Ring Raiders is a 1989 animated television series based on a 1980s toyline made by Matchbox. The series began with a two-hour special by DIC Animation City, followed by one week of five half-hour episodes syndicated by Bohbot Entertainment.
Synopsis Set in the year 1998, the world is on the brink of a cataclysmic war. An organization dedicated to taking over the world, through the brutal use of aerial warfare, is about to realize its goal. It is known as the "Skull Squadron", founded by a band of renegades whose planes are capable of time travel. These pilots fall in love with the power they hold and see that they can use their planes to take control of the world. There are always pilots who, twisted by war's cruelties, are willing to join the Skull Squadron, causing it to grow bigger and more dangerous. In the 1990s, Skull Squadron is finally powerful enough to scramble for the master mission in its bid for world domination.
By now, almost too late, the great nations of the world are aware of Skull Squadron's plot. They band together to produce an aircraft that gives them a fighting chance against the onslaught—the Justice-class air carrier, which can travel through time. The carrier is outfitted with a small crew, and then sent back in time. The Justice crew gathers pilots and planes from historic air battles to train them to fight against the Skull Squadron.
A handful of pilots are selected as "Ring Commanders" to train and supervise the hundreds who remain. Ring Commanders are identified by their special signal ring, through which they can summon (or be summoned by) a fellow Ring Raider in times of need.
"Ring of Fire", "Scorch's Revenge", "All the Right Stuff", "The Best Man for the Job is a Woman" and "A Pilot's Faith" were all pilot episodes, but the series was never taken up as a full season show.
The animation art design was done by Peter Chung, based on the Those Characters From Cleveland art and toy designs of Mark Spangler and Jim Groman.
The show used the catchphrase "The command is in my hand" when characters wished to transform their planes, using their rings to make them more powerful. Their improved forms could only be held for a short time, or the pilot risked burning out their nervous system.
Pilots and planes Ring Raiders Victor Vector (voiced by Dan Gilvezan) was a stealth fighter squadron leader until 1993, when he was selected to command the first Justice-class air carrier and the Ring Raider squadrons. He is cool headed and always willing to risk his life for others. As trainer-commander of the elite "Justice Wing", he pilots the Victory 1, a customized F-19 stealth fighter. The series and toyline were developed before the public revelation of the F-117. Yuri Kirkov (voiced by Gregory Paul Martin) was a solid, disciplined Soviet Air Force major and is now one the Ring Raiders' foremost squadron leaders. He defected from the Russians by surrendering to the USMC during the Vietnam War. Tough-minded and stern to a fault, Kirkov often takes himself too seriously, yet he can also be a very nice guy, if and when it comes to such. Kirkov is easily surprised by the "free and easy" standards of his fellow Ring Raiders; he constantly wonders to himself, "Is this any way to run an Air Force?" As trainer-commander of "Freedom Wing", Kirkov pilots Kirkov's Comet, a customized F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber. What makes Kirkov's Comet unique is its nose-mounted beam-cannon that it can cut up planes or blind opponents' infrared detection gear. Yinsu Yakamura (voiced by Townsend Coleman) was a space-fighter pilot picked up by a Justice-class air carrier in the year 2235. Computer educated, he is highly intelligent and knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects. With his past being the future, he is a natural expert on 20th Century technology. Yakamura possesses a high level of courage, and a deep sense of honor, to match his intellect. As trainer-commander of "Honor Wing", Yakamura pilots the Samurai Flyer, a customized Grumman X-29 loaded with complex battle computers and miniature AWACS gear. Along with several tons of high-tech weaponry, the Samurai Flyer also carries a 3-D split-laser "Deceptor", which can cause 1–50 extra images to show up on radar scanners, so that Yakamura appears to have an entire squadron of Samurai Flyers backing him up. Joe Thundercloud (voiced by Efrain Figueroa) is a full-blooded Sioux (Native American) and was flying with the USAF in Korea when he was beamed aboard a Justice-class air carrier. By nature, Thundercloud is a reflective man of few words, which is why his fellow Ring Raiders always listen whenever he does speak up; with his keen mind and sense of strategy, there are few problems he cannot solve. In the air, he is always brave and tirelessly alert. He is known for his uncanny ability to "spot" enemies before they actually show up on radar. As trainer-commander of "Thunder Wing", Thundercloud pilots the Arrowhead, a customized F-86 Sabre fighter/bomber loaded with special warpaint-design Sidewinder missiles. Arrowhead's modified power plant makes it capable of short speed bursts up to Mach 2. "Cub" Jones (voiced by Ike Eisenmann) was beamed aboard a Justice-class air carrier in 1943, having lied about his age so he could join the USN (Jones was only 16 at the time). He has more potential than most of the other Ring Raiders put together, in terms of mere flying ability. With his hot-tempered and cocky nature, there is much that he needs to learn. In World War II, Jones flew an F6F Hellcat. As the trainer-commander of the "Courage Wing", he pilots the Sky Tiger, a customized Northrop F-5 interceptor. Of all the modifications done to this F-5, the most hazardous to Skull Squadron planes is its "Tigerclaw" missile system. Housed in Sky Tiger's forward underbelly, Tigerclaw is a retractable pod of 25 small missiles that can each be remote controlled by the plane's on-board computers for use against air, land or sea targets. Max Miles (voiced by Roscoe Lee Browne) is the head of Ring Raider intelligence. He makes dangerous flights into Skull Squadron territory, gathering information and photographs, to determine what the enemy air force's next steps might be. Known for a careful sense of planning, Miles prides himself on minimizing the risks to "Valor Wing" (which he trains and commands) on any mission, but to get his data, this strong and cool-headed pilot takes all kinds of chances himself. He has a dark sense of humor which makes him popular among the other Ring Raiders. Miles is no stranger to dogfights, either, but he specializes in night missions. In the toyline, Miles was Caucasian, but in the cartoon, he was redesigned to resemble his voice actor Roscoe Lee Browne. He pilots the Knight Fighter, a customized SR-71 Blackbird strategic recon jet. "Never" Evers is aptly nicknamed, since he never turns down any assignment regardless of how risky it may be. When other Ring Raiders don't want a mission because is too dangerous, they call Evers, who would not have it any other way. He is cocky, and with little respect for authority, Evers has been known to disobey a direct order when he thought his superiors were "being too cautious". He never flies anywhere without loud rock n' roll blasting away in his cockpit. Despite his penchant for bending procedures, and even breaking safety rules, he is a highly capable wingman in the crunch. He did not appear in the cartoon or the toyline. Evers pilots the Fearless Falcon, a customized F-16 fighter equipped with a special fuel-nozzle that allows it to train un-ignited fuel in the face of pursuing Skull Squadron planes. When Evers' afterburner is kicked in, the pursuer finds himself in a hot spot, and the Fearless Falcon finds itself miles away, almost instantly. "Salty" Salton was a United States Marine Corps World War II flying ace who was beamed aboard a Justice-class air carrier while working as the director of his own flying circus. He is rough, tough and usually gruff to the younger Ring Raiders. He frequently trades verbal abuse with "Never" Evers in particular. Salton has forgotten more about dogfighting, and about air-sea combat in particular, than many of his fellow Ring Raiders know. He thinks anybody who depends on radar and computers ought to just stay down on deck. Despite all his bluster, Salton backs it up with good flying ability. Salton refuses to trade in his old Corsair, souped-up though it may be, for a plane that would bring him into the jet age. Salton did not appear in the cartoon or the toyline. He pilots the Sea Dragon, a customized F4U Corsair fighter that can split its gull-shaped wings, dragonfly-style, doubling its speed and firepower. With all this, in a dogfight, Sea Dragon seems to actually breathe fire. Baron Von Claudeitz (voiced by Chuck McCann) is a cantankerous World War I Imperial German fighter pilot. Like "Salty" Salton, Von Claudeitz thinks his fellow pilots rely too much on technology, as seen in the episode "A Pilot's Faith". He retains his original (modified) aircraft, a Fokker Dr.I, but also piloted an Messerschmitt Me 262 on one occasion. He is meant as an homage to the famous German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen (aka the Red Baron), who is considered the ace-of-aces of World War I. The Baron existed only in the cartoon and the UK edition of the 1990 Ring Raiders Annual and was not in the comic book or the toyline. Jenny Gail (voiced by Chris Anthony) is the highest-ranking female Ring Raider. A fully-trained doctor, she pulled double-duty as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. Gail has had to deal with the distrustful attitude of Baron Von Claudeitz, who is biased against women in general, as he thinks they should leave the dogfighting to men. She often flies rings around the Skull Squadron, somehow making them look like amateurs almost without trying. She existed only in the cartoon and was not in the comic book or the toyline. She pilots a futuristic, jet-boosted medevac helicopter, one not based on any real-world design, called Nightingale. fleet of Justice-class air-carriers network of sky-bases (Courage, Freedom, Honor, Thunder, Valor, et al)
Skull Squadrons Stanley "Scorch" Smith (voiced by Rodger Bumpass) is the founder and director of the Skull Squadron. This fighter-tactics master knows every feint and trick—dirty and otherwise—under the sky. He is a relentless dogfighter who remains to be bested or outmaneuvered. Scorch wants to take out Victor Vector, whom he blames for the burns that cover his left arm and his left face (hence his skull-like mask). As trainer-leader of the elite "Ambush Wing", Scorch pilots Scorch's Torch, a customized Saab Viggen fighter-interceptor that houses a full arsenal of incendiary weapons and electronic countermeasures. Hubbub (voiced by Stuart Goetz) is a punk rocker who loves to create chaos wherever he goes. Heavily into electronics, he uses the myriad high-tech devices in his plane to baffle and confuse the Ring Raider squadrons. He is also a master at vocal impressions, and at locking onto Ring Raider frequencies to imitate a Ring Commander's voice issuing false orders. He is a tough but unconventional aerial combatant, basically a street-thug of the air. As trainer-leader of "Rebel Wing", Hubbub pilots the Zapmaster, a customized Dassault Mirage III equipped with lightning capacitators that can electrify an entire cloud at the touch of a thumb trigger. Cutthroat is the Skull Squadrons' "spy pilot". A master of disguise and duplicity, Cutthroat is a constantly-dreaded yet grudgingly-respected threat to Ring Raider security. In a dogfight, he is likely to show up almost anywhere with little or no warning. Whether striking inside Ring Raider headquarters, or at 55,000 feet, Cutthroat's favorite attack is the classic knife-in-the-back ambush. Cutthroat did not appear in the toyline. He pilots the Bayonet, a customized F19A stealth fighter.