Kamen Rider Stronger


 * This article is about the television series. For the series' main character, see Shigeru Jo.

Kamen Rider Stronger (仮面ライダーストロンガー) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. The fifth program to be created as part of the Kamen Rider Series, the series was broadcast on TBS and MBS from April 5, 1975 to December 27, 1975, lasting 39 episodes, and aired every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Stronger was a co-production between Ishinomori Productions and Toei, and was created by Shōtarō Ishinomori.

While the series is relatively popular amongst tokusatsu fans, it has not garnered much mainstream attention. However, the series is unique in several respects, and has influenced other series in the franchise in many ways.

Story
Shigeru Jō joins the evil organization Black Satan after the death of his close friend Gorō Numata (沼田 五郎), who he considered his mentor. He, promised power, and fueled by a desire for revenge, undergoes surgery to become one of Black Satan's super warriors. However, Shigeru knows that Black Satan were in fact the murderers of his friend; he was using Black Satan in order to gain new powers. The newly powered up Shigeru escapes from the Black Satan headquarters before they can brainwash him into following their campaign of evil and becomes Kamen Rider Stronger. While escaping from Black Satan, Stronger meets Yuriko Misaki another cyborg warrior created by Black Satan who has the ability to transform into Electro-Wave Human Tackle. Together they fight the evil Black Satan and later the Delza Army to restore peace in Japan.

Overview
Shigeru Jō, played by the late Shigeru Araki, joins the evil organization Black Satan after the death of a close friend, one whom he considered his mentor. Promised power, and fueled by a desire for revenge, he undergoes surgery to become one of Black Satan's super warriors. However, Shigeru knows that Black Satan were in fact the murderers of his friend; he was using Black Satan in order to gain new powers. The newly powered up Shigeru escapes from the Black Satan headquarters before they can brainwash him into following their campaign of evil.

Frustrated, Black Satan scientists devise a plan to capture and kill the warrior they have just created, along with continuing the goal they've had all along—world domination. Shigeru plans on fighting back in his new form, Kamen Rider Stronger. While escaping from Black Satan, Stronger meets Yuriko Misaki (played by Kyōko Okada) another cyborg warrior created by Black Satan. They team up, with Yuriko now becoming Electro Wave Human Tackle. The two eventually meet Tōbei Tachibana as well.

Stronger, Tackle, and Tōbei fight valiantly against the evil cyborg forces of Black Satan, continually meeting the head agents General Shadow, and the One-Eyed Titan. The Titan is defeated in episode 13, but manages to return in episode 17 as the One-Hundred Eyed Titan, posing an even greater threat than before. Despite sharing the similar goals of defeating Stronger and conquering the world, General Shadow and the Titan cannot seem to agree on a few other issues—for instance, which one of them gets to kill Stronger. Often, their bickering inadvertently allows him to escape their wrath.

In episode 26, Stronger is able to topple Black Satan once and for all. With his former organization in ruins, General Shadow forms the "Delza Army" to continue his malicious goals. There were two further defining moments for the series: first, in episode 30, Tackle sacrifices herself to save Stronger from Doctor Kate, a Delza Army general. Her death affects Stronger greatly, and he vows to keep fighting until evil is defeated. Tackles' death is sometimes compared to Riderman's sacrifice in Kamen Rider V3. In the following episode, Stronger's fight against evil is greatly assisted when he undergoes surgery and gains a devastating new power—the ability to power up into a new, stronger, form—"Charge Up!".

Ultimately, all the former Riders, Kamen Rider 1, 2 from the original Kamen Rider, V3 from Kamen Rider V3, X from Kamen Rider X, and Amazon from Kamen Rider Amazon, all appear in the final few episodes to help Stronger finally defeat the Delza Army and General Shadow. This sequence of episodes has attracted some praise from fans.

Characters



 * Tōbei Tachibana

Black Satan
Black Satan (ブラックサタン) is a restoration of Shocker.


 * Great Boss of Black Satan (ブラックサタン大首領)
 * Titan (Mr. Titan)/One-Eyed Titan (タイタン／一つ目タイタン)
 * Dead Lion (デッドライオン)
 * Black Satan Soldiers (ブラックサタン戦闘員)
 * General Shadow (ジェネラルシャドウ)

Delza Army
The Delza Army (デルザー軍団) is created by General Shadow after he leaves Black Satan. After its destruction, he forms the Delza Army to fight Kamen Rider Stronger and his group. The first eight of his officers schemed against him, but never challenged General Shadow, but soon General Shadow was overthrown by Great Mashal Machine. The organization was destroyed by the combined efforts of Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider #2, Kamen Rider V3, Riderman, Kamen Rider X, Kamen Rider Amazon, and Kamen Rider Stronger.
 * Great Boss of Delza Army (デルザー軍団大首領)
 * General Shadow (ジェネラルシャドウ)
 * Delza Army Corps (デルザー軍団戦闘員)
 * Staff Officer Steel (鋼鉄参謀)
 * Division Commander Wild Eagle (荒ワシ師団長)
 * Doctor Kate (ドクターケイト)
 * Major Skull (ドクロ少佐)
 * Baron Rock (27-32)
 * General Wolf (狼長官)
 * Commanding Officer Frank (隊長ブランク)
 * Snake Woman (ヘビ女)
 * Marshal Machine (マシーン大元帥)
 * Commander Jishaku (磁石団長)
 * Armored Knight (36-39)

Special guest stars

 * Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 from Kamen Rider
 * Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 from Kamen Rider
 * Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3 from Kamen Rider V3
 * Joji Yuki/Riderman from Kamen Rider V3
 * Keisuke Jin/Kamen Rider X from Kamen Rider X
 * Daisuke Yamamoto/Kamen Rider Amazon from Kamen Rider Amazon

Cast

 * Shigeru Jō (城 茂): Shigeru Araki (荒木 茂)
 * Yuriko Misaki (岬 ユリ子): Kyoko Okada (岡田 京子)
 * Tōbei Tachibana (立花 藤兵衛): Akiji Kobayashi (小林 昭二)
 * Yōichirō Masaki (正木 洋一郎): Hiroshi Ogasawara (小笠原 弘)
 * Titan (タイタン): Akira Hamada (浜田 晃)
 * Dead Lion (デッドライオン): Mahito Tsujimura (辻村 真人)
 * The Great Leader of Black Satan, The Great Leader of Delza Army, Great Leader Rock (ブラックサタン大首領, デルザー軍団大首領, 岩石大首領): Gorō Naya (納谷 悟朗)
 * General Shadow (ジェネラルシャドウ): Hidekatsu Shibata (柴田 秀勝)
 * Marshal Machine (マシーン大元帥): Osamu Ichikawa (市川 治)
 * Narrator (ナレーター): Shinji Nakae (中江 真司)

Songs

 * Opening theme
 * "Kamen Rider Stronger no Uta" (仮面ライダーストロンガーの歌)
 * Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
 * Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Artist: Ichirou Mizuki


 * Ending theme
 * "Kyō mo Tatakau Stronger" (今日もたたかうストロンガー)
 * Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
 * Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Artists: Masato Shimon & Mitsuko Horie, Ichirou Mizuki & Mitsuko Horie
 * Episodes: 1-2, 3-31


 * "Stronger Action" (ストロンガーアクション)
 * Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
 * Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Artists: Ichirou Mizuki & Mitsuko Horie
 * Episodes 32-38