Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light was a science fantasy media franchise consisting of a line of action figures from Hasbro, released in 1987, and its related promotional tie-ins, which included a comic book series published by Star Comics and a half-hour animated television series made by Sunbow Productions in the same year.
The toyline was not very successful, which led to both the series and the comic being cancelled after short runs. The comic lasted only 6 issues, and was cancelled halfway through a four-part storyline. The animated series lasted one season of 13 episodes, and was not picked up for a second.
Visionaries is the only Hasbro property to be produced by Sunbow on their own, without the aid of Marvel Productions. Sunbow used TMS Entertainment in Japan for the overseas animation work for the show.
Video Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light
Overview
The story is set on the planet Prysmos, an advanced society where all electronics and complex machinery no longer function and its citizens are forced to rely on ancient magic. The Visionaries are knights who are split into two factions: the heroic Spectral Knights and the evil Darkling Lords. Everyone who wishes to gain the usage of magic is invited to a competition by the wizard Merklynn. After surviving traps, dangerous creatures, and each other, survivors are rewarded with unique animal totems affixed to their armor chestplates; these talismans are based on the bearers' individual attributes while allowing them to transform into their specific creatures.
Some knights are given staffs enchanted with various magic powers that are activated by its holder reciting a special verse. They could be used only once before they needed to be replenished in the animated series, but had unlimited use in the comic series. Characters who could not use these weapons instead had the power to infuse vehicles with magical powers, the spells for which were printed on official toy packaging but never used in either the comics or the animated series, while female characters had shields which worked the same way as the staffs in the comics, but not on the show.
Maps Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light
Characters
Spectral Knights
Headed by New Valarak's leader Leoric, the Spectral Knights are magic users who use magic for the purposes of good; they are the protagonists of the series.
Darkling Lords
Headed by Darkstorm, the Darkling Lords use their powers for selfish aims and are the antagonists of the series.
Other characters
Merklynn - The wizard who occupies the shrine at Iron Mountain. Merklynn invites knights from across the land to compete in an obstacled race to his shrine, rewarding those who reach its hall with magical abilities. In exchange for recharging their power staffs at his magical cauldron, Merklynn contracts both the Darkling Lords and Spectral Knights to venture on other quests on his behalf. He sometimes offers magical devices in exchange for their services as well but Merklynn's gifts usually prove to be more trouble than they're worth. His name is based on Merlin. (Voiced by Roscoe Lee Browne)
Fletchen - A young woman from a village near New Valarak. Darkstorm used her superstitious people as unwitting pawns in his plan to trap Leoric in his Lion form. She was the first to discover what had happened to Leoric, but, though she was able to convince his fellow Spectral Knights of the truth, her own people (urged on by Darkstorm) refused to listen and only stopped attacking the Spectral Knights once Leoric was freed from the spell which trapped him. Fletchen only appears twice in the series, but there is strong evidence of a romantic relationship between her and Leoric. (Voiced by Jennifer Darling)
Falkama - One of the wizards who inhabit Prysmos and a member of the same circle of wizardry as Merklynn. The Visionaries encountered him not long after they gained their magical powers; at the time, he was guarding the Dragon's Eye which Merklynn needed to replenish his magic pool. Later in the series, Darkstorm used him in his plot to depose Merklynn, before sending both wizards to the Wizards' Jail. Falkama escaped but was later recaptured by the Spectral Knights. (Voiced by Hal Rayle)
Bogavus - An enigmatic wizard. He was among those who escaped the Wizards' Jail, but Merklynn had never known him to commit evil and, when caught by the Spectral Knights, he denied knowing any real magic. Merklynn subjected him to a test which would cause him to be consumed by fire if he was dishonest - when Bogavus appeared to pass, he was allowed to go free. (Voiced by Jim Cummings)
Wizasquizar - A wizard condemned never to tell the truth. He escaped from the Wizards' Jail at the same time as Falkama and Bogavus, remaining at large until the Spectral Knights captured all three rogue wizards. But, before they could take the wizards to Iron Mountain, the Spectral Knights were ambushed by the Darkling Lords, prompting them to release Wizasqueezar as a diversion. The wizard then joined forces with the Darkling Lords and led them to the Lost Shrine, where he betrayed them. When the Spectral Knights caught up with their enemies, they too came under attack from the Shrine's magical guards, eventually leaving only Leoric to thwart Wizasquizar's plans. (Voiced by Bernard Erhard)
Gleering - Fletchen's father. Before the events of "Lion Hunt", he and the rest of his people feared all magic and would use lucky charms to ward off evil. Darkstorm exploited this to stir up hatred against the Spectral Knights by convincing them that they were "evil wizards" guarding a magical beast. Gleering and his people learned they had nothing to fear from magic, provided it was used for good. (Voiced by Peter Cullen)
Heskedor - An ancient crone living in a cave. Darkstorm, seeking a means to defeat Leoric, sought her aid and she gave him the potion which trapped Leoric in his Lion form. If the spell was not broken by the time all the Three Suns set, Leoric would never be able to revert to human form again, but the Spectral Knights found out what had happened and Witterquick went to confront Heskedor in her cave, forcing her to hand him the antidote. (Voiced by Susan Blu)
Orzan - The ruler of the Lost City of Khemir. Before the Cataclysm, he and his people relied on robots to do all their work and, even after their technology failed, many refused to change their way of life. But after being bitten by Cravex's Spider of Fear and having visions of his people's robot slaves turning on him, he realised that he was himself afraid of being enslaved. (Voiced by Peter Cullen)
Belizar - A young Khemirite man. He was the one who alerted the Darkling Lords to his people's plight and played a key role in Darkstorm's conquest of New Valarak. When told that, since he was not a Darkling Lord, he was ineligible to compete for the Spectral Knights' power staff, he vented his frustration on Leoric and Ectar by forcing them to move furniture and repeatedly changing his mind about where he wanted a cabinet placed. Later, however, he and his fellow Khemirite, Mana, helped the Spectral Knights escape and regain their Totems powers. Belizar vowed to one day prove worthy of knighthood; in the meantime, he would stay in New Valarak and help the people rebuild. (Voiced by Jim Cummings)
Morstane - The faithful servant of Orzan from the city of Khemir. After the Cataclysm, he was split from Orzan and was forced to live without the aid of the technology he had grown accustomed to. He was discovered by the Spectral Knights while they searched for their Totem powers, and was allowed to serve as an aid. (Voiced by Noel Blanc)
Marna - A Khemirite woman. She suggested that her people should try farming for themselves, only to be vetoed because her ideas went against the Khemirites' culture. She went along with Darkstorm's plan to enslave the Spectral Knights but did not order them about to the extent of her fellow Khemirites; instead, on learning that Galadria was no good at sewing, she apologised, saying she had never had to handle human workers before. Later, when Arzon turned himself in rather than see his friends sent to the Vanadium Mines, she realised that freedom at the expense of others was wrong and freed the Spectral Knights. (Voiced by Jennifer Darling)
Sun Imps
The Sun Imps are six mischievous sprites. Merklynn describes them as "nasty magical creatures who created so much havoc during the First Age of Magic that all of the forces in the old world joined to seal them into a tomb and then buried it". But later earthquakes have left this tomb exposed, prompting Merklynn to send the Visionaries to rebury it. However, Lexor tricks Cindarr into releasing the Imps.
Abraxas - The Wizard Imp. He took control of the Bearer of Knowledge when Arzon tried to consult him and, later, turned up at Iron Mountain. Merklynn tried to stop him with a spell, only to find that he could turn any magic used against him back on the caster. In the end, Merklynn outwitted Abraxas with a "Capture Thyself" spell, which, when reversed, caused the Sun Imp to be captured. (Voiced by Neil Ross)
Gorge - The Pig Imp. He has the ability to turn ground to mud (a trick he used on Reekon, Lexor and Feryl) and can also cause pigs to stampede. His biggest weakness is his inability to see food without helping himself to it - the Visionaries later exploited this by tricking him into stuffing himself with cake until he became too fat to stand. (Voiced by Peter Cullen)
Growl - The Cat Imp. He uses sonic waves to cause landslides and break windows. In addition, he can take control of all cats, including human-to-feline shapeshifters like Leoric and Witterquick. He dislikes anything resembling a dog and was caught when Leoric lured him towards Cindarr, who used the dog-like Beast of Destruction to catch him.
Knightmare - The Dream Imp. He can send people to sleep by hitting them on the head and can also hypnotise people by waving his axe in front of their eyes. He used the latter power to take control of Mortdredd and make him give the contents of Darkstorm's treasury to the people living nearby. He was caught when Ectar (in his Fox form) made him so dizzy that he knocked himself out. (Voiced by Hal Rayle)
Mysto - The Fish Imp. He can turn ground to ice and also has the ability to take control of fish. He sent the contents of a fishmonger's barrow flying around New Valarak. Later, Galadria and Virulina used their Totem powers to pursue him round a sunken wreck, where they trapped him in a treasure chest. Named Unctuous in the original script.
Shaggy - The Hair Imp. His favourite trick is causing people's hair to grow rapidly and tying them up with it. In addition, he can turn people into living marionettes, a trick he used to humiliate Darkstorm. However, he cannot use his powers if his hair is shaved off and the Visionaries later used this to trap him.
Unreleased characters
A second wave of characters was planned for release in 1988 but were never released due to the cartoon and the toylines' cancellation.
There were eighteen characters in this unreleased set, eight Spectral Knights and ten Darkling Lords. The members of each faction were:
Action figures
In 1987 Hasbro produced a set of figures after the cartoon series ended. The figures had hologram stickers on both their chests and staffs, which resulted in their being expensive to produce The toy line only lasted one year, with 12 figures (all the male Spectral Knights and the male Darkling Lords complete with weapons and power staffs) and 4 vehicles produced. Each of the vehicles was packaged with an exclusive figure. A second series of figures, slated to be released in 1988 and discontinued the following year, was never produced. The two female Knights - Galadria (Spectral Knights) and Virulina (Darkling Lords) were never made due to Hasbro feeling dubious at the idea of female figures in a boy's toyline. There was a competing toyline at the same time with a similar gimmick by Tonka called Supernaturals.
TV series
There were only thirteen episodes in the television series, each of which was written by Flint Dille, Buzz Dixon or Douglas Booth.
Episodes
DVD release
In the United Kingdom, the entire 13 episode series was released on DVD in 2004 in Region 2 format by Metrodome Distribution. The only special feature included is a set of PDF files of the complete scripts to each episode. So far, there has not been a Region 1 or Region 4 release.
Adaptations
Comics
Marvel Comics
There was also a short-lived Visionaries comic book series, published under Marvel's Star Comics imprint, which lasted six issues and was cancelled midway through a 4-part adventure. The first issue was an adaptation of the first episode, "The Age Of Magic Begins", but subsequent issues took the storyline in a different direction. There were a few differences in details - whereas in the cartoon, the staff-bearing knights had only one use of their staffs before needing a recharge, in the comic, they could use their staffs as often as they liked. In one issue, Witterquick and Cindarr crossed their staffs to combine their powers, the combination of light speed and destruction creating an earthquake. Another difference concerned the animal totems - the characters worried that they might lose control of their animal forms while in them.
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing released Transformers Vs. Visionaries limited series in January 2018.
Film
On December 15, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Hasbro and Paramount were creating a movie universe combining Visionaries with G.I. Joe, Micronauts, M.A.S.K. and Rom together. On April 21, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Michael Chabon, Brian K. Vaughan, Nicole Perlman, Lindsey Beer, Cheo Coker, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, Joe Robert Cole, Jeff Pinkner, Nicole Riegel and Geneva Robertson had joined the writers room.
References
External links
- The Visionaries.net
- Visionaries Action Figure Archive
- Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light on IMDb
Source of article : Wikipedia
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