Juukou B-Fighter
Juukou B-Fighter (Translaters to "Heavyshell B-Fighter) , was the 1995 entry into Toei's Metal Heroes series. It dealt with three members of the prestigious "Earth Academia" fighting against the evil forces of the otherworldy Jamhal empire. Footage and costumes were taken from B-Fighter and used in Saban's American series Big Bad Beetleborgs, however the shows had very different storylines running through them.
Story
The insects of the world all swarm in response to an unknown menace. To investigate this, Kai Takuya of the Earth Academia journeys into the jungle and meets the insect elder Guru in a cave. Guru tells him that invaders from another dimension are coming to take over the Earth, and that the insects are fighting to protect it. Takuya says humans will fight too. The evil army Jamahl arrives in the Jamahl fortress. Their leader Gaohm sends his generals and soldiers to Earth to start enslaving mankind. Katagiri Daisaku and Hayama Rei save a girl from Jamar soldiers, but are captured.
Meanwhile, at the Earth Academia, Professor Mukai and Takuya are working on 3 prototype armor suits to help combat Jamahl. Guru appears there and sends three insects into the armor to infuse them with life. The armors shrink and enter the 3 B-Commanders, and Guru tels them to select 3 warriors to fight Gaohm. One chooses Takuya, transforming him into Blue Beet when he opens the B-Commander and cries "Juukou!", and the others fly off to Daisaku and Rei. They change into G-Stag and Reddle, and when Blue Beet arrives the three of them fight off the Jamahl forces.
The B-Fighters
- Blue Beet/Takuya Kai: A 23-year old insect researcher at the Earth Academia, he is the team leader. As Blue Beet, his armor was modeled after a rhinoceros beetle. His blood was used in the creation of his "evil twin" Shadow. At the second half, Blue Beet gained the abilty to evolve into Super Blue Beet.
- 'G-Stag(Green Stag)/Daisaku Katagiri: At age 23, he is an impetuous but nature-loving man. A tree doctor, Daisaku claims to be able to hear trees and plants when they are dying. He was also aquaphobia until he overcame his fear to save his father Daitesu Katagiri, a fisherman, from a trap laid by the Ebikaania. As the most physically powerful of the B-Fighters, G-Stag's armot armor is modeled after a stag bettle. G-Stag is strong enough to lift the Jamar soldiers and toss them around like rag dolls.
- Rei Hayama/Reddle(Episodes 1-22): A 22-year old an animal instructor at Earth Academia's Aquarium. Being the only female B-Fighter, her armor was modeled after a female rhinoceros beetle. Reddle is the fastest and most nimble of the B-Fighters. She eventally left for the South American branch of Earth Academia, to do research and help with protecting the wildlife there.
- Mai Takatori/Reddle(Episodes 22-52): Rei's sucessor, a young and cheerful 19-year old girl who was "chosen" by the Pulsabers as the next Reddle.
Arsenal
- Stinger Weapons'
- Stinger Blade: a triangular swordlike weapon. When the turbine inside the Stinger Blade spins, the blade revolves and gains extra power, allowing him to perform the deadly Beetle Break, a diagonal slash trailing blue energy behind it.
- 'Stinger Drilll: Aan augmented Stinger Weapon, a large drill that attaches to his wrist. The front and back halves of the drill rotate in opposite directions, and his attack with it is the Strike Blast, a charging stab that bores a hole through his enemies.
- Stinger Claw: A large yellow pincerlike claw that he can use to crush enemies or grab them and throw them aside. When the turbine inside it spins, the entire claw spins to give it added crushing power. G. Stag also can lift enemies captured in the claw above his head and when the turbine activates, they spin around in his grip and he throws them to the ground. His deadly attack with the claw is the Raging Slash, a horizontal slice trailing green energy behind it. The claw can also detach and be thrown like a projectile, the Stinger Boomerang.
- Stinger Blade: a triangular swordlike weapon. When the turbine inside the Stinger Blade spins, the blade revolves and gains extra power, allowing him to perform the deadly Beetle Break, a diagonal slash trailing blue energy behind it.
- Stinger Plasmar: An array of four red beam emitters that fire powerful beams of red ion energy. She can use this energy to capture her enemies in energy ropes and drag them across the ground or throw them through the air. If the internal turbine is activated the array spins at high speed and Reddle can utilize the Tornado Spark, firing her beams in a wide circular pattern.
- Beet-Ingram: A red and white semi-automatic-like double-barreled gun called the Beet Ingram. The Beet Ingram is a legendary gun that is said can only be used by a great hero. The top of the Beet Ingram can fold forward and over the barrels so that they are covered by a single barrel with two pincerlike armatures protruding from it. The Beet Ingram in this mode can be combined with Blue Beet's Pulsaber by attaching the Pulsaber to the top, to create the Beet Ingram Final Mode, whose power reached it full potential when weilded by Super Blue Beet for Super Final Blow attack.
Jamahl
- Black Beet/Shadow : An evil clone of Takuya/Blue Beet made by the nefarious Jagul, Black Beet is highly powerful, and was quite a formidable opponent to the other B-Fighters. His henshin call was "Jyakou!" (Evil Sheel!)