Dragon Flyz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dragon Flyz is a television program created by Gaumont Pictures that ran for approximately two or three years, accompanied by a line of toy action-figures. The program centered on a coalition known as the Dragonators (a combination of "dragon" and "aviators"), who are primarily humans who ride on Dragon-back for the purposes of search-and-rescue.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
All the main characters, good or evil, ride dragon mounts into battle, but also have the ability to fly short distances themselves. The Dragonators make use of technology, in that dragonfly-like wings (known as "Exo-wings") emerge from the back-plate of their constantly-worn armor; whereas Dreadwing and the Dramen literally 'sprout' demonaic wings from their shoulders. Both types of wing vanish after the battle scene is finished. The Dragonators make use of a "Wind Jammer"; a wrist-mounted weapon in the form of a large bracer that fires blue energy bolts, whereas Dreadwing and his minions make use of glove-like cannons which launch balls or streams of lava. All of the protagonists have a name associated with a word that suggests the top, or being extremely high above something.
[edit] Humans
[edit] Z'neth
The leader of the Dragonators, and the eldest of the four siblings, Z'neth (pronounced "zenith") is characterised by his senior-fraternal concern for his teammates and his sense of honour and integrity. His name is a slight twist on the word 'zenith', which means "a direction pointing directly above a particular location".
[edit] Summit
- Callsign: Dragonator Two
- Hair Colour: Bleached Blonde
- Armor Color: Forest Green
- Dragon Steed: Sky-Fury, called 'Fury' for short
The second eldest sibling amongst the four. Summit is known for his various witty remarks as well as his seemingly quick anger. His name means "the highest point of a mountain".
Summit manages to enrage Councillor Joshua when the Dragonators return from an extremely dangerous mission only to be berated by his arrogance. Joshua is subsequently punched in the face, whereupon he orders Summit's arrest and detention in prison until further notice. Ironically, Airlandis is later attacked by Dreadwing whilst the Dragonators are on a mission to Old Earth, while Summit is the only one left on the city that could possibly fight back.
[edit] Apex
- Callsign: Dragonator Three
- Hair Colour: Orange
- Armor Color: Silver
- Dragon Steed: Blazewind, called 'Blaze' for short
Apex is the third oldest sibling, and the only girl in the family. She is the most passive of the four, preferring negotiation to conflict, and is primarily known for her telepathic abilities. With these powers she can easily communicate with 'Wild Dragons', and even manipulate weak-minded creatures, such as Dramen, into doing her bidding. Both require much concentration on her part. When using her powers, her eyes glow a silvery colour. Her name means 'the uppermost tip of a triangle'.
[edit] Peak
- Callsign: Dragonator Four
- Hair Colour: Blond
- Armor Color: Orange/Purple
- Dragon Steed: Wingstorm, or 'Storm' for short
Peak is the youngest, and the most cocky, of the siblings. He enjoys doing stunt-flips on dragon-back, though his antics often land him in trouble. He is quite egoistical and mischievous. His name is another word for 'the top', as of a mountain or hill.
[edit] Aaron
- Hair Colour: White
- Armor Colour: Red
Aaron is the father of the four Dragonators, and is known for his sage wisdom; patience; tolerance; signature staff; and the fact that he hovers, rather than walks, presumably due to the fact that he is crippled. The levitation might be a result of his own psychic powers (implying Apex's inheritance thereof), or the technology built into his staff or his armor. It is his belief that a paradise exists on Old Earth where the denizens of Airlandis may make their new home and (presumably) rebuild the world.
[edit] Orac
Orac is an aged, seemingly grumpy, yet benevolent man who maintains the constant running of Airlandis' power generator. Regular supplies of "Amber" crystals, the generator's source of energy, from the Dragonators keep him happy. He is always seen wearing his large engineer's uniform and gloves.
[edit] Councillor Joshua
Joshua is characterised by his arrogance and seeming disregard for the danger that the Dragonators confront. It is his belief that the search for a terrestrial home for humanity is a waste of time and energy, which places the existing refuge (Airlandis) at risk; this makes him an opposition to Aaron's position. Whilst his intentions are purely for the greater good of the populace of Airlandis, his lack of wisdom and his impatience ultimately lead him to make the rather foolish choice of placing Summit in prison. The free Dragonators are later engaged in combat on Old Earth whilst Dreadwing launches a quick strike against Airlandis, and manages to take over. The only person on the entire city who could possibly have fought Dread back was Summit, who could not escape from his cell.
[edit] Mutants
[edit] Dreadwing
- Skin Colour: Red
- Dragon Steed: Blackheart
Dreadwing is the leader of the forces of evil that still dwell on Old Earth, in a giant cave complex known as "Warnado" (which is pronounced "War-nah-do", and is hybrid of the English "War" and the Spanish "torenado", or "tornado"). He is ruthless, brutish, yet cunning - an archetypal dark lord. Dreadwing's dream is to live in the sky. His Dragon, Blackheart, is the only one seen capable of breathing fire, though this seems to be derived from drinking lava. Blackheart himself is black and red, and built like a traditional European dragon, and in comparison to other Dragons, extremely large, although Riptor has been seen to match him in size.
[edit] Nocturna
- Skin Colour: Cyan
- Dragon Steed: Unnamed
Nocturna is the typical femme fatale; her only major trait is her seemingly ulterior motives in serving Dreadwing only because it will further her goals of having a land of her own to rule. When Dreadwing offers to give her the Oasis, in exchange for her continued loyalty, she accepts and is heavily angered when Dreadwing manages to destroy it. Her Dragon is unnamed, but resembles her in colour, and shares a crest similar to that on Nocturna's head.
[edit] Fryte
- Skin Colour: Grey
- Dragon Steed: Skunk
Fryte is a hunchbacked servant of Dreadwing, and is unquestioningly loyal to his master. He speaks of himself in the third person, presumably out of lack of intelligence. As with Nocturna, his Dragon mount bears a striking resemblance to his Master.
[edit] Gangrene
A mutant scientist who serves Dreadwing. He is ambitious, but aged and bent. Being a weak-minded creature, Gangrene serves Dreadwing out of fear rather than devotion. He is a coward who will quickly change allegiances should he discover an opportunity that greatly benefits his own sake. His first open (and almost successful) act of treachery occurs when he creates a mind-control device for Dreadwing, although his invention overloads after a grueling confrontation with Apex's own psionic powers.
[edit] The Dramen
- Skin Colour: Purple/Grey
- Dragon Steed: Unnamed
The Dramen (hybrid of "Dragon" and "men"; pronounced "Dray-mun") are large, brutish humanoids that can 'sprout' wings from their bodies; there are presumably more than one type on Old Earth. Dreadwing's Dramen minions are sometimes seen supporting Dreadwing and his lieutenants on dragon-back.
[edit] The Gremwings
Gremwings (a hybrid of "Gremlin" and "wings") are bipedal, insect-like creatures known for their definitive screeching and disproportionately large mouths, as well as their rather impressive carrying capacity. They serve Dreadwing in vast hordes.
[edit] Dram
Little is known about Dram, other than that he is an orphaned Dramen brought up on Airlandis, and as such has developed a strong attachment to it and its people. This has led him to be branded a traitor by other Dramen, as he refuses to join them. His dragon Typhon has made only a few appearances; Dram prefers to fly with his own wings, though he never seems to have trouble keeping up with his comrades. Dram's name is a shortened version of 'Dramen', though he shares it an archaic unit of measurement.
[edit] Kreigo
Kreigo (pronounced "Kray-go") makes a very brief appearance in the series. He is the tribal leader of the 'Dark Dramen of the Highlands' (characterised by their bluish skin and crested heads). He is an archetypal "noble savage", whose respect for honor and honesty balances his barbarian greed and arrogance. Kreigo is at first Dread Wing's rival, and later forges an alliance with him, only to be betrayed by Dreadwing and Nocturna. Upon this betrayal, he surrenders himself to the Dragon Flyz, in order to avoid his tribe's further conflict with them. He is the keeper of a derelict space station, from which the Dragonators obtain historical records, and the destroyer of Dram's original family.
[edit] Dragons
There are three varieties of Dragons shown in the series. The first and most common are the Airlandian/Wild dragons. They have smooth-skinned, slightly serpentine bodies, long, slender necks and tails, needle-like teeth, and pterosaur-like wings on which they can walk, in the absence of forelegs. They are distinguishable from each other by colouration and head shape. The second type is a large-bodied, stocky, four-legged breed with very short necks, ridden by such as Fryte, Kreigo, and Nocturna. The third breed has only one known member, Blackheart. This breed has features of both of the previous breeds, is unusually large, and has the ability to consume lava and consequently breathe fire. All Dragons are extremely intelligent and seem to understand everything that is said to them. They are always fiercely loyal to their riders, even when the affairs thereof do not apparently concern them. Airlandian dragons live, when not on duty, in a vast, hangarlike station consisting of nesting areas and a somewhat terraformed environment including a lake.
[edit] Riptor
Rider: Z'Neth
Riptor is the most powerful Arlandian dragon, and is considered the dragons' leader, as evidenced by his separate, larger nesting area, collar, and crest armor. He is blue, with a nasal horn and two large crests. Riptor's personality is similar to Z'Neths, as he is brave and usually takes the lead. Riptor has a personal rivalry with Blackheart, and is the only dragon strong enough to contend with the latter.
[edit] Sky Fury
Rider: Summit
A green female with two brown horns. Sky Fury is the only female mount among the protagonists' steeds. She seems to have a rather independent personality and has no hesitation to taking action on her own initiative.
[edit] Fury's Cub
Rider: Unknown
A small, green dragon born at an early point of the series. He has yellow eyes and a crested head (as opposed to his mother's horns). His sire is unidentified. While still an egg, he was captured by Nocturna, who had been sent by Dreadwing to capture dragons' eggs for a genetic experiment performed by Gangrene. The experiment had the effect of modifying his genetic code to the extent that when he hatched, was able to voluntarily project a strong current resembling electromagnetic energy from his mouth. Dreadwing attempted to use this ability as a weapon, but failed when Sky Fury unexpectedly entered the scene and persuaded the hatchling to join her. A strong familial loyalty formed thereafter between Fury and her son.
[edit] Wing Storm
Rider: Peak
A young, steel-grey dragon, having a spiky head and a long mouth fringed by what may be either points of flesh or portuberant fangs. Wing Storm is perfectly paired with Peak; both have a hot-shot personality, though Storm is more cautious.
[edit] Blazewind
Rider: Apex
A white, maned dragon. Blazewind is closer to his rider then most because of their ability to mentally link.
[edit] Typhon
Rider: Dram
Dram's brown, frilled dragon.
[edit] Blackheart
Rider: Dreadwing
A four-legged, long-necked, black and red dragon with the ability to breathe fire. Blackheart is a savage monster, perfectly suited to his rider. He would happily devour anyone or anything that came within his reach. The only dragon able to match him is Riptor.
[edit] Storyline
The story revolves mainly around the four protagonist 'Dragonators' and their various adventures, reconnaissance of the barren planet's surface, and their conflicts with the mutants lead by Dreadwing. It is set in the 41st Century, wherein the land has been ravaged by what is called simply 'The Cataclysm'. The surface of 'Old Earth', as it is generally known, is either heavily volcanic or completely barren, and as such essentially uninhabitable. The remaining human population now dwells in a giant floating city known as 'Airlandis'. Dragonators regularly travel to the surface below to retrieve the fuel for its operation; the large, egg-shaped, purple crystals strangely named 'Amber'.
[edit] The Cataclysm
The full magnitude of 'The Cataclysm' is never directly mentioned, though in the first few seconds of the opening titles, the surface is depicted like a barren, post-apocalyptic scene, as if nuclear weapons had been unleashed on the area. Assuming this to be the case explains the dearth of life.
The rest of Old Earth's inhabitants, biospheres, and species have all been wiped out, save those that were fortunate enough to find sanctuary in an 'Oasis'. The skies immediately above the surface are ravaged by continuous lightning storms and acid clouds; a phenomenon known as the 'Warp Winds'. The only safe gateway through these hazards are 'Wind Pits'; mountain caves which extend above and through the 'Warp Winds', so that flying through them protects the traveller from the deadly hazards of the clouds.
[edit] Oases
Any pockets of life, where any of the planet's former species dwell in relative safety from the outside world, are known as 'Oases'. One such 'Oasis' is discovered by Z'neth and Apex after they are defeated in a fight with Dreadwing. The forces of Airlandis and Dreadwing's minions each arrive and attempt to lay claim to the Oasis, resulting in Z'neth's challenge of Dreadwing to a duel for its ownership. Impatient, Dreadwing causes his dragon mount, Blackheart, to set the entire Oasis ablaze whilst trying to kill Z'neth. At the end of the episode, Apex is seen carrying a nest of birds, with a few eggs, on the saddle of her Dragon.
[edit] Airlandis
Its name could either be a play on "Atlantis", or a phrase 'air land is'. The giant floating city has a gleaming golden colour, making it almost resemble the city of Laputa. 5 large 'bio-spheres' hover in its centre, each one simulating the conditions of a different environmental habitat, thus becoming the breeding grounds and shelter of the species that humanity managed to rescue from 'The Cataclysm'. In one episode, Aaron, the protagonists' father, is seen tranquilizing and tagging a Polar Bear, on purpose to monitor it, in the Arctic tundra-resemblant bio-sphere.
The city's most important region is its 'power core', located in a similar position, relative to the city, to that of a hot-air balloon's gondola. The core itself is run by the engineer, Orac, who requires a regular supply of 'Amber' to keep it in constant operation. Airlandis has a runway for the Dragonators, a Dragon aviary (where the Dragons reside when not needed to fly), a Council Chamber (where matters of government of the city are negotiated), a Control Room (known as 'Skywatch', where a team of uniformed men keep watch on the city's systems and monitor the skies), and a prison. It would seem that Airlandis is a temporary solution at best, as the populace is constantly trying to find a place on the surface that has been untouched by 'The Cataclysm'.
It is implied in one episode that some humans managed to escape 'The Cataclysm' by means of a space station, though little is said of this.
