with his metal bird companion Tally-Hawk at his side. Twins Emily and Will Hart became Steelheart and Steelwill, the SilverHawks's technician and strongman respectively. Country-singing Bluegrass piloted the team's ship, the Maraj (pronounced "mirage" on the series, but given that spelling on the Kenner toy). Rounding out the group is a youngster "from the planet of the mimes", named "The Copper Kidd" and usually called "Kidd" for short, a mathematical genius who spoke in whistles and computerized tones. Their bionic bodies are covered by a full-body close-fitting metal armor that only exposes the face and an arm, the armor is equipped with a retractile protective mask, retractable under-arm wings (except Bluegrass), thrusters on their heels, and laser-weapons in their shoulders.

Characters

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Silverhawks

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The SilverHawks in the show's title sequence. Left to right: Copper Kidd, Bluegrass, Quicksilver (with Tally-Hawk perched on arm), Steelheart, Steelwill.

Main Silverhawks

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  • Commander Stargazer (voiced by Bob McFadden) is a tough and grizzled old police officer with bionic capabilities, he captured Mon*Star several years ago prior to the start of the series and had him imprisoned. Older than the other SilverHawks, he longs to return to Earth for either a vacation or for retirement. Stargazer chiefly serves as the SilverHawks "eyes and ears", keeping them apprised of their current situation. His first name is apparently Burt. In the SilverHawks' first adventure, Stargazer is depicted as the keeper of Tally-Hawk who subsequently was teamed with Quicksilver. His armor is gold, covering the upper left portion of his head as well as his body, and his left eye has been replaced by a telescopic lens. Stargazer wears a white button up shirt, loosened necktie, suspenders and slacks, making him resemble a stereotypical plainclothes police officer.
  • Quicksilver / Captain Jonathan Quick (voiced by Peter Newman) was the former head of Interplanetary Force H and is the field leader of the SilverHawks. Known for his quick reflexes (and even quicker thinking), Quicksilver is an accomplished tactician and athlete. His armor is silver in color.
  • Bluegrass (voiced by Larry Kenney) is second-in-command of the SilverHawks and the chief pilot of the group as well as a cowboy at heart. Bluegrass is the only active SilverHawk who cannot fly, but he is the one that pilots the team's vehicle the "Maraj". He uses his weapon/instrument (portrayed in the toyline as his weapon-bird with the name Sideman) and his lasso. Bluegrass has an interface with the Maraj's piloting system, which he has affectionately dubbed "Hot Licks". His armor has a blue-silver shade, and he wears a red bandana around his neck and a cowboy hat.
  • Steelheart/Sergeant Emily Hart and Steelwill/Sergeant Will Hart (voiced by Maggie Wheeler and Bob McFadden) are fraternal twin siblings. They became Steelheart and Steelwill respectively when they joined the SilverHawks. Steelheart and Steelwill had artificial hearts implanted during their transformation. Their armors are both a dark steel color. Steelheart and Steelwill are the "gearheads" of the team. Due to an empathic bond when one sibling feels something, the other feels it as well. Physically, they are the strongest members of the team.
  • The Copper Kidd (vocal effects provided by Pete Cannarozzi) is the youngest member of the SilverHawks and the only one not from Earth. A mathematical genius from the Planet of the Mimes, he "speaks" in tones and whistles. The Copper Kid's skin is blue except for white markings on his face that resemble the makeup of a mime. His armor is copper-colored but the wings have a silver-like appearance similar to those his teammates. A natural acrobat, the Copper Kidd has two razor-edged discs (one mounted on each hip) which he throws like Frisbees. At the end of each episode, he was quizzed in astronomy lessons by Bluegrass as training to become the reserve Maraj pilot (a role he later infrequently filled).

Minor Silverhawks

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  • Hotwing (voiced by Adolph Caesar in earlier episodes, Doug Preis in later episodes) is a gold SilverHawk who was added mid-season. He is a magician and skilled illusionist. Hotwing received his powers from a mystical energy force that "chose" him to bear the powers to fight against injustice. He has to recharge these powers every 14 years, otherwise he will die. One notable time was when Zeek the Beak tricked the mystic force into giving him these powers which would have resulted in Hotwing's death.
  • Flashback (voiced by Peter Newman) is a green time-traveling Silverhawk from the far future. When he meets the 'much older' Stargazer who tells him of the fateful day the SilverHawks died, Flashback travels back in time to save them from an exploding sun. He also traveled back in time to stop Hardware from destroying the SilverHawks (when the mad inventor sabotaged the Maraj during their hyperspace-sleep to Hawk-Haven from Earth, which would have caused the autopilot to fly them straight into the sun).
  • Moon Stryker (voiced by Larry Kenney) is a turquoise Silverhawk. He can propel himself through space by a powerful cyclone generated from propellers that emerge from his waist. He is cocky but an expert marksman, as demonstrated when he shot a pen out of Stargazer's hand when they first met in the episode "Battle Cruiser".
  • Condor (voiced by Bob McFadden) - An old ally of Stargazer whom Condor calls "Gaze". Condor left the SilverHawks to become a private investigator before the series, but eventually returned. Instead of wings, he has a jetpack and his main weapon is an energy whip.

SilverHawk's Fighting Hawks

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The Fighting Hawks are hawk-like partners of the SilverHawks who have different abilities that help them in their fight against the Mob and other villains.

  • Tally-Hawk is Quicksilver's Fighting Hawk who is partly metal and partly real. Its beak can tear through metal and can shoot lasers.
  • Side Man is Bluegrass's Fighting Hawk who plays music and fires lasers.
  • Rayzor is Steelheart's Fighting Hawk whose wings can cut through metal.
  • Stronghold is Steelwill's Fighting Hawk who can lift anything that is heavy.
  • May-Day is Copper Kidd's Fighting Hawk with sonic-based abilities.
  • Sly-Bird is Stargazer's Fighting Hawk who can photograph and record anything.
  • Gyro is Hotwing's Fighting Hawk with spinning abilities.
  • Backlash is Flashback's Fighting Hawk who can also travel through time.
  • Tail-Spin is Moon Stryker's Fighting Hawk.
  • Jet Stream is Condor's Fighting Hawk.

Supporting characters

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  • Seymour (voiced by Peter Newman in a New York accent) is the television show's comic relief. Seymour is a space cabbie who frequently says "Y'know what I mean?" He might be inspired by Space Cabbie, a 1950s science fiction character.
    • Zeek the Beak is Seymour's pal. Zeek the Beak is a green bird-like alien who often accompanies Seymour on cab rides. His catch phrases are "You wanna buy a fish?" and the interjection "Zeek!"
  • Harry is a robot that works as a bartender at a bar on the planet Fence. He appears in many episodes usually serving drinks.
  • Professor Power works in the Artificial Sun and controls it. He is friendly with the SilverHawks and often helps them.[3]
  • Sanders is the governor in Bedlama, a planet similar to the Earth.
  • Monotone (voiced by Maggie Wheeler) is the computer that rules the planet Automata.[4]
  • Grodd the Informer is an informant. He appears in episode 32 when he informs the mob of a rock that is supposed to be worth a fortune, the Savior Stone.[5]
  • Lord Cash (voiced by Larry Kenney) is in charge of Dolar planet where there is plenty of money and is friendly to SilverHawks.[6]
    • Gotbucks is Dolar's security chief.
  • Warden Lockup (voiced by Larry Kenney) is a prison warden who is in charge of the Penal Planet 10 where Limbo's criminals are kept. His face looks like a bird. Warden Lockup likes gambling because he is seen betting in Mon*star's Great Meteor Race.
    • Cell Guard #1 is an unnamed rhinoceros-like creature that works for Warden Lockup as a prison officer and controls the corridors of the Penal planet.
    • Cell Guard #2 is an unnamed one-wheeled robot that works for Warden Lockup as a prison officer and controls the corridors of the Penal planet. He is extremely weak enough for even laser beams to destroy him and is usually seen with Cell Guard #1.

Federal Interplanetary Force

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The Federal Interplanetary Force is an interplanetary organization that have their headquarters on Earth. They are responsible for the creation of the Silverhawks and have helped out whenever Stargazer contacts them for help.

  • General Rawlings (voiced by Larry Kenney) is the leader of the Federal Interplanetary Force
  • Professor Ghemakain is an unspecified alien that is responsible for making the weapons for the Silverhawks.
    • Nurse Mabis (voiced by Maggie Wheeler) is a nurse who works for the Federal Interplanetary Force and is the assistant of Professor Ghemakain.
  • Brigadier Brightlight is a high-ranking member of the Federal Interplanetary Force.

Villains

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The Mob

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The Mob is an organized crime group and the primary antagonists of the series that commits crimes throughout Limbo and operate from Brim*Star. They travel in three open-cab spacecraft called the Zoomer, Road Star, and Limbo Limo.

  • Mon*Star (voiced by Earl Hammond) is the quintillionaire alien crime boss and "Planet Master" who escaped from his cell on Penal Planet 10. He appears as a feline muscular humanoid with dark hair streaked with red over all the body, a voluminous red mane and beard, and an eyepatch (with the symbol of a black star) covering his left eye. Whenever he utilizes beams from Limbo's Moon*Star and the use of his Transformation Chamber, Mon*Star's body becomes encased on spiked armor-plating as he recites "Moon*Star of Limbo, give me the might, the muscle, the menace, of MON*STAR!". In this state, he temporarily regains his left eye with it able to fire the crimson Light Star beam which has various effects, destructive and stunning. Mon*Star has some bad blood with Stargazer due to their past conflicts and extends that animosity to the SilverHawks. Mon*Star appears in all but two episodes (episodes number 15 and 45) where Hardware and the Bounty Hunter are the villains respectively.
    • Sky-Runner - A giant "space-squid" that serves as Mon*Star's mode of transportation. One of Mon*Star's beams is responsible for making rideable armor appear on Sky-Runner.
  • Yes-Man (voiced by Bob McFadden) is Mon*Star's all-purpose lackey, thrall, sycophant, or some combination thereof. As his name suggests, he is Mon*Star's half-human half-snake sidekick who only ever agrees with Mon*Star. As a member of Mon*Star's Mob, Yes-Man operates the Transformation Chamber. Yes-Man once used the powers of the Moon*Star alongside Mon*Star but did not change form. The Moon*Star primarily gave him increased mental abilities and ambition. This led to a feud between himself and his boss until the powers faded.
  • Hardware (voiced by Bob McFadden) is the weapons specialist for Mon*Star's Mob. He is an extremely intelligent, short but bulky, light, purple-skinned pink-haired creature who carries an oversized rucksack full of self-engineered weapons and equipment called a Roll-Up Bag. Mon*Star considers Hardware his most dangerous minion because of his talent for invention. On one occasion when Mon*Star was recaptured, he had to use the Moon*Star to empower a box that would enable Mon*Star to escape from Penal Planet 10.
  • Melodia (voiced by Maggie Wheeler) is a musical mistress who serves as a nemesis and counterpart to the SilverHawks' Bluegrass, Melodia is the only female member of Mon*Star's Mob. Melodia is usually seen cruising around in the Limbo Limo, causing havoc and assorted acts of terror as diversions. Melodia almost always carries a musical synthesizer (called a "Sound Smasher") as a weapon. She is usually dressed in an exaggerated rock-singer outfit: two-shaded green hair; a short black dress; red belt with plug-up battery pack for "Sound Smasher"; long red fingerless gloves; half dark purple, half light pink tights; and dark blue glasses with a red 'music note' frame.
  • Windhammer (voiced by Doug Preis) is an eco-terrorist member of Mon*Star's Mob with a large tuning fork that enables him to manipulate or generate destructive weather patterns either on a planet or in space. Examples of the weather that he has manipulated have included lightning and tornadoes. He is a muscular humanoid with azurine skin, long blonde hair, and large elf-like ears.
  • Mo-Lec-U-Lar (voiced by Doug Preis) is a molecule-themed shapeshifter whose primary form is a humanoid body composed of many spheres in various copper shades. He serves as the master of disguise and leading hitman of Mon*Star's Mob. Besides shapeshifting, Mo-Lec-U-Lar once became invisible in order to infiltrate the SilverHawks' base.
  • Buzz-Saw (voiced by Bob McFadden) is a sentient war machine of a light copper-shade. Buzz-Saw has razor-sharp circular saw-cutting blades over his body that can be used as projectile weapons. He speaks with a high-pitched metallic voice.
  • Poker-Face (voiced by Larry Kenney) is the robotic sunglasses-wearing money man of Mon*Star's mob who has slot machines for eyes and carries a cane decorated with playing card suits. He is the owner of the Starship Casino. Poker-Face always charges Mon*Star billions for new inventive ideas against the SilverHawks.
  • Mumbo-Jumbo (voiced by Peter Newman) is a copper-skinned robotic Minotaur who is the muscle for Mon*Star's Mob. He is aided by his ability to "bulk up", growing larger and more muscular, increasing his strength by doing so. He speaks in metallic grunts which his associates seem to understand (though he usually pronounces Mon*Star's name properly) and appears to be on the low scale of the intellectual spectrum. His signature attack is a quadrupedal charge at an opponent. Mumbo-Jumbo is the sworn enemy of Steelheart because of Steelheart's strength and skill which takes him down easily.
  • Timestopper (voiced by Larry Kenney) is a cocky 14-year-old juvenile delinquent nyctophobe with a chest device that has the ability to suspend all ambient motion and kinetic energy around him for one Limbo-Minute. He is often in the services of Mon*Star, but has no qualms about getting in his way if he isn't paid for the job. His nyctophobia is most likely from the fact his chest device is light-powered.
  • Zero the Memory Thief (voiced by Peter Newman) is a long-nosed shady character who steals memories using a cattle prod-like weapon and records them on cassettes. He occasionally did business with Mon*Star's gang when the opportunity suited him. While he can steal memories, he cannot the memorized data the way his victims can.
  • Smiley is a mummified boxer robot that is brought back to life by Poker-Face. He was once stopped by Commander Stargazer. Smiley is the heavyweight champion of Limbo. He is operated by remote control. In the Starship Casino, Smiley easily defeats both Mumbo-Jumbo and Buzz-Saw, but later, he could not beat the SilverHawks.
  • Darkbird (portrayed by Peter Newman) is an evil duplicate of Quicksilver who was created by Hardware.
The Mob's Fighting Hawks
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The Mob has Fighting Hawks of their own:

  • Sky Shadow is Mon*Star Fighting Hawk who is a bat, rather than a bird where it has claws on its wings.
  • Prowler is Hardware's Fighting Hawk who actually resembles a green flying dragon. Its second form is a crowbar that is in Hardware's Roll-Up Bag when not in use.
  • Volt-Ure is Mo-Lec-U-Lar's Fighting Hawk who shares the same abilities as him as well as the ability to generate a laser storm.
  • Shredator is Buzz-Saw's Fighting Hawk with razor wings. Like its owner, Shredator has a saw on its head.
  • Airshock is Mumbo-Jumbo's Fighting Hawk who can transform into a hammer for him to use.

Three Outlaws from Fence

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They appear in many episodes and are friendly to Melodia and Poker-Face, though the three are usually betrayed by the Mob. They are often seen playing cards at the Sini*Star Diner on the planet Fence:

  • The Space Bandit is the robotic leader of the Three Outlaws.
  • Rhino (voiced by Peter Newman) is a rhinoceros-like mutant.
  • Cyclops is a one-eyed balloon-bodied creature that is very weak. Whenever he was shot, he would lose air and fly around like a punctured balloon.

Other villains

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  • Bounty Hunter is a muscular monster with a face resembling a Bulldog with high, pointed ears. He has a sparkling laser on his head and a red star on his belt. He was imprisoned by Stargazer for 200 years but escaped twice (broken out once by Mon*Star in episode 22 and the second time on his own in episode 45). He can absorb energy directed at him and use it to sustain his physical form as well as grow larger and more powerful. He can only be defeated by the solar energy bazooka that Commander Stargazer has. He is extremely dangerous and powerful, as he has easily defeated all the original SilverHawks twice. He was stopped by Commander Stargazer and by the later SilverHawk Hotwing.
  • Uncle Rattler (voiced by Peter Newman) is Yes-Man's uncle who is from the same species as him. He only appears in his self-titled episode.

Setting

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The Galaxy of Limbo

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Even though it is in outer space, Limbo has breathable air and characters are seen falling off their vehicles as if in a gravity field. During the series, various planets are shown:

Stars

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  • Moon*Star of Limbo - A solid star, it gives Mon*star his powers to transform.

Planets

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  • Bedlama - A planet similar to Earth, though stars can be seen in its sky even during daytime. Hawk Haven is its satellite.
  • Hawk Haven - The Silverhawks' base of operations. It orbits Bedlama.
  • Brim*Star - A planet where Mon*Star's mob operates. It is hollow with Mon*Star's quarters inside it and accessible from the outside via a large star-shaped opening on its crust. The surface of Brimstar is like a giant ship junkyard.
  • Automata - A factory-sized half-planet, controlled by a supercomputer named Monotone, which is the only sentient being on the planet.
  • Dolar - A hollow gem-looking bank planet.
  • Fence - A small planetoid with a bar, frequented by criminals.
  • Hanging Rock - The Bounty Hunter's planet. It is full of mountains and it has dangerous electro-rocks that absorb energy and feed it to the Bounty Hunter.

Other

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  • Starship Casino - Poker-Face's space station where gambling takes place. It is stationed outside of the SilverHawks' jurisdiction, beyond "the Lightyear Limit".
  • The Artificial Sun is an antenna-looking device that performs all the functions of a sun and needs to be fueled frequently. It is run by Professor Power and has been the target of the Mob many times.
  • Penal Planet 10 - a place where most criminals are kept. The Bounty Hunter and Smiley are there most of the time, but Hardware and Mon*star have been imprisoned there.

Production and release

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Rankin/Bass followed up their successful ThunderCats series with this series about a team of heroes in the 29th century who were given metal bodies and wings to stop organized crime in the Galaxy of Limbo.[7] SilverHawks featured many of the same voice actors who had worked on ThunderCats, including Larry Kenney, Peter Newman, Earl Hammond, Doug Preis and Bob McFadden.

Lorimar-Telepictures was purchased by Warner Bros. in 1989, and the rights to SilverHawks are now held by Warner Bros. Television Distribution.

Reruns later aired on Cartoon Network from 2000 to 2001.

Episodes

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No.TitleWritten byOriginal air date
1"The Origin Story"Peter LawrenceSeptember 8, 1986 (1986-09-08)
When the intergalactic crime boss Mon*Star breaks out of his prison during a Moon*Star eruption that the prison staff tries to keep from reaching the window of Mon*Star's cell, Earth sends a team of bio-mechanically enhanced humans to capture him.
2"Journey to Limbo"Leonard StarrSeptember 9, 1986 (1986-09-09)
The SilverHawks arrive at Hawk Haven and have their first encounter with Mon*Star and his Mob.
3"The Planet Eater"William OvergardSeptember 10, 1986 (1986-09-10)
Mon*Star employs the Sky Chomper to "eat" other spaceships and feed the debris to the Planet Eater, his biggest and most devastating weapon yet.
4"Save The Sun"Peter LawrenceSeptember 11, 1986 (1986-09-11)
The Mob seize control of the massive Artificial Sun, the main source of power in the Galaxy of Limbo.
5"Stop Timestopper"Lee SchneiderSeptember 12, 1986 (1986-09-12)
A delinquent with the power to stop time joins Mon*Star's gang and helps them plunder the Crystal Mine of Automata.
6"Darkbird"Steve PerrySeptember 15, 1986 (1986-09-15)
An evil clone of Quicksilver blasts his way into Dolar, the bank planet of Limbo Galaxy, and takes its banking boss Lord Cash hostage.
7"The Backroom"William OvergardSeptember 16, 1986 (1986-09-16)
Inside the Starship Casino, Poker-Face is hiding a new destructive weapon that Mon*Star is only too eager to make use of.
8"The Threat of Dritt"Bruce SmithSeptember 17, 1986 (1986-09-17)
After their ambassador is kidnapped by Mon*Star, the mighty Triangulons threaten to destroy Hawk Haven unless Quicksilver rescues their ambassador in eight hours.
9"Sky-Shadow"Kimberly MorrisSeptember 18, 1986 (1986-09-18)
Tally-Hawk is kidnapped by the Mob so that Hardware can create an evil version of the SilverHawks' companion for their leader Mon*Star.
10"Magnetic Attraction"Chris TrengoveSeptember 19, 1986 (1986-09-19)
While transporting the criminal Poker-Face to Penal Planet 10, Steelheart is attacked by Hardware and his new weapon the Super Magnetizer.
11"Gold Shield"Bruce SmithSeptember 22, 1986 (1986-09-22)
The SilverHawks must work quickly to build a Gold Shield to protect Hawk Haven before it is disintegrated by Mon*Star's latest weapon.
12"Zero The Memory Thief"Jeri CradenSeptember 23, 1986 (1986-09-23)
Zero the Memory Thief wipes out Commander Stargazer's knowledge of the Mob's latest plan to destroy Earth using a Mega Missile.
13"The Milk Run"Lee SchneiderSeptember 24, 1986 (1986-09-24)
The SilverHawks arrest Melodia. but Hardware's Pinball Beam blasts her free and traps Commander Stargazer inside Hawk Haven.
14"The Hardware Trap – Part I"Peter LawrenceSeptember 25, 1986 (1986-09-25)
The SilverHawks devise a plan through which Quicksilver is able to apprehend Hardware, but Mon*Star isn't going to give up on his weapons' expert without a fight.
15"The Hardware Trap – Part II"Lee SchneiderSeptember 26, 1986 (1986-09-26)
Buzz-Saw cuts his way into the Penal Planet to free Hardware who then exacts his revenge on Quicksilver by blasting him into space.
16"Race Against Time"Chris TrengoveSeptember 29, 1986 (1986-09-29)
With the intention of destroying Hawk Haven, Mon*Star organizes "The Great Meteor Race". In order to officiate it, the Mob breaks Poker-Face out of prison.
17"Operation Big Freeze"Jeri CradenSeptember 30, 1986 (1986-09-30)
Mon*Star orders Windhammer and Hardware to generate a galactic ice storm that is so powerful that it threatens to freeze the entire Galaxy of Limbo.
18"The Ghost Ship"Chris TrengoveOctober 1, 1986 (1986-10-01)
In order to infiltrate Hawk Haven, a secret Mob attack force led by Hardware hide inside an abandoned spaceship.
19"The Great Galaxy Race"William OvergardOctober 2, 1986 (1986-10-02)
Mon*Star challenges the SilverHawks to a space race through the Galaxy of Limbo in which the Mob employ every cheat in the book to win.
20"Fantascreen"Steve PerryOctober 3, 1986 (1986-10-03)
Hardware's latest invention is a device that turns SilverHawks into mindless zombies and it is up to Steelheart to rescue her comrades.
21"Hotwing Hits Limbo"Peter LawrenceOctober 6, 1986 (1986-10-06)
When Mon*Star captures all the SilverHawks, Earth sends Hotwing, a former magician, squad commander, and the newest member of the SilverHawks to rescue them.
22"The Bounty Hunter"J.V.P. MundyOctober 7, 1986 (1986-10-07)
Mon*Star's Mob pulls off a daring jailbreak to free Stargazer's sworn enemy the Bounty Hunter, a villain who feeds on energy.
23"Zeek's Fumble"Peter LawrenceOctober 8, 1986 (1986-10-08)
The Mob chases Seymour and Zeek the Beak all over Limbo because they have a microfilm of all the SilverHawks’ secrets.
24"The Fighting Hawks"Kimberly MorrisOctober 9, 1986 (1986-10-09)
When the Mob programs the machines of Automata to produce fearsome copies of Sky-Shadow, the Steel twins work frantically to produce a counter-weapon.
25"The Renegade Hero"Leonard StarrOctober 10, 1986 (1986-10-10)
The Mob replace the governor of Bedlama with Mo-Lec-U-Lar and then plan to use the planet's military might against the SilverHawks.
26"One on One"William OvergardOctober 13, 1986 (1986-10-13)
The Mob creates exact clones of the SilverHawks and sends them on a deadly mission against Commander Stargazer.
27"No More Mr. Nice Guy"Chris TrengoveOctober 14, 1986 (1986-10-14)
Yes-Man joins Mon*Star in his transformation chamber and emerges with more power and intelligence before deciding to take control of the Mob himself.
28"Music of the Spheres"Lee SchneiderOctober 15, 1986 (1986-10-15)
As Halley's Comet passes through Limbo Galaxy, the SilverHawks plan to steer it towards Mon*Star's base of operation Brim*Star.
29"Limbo Gold Rush"Stephen PerryOctober 16, 1986 (1986-10-16)
A space prospector strikes gold on Automata but three outlaws jump his claim and plan to steal all his gold for themselves.
30"Countdown to Zero"Chris TrengoveOctober 17, 1986 (1986-10-17)
When the Copper Kidd goes to Automata to fix Monotone, he is ambushed by the Mo-Lec-U-Lar and Zero the Memory Thief who is there to drain all of the supercomputer's memory banks.
31"Amber Amplifier"Bill RatnerOctober 20, 1986 (1986-10-20)
Mo-Lec-U-Lar steals the Amber Amplifier, the Artificial Sun's energy magnifier, and Hardware then fits it to his energy gun to create the most formidable weapon that the SilverHawks have faced.
32"The Saviour Stone"Bob HaneyOctober 21, 1986 (1986-10-21)
The Mob and the SilverHawks battle for possession of a rock which is the only item that can restore the Earth's decaying magnetic field.
33"Smiley"Bruce ShlainOctober 22, 1986 (1986-10-22)
The Mob activates Smiley, a super heavyweight robot champion of Limbo who Stargazer once defeated, and Mon*Star sends him to torch the SilverHawks with this powerful heat waves.
34"Gotbucks"Bob HaneyOctober 23, 1986 (1986-10-23)
Lord Cash hires the security robot Gotbucks to act as Dollare's new security chief, but he gets abducted by the Mob.
35"Melodia's Siren Song"Lawrence DuKoreOctober 24, 1986 (1986-10-24)
When Quicksilver and Tally-Hawk go to the aid of a gold freighter under attack, they are captured by Hardware and the Mob.
36"Tally-Hawk Returns"Stephanie SwaffordOctober 27, 1986 (1986-10-27)
Mo-Lec-U-Lar steals the remote control of Tally-Hawk and Hardware then uses it to instruct Tally-Hawk to attack the SilverHawks.
37"Undercover"Danny PearyOctober 28, 1986 (1986-10-28)
Mon*Star and his Mob block the supply of oil to the Artificial Sun of Limbo Galaxy as they plan to create their own artificial sun on BrimStar.
38"Eye of Infinity"Kenneth VoseOctober 29, 1986 (1986-10-29)
Mon*Star gets his hands on the notorious Eye of Infinity, the most destructive force in the universe. Hotwing plans to retrieve the crystal before Hardware can figure out how to use its powers.
39"A Piece of the Action"Bruce W. SmithOctober 30, 1986 (1986-10-30)
Mon*Star threatens to flood the planet of Bedlama unless he is paid a hefty ransom.
40"Flashback"Kimberly MorrisOctober 31, 1986 (1986-10-31)
A young SilverHawk named Flashback travels back in time to prevent the annihilation of the SilverHawks at the hands of the Mob.
41"Super Birds"Bruce ShlainNovember 3, 1986 (1986-11-03)
Under Mon*Star's orders, Hardware constructs a giant Sky-Shadow to destroy the SilverHawks.
42"The Blue Door"Cy YoungNovember 4, 1986 (1986-11-04)
Disguising himself as Mon*Star, Mo-Lec-U-Lar leads the SilverHawks on a wild goose chase while the real Mon*Star attacks Hawk Haven.
43"The Star of Bedlama"Kimberly MorrisNovember 5, 1986 (1986-11-05)
The SilverHawks and the Mob both have their eyes set on a valuable diamond.
44"The Illusionist"Jeri CradenNovember 6, 1986 (1986-11-06)
Mon*Star manages to put Hotwing under the spell of the Light Star and then sends him to attack Hawk Haven.
45"The Bounty Hunter Returns"Steve PerryNovember 7, 1986 (1986-11-07)
The Bounty Hunter breaks out of Penal Planet 10 and sets up a new base in order to exact revenge on the SilverHawks.
46"The Chase"Bruce W. SmithNovember 10, 1986 (1986-11-10)
Mo-Lec-U-Lar steals the new key to Dolar's main vault and leads Steelwill on a wild goose chase around the Galaxy of Limbo.
47"Switch"Beth Bornstein & J.V.P. MundyNovember 11, 1986 (1986-11-11)
A strange cosmic storm switches the personalities of everybody, turning the SilverHawks bad and the Mob good.
48"Junkyard Dog"Bob HaneyNovember 12, 1986 (1986-11-12)
By disguising himself as a waste collector, Mo-Lec-U-Lar steals a case containing vital mechanical parts without which Commander Stargazer will not be able to survive.
49"Window in Time"J.V.P. MundyNovember 13, 1986 (1986-11-13)
Hardware manages to travel back in time to Earth when the SilverHawks are just leaving for Limbo Galaxy and it is up to Flashback to stop him from sabotaging the Miraj.
50"Gangwar – Part I"William OvergardNovember 14, 1986 (1986-11-14)
Melodia and Poker-Face decide to overthrow Mon*Star and take control of the Mob themselves resulting in a civil war between both sides of the Mob.
51"Gangwar – Part II"William OvergardNovember 17, 1986 (1986-11-17)
Using the Sky-Chomper, Mon*Star breaks out Hardware and Buzz-Saw from the Penal Planet 10 before turning the Sky-Chomper on Hawk Haven.
52"Sneak Attack – Part I"Cy YoungNovember 18, 1986 (1986-11-18)
Under Commander Stargazer's order, Quicksilver and Hotwing embark on a dangerous mission to BrimStar to arrest Mon*Star, but the Mob aren't going to let their leader be taken without a fight.
53"Sneak Attack – Part II"Cy YoungNovember 19, 1986 (1986-11-19)
Hardware frees Mon*Star from the Penal Planet 10 using a box containing the Moon*Star's power and Mon*Star then launches a deadly attack on the SilverHawks.
54"Moon*Star"Alice Knox & Peter LarsonNovember 20, 1986 (1986-11-20)
Poker-Face hands Mon*Star a chunk of the Moon*Star which endows the villain with incredible new powers and the SilverHawks now have to stop this Super Mon*Star.
55"Diamond Stick-Pin"Peter LawrenceNovember 21, 1986 (1986-11-21)
The Mob hires Zeek to be their limo driver and then hand him a diamond stick-pin bomb to annihilate the SilverHawks.
56"Burnout"Bill RatnerNovember 24, 1986 (1986-11-24)
Zero steals Professor Power's memory and focuses all the energy of the Aritifcial Sun on Hawk Haven where Stargazer and the Steel twins are trapped.
57"Battle Cruiser"Lee SchneiderNovember 25, 1986 (1986-11-25)
Mon*Star plans to go to Earth and start a crime wave while Stargazer employs two new SilverHawks named MoonStryker and Condor to help him.
58"Small World"Kimberly MorrisNovember 26, 1986 (1986-11-26)
The Mob shrink and steal Automata, but are unaware the planet has a faulty valve which could cause it to explode and destroy the entire Galaxy of Limbo.
59"Match-Up"Bruce W. SmithNovember 27, 1986 (1986-11-27)
After being imprisoned in Penal Planet 10, Windhammer organizes a spectacular boxing match inside the prison to create a diversion which would allow him to escape.
60"Stargazer’s Refit"William OvergardNovember 28, 1986 (1986-11-28)
Under Mon*Star's orders and armed with deadly meltdown discs, Mo-Lec-U-Lar goes out to eliminate Commander Stargazer. Due to a detour to the Starship Casino, Mon*Star enlists Poker-Face to help finish the job. Now the SilverHawks must get to Stargazer before the meltdown discs go off.
61"The Invisible Destroyer"Dow Flint KowalczykDecember 1, 1986 (1986-12-01)
Hardware's latest invention is an Invisible Laser Satellite which he intends to use to conquer Bedlama.
62"The Harder They Fall"Chris TrengoveDecember 2, 1986 (1986-12-02)
After rebuilding the giant Sky-Shadow, the Mob plan to use it to tow Penal Planet 10 to Brim*Star and enlist all the prisoners in the Mob.
63"Uncle Rattler"Beth BornsteinDecember 3, 1986 (1986-12-03)
Yes-Man’s uncle Rattler steals the SilverHawks payroll shipment before the Mob can get to it.
64"Zeek’s Power"Matthew MalachDecember 4, 1986 (1986-12-04)
The Magical Orb sent from Earth to recharge Hotwing's powers is intercepted by Zeek who successfully convinces the Orb to endow him with Hotwing’s powers.
65"Airshow"Peter LawrenceDecember 5, 1986 (1986-12-05)
Disguising himself as the Miraj, Mo-Lec-U-Lar wreaks havoc in the Air Show organized by the SilverHawks to celebrate the Independence Day in the Galaxy of Limbo.

Merchandise and other media

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DVD releases

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In October 2008, Warner Home Video released SilverHawks: Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1 for the first time.[8] The 4-disc set contains the first 32 episodes of the series.

In October 2011, Warner Bros. released SilverHawks: Volume 2 on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.[9] The 4-disc set contains the remaining 33 episodes of the series.

Action figures

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The SilverHawks action figure collection based on the animated series was produced by Kenner and first released in 1987. LJN, the makers of the ThunderCats figures, originally were to produce the SilverHawks figures but decided to pass on the project at the last minute. Each figure was packaged with a companion bird and, similar to Kenner's Super Powers Collection toyline, had an action feature of some type. The second series of figures is harder to find than the first with Ultrasonic Quicksilver being the most difficult. The MonStar with Laser Lance, Copper Kidd with Laser Discs, and the Copper Racer vehicle were not produced but were shown in the 1988 Kenner toy catalog. The Hawk Haven Fortress was also never released, due to the high production costs it would incur. Many recurring characters were never made, including Yes-Man, Melodia and Poker-Face.

Weapon-birds

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The weapon-birds are cyborg animal companions released with most of the action figures. While Tally-Hawk appeared in almost all of the episodes in the series, all other "weapon-birds" only appeared in a handful of episodes. In the episode "The Fighting Hawks", the weapon-birds for the Steel Twins were accidentally switched from the toy versions. The weapon-birds are listed below, with their toy partner's name in parentheses.

  • Tally-Hawk (Quicksilver)
  • Side Man (Bluegrass)
  • Rayzor (Steelheart)
  • Stronghold (Steelwill)
  • May-Day (Copper Kidd)
  • Sly-Bird (Stargazer)
  • Gyro (Hotwing)
  • Backlash (Flashback)
  • Tail-Spin (Moon Stryker)
  • Jet Stream (Condor)
  • Sky Shadow (Mon*Star) - a bat, rather than a bird
  • Prowler (Hardware) - a green flying dragon
  • Volt-Ure (Mo-Lec-U-Lar)
  • Shredator (Buzz-Saw)
  • Airshock (Mumbo-Jumbo)

In 2021, a new line of Silverhawks action figures were announced.[10]

Other merchandise

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Several other pieces of SilverHawks merchandise were released in the 1980s, including a board game, puzzles, bed sheets, and a plastic pencil pouch with the main characters on one side. Pajamas were also produced, which included wing flaps under the arms to more resemble the characters.

Comics

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Marvel Comics' kid-friendly imprint Star Comics (which also published ThunderCats) released a seven-issue series.[11] Writers included Steve Perry, who also wrote for the animated series.[12][13]

Issue Title Cover Date Synopsis
1 The Origin Story August 1987 When Mon*Star escapes Penal Planet 10 and breaks out the rest of the Mob, Commander Stargazer calls Earth for reinforcements. Four human volunteers and one volunteer from the Planet of Mimes are transformed into Silverhawks and are soon on their way to the Limbo Galaxy and Hawk Haven, their home for the next few centuries, but Mon*Star organizes a welcome party.
2 Kidnapped October 1987 When Tallyhawk catches Mon*Star and Hardware planning on kidnapping Commander Stargazer, Stargazer decides it is his chance to get all of the Mob's secrets from their computer banks.
3 Clementine December 1987 The Space Bandit jumps a claim on Automata and his loud mouth brings Melodia to get the gold for Mon*star. Bluegrass goes to bring them in, but soon needs rescue himself. I turns out Automata has secrets no one but the prospector knew.
4 Copper Kidd Beats The Odds February 1988 The gambler Percunius Wadsworth Wellington shows up at Hawkhaven saying he's been robbed by the Mob. Poker-face has a new game at the Starship Casino and wasn't happy that Wellington won big before Poker-face rigged it. But the Silverhawks can't do anything to help him - the Starship Casino lies beyond the Lightyear Limit - the end of their jurisdiction. Copper Kidd volunteers to take him home but decides to help him win back his money instead. Stargazer orders the other Silverhawks to stop him because Earth would disband them if he beat the Mob and what the Mob would do to him isn't worth mentioning.
5 Fantascreen April 1988 Hardware builds a machine that'll show someone's greatest fantasy and make them a mindless slave. When Steelwill is enslaved by it, Steelheart and the other Silverhawks go to his rescue.
6 A Few Laughs With The Old Crowd June 1988 When Stargazer bungles the Silverhawks capture of the Mon*Star and the Mob, he decides to head back to Earth for upgrades. When Mon*Star conquers Hawkhaven and Copper, Kidd is the only one left to call for help.
7 Darkbird August 1988 Lord Cash of the Bankworld of Dolare calls help when Quicksilver appears to attack. But Tallyhawk has a report from Brim*Star - Hardware built a fake Silverhawk for Mon*Star.

Other appearances

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In the 2011 ThunderCats remake, Mon*Star briefly appears in a cameo in the episode "Legacy". He was seen on a monitor on the bridge of Mumm-Ra's ship.[14]

Solar Opposites features a lengthy subplot that parodies the IP called SilverCops.

Reboot

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As of July 2021, a NacelleVerse reboot of Silverhawks is in development.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 551. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 741–742. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. ^ "SilverHawks: The Amber Amplifier Episode Summary". TV.com. 1986-10-20. Retrieved 2011-12-10.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "SilverHawks: Countdown to Zero Episode Summary". TV.com. 1986-10-17. Retrieved 2011-12-10.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "SilverHawks: The Saviour Stone Episode Summary". TV.com. 1986-10-21. Retrieved 2011-12-10.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "SilverHawks: Gotbucks Episode Summary". TV.com. 1986-10-23. Retrieved 2011-12-10.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Complex, Valerie (July 10, 2021). "The Silverhawks Animated Series is Getting the Reboot Treatment". io9. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "Silverhawks - Formal Press release for Season 1, Volume 1 DVD Set". Archived from the original on 2012-04-11.
  9. ^ "Silverhawks - Update for the 4-DVD 'Volume 2' Set: Date, Cost, Final Art and Pre-Order Link!". Archived from the original on 2012-02-03.
  10. ^ "Silverhawks Ultimates Wave One Now up for Preorder at Super7". 10 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Silverhawks (Marvel comic book) - 7 issues". Comicvine.com. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  12. ^ Silverhawks at the Grand Comics Database
  13. ^ "ThunderCats writer Stephen Perry murdered". Sci Fi Online. Archived from the original on 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  14. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: ThunderCats Episode 7 Clip 'Legacy' Reveals SilverHawks And TigerSharks!". MTV. Archived from the original on 2012-05-26. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  15. ^ "Classic '80s TV Show 'Silverhawks' Being Reanimated By The Nacelle Company'". Deadline. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
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