The Challenge of the Gobots is a cartoon series about the world’s gayest robots. The Gobots are Hanna-Barbera’s lame version of transforming robots. Hanna-Barbera is mostly known for comedic cartoons like the Flintstones and less for their action oriented cartoons. Watching the Gobots one can understand why. The Gobots are just plain stupid - and gay. Sure, they’re robots and they can transform, but even those things look stupid in the Gobots.
This cartoon is just too stupid to have anything nice to say about it. There’s nothing cool about the design of the Gobots in robot mode. It feels as if the designers had a contest who could come up with the lamest design, and some studio head honcho accidentally approved those designs. It’s all clunky and without any streamlining. If you have a robot in a show it should look high tech, not like low tech garbage. Leader 1 looks like a slim Homer Simpsons with yellow teeth. If you’re going to portray a good guy, don’t give him yellow teeth! Cy-kill, the leader of the evil Renegades, looks like he’s got anorexia. There’s nothing scary or menacing about him, except for his 5 o’clock shadow. Because the villain always has an unshaven face, you know. And when did robots have teeth to grin?
The vehicle modes are even worse. The Transformers turned into cool stuff like race cars, trucks, fighter jets, tanks, guns, etc. Things boys like. The Gobots on the other hand turn into the lamest vehicles possible, like a scooter. Seriously? A fucking scooter! Which kid would prefer a stupid scooter over a sports car!
Animationwise the Gobots are from Hanna-Barbera, so production value is very low.
The Challenge of the Gobots was one of the stupidest cartoon shows on TV in the 80’s. Just skip it and watch a proper cartoon show about transforming robots like the Transformers or Robotech. If you do watch the Gobots, be warned for some stupidness beyond stupid. The Gobots simply suck.
The Challenge of the GoBots dealt with two opposing forces of transforming robots from the planet GoBotron: the heroic Guardians and the evil Renegades. The Guardians were led by Leader-1 while the Renegades were led by Cy-Kill. The characters rarely had guns, instead shooting energy blasts out of their fists. The female robots on the series, such as Crasher, were built like the males, but with some distinguishing female features. The GoBots' origin as organic beings accounted for the presence of genders among the robots.
The series generally focused on a small number of robots from each faction (Leader-1, Turbo, Small Foot and Scooter vs. Cy-Kill, Fitor, Cop-Tur and Crasher), who were in almost every episode, with other characters occasionally making appearances. There's no clear visual distinction between the two factions. The characters (as well as the toys) had no identifying insignias or markings like the Transformers for example to indicate their allegiance, although it was clearly indicated on the packaging of the toys.
To make matters worse the Guardians befriend a couple of very annoying teenage humans. They’re added to bring some human element, but all they do is bring the show to a new level of inhuman torture.
Leader-1 is the leader of the Guardians. He is a brave leader who cares deeply about his people. He believes not one person should be in charge. He supports the democratic system of the Guardians. This led his former friend, Cy-Kill, to break away from the Guardians. He took command of the evil Renegades and became Leader-1's worst enemy.
Voiced by: Lou Richards. Born September 3, 1951. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Path Finder is a female Gobots character. She is a trusted leader among the Guardians. Path Finder can convert into an alien flying saucer which has a faster-than-light drive. Path Finder pilots the Command Center to the Gobot Prison Moon.
Voiced by: Marilyn Lightstone. Born June 28, 1940. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Dumper is friendly and turns into a dump truck. The Guardians set up a lab to test their power suits on Earth. Cy-Kill, Cop-Tur, Crasher, Geeper-Creeper, Pincher, and Snoop attacked the lab, but it was defended by Dumper, Leader-1, Baron Von Joy, Blaster, Dozer, Road Ranger, Scooter, Scratch and Turbo. Although the Guardians were winning the battle, an accidental backfire from Baron Von Joy's weapon allowed the Renegades to escape.
No voice actor.
Since his arrival on Earth, Scooter has become good friends with the young human astronaut Nick Burns, finding him to be something of a kindred spirit.[4] However, one thing they don’t have in common is that Scooter is a complete coward – Nick regularly has to coax his Gobot friend into action in tight situations. Scooter is simply the youngest Guardian in appearance, personality and voice.
Voiced by: Frank Welker. Born March 12, 1946. Image via Imdb.
Stear is the elder brother of Archie. He often invents objects which don't work correctly but make funny scenes. After each failure of an invention this never weary inventor works on its improvement or on another new invention. Stear is a good-natured, intelligent, creative, unperturbed, mature and pensive character. He loves Candy, too, but understands already since the beginning that his love can only be hidden and kept in his heart. When the First World War begins, he joins the air force voluntarily and fights for France.
Voiced by: Arthur Burghardt. Born in 1947. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Rest-Q is the Guardian medic. In "It's The Thought That Counts" episode, Scooter is briefly captured by the Renegades. After being freed Rest-Q checks out Scooter, but Scooter refused to be examined, secretly being brainwashed by the Renegades.
Voiced by: Frank Welker. Born March 12, 1946. Image via Imdb.
Zeemon is one of the Guardians. He is a prominent Guardian leader. He is among the leaders of the Guardians planning to stop the Renegades.
Voiced by: Frank Welker. Born March 12, 1946. Image via Imdb.
Blaster is a Guardian who turns into a missile launcher. In the episode "The Third Column" he works in a Guardian weapons facility that was attacked by the Renegades. The attack was turned away by automated defenses.
Voiced by: Frank Welker. Born March 12, 1946. Image via Imdb.
Cy-Kill was the leader of the evil Renegades. He was originally a member of the Guardians and friend of Leader-1. He wanted to be the sole ruler of Gobotron to better protect it (since he felt he was the mightiest guardian), but Leader-1 believed in democracy. This led Cy-Kill to break away from the Guardians and become the leader of the Renegades. He sought to conquer the Gobot homeworld and have all the power for himself. He was very ruthless and a thorn in the side of the Guardians.
Voiced by: Bernard Erhard. Born February 6, 1934. Died November 1, 2000. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Crasher and Cop-Tur aided Cy-Kill when he stole the astrobeam and escaped Gobotron to Earth. Cop-Tur was, along with Crasher, Cy-Kill's regular muscle on the Renegades' frequent forays to Earth, beginning with the Renegades' first attempt to conquer the planet. Due to the nature of his vehicle mode, he would often be pitched into aerial combat with Guardian commander Leader-1, invariably coming off second best. He also developed something of a rivalry with the Guardian Flip Top.
Voiced by: Arthur Burghardt. Born in 1947. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
The female Crasher was one of Cy-Kill's most loyal Renegades, despite a having somewhat manic personality. One of her favoured pastimes is participating in demolition derbies. She is considered reckless. Under interrogation, she admitted to having a crush on Leader-1 before the Guardians and Renegades began their struggle. Unlike most Gobots, she rarely seems to use her hand-mounted blasters, instead using a trademark attack wherein she stamps her foot on the ground to create a powerful earthquake-style energy discharge that could track its victim in much the same manner as a heat-seeking missile.
Voiced by: Marilyn Lightstone. Born June 28, 1940. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Fitor was initially a Guardian, and a good friend of Cy-Kill. When the latter became unhappy with Guardian policy and defected to the Renegades, Fitor followed. His continued loyalty means he rarely travels with Cy-Kill to Earth, instead often being trusted with command of Rogue-Star. He is captured by the Guardians when the Renegades' fortress on Gobotron is overrun, but escapes when an errant missile from Blaster opens his cell.
Voiced by: Kelly Ward. Born November 17, 1956. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Picher is a Renegade Gobot. Pincher was among the Renegade Gobot forces who aided the Rock Lord Magmar on the planet Cordax. Pincher was possibly once a Guardian Gobot, but was captured, then remade and reprogrammed by Herr Fiend into one of Cy-Kill's minions.
Voiced by: Peter Cullen. Born July 28, 1941. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
Geeper-Creeper was one of the Renegade followers of Cy-Kill. In "The Fall of Gobotron" episode, after Cy-Kill takes over Gobotron, Geeper-Creeper and Slicks are assigned to guard the modifier. They are lured away by Scooter and lead into a Guardian ambush by Turbo, Small Foot and Sparky.
No voice actor.
Tank(Man) is one of Cy-Kill's minons. His great physical strength and firepower mean he is often used to support the Renegades' operations. Tank is larger than most Gobots, and has considerable firepower. In tank mode, he can drive through walls or over cars without it even slowing him. His physical attributes are outweighed by his low intelligence.
Voiced by: Peter Cullen. Born July 28, 1941. Image via Behindthevoiceactors.
No lyrics
