Inhumanoids facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Inhumanoids
Logo image from title sequence.
Genre	Action-adventure Science fiction Superhero
Created by	Flint Dille
Starring	Michael Bell William Callaway Ed Gilbert Chris Latta Neil Ross Richard Sanders Susan Silo
Composer(s)	Robert J. Walsh
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	27
Production
Running time	24 minutes
Production company(s)	Hasbro Sunbow Productions Marvel Productions Toei Animation
Distributor	Claster Television (United States) Sunbow Productions International (Internationally)
Release
Original network	Syndication
Original release	June 15 (1986-06-15) – December 14, 1986 (1986-12-14)

Inhumanoids is an exciting animated TV series and a toy line from 1986. Like other popular Hasbro toys such as Transformers and G.I. Joe, this show was made by Sunbow Entertainment and Marvel Productions. It was animated in Japan by Toei Animation.

The story of Inhumanoids follows a group of scientist-heroes called Earth Corps. They fight against three giant underground monsters known as the Inhumanoids. Luckily, Earth Corps gets help from special elemental beings called the Mutores.

Discovering the Inhumanoids

The Inhumanoids series first appeared as short cartoons. These shorts were part of a TV block called Super Sunday. Other shows like Jem and the Holograms were also part of this block. The Inhumanoids shorts were later put together to make a "movie" for video.

The Story Begins

The adventure starts when Earth Corps finds a huge monster. It is trapped in a block of amber in Big Sur national park. Earth Corps is a government team that studies geology.

A greedy businessman named Blackthorne Shore secretly finds another monster. This monster is a giant vine creature called Tendril. Tendril attacks the amber block's public showing in San Francisco. It frees the trapped monster, D'Compose. Both monsters then cause chaos in the city. They escape into the bay.

Meeting the Mutores

A member of Earth Corps, Liquidator, goes back to Big Sur. He looks for clues about the monsters. There, he finds talking tree-beings called the Redwoods. They explain that they are part of the Mutores. The Mutores are underground creatures. They sealed away the evil Inhumanoids, Tendril and D'Compose, a long time ago.

The main Inhumanoid leader, Metlar, is still trapped deep underground. He is held by the magnetic power of two Mutores called Magnokor.

Underground Battles

Tendril attacks the Earth Corps base at night. This leads to a chase deep into the Earth. Even with help from the Granites, who are rock-bodied Mutores, Earth Corps has to retreat.

Their funding is cut by Senator Masterson. He is a politician secretly working with Blackthorne Shore. But then, Sandra Shore, Blackthorne's sister, helps them. She knows about her brother's plan to free Metlar. Sandra funds the team. They build new vehicles and go back underground.

Freeing Metlar

Earth Corps tracks D'Compose and Tendril to the Granites' city. A big battle happens there. During the fight, Metlar is freed from Magnokor's hold.

Blackthorne Shore joins the fight too. He stole Earth Corps' plans and built his own battle-suit. He uses its magnetic powers against Metlar. But Tendril interferes. Sandra Shore is also affected by D'Compose's touch, turning her into a monster.

Fighting Back

Earth Corps escapes and teams up with the Granites. Herc goes with the Granites to D'Compose's home, Skellweb. Auger and Liquidator go to Metlar's kingdom, Infernac. Bright convinces the Redwoods to protect the surface world.

Herc and the Granites defeat D'Compose's reanimated soldiers. They also restore Sandra to normal. Blackthorne chases Auger and Liquidator to Infernac. He tries to use his magnetic powers on Metlar again. But Magnokor stops him. Metlar then captures Blackthorne.

Stopping a Global Threat

The Inhumanoids learn about nuclear missiles from Blackthorne. They raid a Soviet air base and steal them. Blackthorne warns Earth Corps that the missiles are meant to break the Earth's crust. But when Earth Corps goes underground, they find out Blackthorne tricked them. The missiles are meant to blow up the planet's core!

Earth Corps convinces D'Compose to help them get into Infernac. D'Compose is scared of Metlar's crazy plan too. They manage to stop enough missiles to prevent the explosion.

The Aftermath

After a huge battle, D'Compose is trapped in amber again. Tendril is imprisoned by the Granites. Magnokor finally stops Metlar. Blackthorne is arrested by Earth Corps.

Senator Masterson gives Earth Corps a new headquarters. But a small piece of Tendril, taken during their first fight, has mysteriously disappeared.

The Inhumanoids TV Series

Inhumanoids and Jem became full-length shows after their "Super Sunday" shorts. Jem was more successful, lasting 65 episodes. Inhumanoids had only one season.

The first five episodes of Inhumanoids were made from the original "movie" shorts. The series then got the subtitle, The Evil That Lies Within. This phrase was even in the show's opening song. Eight more episodes were made, making a total of thirteen for the season.

This series was special for kids' cartoons of its time. It had a strong story that continued from episode to episode. It also used lots of shadows and split-screens. Sometimes, it even showed scary or gross scenes, which was unusual for children's shows.

Series Episodes

Meet the Characters

The Earth Corps Team

The Earth Corps is a group of brave scientists. They wear special suits to explore underground and fight monsters.

• Dr. Herman "Herc" Armstrong (voiced by Neil Ross) is the leader. His suit has a strong grappling hook. He uses it to climb high places.
• Dr. Derek Ericson Bright (voiced by Richard Sanders) is the smart engineer. He designs all the cool vehicles and gear. He is calm and logical.
• Dr. Edward "The Fist" Augutter (voiced by Michael Bell) is the team's mechanic and archaeologist. He builds their suits and weapons. He is strong-willed and often argues with others. He sometimes throws his shoe at the TV when he gets mad!
• Mr. Marcus Capello (voiced by John Aniston), code name 'Captain Action,' is a master policeman. He is super strong and almost impossible to hurt. He wears a heat-resistant suit and a cape that lets him fly.
• Dr. Johnathon Martin Slattery (voiced by William Callaway), code name 'Liquidator,' is a master chemist. His suit has a spray cannon. He uses it to shoot different chemicals, like a quick-freeze mixture. He starts dating Sandra Shore later in the series.
• Sandra Shore (voiced by Susan Silo), code name 'Ms. Navigator', is the only female member. She takes over her family's company. When Earth Corps loses funding, she helps them. She joins the team to fight the Inhumanoids.
• Colonel Anatoly Kiev (voiced by Neil Ross), code name 'Tankmaster' or 'Tank,' is a brave Soviet army veteran. He helped Earth Corps stop a big threat. He has a powerful cannon on his suit and is super strong.
• Bradley Joseph Armbruster (voiced by Neil Ross), code name 'Sabre Jet,' is a U.S. Air Force pilot. After an accident, Earth Corps gives him a special exosuit. This suit helps him walk again and gives him flight powers. He becomes a flying hero for the team.

The Evil Inhumanoids

These are the giant, scary monsters that Earth Corps fights.

• Metlar (voiced by Ed Gilbert) is the strongest and most evil Inhumanoid. He lives in a fiery place called Infernac at the Earth's core. He can spit lava balls. His weakness is magnetism, which makes Magnokor his biggest enemy. Metlar once ruled over other Inhumanoids before being trapped.
• D'Compose (voiced by Chris Latta) is an undead Inhumanoid. He can turn victims into giant, scary monsters with a touch. His chest opens up like a cage. Sunlight can turn his victims back to normal. He lives in a kingdom called Skellweb and commands an army of undead creatures.
• Tendril (voiced by Chris Latta) is a slimy, vine-like monster. He can grow back his limbs. Large pieces of him can even grow into new Tendril monsters! He can also change his size. He is strong but not very smart.
• Sslither (voiced by Neil Ross) is a giant reptile monster. He was trapped in a temple in Indonesia. Blackthorne Shore freed him. Sslither can spit deadly electric blasts. He used to rule the Inhumanoids long ago, forcing Metlar to build pyramids.
• Gagoyle is a blue, one-eyed monster with a see-through stomach. He is always hungry. Blackthorne Shore and Nightcrawler found him in a volcano. He was destroyed in a fight with Metlar.

The Helpful Mutores

Mutores are elemental beings. They helped trap the Inhumanoids long ago. Now, they help Earth Corps fight them again.

• Redwoods (voiced by Stanley Ralph Ross) are wise tree-beings. They can look like tree stumps or grow very tall. They are very old and know a lot. Their leaders are Redlen and Redsun.
• Granites (voiced by John Stephenson and Chris Latta) are strong rock-warriors. They live underground. They can break apart their bodies to hide as piles of stone. They can also put themselves back together. Their leader is Granok.
• Magnokor (voiced by Dick Gautier) is a unique Mutore. His body looks like hardened lava. He can split into two parts: Crygen (blue and calm) and Pyre (red and aggressive). Together, they control magnetic fields. They are the only ones who can hold Metlar.

Other Key Characters

• Blackthorne Shore (voiced by Michael Bell) is a greedy businessman. He wants power and control over the Inhumanoids. He found ancient documents to free Tendril and D'Compose. He built a magnetic suit to try and control Metlar, but it often backfires.
• Nightcrawler (voiced by William Callaway and Ron Feinberg) was once Dr. Herman Manglar. He was a scientist who created monsters. After an accident, D'Compose turned him into the monstrous Nightcrawler. He often works with Blackthorne Shore.
• Senator Masterson (voiced by Dick Gautier and Ed Gilbert) is a corrupt politician. He is secretly controlled by Blackthorne Shore. He tries to help Blackthorne and often causes trouble for Earth Corps.
• Hector Ramirez (voiced by Neil Ross) is a TV reporter. He often reports on the Inhumanoids. He is known for his sensational news stories. Auger of Earth Corps doesn't like him very much.
• Langastoids are strange, mollusk-like creatures. They live in an underground city. They love junk food from the surface world. They sometimes help the Inhumanoids for food.

Action Figures

Hasbro made a line of action figures based on the cartoon in 1986. The scientist figures had special actions. All the figures could "glow in the light." The large figures of Metlar, Tendril, and D'Compose are very popular with collectors.

There were also toy figures for the Mutores, like Redlen and Granok. A second series of figures was planned, but the toy line was canceled.

Comic Books

Cover to issue #1 of The Inhumanoids comic series published by Marvel Comics. From January 1987.

Marvel Comics (1987)

Marvel Comics created a short Inhumanoids comic book series in 1987. It was part of their Star Comics line. The comics retold the story of "The Evil That Lies Within." The series ended after only four issues. It left readers with a cliffhanger of Metlar escaping and Sandra Shore turning into an undead monster.

IDW Publishing (2020)

A newer comic series from 2020 by IDW Publishing also features characters and ideas from Inhumanoids. For example, the Earth Corps team is called the Adventure-One Team in this new comic.