Maschinen Krieger ZbV 3000 facts for kids
Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K ZBV3000), usually called Ma.K., is a cool science fiction world. It was created by a Japanese artist and sculptor named Kow Yokoyama in the 1980s. This world includes illustrated stories, awesome models and mecha action figures, a short film from 1985, and even a new Hollywood movie coming soon!
The Story of Ma.K
Imagine a future where a huge war, World War IV, happened in the year 2807. This war sadly killed most people on Earth and made the planet unlivable.
Fifty-two years later, a team from a big space group called the Galactic Federation came to Earth. They found that nature had healed the planet! So, the Federation decided to send people to live on Earth again.
Over the next 20 years, new cities and towns grew. But this growth also attracted criminals and people who wanted to hide from the law. Small groups tried to protect the new settlers, but they often lost to these lawless newcomers.
To keep things calm, the Federation gave control of Earth to the Strahl Democratic Republic (SDR) in the late 2870s. The SDR sent police and soldiers. They were very strict, limiting travel and making people work hard. This made the colonists very unhappy.
Because of this, the colonists formed their own group called the Earth Independent Provisional Government. They declared that they were independent from the SDR. The SDR quickly set up its own government and tried to stop the uprising.
The rich colonists hired skilled fighters, whose families were veterans from World War IV. These fighters formed the Independent Mercenary Army (IMA). Some SDR soldiers even joined the IMA! They started attacking the SDR forces, and a big war for control of Earth began in 2882.
For the next four years, the SDR and IMA fought all over the world. Both sides kept inventing new technology. The war got even more intense in June 2883. The IMA used a powerful new weapon: the Armored Fighting Suit (AFS). This was like a special powered armor suit that was very effective. The SDR soon built their own AFS units too.
In the final part of the original story, the IMA beat a new SDR robot called the Königs Kröte. This robot was an unmanned command-and-control mecha. The IMA used a computer virus to defeat it. This virus also created a new smart computer system on the moon!
Ma.K Collectibles
Fans loved the Ma.K stories so much that a Japanese company called Nitto started making models. They released 21 different kits while the stories were still being published. Most of these models were 1:20 scale, but some were 1:76 and 1:6 scale.
Nitto stopped making the kits in 1986 when the stories ended. But they later re-released many of the original kits under the Maschinen Krieger name. These new kits had different stickers and box art. Some of the original Nitto kits, like the Krachenvogel, are now very rare and sought after by collectors.
Other Japanese companies like Wave and ModelKasten also made similar models. Wave still makes new models from the series today, including the Armored Fighting Suits. Smaller companies like Brick Works and Love Love Garden have even made special pilot figures to go with these models.
In 2008, a company called Hasegawa announced they would also make Ma.K models. They are known for military and civilian vehicle models. Hasegawa released their first Ma.K model, the Pkf 85 Falke attack craft, in March 2009. They now have at least ten different kits, mostly in 1:35 or 1:20 scale. This includes a 1:35 scale Nutrocker tank and the Mk44 humanoid mecha suit from Robot Battle V, which is another story in the Ma.K world. Wave also has a line of 1/20 models. Hasegawa often uses yellow boxes like the old Nitto kits, while Wave has more colorful box designs.
Some special companies, like Rainbow-Egg, can make their own unique resin kits and accessories. They need special permission from Kow Yokoyama himself to do this.
Ma.K Toys
There are also many action figures and display figures from the Ma.K world. Japanese companies like Yellow Submarine and Max Factory have released pre-finished figures in 1:35 and 1:16 scale. MediCom Toys made cute Chibi Ma.K. figures for their Kubrick line. They also made two 1:6 scale SAFS figures that had working lights and pilots that could be posed!
Ma.K Books
Many books have been released that add more details to the Ma.K stories. Hobby Japan magazine published a collection of the first 15 stories in 1983. They reprinted them in 2010. Later, the magazine released all 43 stories in a special collection called "SF3D Chronicles" in 2010. This set had two books: "Heaven" for models that fly, and "Earth" for models that stay on the ground.
Another company, Model Graphix, also made their own books. These books often include tips from Kow Yokoyama on how he creates his figures. Some books even come with special sticker sets for models.
The Ma.K Short Film
Kow Yokoyama worked with Tsuburaya Productions to make a live-action SF3D film in 1985. They used miniature models to create the scenes. The 25-minute film, called SF3D Original Video, starts on Christmas Day in 2884. It shows the wreckage of a battle in the Wiltshire wastelands.
The story focuses on a badly damaged IMA SAFS unit. The pilot, Cpl Robert Bush, is still alive. He wants to get his armored suit working again and leave the battle area, which has a lot of radio interference. He sees two of the SDR's new Nutrocker (Nutcracker) robot hovertanks nearby. Bush tries to hide, but his body makes a noise, giving him away.
One Nutcracker starts chasing him. The SAFS's computer tells Bush how to defeat it. He manages to climb onto the tank. The tank drives through a ruined town, shooting at high places to knock down objects that might stop Bush. The SAFS's right arm is cut off by the Nutcracker's laser blasts, and snow starts to fall. Bush falls and is knocked out all night. The tank also breaks down in the cold.
The next day, the SAFS computer wakes Bush up because the Nutcracker is active again and is about to kill him. Bush gets up and faces the tank as it charges. But the Nutcracker gets too close to a cliff, and the ground under it crumbles. Bush fires his laser into the tank's underside. The tank falls into a deep ditch and explodes! Bush walks away and is able to talk to his base on the radio again. It turns out the battle was a test for the SAFS units. Bush's machine was the only one of four that survived that day.
After the credits, two more Nutcrackers arrive at the battle scene.
