"Zarkon Is Dying," Continued

Okay, since you're on this page now, let's continue with our story, shall we? Methinks we shall!

(The scene shifts back to the girls, who are cornered by the Tree-Beasts and screaming.)

Nanny: This way! (A Tree-Beasts wraps a limb around Nanny, pulling her off the ground.) It's got me!

(Allura and the servants run to help Nanny, screaming her name. Nanny is thrown at the girls, and then we see an aerial shot of the girls being surrounded by limbs of the Tree-Beasts. Next, we see several flower-heads lunge toward the girls.)

Lotor: Hold off for a moment, plant-beasts! Let me see what prizes you've collected for me in the forest. (Allura looks up to see Lotor standing in a tree.) Ah! Look at the lovely wild creatures we've cornered. And they've picked baskets of berries for me.

Allura: I order you to call off these creatures and leave this planet at once!

Lotor: (Jumps down to a lower branch of the tree.) So, you're frightened by my Tree-Beasts! I'll simply have to ask them to turn over...a new leaf! (Laughs wickedly)

Allura: Just like your father!

Lotor: Thank you! I hope to be much worse someday!

(Lotor laughs again, but this laugh is cut short by a blue laser-blast that catches Lotor off-guard. The scene shifts to Keith, swinging on a vine. Keith kicks Lotor off the branch, and Lotor lands face-down on another branch. Keith swings back toward the girls.)

Keith: (Grabbing Allura) Hold on!

(Keith and Allura swing to another branch, high off the ground.)

Keith: You're safe now!

Allura: What about the others?

Hunk: (Shown swinging on another vine and picking up one of the servants) Special delivery!

Lance: (Shown swinging on yet another vine, grabbing the other servant) Picking up!

(We see Lotor as he falls out of the tree.)

Nanny: (seen surrounded by Tree-Beast limbs in an aerial shot) Save me!

Keith: Get to your Blue Lion fast, Princess! I'll see that Nanny is safe.

(Keith and Allura both grab vines. Allura swings out of the picture while Keith swings toward Nanny, grabbing her. They swing by a Tree-Beast, with a flower-head in hot pursuit.)

Lotor: (Standing up) What?! (We see a shot of Keith and Nanny, swinging away.) After them, plant-beasts! I want every one of them taken!

(The Tree-Beasts start pursuing Keith and Nanny.)

Nanny: (Still swinging with Keith) Look out! (She screams as the scene goes back to the Tree-Beasts in pursuit.)

(We see Lotor's battleships taking off. A flower-head shoots a pink laser-blast from its mouth, which breaks Keith's vine. We see a shot of Lance and the servants, running.)

Keith: (Running with Hunk and Allura) Step it up! We've gotta get to the castle and the lions!

Pidge: (We see Green Lion, and hear Pidge's voice.) OK, one lion is ready!

Keith: (Still running, with Hunk and Allura) Pidge will have to try to hold off the monsters by himself until we can get back with our lions.

Pidge: Get your lions, quick! (We see the Tree-Beasts approaching, and a flower-head shoots another laser-blast toward the school construction site.)

(Here it is, one of the CLASSIC sequences from the Voltron series. Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Allura run thru their respective doors, riding the zipline to the transporters. The transporters shoot through the tunnels to the respective lions. Keith is shown entering Black Lion.)

Keith: Position Keys! (Positions his key. The key inserts itself and the star lights up.) Launch Lions! (We see the lions "awakening.")

Pidge: (In Green Lion) I need you, team! (Green Lion's tail-blaster shoots at a Tree-Beast) Timber!

(The Tree-Beasts back up, and several flower-heads shoot at Green Lion. The lion is shown toppling, and rolling down the hill toward the Tree-Beasts. The flower-heads continue shooting Green Lion. Pidge is shown, screaming inside the cockpit. We see Lotor's battleship flying overhead, then an aerial shot of the Tree-Beasts, shooting at Green Lion.)

Lotor: (Laughs) A bouquet of roses for you! Huh?! (Leans forward)

(The Tree-Beasts are shown being hit by blue laser fire. Then, we see an aerial shot of Black, Red, and Blue Lions flying.)

Lance: They're only a bunch of trees! I think I'll start a forest fire! Activate flame throwers!

(A fireball is shown shooting out of Red Lion's mouth and hitting the Tree-Beasts.)

Lotor: (Hitting the control console with his fist) Fools! Your puny weapons can't compete with my powerful magic! Watch now, as I combine my saplings into one monstrous Tree-Beast!

(The Tree-Beasts are shown taking off into the sky, to combine.)

The Voltron Force: (Pictured all together, in one of those "five pictures in one" images) Look at THAT!

(We see the three Tree-Beasts join at their upper halves and start spinning like a giant 3-bladed propeller. Then, for a really neat effect, the spinning of the Tree-Beasts causes the light around them to flash with brilliant flourescent colors, yellow, blue, pink, and purple. Then the giant Tree-Beast is shown, emerging from the light. It lands on the ground, and we see what appear to be hands emerging from the sides of the Tree-Beast. We see the giant Tree-Beast in all its glory as it roars.)

Keith: (in Black Lion) Now we've REALLY got a problem! Position Magma Missiles! Release Number One!

(We see the missiles shooting from a side launcher on Black Lion. The missiles hit the giant Tree-Beasts eyes.)

Hunk: (in Yellow Lion) That was a real poke in the eye! Now, a good shot to the mouth! (We see a fireball shoot from the cannon on Yellow Lion's back. The fireball shoots into the Tree-Beasts mouth, and smoke belches from the Tree-Beast.) Will HE have heartburn! (Aerial shot of the Tree-Beast trying to attack the lions.)

Pidge: (in Green Lion) We're not slowing him down! Hit 'em with everything we've got! Activate Macro-Darts and fire!

(A dart launcher emerges from the side of Green Lion. It starts spinning, releasing the darts at the Tree-Beast's eyes. The Tree-Beast doesn't like this, and it traps Pidge with a tentacle on its head. Pidge is shown screaming inside his lion.)

Allura: (in Blue Lion) The monster's got Pidge! I'll fire the Blue Claw!

(Blue Lion's claws shoot out, attacking the tentacle that holds Pidge captive. The Tree-Beast is even more enraged, trapping Allura with another tentacle. Then, it smashes Green Lion and Blue Lion together repeatedly. We see Allura and Pidge in a split-screen shot, screaming inside their lions.)

Lotor: Now, they can't form Voltron! (laughs) And Allura is MINE!

Allura: We must unite and form Voltron, or we'll never make it!

Pidge: Heyyy!! How can we, He's got us in a choke-hold!

(Aerial shot of the Tree-Beast attacking the lions)

Lance: (NOTE: At first, we HEAR Lance, but SEE Yellow Lion, flown by Hunk.) Keith! We've gotta go in together after Pidge and the princess!

Keith: Hitting him head-on doesn't work, but there's and old trick that might! You dive at his legs...

Lance: (This time, we see Red Lion, where Lance is supposed to be.) ...And you'll hit 'em up high and knock him over me! Let's go!

(Red Lion is shown tunneling underground. It surfaces right under the Tree-Beast, which releases Pidge and Allura before falling on it's back on the ground. I bet you can already tell what happens next...)

Keith: Ready to form Voltron! Activate Interlock! Dynatherms Connected! Infracells Up! Megathrusters are GO!

The Voltron Force: (in the famous "five pictures in one screen" shot) All form Voltron!

(We see the classic formation sequence, with Keith calling out the orders:)

Keith: Form Feet And Legs! Form Arms And Body! And I'll Form The HEAD!

(Another classic sequence, where Voltron crosses his arms and the lion-heads roar on the screen)

The Voltron Force: Let's go, Voltron Force!

Lotor: Your giant robot is in for a big surprise this time, my friends!

(We see a shot of the Tree-Beast, then a shot of Voltron coming down from the sky, trying to "stomp" the Tree-Beast. In retaliation, the Tree-Beast tries to trap Voltron with the tentacles on its head. When this doesn't work, it grabs Blue and Yellow Lions (Voltron's feet and legs)and swings Voltron in a circle.)

Keith: No! Look out!

(The Tree-Beast drops Voltron to the ground. THen, a hidden missile launcher opens on the Tree-Beast and shoots Voltron with a missile. We see the Voltron Force, in another "five-in-one" shot, grimacing in pain. The Tree-Beast picks Voltron up again, spins him, and sends him crashing back down to the ground. The Voltron Force is shown wincing again.)

Keith: Voltron's running low on stored energy!

Hunk: (Shown upside down in a diagonal shot) Hit fire blasters!

Allura: (Also shown upside down in a diagonal shot) On the way! (Fire shoots out of Blue and Yellow Lions' mouthes and hits the Tree-Beast.)

Keith: Form Blazing Sword!

(Voltron is shown forming the Blazing Sword. Then, the scene shifts to the Tree-Beast, looking up at Voltron, who is moving in for the kill. We see the Blazing Sword cutting through the Tree-Beast in slow motion.)

Keith: Score one more for the Voltron Force! (Voltron is shown landing on the ground, looking in the direction of the exploding Tree-Beast.)

Lotor: Another defeat! (The Tree-Beast is shown exploding.) Retreat, but I'm not giving up!

(The two Doomite battleships are shown turning around and heading back to Planet Doom.)

(The scene shifts to the exterior of Zondra's laboratory on Planet Doom. Then, we see a cobra, preparing to strike. Before it has a chance, Lotor grabs it by the "nexk." Lotor is shown smiling and laughing to himself. We see one last shot of the cobra's head, then Lotor is shown, dripping "venom*" into a flask. Zondra appears.)

(*Note: If you look at the cobra when Lotor drips the "venom" into the flask, you won't see the head. This is because Crown Prince Sinkline (Lotor's Go-Lion counterpart) chops off the cobra's head in the Go-Lion episode. (I know, I have this Go-Lion episode on tape.) So actually, the red liquid that Lotor gives to Zarkon is the poisonous blood of the cobra.)

Zondra: Ah, Prince Lotor! Was my magic formula a great success on your mission?

Lotor: A miserable failure! And here is your punishment! (Lotor walks toward Zondra with the flask of "venom.")

Zondra: No, Sire, please! Not the venom of a cobra! (Zondra backs away from Lotor)

Lotor: You will drink this toast to failure!

Zondra: Give the venom to your father. Then you will be king! Tell him it is the medicine you brought!*

(*Note: In the Go-Lion episode, this is not the end of the laboratory scene. In Go-Lion, Crown Prince Sinkline forces the witch to drink the cobra's blood by grabbing her by the neck and literally pouring the blood down her gullet. She collapses on the floor and is shown dead shortly afterward. Just one example of the footage that World Events edited out of the original anime to make it "acceptable" for American audiences.)

(The scene shifts back to the chamber where King Zarkon is lying on his "deathbed," in Castle Doom.)

Lotor: Father! Father! I've returned with the medicine. (Zarkon and Haggar are shown looking toward Lotor's voice)

Zarkon: (raising up out of bed) My dear devoted son, I knew you wouldn't fail me!

Lotor: No, my father. Now drink this quickly!

(Lotor hands Zarkon the flask of "venom." Zarkon is shown drinking the flask. Lotor smiles. Haggar seems to get the gist of things, and she starts smiling too. Zarkon swallows the last of the "venom.")

Zarkon: (Standing up) Wonderful, just what I needed, a magic potion! I feel strong, ready to take the throne again! (Lotor and Haggar kneel down in front of Zarkon) And by the way, Lotor, if your medicine had happened to be poison, which of course it wasn't, it wouldn't work! Long ago, Haggar cast a magic spell upon me which protects me from all such dastardly attempts on my life! (laughs) So you see, you'll just have to be patient, my ambitious son! Zarkon will be on the throne for a long, long time!

(The episode ends with Zarkon standing in the bed, laughing wickedly, as Lotor and Haggar bow down before their King.)

Finis!!!

(Note: I've found a website where you can get a few of the original Japanese Go-Lion episodes. I now have four Go-Lion episodes on tape (including Episode #18), and I plan to send for a couple more tapes soon. Since Thomas Nongyow has apparently closed down his Voltron-Go- Lion Site, I have plans to put screenshots/soundfiles from the Go-Lion episodes that I get onto my site, so people can get a feel of what the original anime is like. Don't expect anything immediately, but in time, I'll see what I can come up with.
In the meantime, I found some interesting details about the Go-Lion episode from the Voltron message board, so I can tell you a little bit about the differences between the Voltron episode and the Go-Lion episode. For one thing, in Go-Lion, the cure for Great Emperor Daibazaal (King Zarkon's Go-Lion counterpart) is actually supposed to be the blood of a pure young girl. Also, the Go-Lion team is actually building an orphanage for children who lost their parents to Great Emperor Daibazaal's attacks on Planet Altea (Planet Arus in Voltron).
Here's another interesting tidbit: When the Go-Lion team is fighting the giant Tree-Beast in their lions, they shout out the names of their respective weapons in English! (For example, Kogane Akira (Keith's Go-Lion counterpart) says "Black Bazooka!" where Keith calls it a "Magma Missile." Then, Seidou Tsuyoshi (Hunk's Go-Lion counterpart) shouts "Yellow Bazooka!" as he shoots the fireball that gives the giant Tree-Beast heartburn. We then hear Suzuishi "Chibi" Hiroshi (Pidge's Go-Lion counterpart) yell "Green Knives!" where Pidge calls his weapon "Macro-Darts." As for Farla Hime (Princess Allura's Go-Lion counterpart), she calls her weapon "The Blue Claw," just like Allura does in Voltron.)
And now, for the big question: Does Great Emperor Daibazaal know that his own son tried to murder him, like Zarkon does in Voltron? And the answer is: NO! In Go-Lion, Great Emperor Daibazaal has no idea that Sinkline tried to kill him. In fact, Sinkline himself wonders why his father didn't die from the blood of the cobra! How's that for a surprise ending?)