New ROJ Episode 7 Notes

NEW RETURN OF JETMAN

"Just Imagine!"
(Episode 7)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2013 Christopher Elam

 

New ROJ Episode 7 - "Just Imagine!" wrapped principal writing on July 27, 2010. The title is based on a house ad that ran in DC comic books touting JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 with the tagline "Just Imagine!" The fact that it boasted that "[t]he mightiest heroes of our time...have banded together..." played a big role in my choice of it as a title.

Well, this is it - the final ROJ story. I still have mixed feelings about that, but this isn't the time to expand on them. Suffice to say, this was a marathon, not a sprint. This story contains some of what I would term disappointing results coupled with some of the best fiction I've ever written. Perhaps it couldn't have been any other way.

This story is dedicated to Paul "Igadevil" Sullivan. More than anyone else, "Iga" took an interest in the events of ROJ from the day he encountered it in 2002. Yes, even more than the author of the silly thing. His excitement for ROJ helped shape it, and likely buoyed me on the nights where tossing the whole deal out the window sounded like a grand idea. Thanks Iga, for being both a fan and a friend.

• As mentioned last time, I couldn't very well do a new ROJ series without finding a way to include Shinsei as Jet Phoenix. Only how? Having him wear a Neo-Jetman armor previously seen in NROJ Episode 1, that's how. Foreshadowing!
  
  
  
• The previous episode ended, you may recall, on a cliffhanger that had not been part of the plan. Fact is, having to split the Wyvern/Kienan sequence up into this finale worked out a lot better than what I'd originally had in mind.
  
  
  
• The bag of fake jewels was originally seen with the luckless Syrone in NROJ Episode 6.
  
  
  
• "Use it to make a giant hammer or something?" - Kienan doesn't take the conventions of sentai very seriously, does he?
  
  
  
• "What about Dirk?"/"Oh yeah, Dirk," - I am being totally serious here when I say this exchange was one of the primary reasons Dirk Dixon was named "Dirk," and it was also a key component of the story dating back to GUNMETAL BLACK/RETURN OF JETMAN! Though in all honesty, the speakers of each line were reversed at that point.
  

  The origins of this particular inside joke date all the way back to the airings of G-FORCE on TV. Though I saw a ton of episodes, I somehow missed the one which delighted Lewis so much. In this series, Condor Joe was renamed "Dirk Daring" and one story ended with this exchange. I doubt it was supposed to be the end, but since those shows were edited a lot, it cut to credits as soon as "Oh yeah, Dirk," was uttered. So began a legend that was finally immortalized in NROJ.
  
  
  

• OK, you got me - Dirk Dixon was originally supposed to be shot dead by Kienan. That was kind of the point of him. But I developed an affection for the guy, and I don't think I was the only one. I decided somewhere in the writing of NROJ Ep. 6 that he would be spared, and set up a degree of redemption for the character.
  
  
  
• "I guess you make it a habit to leave your enemies alive so they can come back." - A callback to the revelation that Wyvern didn't kill Toranza when she had the opportunity in Ep. 14.
  
  
  
• Kienan accidentally calling Green Wyvern "Vertiga" is a reference to his meeting with that SEVEN SPHERES LEGEND character in the second "Crossover" story. It is also a meta-textual reference to the fact that Vertiga evolved out of Lewis' original version of Green Wyvern in the 1990s.
  
  
  
• Speaking of that Crossover, Kienan feeling sentimental when talking with Vain is implicitly the last vestiges of his memory of those events, and derives from her fate in that story. At Lewis' request, I tried to set up everything in such a way that these events would have no real bearing on the greater GMB continuity.
  
  
  
• Starman is the American name used for the Japanese superhero Supergiants (or Super Giant). "Kotetsu no Kyojin" ("Giant of Steel") is a nickname given to him in the Japanese films (akin to "Man of Steel"), while "Spaceman" was a name given to him in what I believe were European releases of his movies.
  

  There were nine Supergiants featurettes produced by Shintoho. These films were edited into four movies sold to American TV : ATOMIC RULERS, INVADERS FROM SPACE, ATTACK FROM SPACE and EVIL BRAIN FROM OUTER SPACE. The description I gave of Starman is fairly accurate, though his color scheme varied from place to place and I had to pick one (the movies were B & W).
  
  
  

• The big reveal of Mr. Hoshi's true form as Starman is one of my proudest moments as a writer, as it came together exactly as I had envisioned it. That makes it even more frustrating to tell you that I have no idea why I decided to include him in NROJ. This isn't something that got lost in the intervening years either, as it was a decision that was made and then the build-up forgotten.
  

  I can tell you why I wanted to include a mystery character. Jet Phoenix had been intended to be one in the original series, but I was left with the uncomfortable reality that it wouldn't be much of a mystery to the reader. I abandoned the notion early and left any "mystery" to the characters in the story.
  

  So Mr. Hoshi was my attempt to do a "proper" mystery man. Only why did I pick Starman? The answer might be in the statement Jet Phoenix makes in the story - he was the first Japanese superhero, in the sense that we think of them today. That and the fact that he was pretty well-known could very well have been reason enough to use him, even though he was not part of the Toei pantheon.
  

  Now, while I cannot recall exactly why I included Starman in the series, I can definitely tell you there are a number of clues planted along the way as far as his identity. The first is obviously the name "Mr. Hoshi", since "hoshi" is the Japanese word for "star." His initial appearance being in Hawaii (Ep. 2) was an allusion to the fact that I was basing him on the American incarnation of the character. Ryu having a small in globe in Ep. 5 was meant to evoke a similar signal device in the Starman films. In Ep. 6, the term "anachronism" and Mr. Hoshi's superlative fighting skills were there to remind readers subtly of the character.
  
  
  

• Sojiki Jigen was the villain in JETMAN Ep. 20, which introduced Shinsei's mate Michiru. She did almost die therein, so Shinsei's residual anger is understandable.
  
  
  
• After all the build-up and anticipation of Jet Phoenix returning to action, I thought it would be a nice swerve to have him decide he didn't miss the superhero life. This ties into another development later in the episode, so be patient!
  
  
  
• "Phoenix Finish!" is intended to be a modified version of the "Condor Finish" technique used by Black Condor in the JETMAN TV series.
  
  
  
• Chaos Chimera previously appeared in ROJ Ep. 11, where he (they?) was (were?) destroyed by the Jetman team.
  
  
  
• Tomato Dai O was the villain of JETMAN Ep. 46, and one of the few monsters in the series that was neither a Jigen-Ju or Bio Jigen-Ju. He was presented as Raita's childhood nightmare come to life, which is something this story gently pokes at just a bit.
  
  
  
• Yes yes, "Noooo, what a world!" is indeed a nod to THE WIZARD OF OZ.
  
  
  
• Jihanki Jigen was the monster of JETMAN Ep. 11, an episode where he scrambled the personalities of the heroes with the juice in his cans. Really.
  
  
  
• Noodle Jigen/God Ramen was the monster of JETMAN Ep. 10, and was indeed party to the creation of "Ako-chan Ramen" (illustrated with a cartoon version of the original Blue Swallow's alter ego). And yes, "Hola senorita!" is authentic dialogue from the creature. I don't get why it spoke Spanish either.
  
  
  
• Yoroi Snake first appeared in JETMAN Ep. 29. Choosing this particular monster for revival was not random, because it had relied on a human host. This gave me a vehicle to bring back...well, we'll discuss that a bit further down.
  
  
  
• I have no idea why referencing the Looney Tunes characters the Goofy Gophers (who are themselves probably a reference) seemed hilarious to me, but, well, here we are.
  
  
  
• The conceit of Message from Space action figures existing in the world of ROJ is something that tickled me so much that I had to include it. If you are unaware, MESSAGE was a 1978 Toei SF film very much in the mold of STAR WARS. Prince Hans (Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba), General Garuda (Vic Morrow), and Meia (Peggy Lee Brennan) are all actual characters in that film.
  
  
  
• Both Light Armadillo and the original version of Kage Jetman appeared in JETMAN Ep. 25.
  
  
  

• Mika Katsuragi was meant to stay dead. She was created to die at the hands of Nemesis, to give gravity to his menace and to provide extra motivation for the heroes. What I hadn't anticipated was the character striking such a chord with readers despite having so little "screen time."
  

  I gradually began to have second thoughts about Mika's demise, especially after it became apparent my sketchy ideas about the series' climactic battle would need to be reworked. As I began throwing around concepts, I realized her return would be a sufficiently interesting element to add to the proceedings.
  

  The seeds for Mika's "comeback" were planted very subtly in Episode 6 with the acknowledgment of Yoroi Snake's presence. Since Yoroi Snake was a monster that needed a human host, it would follow that there had to be SOMEONE inside for him to exist.
  
  
  

• Yoroi Snake was defeated in the TV series by the destruction of the snake figurehead that served as the "brain" of the monster armor. The human host's glowing red eyes were also established in that episode.
  
  
  
• "Double Condor" is, naturally, a reference to both Ken Tendo and Jet Phoenix having worn the mantle of Black Condor.
  
  
  
• In reviving Mika, I did have the dilemma of how to break the spell over her. The moment where Black Condor changes to Ken Tendo is perhaps a bit obvious, but it felt suitably dramatic.
  
  
  
• Paira was the home planet of the starfish-looking aliens featured in the Daiei film WARNING FROM SPACE. Probably not coincidentally, similar aliens appear as part of the council in the Starman films. I just made the connection explicit.
  
  
  
• Prior to the decision to revive Mika, there was consideration of having an earlier, heroic incarnation of Nemesis manifest himself to fight Toranza Nemesis. Additionally, there would have been a group (designed by ROJ and Nemesis creator Lewis Smith) called Nemesis Sentai Nihilranger, which would have consisted of assorted versions of the villain. When we elected to deemphasize Nemesis for the final episode, these plans were scrapped.
  
  
  
• an earthquake of extraordinary magnitude - Gratuitous KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE reference goes here.
  
  
  
• Inazumajin X was first and last seen in Episode 1. It was left in the background to make its reappearance that much more impressive.
  
  
  
• Sniper Cat got to be the last monster standing because he is a favorite of Lewis'. The "comically-large bandage" is one of those bits of visual humor common to tokusatsu, even in otherwise tense scenes.
  
  
  
• OK, OK, you got me: one of the main reasons for doing this series in the way in which it played out was to finally have a proper "team-up" between the old and new Jetman teams. The hows and whys weren't always defined, but it was a goal right from the start. However, Jet Phoenix switching to Black Condor gear in the middle of the battle was not something I had expected until it happened. Sometimes, you just go with the flow.
  
  
  
• The existence of Jet Icarus Mark II and Jet Icarus Mark III was a bit of confusion I created for myself, but it was done with the intention of filling out the final battle a bit (especially when Mark I was brought out of mothballs).
  
  
  
• Despite their being crucial to the narrative, I had to find a reasonable excuse to write both Starman and Mika out of the huge mecha battle. Whether my rationale made sense is for the reader to decide.
  
  
  
• Ken seamlessly giving orders, even to the senior Jetman team (including his parents), is one of those moments where he rises to command almost in spite of himself.
  
  
  
• Mjolner Hammer was previously seen in Episode 1, though it was not named as such. See why Kienan's offhand comment was noteworthy now?
  
  
  
• Kaori's extreme reaction compared to the other Jetmen is because she lost her son Gai due to Toranza (in case you had forgotten).
  
  
  
• Since I have been reluctant to kill off characters established in the TV series canon, I did not take the decision to have Green Wyvern slay Toranza lightly. It literally felt like the only logical conclusion to his arc. Having said that, there are...qualifications. More on that in a bit.
  
  
  
• Having Green Wyvern not only kill off Toranza, but pocket the Omniversal Prism too, was not entirely expected when I sat down to write this story. It did, however, provide a stark reminder that she has more of an "edge" than the rest of the heroes, and is capable of things they might never do.
  
  
  

• There was some internal debate about having Mika Katsuragi (and the surviving Paradox Army members) die off When Toranza Nemesis did. This was ultimately tabled as a bit too much of a downer. But what to do with her?
  

  The solution turned out to be in the first episode, and in certain things that occurred in this final episode. Mika had professed being a big fan of Jet Phoenix, and Shinsei had decided to end his superhero career for good. Why not have Mika be the NEW Jet Phoenix? It even fit thematically, since she had died and been resurrected. I sent her off into space as a new emissary of the High Council of the Emerald Planet, partially in tribute to the original plan for Green Wyvern at the conclusion of the first ROJ, and partially because it made sense.
  
  
  

• Restoring the powers of the original Jetman was actually long overdue, so the choice was made that they would retain their powers (not that I expect them to go off and do more heroing with them).
  
  
  
• Gekko Kamen ("Moonlight Mask"), Nanairo Kamen ("Spectrum Mask"), and Iron Sharp are all Earth-born Japanese superheroes of the 1950s. Gekko Kamen was the first TV superhero, and also starred in a series of movies for Toei. Nanairo Kamen was probably the most famous of Toei's early TV heroes, including a stint by Sonny Chiba in the role. Chiba also portrayed Iron Sharp in the feature film from "New Toei" that was dubbed into English as INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN (where the hero was called "Space Chief").
  
  
  

• When the decision was made to spare Dirk Dixon, it was not a foregone conclusion that we'd follow up on his return. It just proved to be too irresistible a temptation to take one more crack at the big galoot.
  

  "Gayle Allen" is a hybrid of Dale Arden and Wilma Deering, while Dr. Zabor is a mash-up of Dr. Zarkov and Dr. Huer. Those are from FLASH GORDON and BUCK ROGERS, respectively. For the record, "Zabor" is a legitimate surname. Oh, and "King Pongo" is a nod to Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon, too.
  
  
  

• When I realized Hellvira Spitfire had sort of become superfluous in Episode 6, I remembered the rivalry between her and Dirk. I figured a spot in Dirk's universe would be a good place for her, and tease future battles that may or may not ever be written.
  
  
  
• "Dr. Hirose" is named for Yutaka Hirose (aka Kazuhisa Hirose and Takumi Hirose), the actor who portrayed Toranza in the JETMAN TV series. FUN FACT: Yutaka Hirose has his own Wikipedia entry! It's true!
  
  
  

• Toranza turning out to still be alive and catatonic despite clearly dying is an idea that dates back to NROJ's roots as "Gunmetal Black/Return of Jetman" back in 2004. Is it a bit of a cop out? Maybe. The ambiguity of it is what appealed to me as a writer, and it manages to preserve the character the way I "found him" while still maintaining a dramatic death scene. It may not work for everyone, but I stand by my choice.
  

  For the record, I don't have a "right" explanation for how Toranza is still alive. I toss a few out in the narrative, and any one of those theories could be perfectly valid. I prefer to leave it mysterious and let the reader decide which reason given (if any!) sounds best to them.
  
  
  

• So, here's the thing about Kei Mizuno being somehow important to multiverse - there is no payoff, and I'm sorry. This actually was a bit of a key plot point in GMB/ROJ, but as the plot developed and changed, it sort of fell by the wayside. I wound up having to hand wave it a little, and I hope it makes at least a little sense. I just didn't want to leave this plot thread dangling entirely.
  
  
  
• Leaving the fate of Ken and Etsuko's relationship in question might also be a bit of a cheat, but the truth is I'm not sure how their relationship should evolve. I was perfectly content keeping them apart at the end of ROJ.
  
  
  
• "You'd think it's been five years!" - meta commentary much?
  
  
  
• The tease that Gohan and Reiko not only have the ability to return to the world of Kamen Rider Sigma, but may actually visit it, was a bit of a wink to how that sequence ended in the previous episode. Little did I know that Igadevil would vow to make it happen someday! Keep watching the skies!
  
  
  
• Considering how the unseen "new" Skyforce Supreme Council was the indirect cause of something of a mess, it only made sense to have them be replaced.
  
  
  
• The "Ken-bo" nickname was first revealed in Episode 4.
  
  
  
• "Never The End" was a suggestion by Igadevil to indicate that even though this story was over, the legacy would never die. I'm not sure how I feel about it now, but there you go.
  
  
  

• Leaving the team together despite the completion of the story's mission was an unusual choice for sentai fanfiction. Upon reflecting on the questions raised in the series, it seemed like the logical decision. Unfortunately, it doesn't come across as an especially strong ending, and that ultimately falls on me.
  

  Confession - I never had a strong ending for this series in mind. I had hoped one would find me along the way, but it didn't. So in spite of the fact that this ending grows naturally out of what has come before, it also feels a bit anti-climactic. Given what had preceded in this episode and the prior one, that's doubly disappointing.
  

  I don't want to end these notes on a low note, but if you're going to take the praise, you need to take the blame, too. Putting NROJ together was a frustrating and maddening experience, but I would say it was ultimately positive and it taught me FAR MORE about both my craft and myself than ROJ did. You can't call something like that anything less than a success.
  

 

© Christopher Elam.