Bio Booster Armor Guyver
Bio-Booster Armor Guyver (強殖装甲ガイバー;Kyôshoku Sôkô Gaibâ; alternatively "Guyver: The Bio-Boosted Armor") is a long-running (over 140 chapters) manga series written by Yoshiki Takaya, adapted into a 12-episode anime series (based roughly on the first 4 books), an OVA, and later two live action movies (Mutronics/Guyver and Guyver: Dark Hero) and a recently-announced (as of 2005) new anime series. The Guyver itself is a symbiotic techno-organic weapon that exponentially enhances the fighting capability of its host. The manga was originally serialized in Tokuma Shoten's "Shonen Captain" magazine beginning in 1985. When Shonen Captain was discontinued in 1997, the manga was picked up by Kadokawa Shoten who subsequently re-released all of the previous graphic novels originally published by Tokuma. The manga is currently serialized in Kadokawa's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine.
Guyver is said to be Yoshiki Takaya's tribute to Shotaro Ishinomori's famous "henshin" superhero Kamen Rider, with possible hints of Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman as well. It also takes hints from Godzilla in the form of the Guyver's primary weapon, the Mega-Smasher, which is based on Godzillas radioactive ray breath.
Origins of the Guyver and the Zoanoids
Thousands of eons ago, the Creators - an alien race (or races) - arrived at a primitive volcanic planet and began experimenting with life! Their purpose was to create the ultimate solider for the battlefield that had tremendous combat capabilities, intelligence, yet obedient. After a series of trials, they developed the one tool they wanted. It was the Zoanoids, hence the Human Race. Later, the Creators produced another experimental weapon, Guyver, a bio-boosted armour which had the capabilities to enhance the combat capabilities of its host 100 times. However, something went wrong, the out-of-control aspects of the Guyver did not allow the Guyver to be controlled by the Creators and in turn attacked them. Though in the end, the Guyver was removed using the remover, the Creators felt threatened and in an attempt to protect themselves from a possible threat in the future, the Creators decided that this project was a failure, abandoned it, and then left Earth.
Character Profiles
- Sho Fukamachi - AKA Guyver 1
The hero of the series, Sho, 17 years old, is a second-form student at a Tokyo-area high school. He has black hair and grey eyes, and is slenderly built. He is a slightly better than the average student, bright but not a genius. He is young enough to still be idealistic, but he fights Cronos more to protect friends and family than from any need to see the enemy brought to justice. If he hadn't become host for a Guyver Unit, he would have happily continued in ignorance of the Corporation. As the series continues he starts to add revenge to his motives, but it never drives him the way it does Agito Makishima. He cares deeply Mizuki with the intensity of first love, and Tetsuro is his closest friend. He agonizes over how he'll ever rid himself of his bio-booster armour, but as the series continues realizes that it's the only thing that enables him to keep his friends - relatively - safe. As he hosts the first Unit activated, he is known as "Guyver 1".
- Fumio Fukamachi
Fumio, who is a widower and Sho's dad; is an easy-going, rather chubby, kind-hearted soul who has done his best to give Sho a good home. Dr. Barcus uses him as an involuntary guinea pig, turning him into the Enzyme II prototype - and programs him to kill his son, Guyver I. He is killed by Guyver I in the battle.
- Agito Makishima - AKA Guyver 3
Agito's uncle secretly forced Agito's real father into bankruptcy and the price for bailing his brother out was Agito. Not long after that Agito's mother died, and his real father committed suicide soon following. Adopted as Genzo Makishima's heir, Agito was raised to be brilliant - as well as ruthless and uncaring. The boy learned to hate his adoptive father, and through him, Cronos. Even from the beginning, Agito wants not only to destroy Genzo and Cronos, but also become ruler of the world himself using Cronos' resources. As the series progresses that ideal fades somewhat, but we are always reminded by it through his ruthless personality and actions. He sees Sho and his friends as people rather than pawns in the 'game' he's 'playing' with Cronos. This idea sort of fades in the after a couple books, but it reappears strongly again when he has control of the Gigantic Guyver Armour.
Agito is of medium build and well muscled; he is a 3rd form student at the same high school the others attend but looks older. Brilliant, he is studying college-level subjects. He almost never allows sentiment to stand in his way, and he can come across as a cold, calculating bastard at times. His motives are definitely mixed, and while not a villain he's not a 'pure-hearted hero' either. He lost his idealism years ago. At one point a candidate-member of the Cronos Elite, he is viewed by them as a traitor. Guyot especially wants him dead. Even though he may have activated his Unit before Risker, because he did not openly appear in his Guyver armour until after Risker was eliminated and therefore he is called Guyver 3.
- Tetsuro Segawa
A large-framed, chubby third-form student; Tetsuro is Sho's closest friend. While he sometimes let people draw the conclusion he is a stereotypical slow, stupid fat kid, in reality he is highly intelligent and can think quite rapidly when he has to. He is a rabid science fiction fan, which gives him the background knowledge to make quite a few accurate guesses about the Guyver armour, Zoanoids, and Cronos. He keeps his hair cut short and wears glasses.
- Mizuki Segawa
Mizuki is the sort of demure, quiet girl and good housekeeper that Japanese men dream of as the ideal wife. She starts out with a crush on Agito Makishima, whose only interest in Mizuki is using her to manipulate Sho and Tetsuro. Eventually she realizes that Sho is her true love interest. At the beginning she has a bad habit of screaming and fainting whenever she sees Zoanoids, but as time goes on she gets stronger, although she'll never be very aggressive...She is rather short even for a Japanese girl, very slender, and keeps her hair in a page-boy cut that emphasizes her large eyes.
- Genzo Makishima
Director of Cronos' Japan Branch (operating under the cover name of Max Pharmaceuticals), he is in charge when Japan Branch loses the Guyver Units. While initially one of the people in charge of developing new Zoanoids, Genzo has, unknown to him, fallen behind in this category as well once Dr. Barcus begins designing the Hyper Zoanoids. His failures to retrieve the Units as well as come up with any significantly new Zoanoid designs results in Commander Guyot relieving him of duty. Genzo is turned into the Enzyme Zoanoid prototype. He dies in battle with Guyver I. He is a large and somewhat portly man that believes in leading through fear rather than by inspiring loyalty.
- Oscar Risker AKA Guyver 2
A Cronos agent, or as he describes himself to Sho, "an inspector from Cronos HQ". Risker was in Japan to supervise the transfer of the inactive Guyver Units to Cronos HQ, and was considerably annoyed to discover Makishima had managed to lose them. When one damaged unit was recovered, he insisted on taking a look at it, and involuntarily became its host. As the second known activated Unit, he was called Guyver 2. A man vain of both looks and martial arts skills, he decided to take on the task of retrieving the Unit Sho had bonded with. His control medal which was damaged when the Unit was initially lost, malfunctioned under the stress of combat leading to his death. Sho takes chance of his weakened state and strikes the medal, shattering it, and the Guyver begins to absorb him; Sho kills him with a maga-smasher blast to put him out of his misery. Risker is tall, with curly blond hair and blue eyes - in other words, your typical Aryan stereotype.
- Cronos Council of Twelve/Council of Cronos Overlords
The leaders of Cronos, all of them have Zoacrystals, and most have highly developed control of their psychic abilities and bio-energy. They can tap into these powers to fly, and generate energy blasts without the need to transform into Zoalord form. Guyot, Archanfel, and Barcus are all members. Guyot was angling to destroy the other Zoalords and become sole ruler of Cronos, but his battle with Archanfel resulted in Guyot's death - and Archanfel (who is the founder of Cronos) once again becomes prime leader of the Council as a result. They are all referred to as 'Zoalords', but the only ones we've seen transformed into battleform so far are Guyot, Archanfel, Fried'rich van Purg'stall, and Imakarum/Masaki.
The Cronos Overlords are:
Archanfel Edward Caerleon Sin Rubeo Amniculus Hamilcar Barcas Luggnagg de Krumeggnic Fried'rich van Purg'stall Cablarl Khan Waferdanos Jearvill Bun Hiyern Imakarum Mirabilis (formerly Masaki Murakami) Rienzi Tuarhan De Galenos Richard Guyot
- Archanfel
Archanfel appears to be a young, blond man with pointy ears and cat-slitted eyes. He is actually the founder, creator, and ruler of Zoalord Council. He is an extremely powerful psychic, and with amazing battle abilities. His battle form are different from the rest of the Zoalords due to the fact that Archanfel was created by the Creators to be the leader of ALL the Zoanoids and the people on Earth. All the other Zoalords were produced from his body. Archanfel was the one who used the remover on Guyver 0 in prehistoric times.
- Commander Richard Guyot
A tall, muscular but well-proportioned man, Guyot would stand out in a crowd even without his lemon-yellow hair and amber-gold eyes. He is something of an evil doppelganger of Clark Savage, Jr., AKA "Doc Savage" to pulp fans. He is an immensely commanding presence with a stunning intellect. One of the top leaders of Cronos as their Commander of Operations, he is largely responsible for creating their current plans for world domination. He has no patience for failure and no compassion for the rank and file troops of Cronos. While he does not like to spend their lives uselessly, he'll send them to their deaths without a second thought for what he considers a worthwhile goal. Guyot has been bio-engineered into a Zoalord and was gifted with the strength to be the most powerful of all the twelve, excluding Archanfel. He also has telepathic powers that allow him to control any Zoanoid or Hyper Zoanoid. As the final Cronos Overlord processed into Zoalord form, he believes he's also the strongest of the twelve. Even in human form he is extremely strong and has a telepathic talent to communicate and control Zoanoids. He wants to bond with a Guyver unit as that will make him far stronger than any of the other Cronos Overlords. He is obsessed with destroying Agito Makishima, and makes the mistake of getting distracted with Guyver III's elimination in the middle of a power duel with Zoalord Archanfel, his main rival for the control of Cronos. This proves a fatal error.
Masaki Murakami/Imakarum Mirabilis
A rather bitter young man, Masaki was a free-lance journalist captured by Cronos and used as an experimental guinea pig in the Zoalord development program. He is a 'prototype body' for the Zoalord forms, including Richard Guyot's. Dr. Yamamura, a scientist involved in the project, discovered Guyot's plans for the Guyver units, and recruited 4 of the prototypes - including his old pupil, Murakami, to attempt to destroy the Commander while he was being processed into his new battle form. The other 11 members of the Cronos Council of 12 - all Zoalords - intervened; Masaki is the only surviving rebel. He joins with Sho to fight Cronos, having his own revenge in mind. He doesn't quite trust Agito at first because of Guyver 3's earlier connections with Cronos. Somehow he's gotten his hands on a super-pistol called a Zoanoid Buster that was made by Max Factories, the cover title for Cronos Japan. He has a Zoalord's strength and the ability to command Zoanoids while in human form to a limited extent. He is not as powerful as Guyot, so loses his battles with the full Zoalord the two times they fight. After Guyot mortally wounds him, Archanfel retrieves Masaki's body (it doesn't disintegrate because he was an experimental prototype). He has Murakami regenerated, this time insuring various mind controls are inserted. Murakami is turned into an obedient, powerful Cronos general - and a full Zoalord, who assumes the name "Imakarum Mirabilis" to take the place of the fallen Guyot. Furthermore, he is now more powerful than Guyot was, and has been given Guyot's Zoacrystal. Imakarum Mirabilis has a very unique relationship with Archanfel. They are in constant telepathic link. It is as if he is a part of Archanfel, which explains the nature of his sudden loyalty towards Archanfel.
Masaki is a tall, thin young man with shoulder-length hair. He normally wears sunglasses even at night. After Archanfel gets his claws into him the glasses conceal the fact he now has cat-pupiled eyes; his hair has also now been allowed to grow much longer.
Dr. Barcus
One of Cronos' top scientists and the elder member of the Council of Twelve. He is responsible for designing and creating the Hyper Zoanoids and completing the final work on most of the Zoalord mutations. He is very old, and compensates for his growing baldness by letting what hair he has left grow to his waist. He has no scruples, no scientific conscience; and he appears opportunistic at times. He is over 400 years old, and was one of the founders of Cronos along with Archanfel.
Aptom
Aptom is one of several shape-shifting Zoanoids. He and his two compatriots were experimental typed Zoanoids. They have powers/weapons that are non-conventional, but offer a new approach in the battle against the Guyvers. His two close friends are killed in various battle with the Guyvers. Dr. Barcus is interested by Aptom's abilities, and re-processes him in an attempt to strengthen his powers. Thereafter, Aptom discovers that not only is he now completely shielded from the telepathic powers of the Zoalords, but he is nearly immortal. By absorbing small amounts of DNA from other Zoanoids, he can replicate their forms and powers, as well as mix the attributes of several Zoanoids in one body. He can regenerate himself even if only small bits are left. He needs lots of bio-energy as a result, and that bio-energy must come from fellow Zoanoids. He is soon killing Zoanoids just to survive, and becomes a renegade from Cronos. By volume 10 he's actually fighting on the side of the Guyvers against the leader of Cronos, Archanfel. Totally amoral, Aptom is the sort of character who is difficult to classify as either villain or hero - he doesn't really fit into either category. His human shape is of a muscular man with a nasty red scar that runs down the left side of his face from hairline to jaw; he often dresses so he looks like a hood, and he definitely has an attitude!
Toshiaki Hayami
One of Dr. Odagiri's assistants, he is the sole survivor of that group after the climatic battle at Relics' Point. Odagiri processed him into a Zoanoid. He possesses the power to affect the temperature of the environment around him to a certain extent. Aptom finds him and, once he realizes what Hayami is, brings him to meet the Guyvers and their friends.
The Guyver Units
The guyver units are mysterious bio-organisms that bond with a host, giving that being strong armour and enhancing the host's own strength and speed. They are actually living things, feeding off the host's bio energy as well as harnessing it to power various weapon systems such as:
- The Mega-Smasher (Two high power laser cannons contained beneath the guyver's chest armour)
- Head Laser (A multi directional laser mounted just above the control medal on the guyver's head)
- High Frequencey Swords (Blades that extend from the guyver's elbows. These baldes vibrate at a very high frequencey allowing them to cut through almost any material)
- Gravitonic Generator Orb (Contained within a metal orb at the centre of the guyver's waist. This generator allows the guyver to manipulate gravity giving various end results. Two main uses include giving the guyver the ability to fly and to unleash destructive gravity waves in the form of a directed "Pressure Cannon")
Other various systems are revealed slowly as the manga continues.
It is the control medal (located on the guyver's forehead) that regulates the armour - and prevents the organism from literally eating its host alive and also records the genetic structure of its host; so that if the host is injured or killed, regenerates that host from even the smallest bits of bio-booster material. If the control medal is destroyed, the Unit absorbs its host. The control medal has tentacles that reach into the host's brain, and it is the hard wiring of the control medal that allows the host to use the systems of the Guyver. In addition there are telepathic organisms that attach themselves to the back of the host which allows the host to call the armour into being, as well as communicate with other Guyvers. When not needed, the armour is stored in what can best be described as a sub-dimension; it follows the host constantly so as to be instantly available when needed.
While quite powerful, there are a number of things that can damage or destroy a Guyver. The various Enzyme-type Zoanoids were specifically developed to exude a type of acid that dissolves the bio-booster armour. A battle-trained, experienced Zoalord has enough pure power to destroy a Guyver, as do some of the Hyper Zoanoids. And, finally, the Creators developed a weapon that Cronos, upon its discovery, calls a Unit Remover. It actually separates the control medal from its host, forcing the Guyver to return to its inactive state. Unlike the Zoanoids, the Guyver is humanoid in form - mostly because its hosts are human. The Guyver seems to have been designed for use by the command crew element of Creator spaceships, as in later chapters Sho uses his control medal to speak telepathically with one of the craft. Later in Books 14 and 15, we learn that the Guyver Unit was in fact, NOT an armour for the crews that live in the Creator's spaceships. In fact, the Creators created the Guyver specifically for enhancing the battle ability of humans. However, due to the 'out-of-control' aspect of the Armour, the Guyver attacked the Creators, destroying one of their ships. The remover was sent to defeat this Guyver which it did.
Zoanoids
The Cronos Corporation has discovered the technology to give humans the ability to transform into super human, monstrous soldiers. These 'normal' Zoanoids are the cannon-fodder of the series, and are constantly getting destroyed left and right. When killed, their bodies disintegrate - turn into dust - so there are no bodies - human or monster - left which can be used as proof of what's going on. Initially most Zoanoids we run across are members of Cronos, but the Corporation is also experimenting with ways to involuntarily transform humans into Zoanoids without their knowledge. I assume they erase the memories of these people of their being processed. They can be activated from a distance by any Zoalord. These humans come under the Zoalords' telepathic mind-control techniques as soon as they transform, giving the organization an unquestioningly obedient army of super soldiers. These Zoanoids are genetically programmed to obey the orders of Zoalords (with some exceptions now and then, like Aptom). Once these experiments are successfully completed, Cronos begins to openly make its bid to control the world. Zoanoids come in hundreds of different designs. Some are very specialized, like the Enzyme and Hyper Zoanoid units, and are few in number. Others like Gregole, Ramotith and Vamore are more general-purpose and exist in much larger quantities. While not all humans can be made into Zoanoids, a very large percentage of humans possess the potential. So far, Takaya has shown us no women Zoanoids.
Plot
65 million years ago, alien scientists came to Earth to develop bioweapons. They created humans, and used them as the base for powerful shapeshifting creatures called Zoanoids, which are the basis for werewolf myths and other stories. The guyver itself existed prior to these experiments and is used by the aliens as a space suit of sorts, and by accident, a human being activated a guyver unit and became Guyver 0. Unfortunately, the host was uncontrollable; "Out of control" in the alien language is "Guyver." They decided to destroy the experiment by throwing a Moon-sized asteroid at Earth, but one of their creations, Alkanphel, a Zoalord (psychic controller of the Zoanoids) managed to destroy it, but at a price. Alkanphel was damaged by the aliens when they unleshed an telepathic attack on his mind and seriously weakened him.
Alkanphel survived for millions of years in a statis sleep, waiting for the day he'd be strong enough to rise again. 400 years ago, he encountered Hamilcal Balcus, who helped him found the Chronos Corporation. Alkanphel made Balcus the first of twelve Zoalords, beings of vast psychic power, with the ability to transform into massive monstrous forms that are all but invincible. By creating their own Zoanoids from willing (or not) subjects, Chronos can place obedient sleeper agents anywhere they wish, and activate them all at once to take over the world.
Chronos discovered three surviving Guyver units (G-Units), but Test Type Malmot stole the G-Units and escaped from Chronos, hitching a ride with a truck driver in his human form. The driver tried to take Malmot's satchel, but Malmot transformed to fight him off. Malmot caused an explosion that scattered the G-Units across a forest. Chronos only recovered one, and it was damaged. They gave it to Oswald Lisker, a Kronos USA representative and Hyper Zoanoid candidate, which made him capable of killing half a dozen Zoanoids in thirty seconds. In the OAV "Out of Control," Unit 2 is given to Valkyrie (Valcuria, in the English subtitles), a female Chronos operative.
A Japanese student, Sho Fukamachi, finds Unit 1 while out with his friend Tetsuro Segawa, and it violently bonds with him. The first thing he does as the Guyver is kill a pursuing Gregole by crushing its skull with his empty hands.
Having the Guyver makes him a constant target of Chronos, who sends Zoanoids after him at every opportunity. Sho and his friends gradually learn more about the Guyver and its origins as the story progresses, and even witness the culmination of Chronos's world domination plans, forcing them to join resistance groups and fight to free the world from Chronos.
Guyver 01 later gains an upgrade in the form of Gigantic Guyver (Guyver 03 can become gigantic Dark by willing the Gigantic armor to him even if it means Guyver 01 cannot fight anymore) capable of killing Zoalords in single combat. And a wedge is soon driven between him and Agito Makishima, the controller of the third Guyver unit, and the most experienced of the two. Chronos having killed his parents, the vengeful Makishima soon reveals he has every intention of using his powers to rule the world in Chronos' place once he has destroyed them.
Synopsis of the Guyver comics
Please Note:
The following is a chapter by chapter summary of the Guyver comic books. The first part of it was contributed by Matthew Stephan and was edited by Jackson Ha. This only cover up to chapter 79 of the series. A note: the names of some characters may differ from the American versions. Also, note that this file is LONG.
Book 1, Chapter 1 On a back-country road, a trucker picks up a strange hitchhiker. He tries to steal the man’s luggage, thinking there’s drugs or something else valuable in it. He throws the man from his truck, and then a monster attacks. The next day, in a school not far away, Sho Fukamachi is being dragged to a school council meeting by his childhood friend and would-be girlfriend, Mizuki Segawa. Unfortunately for Sho, Mizuki has a crush on the Council President, an upperclassman named Agito Makishima. A strange van drives through town. Once in a deserted area near Mt. Narisawa, strangely uniformed men pile out. They are searching for something called “Units”, and the test subject who stole them. They find the strange hitchhiker, who transforms into the monster; but one of the guards also transforms into an even stronger creature. The first man has a bomb and suicides, blowing up the case he’d hidden the Units in. Sho Fukamachi and his best friend, Mizuki’s older brother Tetsuro, are walking home nearby; Sho is nearly hit by debris from the explosion. Among the bits of rubble is a strange, oval object with a mirror-bright orb in its centre. Touching it, the object explodes into a living thing that engulfs him. Sho falls into the nearby swamp. Tetsuro is then threatened by the men and their transformed comrade. Another monster comes out of the swamp and drives the men away; this one has Sho’s voice. The outer layer - a type of armour - floats away from his body and disappears, leaving the two with a mystery they have no idea how to solve.
Chapter 2 Genzo Makishima is furious. He is the head of Chronos Japan, the organization that makes the monsters - the Zoanoids - and which has lost the precious Units to the now-dead renegade. There were three units; his men have only found one. He sends more troops out to search. Agent Oscar Risker, sent from Chronos HQ to monitor Japan Branch’s handling of the Units, is bitingly sarcastic. At Sho’s house, Mizuki and Tetsuro are visiting the ‘sick’ Sho, who is still recovering from the shock of becoming the host for what Tetsuro is calling “the slime monster”. As Mizuki leaves the room to cook some chicken soup, Sho shows Tetsuro a rash that has appeared on his back. They wonder if it is connected with the strange armour. At Chronos Japan, Risker opens up the case protecting the damaged Unit the men have brought back; it engulfs him. Sho and Tetsuro, now at school, are wondering if the “slime monster” is a bio-weapon of some type. They are interrupted by the arrival of two men who want to question Tetsuro about the explosion at Mt. Narisawa. Sho follows, and discovers they aren’t cops; they are Chronos goons. Sho is captured and one of the men transforms to menace him in an attempt to convince Tetsuro to tell them where what they call ‘the Guyver’ or “Unit G” is. Something in the name touches a cord in Sho; he yells “Guyver!” and the armour arrives. He tears apart the Zoanoids, the control medal showing him how to use his maga-smasher cannon. Unseen, below them Agito Makishima watches the resulting destruction with an odd smile on his lips.
Chapter 3 Risker announces he’s going after Guyver 1, saying only another Guyver can defeat him. Sho and Tetsuro are still wondering what’s going on. Mizuki is tongue-tied as Agito talks to her. He wonders if she might be useful to him. Risker has several Zoanoids attack Tetsuro; Guyver 1 comes to the rescue - then Risker, as Guyver 2, arrives. He and Sho battle; and Tetsuro realizes Sho is at a disadvantage - if the armour gives the same advantage to both hosts, then the host with the greater martial arts experience will be stronger. Sho is losing - then the control medal on Risker’s armour begins to oscillate. Knowing from Risker’s boasting that the control medal regulates the armour, Sho risks hitting the medal. It shatters. Guyver 2’s armour goes wild and starts to literally eat Risker; Sho uses his maga-smasher to destroy the dying Chronos agent.
Chapter 4 Mizuki tells Sho she can’t walk home with him; she has student council work to do with Agito. Upset, Sho finds Tetsuro and bitches. Genzo Makishima has acquired a huge headache in the person of Commander Guyot, one of the leaders of the Chronos Corporation. He is displeased with Genzo’s failures and relieves him of his command. He then sends one of his Hyper Zoanoids after the Guyver. Walking home, Tetsuro tells Sho that Agito Makishima is the adopted son and heir of Genzo Makishima. Agito’s real father was bankrupted; when Genzo bailed him out the price was Agito. They are then attacked by Chronos guards; then the Hyper Zoanoid Zarabubuth arrives. Guyver 1 is soon winning. The Zoanoid grabs Mizuki, who is passing nearby, to use as a hostage. Then he’s attacked from behind - Guyver 3 has shown up, and kills the Zoanoid before disappearing, refusing to answer Sho’s questions as to who he is. *All three Units have now been released,* Guyot thinks, considerably upset.
Chapter 5 Guyot is developing a new Hyper Zoanoid, one designed specifically to deal with the menace of the Guyvers. He asks Agito Makishima, who stands behind him, if he approves. Agito assents. Guyot wonders at the fact Agito shows no emotion; for it is Genzo Makishima being turned into Enzyme, the new Zoanoid; releasing the prototype too early will result in its death. Agito tells him that Genzo adopted him to have an advisor, a subordinate he didn’t have to pay; he did not teach Agito to feel sentimental toward him. Guyot approves of that attitude. Sho receives a note from Chronos telling him to meet them; he knows it’s a trap but goes anyway, accompanied by Tetsuro. He is met by Genzo Makishima, who turns into Enzyme. The battle is long and bloody; at the end Enzyme tears the control medal out of the Guyver’s head. Even as the Guyver eats him, Sho attacks Enzyme one last time, and the Zoanoid dies with him. Chronos has captured both control medal and Tetsuro, and take both back to HQ. In the shadows, Guyver 3 thinks to himself that now everything is ready....
Chapter 6
Guyot tells Tetsuro something of Chronos’ plans for world domination before he has him locked up. Tetsuro may be able to tell them something about the control medal and the Unit, after all. Mizuki is calling around trying to find Sho and her brother, but no one knows where they are. In the lab where the control medal is kept, the scientists notice it is starting to grow organic material around itself. Before they can report, Guyver 3 kills them. Alarmed by the lack of reports, guards finally arrive, only to discover Guyver 1 has regenerated. Guyot gets reports of a Guyver in the Zoanoid Development Block, destroying Enzyme prototypes. Figuring he’s brought Guyver 3 into the open. Guyot dispatches guards - only to then get reports of a second Guyver in the Scientific Wing. Guvyer 1 sees Tetsuro and releases him; all three then show up in Guyot’s control room. Guyver 3 sardonically tells Guyot more of the Commander’s own plans. Guyot demands to know who he is; only a member of Chronos’ elite would have access to that information. Guyver 3 tells him to call him Zeus. Then the building blows up, and Guvyer 1 grabs Tetsuro and flies out of the way just in time as the structure collapses.
Book 2, Chapter 7 In the forest where Guyver met Enzyme, Sho’s arm - chewed off during the battle - begins to grow and regenerate. Agito Makishima is looking at a report on the destruction of “Max Pharmaceuticals”, the cover name for Chronos’ Japan Branch. He gloats that all seems to be going as he planned. At school, Sho is taking notes of test schedules, thinking that he’s now actually a clone of the original Sho Fukamachi, when Tetsuro drags him away - Mizuki is on the warpath! They both turn tail and run rather than face Tetsuro’s fuming sister. A strange being who looks like a naked Sho appears, then morphs into a Zoanoid-like monster. Guyver 1 arrives and drives it off; Sho is shocked when Tetsuro tells him it first looked like Sho. Remembering his lost arm, Sho wonders if it could have somehow regenerate. Eavesdropping, Agito is worried about the possibility that there’s more to bio-booster material than he thought. He’s got to stop the creature before it can endanger his own plans. The monster, now dressed and looking like Sho again, runs across Mizuki; it morphs when she starts yelling at it. Guyver 1 chases his doppleganger away, and it is stopped by the appearance of Guyver 3. It grabs Sho and tries to absorb him. Guyver 3 prepares to blow both away to prevent the Zoanoid from gaining control of the Unit, but instead it is the Guyver that re-absorbs the monster. Guyver 3 leaves, assured that his ally/pawn is safe for the moment; and Sho is left to wonder how he can ever free himself from the bio-booster armour without dying in the process.
Chapter 8
Mizuki is still puzzling over what Sho and Tetsuro have to do with the various monsters that have been chasing her. Sho and Tetsuro are attacked by a Zoanoid after school, Sho defeats it - and Mizuki sees him transform from Guyver back into human.
Chapter 9
Agito discovers to his horror that Guyot wasn’t killed in the explosions at HQ. Guyot tells him he’s brought in some special reinforcements from the other main Chronos Base in Japan, Relics’ Point at Mount Minakami. They are the Lost Numbers, Zoanoids who experienced various failures while being developed that prevent Chronos from duplicating them. Agito realizes he doesn’t have any information on their abilities, so it will be much more difficult to fight them than the Zoanoids he has battled before. Tetsuro is explaining to Mizuki what has been going on; she takes things remarkably calmly. Guyot sends one of the Lost Numbers after Tetsuro and Mizuki; Sho arrives in the nick of time and defeats it. Agito reveals to the audience that he is Guyver 3, and tries to take on Guyot - only to discover that Guyot is just as strong as he is, even with the Guyver armour on! Agito is forced to escape with the arrival of Zoanoid reinforcements, and Guyot wonders how Guyver 3 knew where he was - and begins to suspect there is a traitor among Chronos.
Chapter 10 Chronos men try to capture Sho’s father, but are driven off by Guyvers 1 & 3. They don’t notice they’re being watched by a young man who’s wearing sunglasses even in the dead of night. Sho goes home and has a brief discussion about school with his dad. Finals are almost over, and in a few days school will be over for the year. At school later - on the last day of school to be exact - several of Guyot’s agents arrive to ‘escort’ Agito to see Guyot at Relics’ Point. Sho suspects they are Zoanoids and goes after them, thinking that Chronos is now going after his acquaintances as well as his friends. Two of the Zoanoids remain behind to fight him; one is Aptom, who can assume any shape (he becomes a major continuing character, too). In this case, he duplicates the Guyver....
Chapter 11
Sho fights the Zoanoids. He calls to Guyver 3 for help, but Agito is still in the car with the other Zoanoids and can’t respond. The young man with the sunglasses shows up and nearly fatally distracts Sho. Tetsuro, Mizuki and Sho’s dad Fumio are captured by Chronos. The strange young man displays a talent for being able to telepathically command Zoanoids. Sho defeats the two Lost Numbers, killing one of them while Aptom is forced to retreat. Sho’s new acquaintance tells him he knows Guyver 1 is Sho Fukamachi. He introduces himself as Masaki Murakami, a free lance writer who has been after Chronos for a while. He tells Sho that Agito’s adopted father, Genzo Makishima, was director of Chronos Japan Branch, and that Agito is part of Chronos.
Chapter 12 Sho is lured into a trap by Chronos using Mizuki as bait. They are handcuffed together. Masaki arrives in time to try and save them, and ‘Mizuki’ is revealed to be another shape-shifting Zoanoid. The Chronos forces are defeated. Masaki knows where a secret Chronos base - under legend-laden Mount Minakami - is located, and they head in that direction in the hopes of rescuing Tetsuro, Mizuki, and Sho’s dad.
Book 3, Chapter 13 Mizuki, Fumio Fukamachi and Tetsuro are brought before Guyot. Tetsuro is shocked to find the Commander still alive. Then Guyot has Agito come out, and they realize he’s a member of Chronos. They are locked up. Agito sends the guards away as Tetsuro calls him names. Agito tells them he’s planning on destroying Chronos, and calls the Guyver 3 armour. He frees the three, and they try to escape. Guyot and Dr. Hamilcar Barcas, another Chronos Overlord and member of the Council of Twelve, are watching. Guyot’s plan has worked; Agito has revealed to them that he’s their enemy - “Zeus”, or Guyver 3. Dr. Barcas designed the Hyper Zoanoids and is one of Chronos’ top genetic engineers. Guyot is suspicious about the real reasons Barcas has shown up at Relics;’ Point at this particular point in time.
Chapter 14
Sho and Masaki arrive in the area of the Chronos base. Sho realizes that Guyver 3 is somewhere near. Agito is answering Tetsuro’s questions as they try to find a safe way out of the base. Then the Hyper Zoanoid Team Five show up, and Guyver 3 quickly discovers he’s outclassed. Gaster destroys one of the Guyver’s maga-smasher cannons, and Agito is badly wounded as well. Guyot and Barcas use the intercom system of the base to tell Guyver 3 they are aware he’s actually Agito Makishima. Barcas tells the Hyper Zoanoids to kill the traitor and take his control medal. They’ll find some way to prevent it from regenerating Agito...Guyver 1 arrives on scene!
Chapter 15 Guyver 3 warns Guyver 1 of the danger the Hyper Zoanoids present, then coughs up blood. “Makishima-san!” Mizuki screams, and Guyver 1 looks at Guyver 3 in surprise - “Agito Makishima is Guyver 3??!!” He’s so startled he almost doesn’t react in time to stop an attack by Thancrus, the Hyper Zoanoid with the sonic swords. As Sho fights, Agito grabs Tetsuro and Mizuki and uses the graviton generator orb at his waist to carry himself and them up out the hole Sho blasted in the roof, telepathically telling Sho to get his father and do the same. They emerge on the surface. Elegen, who can fly, is on their heels. He shocks Sho’s control medal with one of his tentacles (like an electric eel, Elegen can generate electricity and uses his tentacles to deliver the ‘punch’). The Guyver armour deserts Sho, who collapses unconscious as Zx-Tole (another Hyper Zoanoid) grabs Fumio and drags the older Fukamachi back into the base. Guyver 3 uses his remaining maga-smasher to drive off the Hyper Zoanoids. They pile into Masaki’s car and take off before more Zoanoids can arrive and capture them. Barcas tells Guyot that so long as they have Sho’s father, the Guyvers will be back - and Barcas has plans for Fumio Fukamachi!
Chapter 16 After his Guyver has had enough time to repair the damage done to itself and its host by Gaster, Agito gets out of the car to send away his armour. He tells his comrades he knows of a place they can hide. Barcas is examining records of Zoanoids, trying to figure out which would be the best ones to send against the Guyvers. In hiding, Sho is having hallucinations about his father’s capture, and wakes up to find a strange girl tending to his wounds.
Chapter 17 She introduces herself as Shizu. Her father Yohei Onuma has been caretaker for a villa owned by the Makishima family. Outside, Agito tells Onuma that his revenge won’t be complete until Chronos is destroyed, and says something about ruling the world himself. Barcas shows Guyot the newest Hyper Zoanoid - based on Enzyme, it’s called ‘Enzyme 2’. It’s even bigger and nastier than the original Enzyme, and has six insect-like clawed legs emerging from its back as well as the more normal two arms and two legs. Each claw delivers Guyver-dissolving liquid to its target. Recovered, Sho races off to return to the base to find his dad, and is joined by Guyver 3, whose own injuries have also healed - and who is afraid that if Guyver 1 goes alone, will be killed - thus depriving Agito of his most useful ally.
Chapter 18
Tetsuro gets up to discover Sho gone; Shizu reports Agito is missing, too. They discover the note Agito has left behind telling them the two Guyvers have gone to rescue Fumio. Guyot and Barcas are waiting for the Guyvers, and make sure they get in with very little fuss. As they free Sho’s dad, Agito worries that it’s been too easy so far. They fight their way out. On the surface, Agito realizes there are Hyper Zoanoids around, and sends Sho off with his dad while Guyver 3 fights. He faces three of the five Hyper Zoanoids - Zx-Tole, Thancrus, and Elegen. At Agito’s villa, Gaster and Derzerb arrive to take hostages. Masaki senses their approach and tries to get the others out of the way. Tetsuro wonders how the other knew the Zoanoids were in the area. As Sho runs with his dad on his back, insect-like claws like those we saw earlier on the Enzyme 2 prototype suddenly burst out of Fumio Fukamachi’s back...
Chapter 19 Fumio screams and falls down as the claws emerge. The older man looks at them in bewilderment. Then Barcas’ telepathic order takes hold, and Mr. Fukamachi transforms into Enzyme 2, completely under the control of the Chronos scientist. At the villa, the two Hyper Zoanoids attack. Near Relics’ Point, Guyver 3 badly damages Thancrus. He finds the megasmasher has little effect on Zx-Tole, whose own armour absorbs much of the blast. Guyot and Barcas watch as Enzyme 2 makes mince meat out of Guyver 1, who can’t bring himself to fight and hurt the Zoanoid that was his father. Enzyme 2 nearly tears Guyver 1’s head off, ripping off the ‘crest’ and part of the head of the unit instead - including a good portion of Sho’s brain. Guyver 1 falls to the ground.
Chapter 20
Even in the heat of battle, Guyver 3 feels Guyver 1’s ‘death’. The distraction almost leads him to letting himself get fried by Zx-Tole’s laser beams. Agito counterattacks and kills Thancrus. Guyot and Barcas turn their attention away from Sho and Enzyme 2 for a minute to consider the other Hyper Zoanoids, and discover that Masaki is counter-manding their orders to the Zoanoids. Barcas telepathically intervenes, shaking the two Hyper Zoanoids lose of Murakami’s control. Derzerb goes hand-to-hand with Masaki, and discovers to the amazement of all that the young man has just as much strength as the Hyper Zoanoid. Further, Masaki’s forehead starts to glow...and he turns into something the Chronos elite recognizes as a “Zoalord”, a being genetically altered to be the ultimate in Zoanoid design. More human in appearance than Zoanoids, the Zoalord is not only strong and equipped with various weaponry but can telepathically control Zoanoids and Hyper Zoanoids. The two Hyper Zoanoids are ordered to retreat, and Tetsuro catches Masaki as he collapses upon returning to human form. Masaki tells Tetsuro there’s no time for questions - Sho is in very deep trouble; they’ve got to find him immediately! Elsewhere, Sho - or I should say, the control medal - has brought the Guyver armour to its feet once more before Enzyme 2 can tear out the control medal (partly due to Sho’s dad resisting Barcas’ commands for a few minutes). Guyver 1 uses its’ maga-smasher and destroys Enzyme 2. A badly wounded Guyver 3 shows up as Tetsuro and Masaki watch Enzyme 2’s body disintegrate, and Guyver 1 collapses again.
Book 4, Chapter 21 An unconscious Sho is brought back to Makishima’s villa, where Mizuki goes nuts upon finding him still out like a burnt-out light. They decide not to stick around now that it’s obvious Chronos knows about Agito’s hideout. They evacuate in two cars, Masaki driving one and Shizu driving her father’s truck. Derzerb and Gaster report in to Barcas. Tetsuro tells Mizuki about what happened to Sho, but leaves out the fact the Zoanoid he fought was actually his father. They stop, and find three Chronos agents - who look like identical triplets - facing them. Tattooed on their foreheads are: EII-02 through EII-04.
Chapter 22
The Chronos agents transform into three Enzyme II Zoanoids. Masaki tries to control them but is unsuccessful; Barcas is a far stronger telepath and now that he knows Murakami has mind-control powers is insuring they obey only him. Masaki leaps back quickly enough that he’s only slightly scratched by the Enzyme II he was trying to control. Agito becomes Guyver 3 and tries to attack them. He shortly discovers he’s considerably outclassed. One of the Zoanoids lifts up the car Sho is in (still unconscious), and throws it to the ground.
Chapter 23 The car explodes, but Guyver 1 emerges from the flames unharmed. One of the Enzymes runs at him, and the Guyver armour deserts Sho, much to his startlement. Masaki blocks the blow, almost losing an arm in the process. Another Enzyme attacks Sho, and Guyver 3 knocks him out of the way, getting badly raked by the Zoanoid’s claws in the process. Sho tries calling the armour again, but it refuses to come to him. Masaki turns into his Zoalord form once more. He easily cuts one of the Enzyme II Zoanoids in half.
Chapter 24 Barcas grimly concludes that Masaki is a Zoalord; a “prototype body” for Guyot’s battle form. “But - you’re the one who processed me into my Zoalord form!” Guyot objects. Masaki kills the other two Enzymes, and then collapses, turning back into human form as he does so. (It takes a lot of energy to power the Zoalord bio-weapons, and as a prototype Masaki doesn’t have anywhere near as much power as a full Zoalord does.) They all squeeze into the single remaining car and head off again. Masaki wakes up and begins to tell them a little about how he was turned into a prototype body for Zoalord Richard Guyot.
Chapter 25 Evidently Masaki was covering the efforts of an archaeological team in New Zealand. The news team he was with heard rumours of strange monsters in the jungles and went to investigate - only to find out the hard way they’d stumbled over a Chronos operation. They were wiped out by Chronos. Masaki was the only survivor; he was taken to one of Chronos’ bases and became an unwilling experimental subject. Barcas is reminding Guyot that while he was being transformed into his Zoalord form, one of the scientists working for Chronos, a Dr. Shinichiro Yamamura, recruited four of the prototypes to join him in a rebellion against the Corporation. It took the efforts of the other 11 members of the Chronos Council of 12 to defeat them. Murakami must be a survivor. “I wonder why they wanted to destroy you, Guyot...” Barcas remarks, his suspicion evident. Guyot wonders if Yamamura had guessed his plans for the Unit Gs Chronos had found.
Chapter 26
Our heroes have taken to camping out in the woods to avoid Chronos goons. As they eat, Masaki tells them more about what he’s been able to learn about the Creators since he was taken captive and turned into a human guinea pig. “The Creators made human kind into a war-like species, to insure we’d become the best combatants they could engineer,” Agito adds. Unknown to them, Aptom is in the trees overhead and listening in. Masaki tells them that a Zoanoid wearing Guyver armour is not only more powerful than any of the Creators, but also is freed from the telepathic control of Zoalords or Creators. And a Zoalord given a Guyver Unit becomes incredibly powerful - Yamamura had wondered if perhaps the Creators had abandoned Earth when they realized just how supernaturally powerful their still-primitive creations could be. Of all the Chronos Overlords, only Guyot knew of this potential. He had planned to bond with one of the Units and use the incredible powers that would then become available to him to destroy the other eleven Chronos Overlords, making himself the sole commander of all Chronos forces - and thus, eventually ruler of the whole planet.
Chapter 27 Back at the base, Guyot is screaming at one of his pet scientists about a project the man is working on - a project he doesn’t want Barcas to find out about. Guyot thinks Barcas has come to Japan to keep an eye on him. He knows that if Yamamura had guessed Guyot’s plans, the prototype body must know them as well. He doesn’t dare let any of the other Overlords discover his plans, especially as he may soon have the key to separate the Unit G from a host...which means he will have to deal with Masaki personally. As our friends talk, it all becomes too much for Mizuki; she runs off to be ‘by myself for a little while’. Actually, she’s upset by how Shizu has been hanging on Agito, and the fact he seems to accept it - while ignoring Mizuki for the most part. All this talk of humans being designed to be living weapons doesn’t sit well, either; she wishes she could just return home and normalcy... Masaki tells them about the discovery of the G Units. He hopes the fact the Units have bonded means Guyot will not be able to become host to one himself, but he isn’t sure. Sho gets worried about Mizuki and goes after her. Masaki suddenly starts up; he senses another telepath in the area...It is Guyot, in battle dress, come to take his enemies on himself. As they watch, he transforms into his full Zoalord battle form, which is much larger - and more bestial - than Masaki’s.
Chapter 28 Aptom is keeping Barcas abreast of events as Agito calls the Guyver armour to himself. Unfortunately, the guards accompanying Guyot transform into several Enzyme 2 Zoanoids. Masaki’s forehead begins to glow as he feels the pressure. Sho has found Mizuki, and tries to find out what’s wrong. “I want to go back home, return to my life as a normal teenager!” she replies bitterly, and breaks into tears. Sho takes her into his arms. Back at the picnic site, Agito is having problems trying to keep from getting skewered by the Enzyme 2 Zoanoids. Masaki has transformed into his own Zoalord form, but finds his power levels are nothing compared to Guyot’s. Guyot blows off one of Masaki’s arms as Agito is nearly wiped out by a clawed swipe; the two battered warriors struggle back to their feet. The Enzymes disintegrate; Guyot has taken them out of their processing vats too early. Masaki and Agito combine their most powerful attacks, but Guyot survives it. He launches his own attack - and in the forest, Sho and Mizuki see the top of the hill their friends were on explode, flattening everything in the neighbourhood.
Book 5, Chapter 29
Sho and Mizuki climb to the top of the hill, afraid of what they’re going to find. All they see is a big hole in the ground, and a strange man in the centre of it--who collapses just as Sho realizes it’s Guyot. Then the sound of helicopters break the silence, and Sho pulls Mizuki away. “It’s Chronos!” he tells her as they run back into the forest. The ‘choppers bring in many more Zoanoid troops even as the injured, exhausted Guyot is medevacted out. The four remaining members of the Hyper Zoanoid Team Five - lead by Zx-Tole - are in charge of the search to make sure no members of Sho’s party are still in the area. Above them, Aptom has abandoned his post. Barcas tries to contact the shape-shifter but discovers that - perhaps due in part to the alterations the Zoalord has recently made to the Lost Number - he can no longer telepathically monitor or control Aptom. Sho and Mizuki are located fairly quickly, and are on the run again as Sho discovers he still can’t call his Guyver armour to himself. They are rescued by a maga-smasher blast, apparently from Guyver 3. Sho and Mizuki take cover as the Guyver faces the Zoanoids - but a closer look reveals the Guyver’s form to be rough, incomplete...
Chapter 30 Dr. Barcas is supervising Guyot’s treatment as the Commander wakes up. Guyot says something about even if he didn’t get a chance to wipe out Guyver 1, at least he’s finally eliminated Guyver 3. Barcas tells him that Zoanoids have reported fighting Guyver 3 after Guyot’s attack, and Guyot is shocked. “What does it take to kill that damned traitor?” he shouts. Sho and Mizuki have taken refuge in a hidden cave, and watch the Chronos guards thrashing around in the greenery outside. Sho wants Mizuki to tell him if the organisms on his back that he uses to communicate with his Guyver are still there. When he takes off his shirt to show her the telepathic organisms on his back, Mizuki gets all embarrassed and makes him put his shirt back on. Sho wonders why he can’t call the Guyver armour. Mizuki reminds him that he and Makishima had gone to Relics’ Point to try and rescue his father; what happened? “My father - what happened to my father?” he asks, and throws up as he gets a nightmarish vision. “Yes, what happened? Shall I tell you what happened to your father?” inquires another voice; it’s the fake Guyver 3 - this time Sho knows the truth. “You’re not Guyver 3, who are you?” Sho demands. The Zoanoid transforms back into (naked) human form. Sho knows he’s seen him from somewhere before... “I’m Aptom. You killed my fellow Lost Numbers,” Aptom says. “If you don’t figure out how to get your Unit back, however, my revenge won’t be complete. Shall I give you some incentive?”
Chapter 31
Aptom forces Sho to remember and re-live the death of his father. He then grabs Mizuki. “You’ll have to become Guyver to save your girlfriend!” the Zoanoid sneers. He wants a worthy foe to fight, and Sho minus the Guyver isn’t it. Sho tries to fight hand-to-hand but is badly outclassed. Then, still gripping Mizuki, Aptom turns into Enzyme 2. Sho calls the Guyver, but no response comes. Then Aptom starts ripping apart Mizuki’s clothes with his claws. He even skewers Sho with one of the claws, and strips the girl naked. Finally, Sho snaps, and the Guyver comes to him. He grabs Mizuki and carries her to safety, then turns to fight Aptom.
Chapter 32 The battle rages, with Aptom transforming into several types of Zoanoid and even combinations of different types. It seems Dr. Barcas has re-processed the Lost Number and greatly improved his abilities. They destroy a hell of a lot of other Zoanoids and landscape in the process. Zx-Tole gets a report of what’s going on - he’s shocked to hear that Guyver 1 is back up in battle form, and then his informant is wiped out in the next surge of battle. Sho wipes out Aptom and half the countryside with a monstrously strong maga-smasher blow, and the Hyper Zoanoids race to investigate - and discover only a mile-long furrow cut into the ground from the cannon blast. A furry arm is left behind...and after everyone is gone, Aptom begins to regenerate from that small bit of his remaining body. “You haven’t seen the last of Aptom,” he says as he rises from the muck.
Chapter 33
Sho finally arrives back at the cave, much to Mizuki’s relief. In her shocked state of mind, embarrassment over nakedness is forgotten as she hugs Sho close. The Hyper Zoanoids are still investigating, but are called back to base by Dr. Barcas. They are interrupted by the arrival of Aptom - only head, torso, and one arm have regenerated, and he drops out of the trees on top of Elegen. He immediately begins absorbing Elegen’s body and bio-energy, killing the Hyper Zoanoid in the process. Barcas screams at him, but Aptom will no longer be controlled. He resists the attacks of the other Hyper Zoanoids and escapes easily.
Chapter 34 Sho and Mizuki are running for their lives through a small town, Takashima. Townsmen turn into Zoanoids, obviously not aware that they’ve been earlier processed into the monsters - Barcas controls them easily with his telepathic powers. Sho doesn’t want to hurt innocent people, and they are nearly captured. Then the Zoanoids are falling - Guyver 3 has arrived, and has no compunction about killing Zoanoids, even if in human form they were unaware of their ability to transform. Sho verifies - it is Agito Makishima, and not Aptom again... The older Guyver tells them everyone is safe, and he’s come to bring the two back with him.
Book 6, Chapter 35 In Arizona, a meeting of the Chronos Council of Twelve is forming. They and their staffs are being briefed on Guyvers 1, 2, and 3, as well as Zoalord prototype Masaki Murakami. (Much of this chapter is a ‘This is what’s been going on in the story before now’ chapter, disguised as a briefing for the Chronos Council of Twelve from Dr. Barcas.) In the hidden base under Mount Minakami back in Japan, Sho and Agito - both disguised as Chronos guards - smuggle themselves and Mizuki into a small lab in the lower levels of the base. They are greeted by the man in charge of the section, Dr. Shiyu Odagiri. He was the assistant to Dr. Yamamura, who worked on Guyot’s Zoalord mutation. While they pretend to bow their heads to Chronos, in truth he and his men are renegades who have been searching for ways to destroy the corporation. “Murakami - how is he?” Sho asks. “Makishima said he was badly injured...” Odagiri shows them the vat Masaki is in; still in Zoalord form. His arm is slowly being regenerated and his other injuries healed. “But we haven’t been able to get him to wake up yet...”
Chapter 36
Sho is shocked. “My God, he looks terrible! What happened?” he yelps, and Tetsuro describes for him the battle with Guyot, and how Masaki and Agito together blasted a hole in the ground beneath them that took them out of the way of Guyot’s blast at the last minute. Odagiri found them, and brought them back to the laboratory. One of the other scientists warns them that Guyot has appeared and is walking around the remains of the Creator spacecraft they have been looking into. Guyot jerks as something touches him mentally; his forehead begins to light. Behind Sho and the others, the forehead gem Zoalord Masaki wears glows in response.
Chapter 37
In the forest above, Aptom is cheerfully ‘consuming’ more Zoanoids; he’s learned he can absorb their powers and bio-energy at will just by touching them. The fact this results in the death of the Zoanoids doesn’t bother him. (He’s sometimes referred to as the Life Eater in the series for this reason.) Barcas is worriedly searching through his files on Aptom; but Aptom is a Lost Number - the files on his initial processing are useless. He is distracted by the commotion Guyot is causing; the ‘dead’ spaceship is also responding to the mental energy of the Zoalords. Then the gem on Masaki’s forehead dims, and so does Guyot’s. In the lab, they rush to Masaki’s vat as he slowly returns to human form.
Chapter 38 Aptom, well-fed and content, is sitting in the branches of a tree and contemplating Guyot’s transformation into battle form. Sho, Mizuki and the others are taking a long-needed rest as Masaki lies in a hospital bed. Outside, Aptom watches a bolt of light heading ground ward. Chronos guards see it to, and go to their knees as it resolves itself into the form of a young, blond man who they immediately know is a Zoalord. Not wishing his arrival to be known, he blows off their heads - and then cuts Aptom into small bits as well before heading for Guyot’s base.
Chapter 39 In Arizona, several more members of the Council of Twelve arrive to take their seats at their conference table. “We’re not pleased with the performance of Commander Guyot in the matter of Japan Branch and the Guyver Units,” one tells them. “His actions have become suspicious. Archanfel has gone to Japan to take care of matters.” In the underground base, Masaki has finally woken up and is greeted joyfully by his friends. Barcas still worries about Aptom, but becomes aware that someone else of power is approaching. Another scientist is talking to Guyot; Dr. Shirai has discovered something he calls a “Unit Remover”. When used by a Zoalord and fuelled with his power, the device can cause the Guyver Unit to leave its host. This device is something left behind by the Creators.
Chapter 40
Guyot is understandably excited by this new weapon to be added to his arsenal; he’s become obsessed with destroying Agito Makishima/Guyver 3. Odagiri is telling our heroes more about the spaceship - it seems that the Guyver Units were originally found inside it by a Zoanoid, who died in the process of bringing the devices to the outside. Odagiri tells them that his team have discovered indications that the Creators were working on a new weapon, one that would be powerful enough to stop a Zoalord with ease - and perhaps even powerful enough to stop a Zoalord in the Guyver unit. Guyot is chortling over the acquisition of the Unit Remover when Archanfel arrives. He appears to be a young blond man, but closer examination shows that he not only has pointed ears (a trait he has in common with quite a few of the Chronos Elite) but also golden, cat-slitted eyes. The two confront each other, and it’s obvious they are foes of long standing - and Archanfel is looking forward to cutting Guyot down to size. (There are overtones here that this is a power struggle that has just broken into the open, with Archanfel manoeuvring to defeat Guyot, who has been slowly increasing his influence and power within Chronos.) Sho and Agito stand outside the spaceship, the scientists with them as their armour is called up. They are going inside the craft and find out what they can - the scientists believe that the key to the Creator’s experimental weapon is in there somewhere...
Book 7, Chapter 41 Aptom has regenerated again, this time splitting himself into three; all now dressed and helmeted as common Chronos guards. Determined to find out what is going on and take revenge on Archanfel, they are going into the base for information - and to absorb more ‘food’. Dr. Barcas has located the centre of the disturbance - and recognizes Archanfel as the foe who is facing down Guyot. Below, the Guyvers have been equipped with mini-cams and communications equipment prior to entering the Creator spaceship. Slowly they enter its ‘mouth’ - and I do mean mouth, as the inside of the spaceship appears more organic than technological. It easily opens for them; it is as if the ship recognizes the Guyver Units as belonging there (the Zoanoid who was sent in earlier had a much harder time getting in, and was dissolving as it stumbled back outside with the Units). After the entrance closes and they proceed inside, liquids of some kind gush in; but the Units are untouched by the solvent. Then an inner door opens, and they proceed further inside the spaceship.
Chapter 42
Elsewhere, Guyot faces Archanfel and transforms into his Zoalord battleform, racing to find clear ground to fight in. Both carelessly kill numerous guards who accidentally get in their way. Barcas is horrified by the waste of good manpower. Sho and Agito are still exploring the ship. Finally they enter a chamber, in the centre of which is a mound - and the three dents on its sides exactly match the size and shape of the Guyver Units before they were activated! A hole opens under the Guyvers’ feet, and they descend into a lower, innermost chamber. The diamond and circular shapes on its ceiling begin to glow, and they see a control dais in the centre - surmounted by what looks like a huge version of their control medals. Their presence has activated what seems to be a control centre, and the ship begins to vibrate and pull loose of its moorings. Several other Chronos scientists run out of their labs to find out what’s going on.
Chapter 43 The control medal in the middle of the dais begins to glow, and the ones on the two Guyvers’ foreheads pulse in return. A bright light appears in the air over them, and they are lifted toward it. Sho is pulled into its center, and his control medal slowly separates into individual pieces, but all the parts remain connected. Agito is dropped back to the floor; the ship seemingly content with just one Guyver. “He isn’t being hurt,” Agito reports as he watches with fascination. Then he gets telepathic images from Sho, and Guyver 3 realizes the ship has begun to communicate mentally with Guyver 1. Sho is shown how the Creators genetically evolved life on the planet Earth, including the capability of humans to be turned into Zoanoids. The Guyvers could be used to counter the Zoanoids should they get out of hand - but there is also a device that can destroy the Guyvers, known as the “Unit Remover”. When used, the Remover will separate the Unit from its host, inactivating the Unit. They are currently at the centre of the ship; and the control medal can be used to give it orders. The ship continues to shift under Sho’s growing excitement and stress.
Chapter 44 Guyot and Archanfel continue their battle, destroying large sections of Relics’ Point in the process. Zx-Tole and the other remaining two Hyper Zoanoids watch with horror and growing anger as their comrades are callously killed left and right. They debate about going out to see if they can help put things back together. Gaster is terrified by the thought that Aptom might have used the chaos to re-enter the base, and is left in the control room by Zx-Tole and Derzerb. The Hyper Zoanoid is unaware that a strangely familiar face grins evilly at his back from under a guards’ helmet. His comrades are ambushed by Aptom in a corridor outside. Zx-Tole tries to blow the renegade Zoanoid away.
Chapter 45
At first he appears to have been successful. Then Gaster appears through a door. Derzerb greets him, but as they touch Gaster’s hand starts to absorb Derzerb’s. It is actually Aptom! Zx-Tole blows the two apart but it is too late; Derzerb transforms into a new Aptom shape: a combination of Elegen, Gaster, and Derzerb. The battle starts over. For a few minutes it appears Zx-Tole has won, but then a hand reaches through the floor and grabs one of the Team Five’s leader’s legs, tearing it off. Aptom absorbs power and energy even from that small a segment, absorbing enough DNA to use Zx-Tole’s shape and abilities, too. Zx-Tole is forced to retreat, injured. Aptom descends to his wounded clone and the two recombine into one. He changes into something that is a cross between Zx-Tole and Elegen...and thinks that next time Archanfel won’t defeat him quite so easily!
Chapter 46 Sho is still talking with the ship, and reporting his findings back to the scientists. One of Odagiri’s men, monitoring what’s going on elsewhere, reports that large sections of the base have been destroyed and the entire Chronos guard contingent is on alert. “There are now two separate battles going on inside!” he tells them. Barcas watches unhappily as Guyot launches a very strong, “Black Hole Vortex” attack against Archanfel...
Book 8, Chapter 47 Huge lightning bolts strike outside the underground base, and guards above ground race to see what’s happened. The light resolves itself into the forms of the other members of the Chronos Council of Twelve, and the guards kneel before them. They watch the battle with interest and some trepidation; it appears most of them favour Archanfel - and at the moment it appears Guyot has the upper hand with his Black Hole Vortex. Archanfel is drawn into it despite his best efforts to break free as Barcas is also nearly drawn into the Vortex.
Chapter 48
The labs are all being evacuated as the base starts to fall apart around their ears. Masaki and the others race out to the ship. Sho warns them to get on board quickly; the area is seismically active and the battle between Guyot and Archanfel has started an earthquake - “The volcano is starting to become active!” he tells them. They are nearly knocked off their feet by the next trembler. Above, the Council watches what’s going on, but still does not interfere. The Vortex is closed, Archanfel having been sucked inside. Exhausted, Guyot drops like a rock to the floor far below, as Barcas surveys the damage to the base with considerable dismay. Below, Guyver 3 exits the ship to greet the others, and lead them inside. Something huge drops to the floor nearby, and Masaki’s Zoalord senses go hysterical.
Chapter 49 It is - you guessed it - Zoalord Guyot. He rises to his feet, and is overjoyed when he sees who’s watching him. With a telepathic command, he summons the Unit Remover to him. “I’ve got you this time, Guyver 3!” he crows. Agito leaps at him, and Guyot fires the Unit Remover. Agito lands, hard, and his Guyver armour starts to sag around him, leaving his real skin and clothes visible underneath. With a supreme effort of will, Agito forces the armour to reassemble, but he falls to his knees from the effort. Masaki plants himself in front of Agito.
Chapter 50
Sho, still inside the spaceship, knows what’s going on and is getting more and more upset. Outside, Guyot laughs at Masaki’s effort to protect Guyver 3. “I have to kill you, too, anyway; you’re just making it easier!” Guyot tells him, and begins to summon power. Masaki’s Zoalord forehead crystal begins to glow in return due to the power flux, and Masaki is alarmed by its uneven ‘feel’. Guyot tells him that Murakami is just a prototype. He, the finished model, can control the prototype’s power field. Then Guyot shoots bio-lasers at Masaki - but Odagiri pushes the young man out of the way, taking the fatal blasts himself, falling into Agito’s arms. Masaki struggles to his feet and transforms into his Zoalord form. He knocks Guyot down in a surprise attack, as the Commander was still concentrating on Agito. During the respite, the others all crowd into the spaceship as it begins to rise, taking the fatally wounded Odagiri with them. He’ll get to see the inside of the spaceship before he dies. Guyot struggles to his feet, but Masaki sees him and sends another power blast the Commander’s way.
Chapter 51 Guyot loses one horn and gets a nasty cut through the shoulder from the attack. He falls off the spaceship’s skin, and Masaki collapses to his knees. Despite the efforts of his colleagues, Odagiri dies from his injuries. The base collapses completely as the ship continues to slowly force its way upward. The Council watches in horror, Dr. Barcas joining their number. Masaki struggles to his feet, trying to reach the ship’s door. A clawed hand reaches out and grabs him - it is Guyot, who hauls the exhausted Zoalord prototype up by one foot and holds him upside down. Masaki is too tired to effectively fight back. Guyot throws him to the ship’s skin, holds him down with one foot and tears one of Masaki’s arms off. Sho screams with shared agony, and the ship leaps skyward. The Council gapes as the ancient ship rises skyward. Guyver 1 joins the fray, as Barcas screams to the Council that they can’t afford to lose a resource as valuable as the ship to their enemies. “Best destroy it first!” he tells them. Guyver 1 faces Guyot, who holds a bleeding Zoalord Masaki upside down by one foot once more.
Chapter 52
Guyot shatters Masaki’s Zoalord forehead gem and throws him at Sho. Guyver 1 catches the fatally wounded Masaki as Guyot laughs and points the Unit Remover at him. Guyver 3 pops up behind him, and Guyot swings around - still more obsessed with destroying Agito than Sho. Masaki dies in Sho’s arms. Bolts of energy slash around them as the Council of Twelve attacks. One of Guyver 3’s arms is blown off. A bright light appears near them, and a strange form appears. It is Archanfel, in his battle form. The Council is overjoyed to see him, and his first move is to tear the Zoacrystal from the Commander’s head. Agito kills Guyot with a maga-smasher blast, destroying the Unit Remover at the same time. The two Guyvers combine power attacks against Archanfel, and but Archanfel is too power as he easily reflects the maga-smasher blasts with one hand right back at the two Guyvers and the ship. The resulting explosion destroys the ship completely. Archanfel lands lightly on the ground below, realizing that magma is rising from the ground; the volcano the base was built in has erupted. Guyot’s power gem still in his hand, he stands before the Council of Twelve and watches the volcano’s bright destruction. Behind him, he notices the still, fragmented form of Zoalord prototype Masaki and looks it over with a thoughtful expression in his eyes. The members of the Council bow to him as the volcano’s fire lights the scene.
Book 9, Chapter 53 Several months have passed, and Chronos has successfully made its move to take over the world. Zoanoids are rapidly defeating armed forces all over (most of the ones Yoshiki shows are US military forces). Zoanoids have even taken over the White House. In Japan, the Japanese Prime Minister is admitting defeat to Chronos and the Zoanoids. Brief scenes of normal humans ‘morphing out’ into Zoanoid form - many of them people who didn’t know they were Zoanoids and controlled in battle form by Chronos personnel - are shown from locales as far-flung as Beijing, Moscow, Paris, and London. Cut to the seemingly barren Arizona desert (probably Monument Valley), and the Chronos base beneath its sands. Several members of the Council of Twelve are discussing the status of their operation to take over control of the world. More scenes of Zoanoids wreaking destruction against military forces. They even prove they can withstand the forces of nuclear blasts (at least the ones on the periphery, anyway!). Later, at Mt. Ararat, the Council meets to bow before Archanfel as he greets the rising sun, acknowledging that he’s now the top leader of Chronos.
Chapter 54 Somewhere, a rock band called “Jukadan” is playing; the members are all Zoanoids. As the crowd screams at the end of the concert, they all change back into bishonen - young men so handsome they’re almost pretty, and of course naked to boot. The crowd goes wild. A young woman walks along a street with groceries in her arms and looks at a TV monitor displaying the concert. She makes an unpleasant face. We draw away from her and see she’s in Tokyo, with the new Chronos Japan HQ building rising from the centre of the city. She watches a helicopter landing on the helipad at the top of the structure. It is the arrival of Paul Kushtar, one of the members of the Council of Twelve, returning from Ararat. His subordinate reports everything going smoothly. Dr. Barcas is also present. They go to look at a vat in which someone - something - is growing, but Yoshika doesn’t show us any details. Cut to the inside of a small house, the name outside says Natsuki - the name of Mizuki and Tetsuro’s friend in high school. Tetsuro, Mizuki, Shizu, Roujin are all inside, working at computers and such as Natsuki comes in the door. It seems Natsuki has gotten a rather drastic haircut after graduating from school. Mizuki looks over at pictures on the desk of Masaki and the Doctor’s group from the mountain, with incense burning before them. She wonders if they should light joss for Sho and Agito, too; but hopes that somewhere the two Guyvers are still alive. Tetsuro is busy trying to find information on Chronos that they can use against the enemy, but wonders if it’s any use at all.
Chapter 55 Mizuki has gone out into the rain and uses binoculars to look at the house she and Tetsuro used to live in. The sign by the front door still reads “Sugawa”, and thinks she sees her mother and father. The house is still being guarded by Chronos. Then two cops come up and want to know what she’s doing, and Natsuki arrives just in time to drag her away before their questions become too pointed. The cops go look through their ‘wanted’ list and discover she’s Mizuki Sugawa. Before the men can alert anyone, a man comes up and grabs them both by the neck. They try to transform into Zoanoids to fight him, but Aptom just grins and absorbs all their energy. Back at Natsuki’s apartment, Tetsuro is having a screaming fit all over his little sister, who breaks into tears. Eventually they go to sleep. At Chronos, they’re looking at a strange oval object their forces found in the snows of the North America; debris from the explosion of the Creators’ spaceship. It is a little larger than a man, and looks like it is made of the same material as the Guyver armor. In Toronto, Canada, humans are raiding a factory complex run by Chronos. Zoanoids counterattack, and one breeches their defences. A blurred form whips past the humans, and Guyver 3 cuts the Zoanoid into shreds. As Agito dismisses his armour, the men happily address him as “Boss”. He is thinking of that oval object, too - Sho Fukamachi is inside it, and he wonders what changes are being made to his ally inside that cocoon.
Chapter 56 A chopper arrives at Chronos Japan to pick up Dr. Barcas. He is going to Chronos HQ to examine the oval object. Aptom watches him leave. He then returns his attention to the house across the street. Through the window he can see Tetsuro and the others. He wonders if he should contact them; they are enemies of Chronos, too, and thus might be willing to become his allies. *Not yet,* he decides. *To them I’m probably still only another Zoanoid...* Somewhere in the US, in an abandoned auto plant, humans are building tanks. Agito watches quietly, then turns to discuss the progress of their resistance plans with a young man. (His group has, appropriately enough, taken Guyver 3’s nom du guerre of Zeus.) He describes how, after the space ship was blown away, the huge control medal that ran the spaceship caught up both he and Sho, encasing them in protective material. Agito watched as Sho dissolved, and then Guyver 1’s control medal merged with that of the ship. At that point the debris landed, and Agito - arm partially regenerated - tore his way out of the covering. Beside him was an oval made of the same material, a cocoon of some sort. He could sense Fukamachi inside, but could not communicate with him. Chronos troop choppers had arrived almost immediately, and Guyver 3 was not yet recovered enough to try and carry the pod away or fight the soldiers. He had retreated into hiding instead, and watched in frustration as the troops had taken away the cocoon. Agito is determined to retrieve the cocoon before Chronos breaks into it and does something to Guyver 1. Not only because Sho is friend and ally, but because he’s afraid one way or another Chronos may be able to discover a way to turn Guyver 1 - or at least the Unit - into a Chronos pawn.
Chapter 57 Barcas has arrived at Chronos HQ and is going to view the oval cocoon. He uses his considerable telepathic powers to probe the interior of the cocoon, but gets no response. “There’s something alive in there, but it’s unconscious and does not respond to my thoughts,” he reports. Inside, Sho is having nightmares about Archanfel in his battle form, knowing that this is the shape of the true enemy. In Tokyo, Aptom is walking down a deserted street and enters the grounds of a construction project. A powerfully built man follows him, and Aptom turns and recognizes the other as Zx-Tole, last of the Hyper Zoanoid Team Five. Zx-Tole transforms, and he’s now different - he has willingly gone back into the vats and been engineered into an even more powerful Zoanoid. Battle rages across the skies of Tokyo, and debris rains down on the city. Tetsuro and the others hear the battle, and wonder if Sho or Agito is involved. They go racing out to try and see something more.
Chapter 58
The battle between Aptom and Zx-Tole continues in the skies. Aptom fights stubbornly, but it becomes obvious that he’s outclassed by Zx-Tole’s new form. Below, Tetsuro and the others run after the combatants. Mizuki is convinced it’s Sho. She screams his name aloud. Back in the US, the cocoon begins to vibrate as Sho responds to her mental summons. The cocoon rises as stunned Chronos personnel race around trying to do something - trace it, contain it, whatever comes to mind! Agito senses Sho’s awakening, and - now not far outside the Chronos building - sees the oval disappear in a teleport jump. Aptom falls from the skies, and Tetsuro and company run to the area where he’s crashed, expecting to see a damaged Guyver - instead, they see a badly injured Zoanoid sprawled out across a trashed car.
Book 10, Chapter 59 Chronos is trying to reassure the populace of Tokyo that the situation is under control, and most of the humans in the city don’t believe them - but also are mostly too cowed or apathetic to do anything about it. The injured Zoanoid - he has one leg and an arm blown off - returns to human form, and Mizuki recognizes him as Aptom. Tetsuro asks why Aptom is being pursued. Aptom replies he’s no longer with Chronos and is now considered an enemy of the organization. Zx-Tole arrives and laughs as he realizes who they are; these are the humans Chronos has been searching for so long! He blasts Aptom again, blowing off his other leg. Before he can finish him off, there is a loud Boom! as the cocoon arrives. “Master Agito!” Shizu screams as she sees Guyver 3 leap off the cocoon and land on a rooftop above them. It seems his Guyver Unit was able to follow Sho’s cocoon into the teleport, and it dragged him along with it back to Tokyo. “Where’s Sho?” Mizuki asks. “In there,” Agito replies, pointing to the cocoon where it’s landed. Mizuki runs to it as Agito becomes airborne and an incensed Zx-Tole, forgetting Aptom, flies up after him. Paul Kushtar, monitoring the battle from Chronos Japan, sends out two Zoanoids to observe and report. Tetsuro helps Aptom sit up, and the renegade Zoanoid sends a missile after Zx-Tole. It startles the Hyper Zoanoid enough for Agito to use his maga-smasher cannon. Unfortunately, Zx-Tole just absorbs the blast - and then uses the smoke from the explosion to hide his own attack. He rams into Guyver 3, the three sharp horns of his head impaling the startled Agito, then sends a strong electrical current through him before dropping him to the ground. Zx-Tole follows, and blasts Aptom one more time before striding toward the unconscious Guyver 3. “This time you won’t escape me, Guyver 3!” he snarls. Shizu throws herself in front of him, and says he’ll have to kill her first; Zx-Tole says that won’t be a problem. Mizuki screams for Sho, and the cocoon disintegrates, revealing a dangerous looking form - a huge Guyver: the Guyver Gigantic (among fans sometimes called the Hyper Guyver) armour. The control medal governing most of his actions, Guyver 1 protects everyone from Zx-Tole’s next attack, then takes off after the Hyper Zoanoid. Fried'rich von Purg'stallis startled by what he sees through the observing Zoanoids; he isn’t sure what he’s witnessing. Has Aptom found a way to gain even more power and assume this strange form? Then he gets a good look at its head and realizes it seems to be some sort of Guyver. Hyper Guyver destroys one observer, and Zoalord Kushtar flies out to get a look in person. The second Zoanoid approaches the group on the ground. He recognizes both Aptom and Guyver 3. Unfortunately, Kushtar isn’t at his post to receive that report. Zx-Tole prepares for a final, all-out attack on this new enemy, and remembers his friends and vat-mates - the late members of the Team Five. *One way or another, I’ll be joining you shortly,* he thinks as both he and the Hyper Guyver fire at each other. Zx-Tole is dissolved by the blast. Paul Kustar is injured, and struggles to control his fall. Below, Aptom catches the second Zoanoid observer and uses its energy and form to revitalize his ravaged body. He decides retreat is the better part of valour and takes off. Hyper Guyver arrives; the outside layer peels off and disappears, leaving Guyver 1; then the regular Guyver armour leaves, and Sho - this time naked - collapses into Mizuki’s arms. (Yes, this was a double-length chapter; probably done for a special issue of the manga magazine it appears in.)
Chapter 60 Sho is having a strange dream, reliving the events of the past from the beginning of his battle with Guyot in rather surrealistic terms. He wakes to find his worried friends all gathered around him. They tell him the Doctor and his team all died after the explosion - they were evidently all booby-trapped and once outside their base, they died rather horribly. Sho vows to revenge them, and Masaki. Barcas is interviewing Kushtar, who managed to not make too bad a crash-landing. He relays to them the images of the Guyver Gigantic. In Tokyo, Natsuki returns to the house, and Sho at first doesn’t recognize her - and then finds it hard to believe that the quiet, demure Natsuki has turned into this rather loud, aggressive woman. Sho doesn’t remember anything about the Guyver Gigantic armour, so they tell him about it; Agito adding in details he picked up from his own Guyver Unit. Back in Arizona, the Council is discussing this new threat, and are rather relieved when Archanfel shows up. “I have something to combat this new Guyver,” he says. “Meet the newest Chronos General - Masaki Murakami.” It is indeed Masaki, his sunglasses intact, hair much longer and wearing a new uniform. Shortly he is arriving in Tokyo.
Chapter 61 A large, angry crowd is surrounding the Tokyo Chronos tower, wanting to know what’s going on. The police and Chronos guards are struggling to keep them from breaking into full riot. Later that night, the two Guyvers stand on the top of a building looking at the Chronos building. Guyver 3 takes off for a covert entry, while Sho calls the Hyper Guyver and makes a frontal assault. Eventually both get into the nerve-centre of the building, where a man faces away from them, his hair halfway down his back. “Paul Kushtar?” one of the Guyvers asks, hesitantly - even from the back this man doesn’t look like the blond Zoalord. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again - Sho,” Masaki replied, turning around. Both Guyvers recognize him as their old friend...
Chapter 62 Smoke pours from the Chronos building; Tetsuro and the others watch worriedly, knowing the Guyvers were in the middle of it. Masaki faces the Guyvers, and his words prove that he’s been turned into a loyal Chronos general. He then blasts the both of them with an energy bolt. The force of the explosion punches the two Guyvers through the outside wall of the building. Sho makes a crater in the concrete, and Masaki is close behind, intent on killing him before he has a chance to call the Hyper Guyver armour. He is knocked back by power blasts, and then Sho is scooped up under the cover of the dust and smoke. Masaki looks up and sees a strange Zoanoid with Guyver 1 in its arms. “Aptom...” Sho whispers. “Aptom? Bastard!” Masaki hisses. He destroys the building in an attempt to get them, but both Aptom and Sho duck out before the blow can land; Aptom has recognized the attack as one Archanfel used against him when the Council member showed up for the first time at Barcas’ base. Aptom fires a phalange of missiles at Masaki. The Chronos general protects himself with a shield and is unhurt, but doesn’t notice the strange noises and cracking wall behind him. Then Guyver 3 breaks through the wall. Never one to let sentiment get in his way when someone seems to have become an enemy, Agito launches a full-scale attack against Masaki. Murakami ducks fast enough that only his cape and glasses are damaged by Agito’s sonic swords. Holding one hand to his eyes as the glasses shatter, Murakami blows Guyver 3 away with a force ball; Agito’s limp form falls into Sho’s arms. The glasses fall away, and we see Masaki now has Archanfel’s cat-like eyes. Furious, the air crackles around Masaki as he starts to call his Zoalord form into being.
Book 11, Chapter 63 Masaki transforms into his new Zoalord battle form, the zoacrystal once belonging to Guyot set into the middle of his forehead. “I am Zoalord Imakarum Mirabilis!” he declares. His new battle form looks more powerful, more massive than the prototype one he had before; while still far more humanoid than Guyot’s, it is more monstrous than before. He sends a power-bolt at Sho, still holding the dazed Agito in his arms. Both Guyvers are sent flying. Aptom is repairing himself as he watches from below, trying to keep a low profile until he has an idea of what’s going on. Sho is trying to talk to Masaki, but Agito warns him that Murakami has probably been totally brain-washed. Guyver 3 notices that Imakarum’s forehead crystal is glowing again, and the two Guyvers barely get out of the way of the massive blast the Zoalord now sends their way. Chronos - and the rest of the city - is watching the battle, as Chronos-controlled news crews zoom in with helicopters and telephoto lenses. Mizuki and the others also get an eyeful, and wonder if this is the battle form of the Zoalord controlling the Pacific Area from Tokyo, Paul Kushtar. Chronos twists the news to suit their own purposes. The battle has now moved out over Tokyo Bay. Both Guyvers attack, but the Zoalord easily deflects their efforts, turning some of them back upon his foes. Aptom arrives at full speed to knock both Guyvers out of the way of a particularly nasty attack. Then the Zoalord sends a bolt that knocks all three of his enemies out of the sky, and Sho finds himself being held by the throat in Imakarum’s clawed hands, as the Zoalord starts to try and tear the control medal out of his forehead. Sho briefly remembers the earlier Masaki, then calls up the ‘Guyver Gigantic’ armour. Its arrival breaks Imakarum’s hold on Guyver 1, and he falls into the ocean. The Zoalord uses his powers to blow a hole in the ocean, revealing the three he’s been fighting on the ocean floor - and the Guyver Gigantic getting ready to fire its maga-smasher cannon. Masaki is caught in the nimbus of the blast, but only dazed - when he recovers, Sho, Agito and Aptom have disappeared.
Chapter 64
Frustrated and upset, Agito and Sho return to Natsuki’s apartment to discover the Chronos-controlled media has named them the terrorists, and put the blame for the destruction caused during their battle with Zoalord Imakarum Mirabilis on the two Guyvers. Imakarum is proclaimed a hero, valiantly saving the city from any further destruction the terrorists might have caused.Aptom is sitting atop a tower contemplating the powers displayed by the new Zoalord, so much like those used by Archanfel. He remembers his fellow Lost Numbers, and wonders what is going to happen next. In a structure near the Dead Sea in Israel, the Council of Twelve have gathered at Archanfel’s command. Using all twelve of their zoacrystals, they activate another Creator spaceship - this one much larger than the smaller one Sho brought to life earlier. Shortly it is airborne, then space borne. The Council gloats over this new acquisition, while the rest of the world wonders what it’s going to mean.
Chapter 65 Tetsuro and the others read about the emergence of the new Creator spaceship with shock and trepidation, wondering what new weapons Chronos will find aboard. The Council is calling it “Hakobune” or “the Ark” - yes, as in Noah’s Ark; Agito remarks caustically that it’s probably actually a battleship of some sort. The Council of Twelve has the ship spaceborne, and is putting it through its paces. On a remote island, stocked with various genetic experiments - not only dinosaurs but also mythological creatures like satyrs and mermaids. Archanfel and Imakarum arrive like bolts of lightning (Imakarum refers to Archanfel as ‘Master’). They land on what looks like an old Mayan temple. Archanfel collapses, and Mirabilis carries him inside the temple and places him on a stone slab; Archanfel has used too much power and must take time to regenerate. Archanfel says something about needing one of the Unit Gs to completely regain his full power. The massive stone doors close behind Imakarum as he leaves, his goal to locate and destroy the Guyvers.
Chapter 66 In Tokyo, a man is running for his life - Aptom is hunting him. Cornered in a dead-end alley, Aptom grabs him by the throat and begins draining him - but the man turns into something that looks more like a primitive Zoalord prototype than a Zoanoid; and Aptom lets him go, suddenly realizing his prey is one of Odagiri’s team - and another experimental subject. In fact - another Lost Number! Imakarum and Zoalord Paul Kushtar, the Pacific area controller, are at the Chronos Tokyo looking at four Zoanoid processing vats, in which new Zoanoids are being brought to maturity. Imakarum seems pleased at their progress, while Kushtar seems a bit worried that the newest Zoalord seems to be entirely too obsessed with the Guyvers.
At Natsuki’s place, the rebels are contemplating how events have turned out, and are not very happy. There is a knock at the door - it is Natsuki, who has brought Aptom - and behind the Lost Number is the man whose life he has spared, Dr. Hayami. Unknown to them, a Zoanoid has seen Aptom, and then recognizes Agito and Sho. He notified headquarters. Mirabilis’s lips curve in anticipation, and he summons his four new Zoanoids to him. They transform into the new Enzyme III as he becomes Zoalord once more...
Book 12, Chapter 67 In Arizona, Dr. Barcas is receiving reports of Imakarum’s hunt for the Guyvers, and wonders what Archanfel is up to. In Tokyo, Dr. Hayami and Aptom are describing for the Guyvers and their friends some of the processes they went through when Chronos experimented on them, when Aptom notices the Zoanoid spying on them. He immediately kills the observer, and they realize there are several Vamores targeting the house with their bio-lasers. They barely manage to escape by taking to the air, the Guyvers and Aptom carrying the members of the group who cannot fly. They head toward the countryside, only to find Zoalord Imakarum Mirabilis hovering in the air before them, blocking their path.
Chapter 68 Imakarum gloats that the renegades cannot escape this time, not burdened with the need to carry their non-powered allies. He strikes, and hits Sho with a power blast. The Guyver Gigantic drops Tetsuro because of the impact, and Sho frantically dives after his best friend, barely catching him before he hits the ground. Tetsuro has lost his glasses, and the other two land nearby, also depositing their passengers. Imakarum lands on a rock in the middle of the nearby river. He recognizes all his former allies - including Dr. Hayami, who he thought had died. As he speaks, the Enzyme 3 Zoanoids surround the group. Aptom attacks one of them with Elegen’s tentacles and electrical pulses; then fires bio-missiles at them - but to no effect, as they almost immediately heal the damage they have taken. They counter-attack, and Aptom finds himself on the receiving end once more. Mirabilis tells them gleefully that Chronos has learned a lot from previous battles with the Guyvers and Aptom; the Enzyme 3 models have been designed with that new information in mind. They are even more powerful than the re-genetically engineered Zx-Tole was! Sho decides to take the battle back into the air, and the Zoalord is immediately flying after him.
Chapter 69 The Guyver Gigantic and Zoalord Imakarum begin their battle, Sho handicapped by his sentimental feelings for his former friend and ally. The fight rages far overhead, above the cloud cover - from the ground all that is visible are flashes of light breaking through the mists. Below, Guyver 3 is getting beaten up as badly as Aptom by the new model Enzyme Zoanoids. The two stand back to back as they face their enemies. Aptom and Agito make a quick plan; Aptom distracts the Enzymes long enough for the Guyver to use his maga-smasher against them.
Chapter 70 The others are horrified until they realize that while Aptom has been damaged, Agito managed to avoid killing him. All that is left is his torso, but from that the Lost Number will be able to regenerate. Guyver 3’s sensors then detect danger - he has not killed all the Enzyme 3s after all, as the one survivor bursts out of the ground in what he hoped would be a surprise attack. Yohei throws himself in front of Agito, taking the brunt of the attack; both Guyver 3 and the old man fall to the ground - the Zoanoid’s clawed hand has gone all the way through Yohei and into Agito’s chest! Aptom, even as crippled as he is, gets a bio-laser shot off at the Enzyme - who skips out of the way of the blast, also now out of reach of his victims. Shizu collapses to her knees next to her grandfather, tears running down her face. Above, the Guyver Gigantic and the Zoalord continue their fight. Sho strikes at Mirabilis’ neck with one of his sonic swords...
Chapter 71 Sho can’t bring himself to deliver that final blow, and Imakarum takes advantage of his hesitation to knock his enemy away and increases his power levels, destroying his uniform to reveal the full extent of his own transformation before he strikes at Sho once more. Below, Shizu is still grieving over her grandfather’s body. Aptom is too badly crippled to fight very well, and Agito’s Guyver has not yet healed its host - still losing blood, he is too weak to even get to his feet. As Aptom is attacked by an Enzyme 3, Hayami decides it’s up to him. He begins his own transformation - and his allies realize that he was made into something half Zoanoid, half Zoalord - while he does not possess a Zoacrystal, he is far more like Murakami and Guyot than a normal Zoanoid. He attacks the Enzyme 3 beating up on the crippled Aptom. The battle continues, with Aptom and Guyver 3 putting in their two cents’ worth as well as they begin to recover somewhat. Hiyami leads the sole surviving Enzyme out into the river, then uses his powers to freeze both river and Zoanoid. Guyver 3 finishes the Chronos monster off with his sonic attack, shattering its’ body into bits. Hayami crawls to shore and collapses, returning to human form - reminding us of Murakami the first few times he transformed into his Zoalord prototype body. Before anyone has a chance to relax, Mirabilis floats into view - holding up an unconscious Guyver 1 by a firm hold around Sho’s head. The Guyver Gigantic armour has disappeared.
Chapter 72 A shuttle from Chronos’ “Ark” arrives at their main Arizona base, settling into the hollow centre of the stone monolith it is located in. One of the Council of Twelve, Zoalord Shin, debarks, and is greeted by Dr. Barcas. They discuss the progress they have made in investigating the “Ark”, and wonder what Archanfel is doing now. In Japan, Sho’s allies react with horror as they see what Imakarum has in a powerful grip. “Hmm, I see my Enzyme 3s failed to take you down...” he remarks, then tells them he has won anyway. Guyver 3 tries to contact Guyver 1 telepathically, eventually getting through Sho’s daze. Sho begins to call the Guyver Gigantic. Mirabilis begins to squish his head, but it’s too late - for Sho sends the cocoon of the Guyver Gigantic armour to Agito, and he steps into its enfolding ‘petals’ Alarmed, Murakami drops his beaten foe, as the armour's case begins to open, revealing glowing, angry eyes...
Book 13, Chapter 73 Agito emerges from the cocoon to face a startled - and somewhat shaken - Imakarum. Guyver 3 names his version of the “Hyper Guyver” armour the “Gigantic Guyver Dark”, and tells the Zoalord that, unlike Sho, he won’t hold back in battle. Imakarum takes off, Agito in close pursuit as the others watch. Meanwhile, Zoalord Fried'rich von Purg'stall is monitoring the situation with some misgivings. If the battle ends up over a major city... In the air over the city now, the two antagonists exchange energy weapon fire of one sort or another, with Mirabilis finally realizing just how powerful the Gigantic armour can be when controlled by a host who is a trained fighter not tied down by sentiment.
Chapter 74 The battle continues, with the collateral damage mounting rapidly. Fried'rich von Purg'stall is getting more and more upset at both property damage and the deaths of civilians. Imakarum tries to dodge various blows, but Agito’s forehead laser wounds him badly. In fear of his life, the Zoalord utilizes his ability to create a mini black hole, hoping to destroy his foe in a last-ditch attack.
Chapter 75 The powerful black hole starts to suck up everything on the ground, people as well as cars, trash cans, buildings, ocean water... Fried'rich von Purg'stall is appalled when he realizes what Imakarum has done. Agito uses the Gigantic armour to resist the pull as he analyzes this new attack. Seeing a weakness, he releases a double-barreled maga-smasher blast at the centre of the vortex, which blows it apart. He follows up with an entirely physical attack (perhaps by this point his power levels are too drained for an energy attack?) and punches out Imakarum, striking the Zoacrystal in his forehead. The crystal cracks - and Archanfel, distant as he is, is awakened by the echo of the blow as Mirabilis screams in agony.
Chapter 76 The Gigantic armour comes apart, somewhat to Agito’s surprise. I suspect he doesn’t have enough bio-energy left at this point to keep it going. Imakarum falls into the sea. Agito senses another Zoalord approaching, recognizes it is Paul Kushtar. Agito disappears into the ocean depths as well. The area chief arrives and hovers in mid-air, assessing the damage done by the battle. Paul is distracted by a warping of the air - and Archanfel arrives via teleport! The chief Zoalord ignores Fried'rich von Purg'stall as he searches for Imakarum, finally telekinetically pulling him out of the ocean. *Master...* comes the faint whisper in his mind from his subordinate. Meanwhile, a triumphant Guyver 3 returns to where his friends and allies await him.
Chapter 77 The Council - minus Archanfel and Mirabilis - meet in Tokyo to debate the most recent clash between Zoalord and Guyver. The Guyver Gigantic armour is far more powerful than they had realized, they agree. It makes a Guyver powerful enough to defeat one of the strongest of their number. Barcas wonders if he should reveal to them what he knows about Archanfel’s origins. Elsewhere, our rebels - minus Aptom for the moment - have retreated into the mansion that conceals the late Dr. Onigiri’s secret laboratory, where Hayami was processed into his Zoanoid form. Agito tells them he’s going back to America to check on his men there. Sho agonizes over the death and destruction that has been caused. On Archanfel’s guarded, secret island, Imakarum, still unconscious, floats in an ancient processing chamber under his master’s watchful eye. “Let me die, Master; I’ve failed you...* his mind-voice whispers to the senior Zoalord.
Chapter 78 In New York, a squad of Zoanoids is attacking the hidden base Agito’s men have been working in. As they attack, several of the Zoalords discuss current events. Barcas admits he isn’t sure Archanfel is entirely human in origin. The Zoanoids quickly overrun the perimeter defences, cornering the human leaders in an underground room. Before they can capture or kill the rebels, the Zoanoids begin to fall. The humans find a trail of destruction, leading to the Guyver Gigantic Dark armour as Agito crushes the head of yet another Zoanoid. There is a sigh of relief from the surviving men as they realize: “I don’t believe it! Is that you, boss?” Agito tells them the Gigantic armour may be the key to winning the war against Chronos.
Chapter 79 Barcas reveals to the other Chronos Overlords that 400 years ago he was on a galleon as part of a convoy in the Pacific (I think they were Dutch merchantmen heading for Japan and China). The fleet was sunk after being driven off course by a storm, blown into whirlpools caused by the currents around the reefs protecting a tiny island. Barcas was the only survivor, and found himself washed up on the shore of the strange land. The wildlife there was incredible. He now knows that most of the beasts he saw were prehistoric creatures from various eras, as well as some mythological beasts - like real mermaids! Panicking as some large dinosaurs approached, he ran for his life - until he tripped over a vine and landed on an ancient, paved walkway. Following it, he entered a huge stone temple (the same one Imakarum put Archanfel to sleep in back in volume 11). The carvings on the wall showed all the various island life-forms bowing to a strange winged being (readers will recognize it as a rendering of Archanfel’s Zoalord manifestation). Entering an inner chamber, Baracas saw a glowing, liquid-filled, egg-shaped capsule. (It’s the same one Imakarum now floats in.) Inside, visible through the transparent skin of the egg, floated a sleeping form - that of Archanfel..
Series license status
All of the anime (minus the recent TV series, which has yet to be licensed*) was originally released in the United States by US Renditions. When their license expired, the 12-episode OVA was picked up by Manga Entertainment (who has yet to re-release the OVA movie).
Although ADV Films has a co-production credit on the new anime series, as of this writing, ADV has yet to confirm the actual U.S. license for this series.