The Battle Begins

*VR Troopers, Episode 1-2*

**The Battle Begins** is the opening two-parter of *VR Troopers* season 1.

## Synopsis

Cross World City is undergoing continual urban growth, thanks to the mechanizations of billionaire industrialist Karl Ziktor. Little does anyone realize, that he's actually a monarch from Virtual Reality named Grimlord, bent on invading our dimension and controlling the world. Luckily, Professor Hart, partner of Ryan Steele's long-missing father, recruits Ryan and his friends to become VR Troopers, with the power to keep Grimlord's forces from breaching the reality barrier. Ryan doesn't get much time to rest following his injury and defeat at the hands of Decimator. Grimlord's forces makes their move across the reality barrier, forcing the team to take action immediately. VR Ryan takes command of the VR Skybase and Battlecruiser to fight attacks from sky and ground. VR JB Reese & Kaitlin Star sabotage Grimlord's military base, and are forced to flee for their lives before the place explodes.

## Plot

### Part 1

Teenagers Ryan Steele, Kaitlin Star (aka Hall) and J.B. Reese are called to meet the mysterious Professor Horatio Hart at his lab in the mountains, on the outskirts of Cross World City. On the way, they are attacked from the sky by Air Striker and Fighterbot; and on the ground by skugs. They make it to the lab, receive their VR powers and are sent to fight Grimlord (aka Karl Ziktor)'s forces. Ryan remains to battle Gunbots and Tankbots. Kaitlin and J.B. successfully fight the skugs and one of Grimlord's robots, the mighty Kongbot. During a battle against Grimlord's Decimator, Ryan is injured and thrown from a cliff into a deserted quarry.

### Part 2

Kaitlin and J.B. locate Ryan and rescue him. After another fight with Grimlord's skugs, Ryan is brought back to Professor Hart's lab and repaired. Through the use of virtual reality, Hart shows the Troopers what will be in store for them if they continue their quest. Meanwhile, Grimlord is planning a full-scale assault on the world as we know it. The three teens ask Hart how they can prepare for Grimlord's next attack. He instructs them to hone their martial arts prowess. While out taking photos, Kaitlin discovers Grimlord's troops on the move. She alerts Ryan and J.B.; all three transform and fight to save Cross World City. They vow to do everything in their collective power to keep our planet safe and free from Grimlord's evil mutant armies.

## Cast

* David Carr - Tyler Steele
* Brad Hawkins - Ryan Steele
* Michael Bacon - J.B. Reese
* Sarah Brown - Kaitlin Star
* Gardner Baldwin - Karl Ziktor/Grimlord
* Julian Combs - Professor Horatio Hart
* Richard Rabago - Tao Chong
* Aaron Pruner - Percival Rooney III
* Kerrigan Mahan - Jeb (voice)
* Farrand Thompson - Young Ryan
* Michael Hollander - JB Reese (as Michael Bacon)
* Dave Mallow - Toxoid / Air Stryker (voice)
* Mike Reynolds - Blue Boar / General Ivar (voice) (as Ray Michaels)
* Michael Sorich - Decimator / Tankatron / Zelton (voice)
* Tom Wyner - Kongbot (voice)
* Zeb - Himself

## Notes

This episode uses footage from episode 1 of *Choujinki Metalder* for Grimlord scenes and Ryan's first Trooper debut, and episode 16 of *Jikuu Senshi Spielban* for the fight with BossKong.

## See Also

* Hurry! To the Hundred-Demon Spirit World - counterpart in *Choujinki Metalder*.  *See comparison page*. (Fight footage & story and VR Ryan powers debut)
* A Shocking Pair! The Crystallized Combination! - counterpart in *Jikuu Senshi Spielban*.  *See comparison page*. (VR JB and Kaitlin powers debut and General Ivar fight footage)
* Waller Lurks in Loose Layers of Earth - counterpart in *Jikuu Senshi Spielban*.  *See comparison page*. (Kongbot fight footage)
* The Strange Fortress Beneath Tokyo - counterpart in *Uchuu Keiji Gavan*.  *See comparison page*. (the episode that started *Metal Heroes* like this episode started adapting *Metal Heroes* by Saban)
* Cybertron, the pilot of *VR Troopers.*