is a tokusatsu superhero TV series about a giant cyborg. The series was produced by Nippon Gendai and Senkosha (now Senko Planning), and aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 8, 1972, to April 8, 1973, with a total of 26 episodes.

Plot description The Shiranui Clan have planned for 2000 years to conquer Japan in retaliation for their nomadic ancestors being banished from the country by the Yamato Clan (who eventually became known as the Japanese people). Each armored ninja-like member of the clan controls a gigantic robot warrior in order to overthrow the "Yamato Government," as they call it.

In response to this terrorist threat, Japan's National Security Organization send agent Gentaro Shizuka (Shoji Ishibashi), disguised as what can best described as a Spaghetti Western version of a singing cowboy, to stop their plans with the assistance of comical, mountaineering-clad Goro Kirishima (Mitsuo Hamada). In an unusual direction for such tokusatsu (visual effects) programs, it is not the heroic but often surprisingly ruthless Gentaro, but the bumbling, bespectacled Goro, who has the power to become the giant cybernetic superhero Iron King by touching the medals on the sides of his funny red Turning Hat and yelling "Iron Shock!" when danger threatens.

However, often Iron King is unable to defeat the clan's giant robots without help from Gentaro, who wields a weapon called the Iron Belt that can become a slender rapier-like sword or an infinitely extendable metal whip capable of hurting giant monsters. In addition, transforming into the hydrogen oxide-powered Iron King quickly dehydrates Goro, and he can only remain as Iron King for a short period of time. Strangely, although Gentaro knows Iron King's time limit comes from exhausting his water supply he never manages to connect it with Goro's omnipresent thirst until the final episode.

In the tenth episode the Shiranui Clan is wiped out, but their place is taken by the skull-symboled keffiyeh-clad Phantom Militia (A/K/A the Phantom Opposition Party) who to enact their revolution against the Japanese government, use monsters. Their monsters initially appear to be traditional kaiju, though they are revealed to all be robots, commanded by agents of the Militia remotely.

And from the nineteenth episode to the end of the series, Gentaro and Goro battle black cloak and Puritan hat-clad white-masked aliens called Titanians, who despite looking human, have various inhuman powers such as flight, body-possessing mind control, and the ability to enlarge themselves to giant size. Upon doing the latter they are then able to assume insect-like monster forms.

Episode list # Title Guest cast Director First aired Monster appeared 1. Secret Messenger of the Morning Wind Shinzo HottaKiro AbeFudeko TanakaKinji TakinamiHiroshi Ikaida Shozo Tamura 1972-10-08 Vacumira 2. The Swan in the Ruins Shinzo HottaHiroshi Ikaida Shozo Tamura 1972-10-15 Jairogesu 3. The Warrior's Smile Shinzo HottaHiroshi Ikaida Shozo Tamura 1972-10-22 Double Satan 4. Gentaro Travels Alone Shinzo HottaYosuke Akimoto Toru Sotoyama 1972-10-29 Devil Tiger 5. The Duel in the Autumn Wind Shinzo HottaShogo Hanagi Toru Sotoyama 1972-11-05 Black Knight, Bronze Demon, Monster Bird 6. Lullaby for a Warrior Shinzo HottaSeishiro KunoMasayuki Tobuyo Shozo TamuraKiyoshi Suzuki 1972-11-12 Monster Bird 7. Those That Fly the Skies Shinzo HottaKaori SekiHisashi Kato Shozo TamuraKiyoshi Suzuki 1972-11-19 Silver Rider 8. The Shadow Area Shinzo HottaMitsuko HoshiYoshinori FurukawaShinobu Miura Noriaki YuasaKiyoshi Suzuki 1972-11-26 Gold Fire 9. Gentaro in a Close Shave Shinzo HottaYuki Okazaki Toru SotoyamaKoichi Takano 1972-12-03 Gold Fire 10. A Kiss for the Dead Katsumi MuramatsuShima MizueKiyoshi TokugawaGin Minemura Hiroshi Fukuhara 1972-12-10 Gold Fire, Zaira Unicorn 11. Tokyo Is Burning Katsumi MuramatsuKiyoshi TokugawaGin Minemura Toru Sotoyama 1972-12-17 Zaira Unicorn 12. State of Emergency in Tokyo Katsumi MuramatsuTeresa NodaJunko NatsuWataru MitsuiIkuo Kosaka Toru Sotoyama 1972-12-24 Tongazaurus 13. Attacking the Underground Fortress Katsumi MuramatsuJunko NatsuWataru MitsuiIsamu Matsuzawa Toru Sotoyama 1972-12-31 Tongazaurus 14. Secret of the Brainwave Robot Katsumi MuramatsuHijiri MatsukiTeppei TakasugiKazuo Arai Hiromu Edagawa 1973-01-14 Jurass-Don 15. Marathon Monster Capri-Gon Katsumi MuramatsuMasahiro TakashinaHarue Kyo Hiromu Edagawa 1973-01-21 Capri-Gon 16. Destroy Tora-Girasu! Katsumi MuramatsuYumi Mizusawa Hiroshi Fukuhara 1973-01-28 Tora-Girasu 17. The Order to Assassinate Iron King Katsumi MuramatsuChidori TashiroKoetsu Omiya Toru Sotoyama 1973-02-04 Dodzilla, Kumagross 18. Monster Robot Annihilation Katsumi MuramatsuEiko Ogawa Toru Sotoyama 1973-02-11 Kumagross 19. The Giant Bug Kabutoron Appears Chiaki UkyoHajime Izu Hiroshi FukuharaKoichi Takano 1973-02-18 Kabutoron 20. The Titanians Strike Back Chiaki Ukyo Hiroshi FukuharaKoichi Takano 1973-02-25 Kabutoron 21. Kamagyrus Wants Lethal Gas! Chiaki UkyoMari SakuraiTetsuya Sano Toru Sotoyama 1973-03-04 Kamagyrus 22. Terrifying Titanian Underworld Chiaki UkyoFumio Ikeda Toru Sotoyama 1973-03-11 Kirigirin 23. The Insect Humanoid Masquerades as a Woman Chiaki UkyoRyoko SakaguchiHideo Saito Shozo Tamura 1973-03-18 Kangarole 24. Tokyo Assault Frontline Base Chiaki UkyoYoku Shioya Hiroshi Fukuhara 1973-03-25 Cockroachaur 25. Iron King in a Panic! Chiaki Ukyo Toru Sotoyama 1973-04-01 Cricketton, Possessed Iron King 26. The Great Tokyo War Chiaki UkyoHajime Izu Toru Sotoyama 1973-04-08 Cricketton, Possessed Iron King

DVD releases

On November 6, 2007, BCI Eclipse Entertainment Company LLC released the complete series of Iron King on DVD in Region 1. As of 2009, this release is now out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations.

On March 9, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the entire series on DVD in Region 1.

Notes

References (From the Iron King liner notes booklet)

External links