Kamen Rider Black
"Kamen Rider Black" premiered in 1987, the first series not hinting at a relationship to its predecessors. "Black" was the first show in the franchise with a direct sequel: "Kamen Rider Black RX", the basis of Saban's Americanized "Masked Rider". In "RX" finale, the ten previous Riders returned to help Black RX defeat the Crisis Empire. "Kamen Rider Black RX" was the final show produced during the Shōwa era, with the franchise resuming production by the end of the 20th century. A manga of "Kamen Rider Black" was a novelization and reimagination of the "Black"-"RX" series' continuity. Absent from television during the 1990s, the franchise was kept alive by stage shows, musical CDs, and the "", "ZO", and "J" films.