Kamen Rider Stronger

For the series' main character, see Shigeru Jo.

***Kamen Rider Stronger*** (仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*, "Masked Rider Stronger" in English) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. The fifth program to be created as part of the Kamen Rider Series, the series was broadcast on TBS and MBS from April 5, 1975 to December 27, 1975, lasting 39 episodes, and aired every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. *Stronger* was a co-production between Ishinomori Productions and Toei, and was created by Shotaro Ishinomori.

While the series is relatively popular among tokusatsu fans, it has not garnered much mainstream attention. However, the series is unique in several respects, and has influenced other series in the franchise in many ways.

## Story

Shigeru Jo joins the evil organization Black Satan after the death of his close friend Goro Numata, who he considered his mentor. He, promised power, and fueled by a desire for revenge, undergoes surgery to become one of Black Satan's super warriors. However, Shigeru knows that Black Satan were in fact the murderers of his friend; he was using Black Satan in order to gain new powers. The newly powered up Shigeru escapes from the Black Satan headquarters before they can brainwash him into following their campaign of evil and becomes Kamen Rider Stronger. While escaping from Black Satan, Stronger meets Yuriko Misaki another cyborg warrior created by Black Satan who has the ability to transform into Electro-Wave Human Tackle. Together they fight the evil Black Satan and later the Delza Army to restore peace in Japan.

## Overview

Shigeru Jō, played by the late Shigeru Araki, joins the evil organization Black Satan after the death of a close friend, one whom he considered his mentor. Promised power, and fueled by a desire for revenge, he undergoes surgery to become one of Black Satan's super warriors. However, Shigeru knows that Black Satan were in fact the murderers of his friend; he was using Black Satan in order to gain new powers. The newly powered up Shigeru escapes from the Black Satan headquarters before they can brainwash him into following their campaign of evil.

Frustrated, Black Satan scientists devise a plan to capture and kill the warrior they have just created, along with continuing the goal they've had all along—world domination. Shigeru plans on fighting back in his new form, Kamen Rider Stronger. While escaping from Black Satan, Stronger meets Yuriko Misaki (played by Kyōko Okada) another cyborg warrior created by Black Satan. They team up, with Yuriko now becoming Electro Wave Human Tackle. The two eventually meet Tōbei Tachibana as well.

Stronger, Tackle, and Tōbei fight valiantly against the evil cyborg forces of Black Satan, continually meeting the head agents General Shadow, and the One-Eyed Titan. The Titan is defeated in episode 13, but manages to return in episode 17 as the One-Hundred Eyed Titan, posing an even greater threat than before. Despite sharing the similar goals of defeating Stronger and conquering the world, General Shadow and the Titan cannot seem to agree on a few other issues—for instance, which one of them gets to kill Stronger. Often, their bickering inadvertently allows him to escape their wrath.

In episode 26, Stronger is able to topple Black Satan once and for all. With his former organization in ruins, General Shadow forms the "Delza Army" to continue his malicious goals. There were two further defining moments for the series: first, in episode 30, Tackle sacrifices herself to save Stronger from Doctor Kate, a Delza Army general. Her death affects Stronger greatly, and he vows to keep fighting until evil is defeated. In the following episode, Stronger's fight against evil is greatly assisted when he undergoes surgery and gains a devastating new power—the ability to power up into a new, stronger, form—"Charge Up!".

Ultimately, all the former Riders, Kamen Rider 1, 2 from the original Kamen Rider, V3 from Kamen Rider V3, X from Kamen Rider X, and Amazon from Kamen Rider Amazon, all appear in the final few episodes to help Stronger finally defeat the Delza Army and General Shadow. This sequence of episodes has attracted some praise from fans.

## Characters

### Kamen Riders

#### TV Show

 File:Tumblr lxo870I9w31r9l7xlo1 1280.jpg

#### Concepts

* Kamen Rider Stronger
	+ Kamen Rider 7
	+ Kamen Rider Strong
	+ Kamen Rider Spark
	+ Kamen Rider Kabutorg
* Kamen Rider Tackle

### Villains

#### Black Satan

Main article: Black Satan

* Great Leader of Black Satan
* Titan (Mr. Titan) / One-Eyed Titan
* Dead Lion
* Black Satan Soldiers
* General Shadow

#### Delza Army

* Great Boss of Delza Army
* General Shadow
* Delza Army Corps
* Staff Officer Steel
* Division Commander Wild Eagle
* Doctor Kate
* Major Skull
* Baron Rock
* General Wolf
* Commanding Officer Frank
* Snake Woman
* Marshal Machine
* Commander Jishaku
* Armored Knight

## Episodes

Main article: Kamen Rider Stronger Episodes

1. *I am the Electric Human Stronger!!* (おれは電気人間ストロンガー！！, *Ore wa Denki Ningen Sutorongā!!*)
2. *The Secret of Stronger and Tackle!* (ストロンガーとタックルの秘密！, *Sutorongā to Takkuru no Himitsu!*)
3. *The Thriller House Calls for Children!!* (スリラーハウスが子どもを呼ぶ！！, *Surirā Hausu ga Kodomo o Yobu!!*)
4. *The Demonic Motorbike Reckless Driving Operation!* (悪魔のオートバイ暴走作戦！！, *Akuma no Ōtobai Bōsō Sakusen!!*)
5. *Black Satan's School Lunch!?* (ブラックサタンの学校給食！？, *Burakku Satan no Gakkō Kyūshoku!?*)
6. *The Jellyfish Kikkaijin Who Took the Form of a Teacher!* (先生に化けたクラゲ奇械人！, *Sensei ni Baketa Kurage Kikkaijin!*)
7. *Rider Great Reversal!!* (ライダー大逆転！！, *Raidā Dai Gyakuten!!*)
8. *Don't Melt, Rider! The Final Blow, Electro Kick!!* (溶けるなライダー！とどめの電キック！！, *Tokeru na Raidā! Todome no Den Kikku!!*)
9. *The Band of Demons Has Come!!* (悪魔の音楽隊がやって来た！！, *Akuma no Ongakutai ga Yattekita!!*)
10. *The Frightful Gummer Bug! It Targets Humans!!* (恐怖のガンマー虫！人間を狙う！！, *Kyōfu no Ganmā Mushi! Ningen o Nerau!!*)
11. *Chameleorn! Demonic Film!?* (カメレオーン！悪魔のフィルム！？, *Kamereōn! Akuma no Firumu!?*)
12. *Duel! Stronger's Grave!?* (決闘！ストロンガーの墓場！？, *Kettō! Sutorongā no Hakaba!?*)
13. *The One-Eyed Titan! The Final Counter Attack!!* (一ツ目タイタン！最後の逆襲！！, *Hitotsume Taitan! Saigo no Gyakushū!!*)
14. *The Appearance of Enigmatic Chief Executive Shadow!* (謎の大幹部シャドウの出現！, *Nazo no Dai Kanbu Shadō no Shutsugen!*)
15. *Shadow's Trump That Calls Death!!* (死を呼ぶシャドウのトランプ！！, *Shi o Yobu Shadō no Toranpu!!*)
16. *The Bloodsucking Bubunger's Demonic Present!* (吸血ブブンガー悪魔のプレゼント！, *Kyūketsu Bubungā Akuma no Purezento!*)
17. *Ghost Story, The Demonic Easter* (怪談 悪魔の復活祭, *Kaidan Akuma no Fukkatsusai*)
18. *Ghost Story, The Bottomless Swamp* (怪談 底なし沼, *Kaidan Sokonashi Numa*)
19. *Ghost Story: The Cursed Old Castle!* (怪談 呪われた古城！, *Kaidan Norowareta Kojō!*)
20. *The Great Scary Desert! Two Tōbeis?!* (恐怖の大砂漠！二人の藤兵衛！？, *Kyōfu no Dai Sabaku! Futari no Tōbei!?*)
21. *Samegashima, Decisive Battle in the Sea!* (鮫ヶ島海中大決戦！, *Samegashima Kaichū Dai Kessen!*)
22. *Rider Execution at 12:00!?* (１２時００分ライダー処刑！？, *Jūniji Zerofun Raidā Shokei!?*)
23. *The Devil of the Underground Kingdom!!* (地底王国の魔王！！, *Chitei Ōkoku no Maō!!*)
24. *Bizarre! The Unmanned Train Runs!!* (怪奇！無人電車が走る！！, *Kaiki! Mujin Densha ga Hashiru!!*)
25. *Don't Die!! Shigeru Jō in the Electric Chair* (死ぬな！！電気椅子の城茂, *Shinu na!! Denki Isu no Jō Shigeru*)
26. *Seen!! The Great Leader's True Identity!!* (見た！！大首領の正体！！, *Mita!! Dai Shuryō no Shōtai!!*)
27. *Remodelled Majin! The Delza Army Appears!!* (改造魔人！デルザー軍団現わる！！, *Kaizō Majin! Deruzā Gundan Arawareru!!*)
28. *Oh! Stronger...into Small Pieces?!* (あ！ストロンガーがこなごなに…？！, *A! Sutorongā ga Konagona ni...?!*)
29. *The Curse of Majin Kate's Blood!* (魔人ケイト血ののろい！, *Majin Keito Chi no Noroi!*)
30. *Goodbye, Tackle! Her Last Activity!!* (さようならタックル！最後の活躍！！, *Sayōnara Takkuru! Saigo no Katsuyaku!!*)
31. *Stronger's Great Remodelling!!* (ストロンガー大改造！！, *Sutorongā Dai Kaizō!!*)
32. *Deadly! Super Electro Three-step Kick!!* (必殺！超電三段キック！！, *Hissatsu! Chō Den Sandan Kikku!!*)
33. *Stronger Dies in the Full Moon!?* (ストロンガー満月に死す！？, *Sutorongā Mangetsu ni Shisu!?*)
34. *The Snake Woman's Bloodsucking Hell!* (ヘビ女の吸血地獄！, *Hebi Onna no Kyūketsu Jigoku!*)
35. *The Man Who Returned! The Name is V3!!* (帰って来た男！その名はＶ３！！, *Kaettekita Otoko! Sono Na wa Bui Surī!!*)
36. *Three Riders Vs. The Powerful Delza Army!* (三人ライダー対強力デルザー軍団！, *Sannin Raidā Tai Kyōryoku Deruzā Gundan!*)
37. *Riders Captured! Long Live Delza!!* (ライダー捕らわる！デルザー万才！！, *Raidā Torawaru! Deruzā Banzai!!*)
38. *Appearance! Riders 1, 2!!* (出現！ライダー１号２号！！, *Shutsugen! Raidā Ichigō Nigō!!*)
39. *Goodbye! The Glorious Seven Riders!* (さようなら！栄光の七人ライダー！, *Sayōnara! Eigō no Shichinin Raidā!*)

**Movie**

1. *Kamen Rider Stronger* (劇場版仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Gekijō-ban Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*) (theatrical edit of episode 7)

**Special**

1. *All Together! Seven Kamen Riders!!* (集合!7人の仮面ライダー!!, *Zen'in Shūgō! Shichinin no Kamen Raidā!!*)

## Other media

### Manga

1. *Kamen Rider Stronger (manga)* (仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*)
2. *Kamen Rider Stronger (TV Magazine manga)* (仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*)
3. *Kamen Rider Stronger (TV Land manga)* (仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*)
4. *Kamen Rider Stronger (Tanoshii Youchien manga)*  (仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*)
5. *Kamen Rider Stronger (O Tomodachi manga)* (仮面ライダーストロンガー, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā*)
6. *The Return of 7 Riders* (かえってきた7人ライダー, *Kaettekita 7-nin Raidā*)
7. *Kamen Rider (1978 manga)* (仮面ライダー, *Kamen Raidā*)

## Cast

* Shigeru Jo (城 茂, *Jō Shigeru*): Shigeru Araki (荒木 茂, *Araki Shigeru*)
* Yuriko Misaki (岬 ユリ子, *Misaki Yuriko*): Kyoko Okada (岡田 京子, *Okada Kyōko*)
* Tōbei Tachibana (立花 藤兵衛, *Tachibana Tōbee*): Akiji Kobayashi (小林 昭二, *Kobayashi Akiji*)
* Yōichirō Masaki (正木 洋一郎, *Masaki Yōichirō*): Hiroshi Ogasawara (小笠原 弘, *Ogasawara Hiroshi*)
* Titan (タイタン, *Taitan*): Akira Hamada (浜田 晃, *Hamada Akira*)
* Dead Lion (デッドライオン, *Deddo Raion*, Voice): Mahito Tsujimura (辻村 真人, *Tsujimura Mahito*)
* The Great Leader of Black Satan, The Great Leader of Delza Army, Great Leader Rock (ブラックサタン大首領, デルザー軍団大首領, 岩石大首領, *Burakku Satan Daishuryō, Deruzā Gundan Daishuryō, Ganseki Daishuryō*, Voice): Gorō Naya (納谷 悟朗, *Naya Gorō*)
* General Shadow (ジェネラルシャドウ, *Jeneraru Shadō*, Voice): Hidekatsu Shibata (柴田 秀勝, *Shibata Hidekatsu*)
* Marshal Machine (マシーン大元帥, *Mashīn Daigensui*, Voice): Osamu Ichikawa (市川 治, *Ichikawa Osamu*)
* Narrator (ナレーター, *Narētā*): Shinji Nakae (中江 真司, *Nakae Shinji*)

### Suit actors

* Kamen Rider Stronger: Tetsuya Nakayashiki
* Kamen Rider Stronger (understudy), Kamen Rider X: Kazuo Niibori
* Kamen Rider Stronger (trampoline), Kamen Rider Amazon: Yasuo Yukawa
* Electro-Wave Human Tackle: Kyoko Okada
* Electro-Wave Human Tackle (Action) : Kiyota Maki
* Electro-Wave Human Tackle (Action): Ryoji Kurihara
* Kamen Rider #1: Haruhiko Hashimoto
* Riderman: Fumiya Nakamura
* Mr. Titan: Keisuke Chiyoda
* General Shadow, Kamen Rider V3: Hiroo Kawarazaki
* General Shadow (trampoline), Monsters (trampoline), combatmen: Hiroshi Ueda
* Great Leader of Delza Army (Rock Great Leader), combatmen: Nobuyuki Ishizuka

## Songs

Opening theme
* "Kamen Rider Stronger no Uta" (仮面ライダーストロンガーの歌, *Kamen Raidā Sutorongā no Uta*, "The Song of Kamen Rider Stronger")
	+ Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
	+ Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
	+ Artist: Ichirou Mizuki

Ending theme
* "Kyō mo Tatakau Stronger" (今日もたたかうストロンガー, *Kyō mo Tatakau Sutorongā*, "Stronger Fights Today")
	+ Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
	+ Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
	+ Artists: Masato Shimon & Mitsuko Horie (1 & 2)/Ichirou Mizuki & Mitsuko Horie (3-31)
	+ Episodes: 1-31

* "Stronger Action" (ストロンガーアクション, *Sutorongā Akushon*)
	+ Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
	+ Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
	+ Artists: Ichirou Mizuki & Mitsuko Horie
	+ Episodes 32-39

## Other Songs

* Kabutorow Boogie
* Stronger Ekaki Uta
* Stronger Kazoe Uta
* Miyo! Kamen Rider Stronger
* Mune Ni Kagayaku S Mark
* Sakuru Zo Kyofu No Kuni Wo
* Boku-Ra No Aniki, Jou Shigeru
* Sore Yuke Tackle-Chan
* Tatakae! Shichinin Rider

## Notes

 File:SparkMange.png
* The original name for this show was *Kamen Rider Spark*.
* The show replaced *Ultraman Leo* on TBS being one of the few times Kamen Rider and Ultraman air on the same network.
	+ It aired on TBS instead of it's former network of NET due to it's former network passing on the next Rider season after *Amazon* to air the start of a new series spun off from the *Kamen Rider* franchise, *Himitsu Sentai GorengerFile:Icon-crosswiki.png*.

## External links

* *Kamen Rider Stronger* at Wikipedia
* *Kamen Rider Stronger* at Japanese Wikipedia