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Lucasfilm Artifact: Defenders of Dynatron City

We’re now just a few short days away from the triumphant return of the The Clone Wars to television as Season Two launches this Friday on the Cartoon Network. But let’s turn the calendar back about 15 years and look at an animated venture that didn’t have the legs to last. We’re not talking Droids or Ewoks, which enjoyed a fair amount of success in the mid-1980s. We’re talking about an artifact largely forgotten from Lucas-lore: a tongue-in-cheek superhero show called The Defenders of Dynatron City.

Thanks to the Internet, the only episode of Defenders of Dynatron City ever produced can still be viewed:

Check out the screen grabs below:

This was back in the day of the early 1990s, when much of the creative activities at Lucasfilm was done under the company umbrella name of LucasArts Entertainment Group. Back then, LucasArts encompassed more than just video games, and Defenders of Dynatron City was seen as a full-fledged entertainment property with real potential. It started life as a game — spawned from the Lucasfilm Games group — but LucasArts positioned it as not only a game, but a comic book and a TV show, a multi-media venture that should sound familiar to seasoned Star Wars fans. Hey, look at some of the familiar names here.

Nowadays, collectors know Howard Roffman to be the President of Lucas Licensing.

Steve Purcell is probably best known as the creator of Sam & Max, Freelance Police. Gary Winnick was co-creator of Maniac Mansion. Older LucasArts games list Cynthia Wuthmann as a Sales Director.

Unlike The Clone Wars, which warranted the creation of an animation studio, the animation for Defenders was done by DIC, the same studio that produced a slew of animated fare in the early ’90s, like C.O.P.S., The Real Ghostbusters, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.

To complete your crash-course in all things Defenders of Dynatron, let’s reprint the one and only article on the subject that appeared in Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine, back in 1992. By the time that magazine (#12) saw publication, Defenders‘ fate had largely been sealed, and it remains today merely a footnote amid the entertainment ventures explored by Lucasfilm.

Defenders of Dynatron City: Sneak Preview

By John S. Davis

How would you like to have that third arm you’ve always needed? No problem. Just move to Dynatron City where mutation is a way of life. It all began in the early fifties when professor Melvin Myron came to Dynatron City and set up the world’s first atomic-powered soft drink company. Soon, Proto-Cola was born, and the inhabitants of Dynatron City, who love all things new, guzzled it down like crazy.

But was the professor satisfied with this great new hit soft drink? Of course not. As a scientist he wanted to improve his creation. He knew the secret syrup was the key, so he transformed it into something even better — atomic syrup. Proto-Cola was now even better. Yet, Myron wasn’t sure if people would like his new concoction, so he tested it on the lab’s research monkey with amazing results. Almost instantly the monkey could walk and talk and tell jokes. This was the birth of Monkey Kid.

Now the professor thought, “If atomic syrup can turn a monkey into a man, then what will it do to me?” His answer came soon enough, but the change wasn’t what he expected. He thought it would improve him. In reality it exaggerated his grasping and greedy nature and transformed him into the supervillain, Dr. Mayhem.

During Dr. Mayhem’s initial quest to control Dynatron City, the Defenders of Dynatron City are inadvertently born. The Defenders include:

Jet Headstrong — The most stereotypical of the group, Jet is a real truth, justice, mom and apple pie kind of guy. He also uses his head a lot, which can detach from his body and shoot toward his enemies like a bullet.

Buzzsaw Girl — This beautiful blond doesn’t use her head any more than Jet does. Although Buzzsaw Girl doesn’t blow her top as often as Jet, she is, nevertheless, impulsive and quick to jump into a fight. Her large circular saw blade, which takes the place of her legs is both her major weapon and mode of transportation.

Toolbox — In the beginning Toolbox was just that: a toolbox. Now he’s the nuts and bolts man of the Defenders. With his clawhammer head he can shatter just about any substance. A really cool and detached sort of guy.

Ms. Megawatt – This serious-minded woman is the most energetic of the team and the smartest next to Monkey Kid. She’s an expert at electroshock therapy. Just ask anyone who has been on the receiving end of her powerful lightning bolts. She is also able to move at sonic speeds. Whoopi Goldberg is the voice of this Defender.

Radium Dog – Mailmen, beware! This green dog has a fearsome atomic-powered bite. In fact, his head grows as large as his body when he gnaws down on something. Probably the most powerful and dumbest Defender, Radium Dog has an atomic satellite which circles his head that seems to have a mind of its own. At times this satellite darts off-screen where we hear an explosion and see debris fly on-screen. Radium Dog can also fly, but he must dog paddle to remain aloft.

Monkey Kid – The most intelligent of the group, Monkey Kid leads the Defenders in their battles against evil. A case could also be made for Monkey Kid being the missing link between the rest of the group and true intelligence.

And now, Dr. Mayhem’s minions:

An endless supply of sewer monsters and Robot Drone Soldiers. Plus, Dr. Mayhem’s right hand head, Atom Ed The Floating Head. Atom Ed has the psychic power of levitation, and his light bulb eyes fire potent ray beams. He is under Mayhem’s complete control.

Within the context of The Defenders of Dynatron City these somewhat unusual superbeings were created by Mayhem’s atomic syrup, but in reality the genesis for this “Simpsons meet the X-Men” concept came from the mind of Gary Winnick, one of the creative individuals from the Lucasfilm Games division.

“Dynatron City is in this friendly, futuristic outlook of, ‘Mr. Atom is our friend.’ Kind of what people thought in the 1950s. It’s gone off in a parallel direction. It does take place in present day, it’s not taking place in the 1950s. Everybody thought atomic energy was going to be our pal, that’s the direction we take with it. So this atomic powered soft drink ends up causing mutations ,” says Winnick.

But The Defenders of Dynatron City isn’t just a video game, it was considered a full-fledged LucasArts property from the very beginning. LucasArts has already mapped out a plan for this property, and if everything goes according to plan the timeline is as follows:

DECEMBER 1991 – Marvel comics launches The Defenders of Dynatron City as a six issue limited series. If these issues sell well, the comic could continue as a regular series.

FEBRUARY 22, 1992 – Watch the birth of the Defenders in this animated half-hour pilot episode on the Fox Network. Special to be broadcast twice.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 1992 – The Defenders of Dynatron City is released as a Nintendo video game, available for the eight-bit game system.

SPRING 1992 – The Defenders of Dynatron City television special is released on home video.

FALL 1992 – This is a turning point for The Defenders of Dynatron City. If it does well up to this point it could be picked up as a regular series.

SPRING 1993 – A toy line is launched at this time, plus other licensed products are also introduced.

There are many, many groups of superheroes, but none quite like The Defenders of Dynatron City. This group is so unique that it borders on the absurd. Of course, that’s the whole point. The concept is supposed to be played tongue-in-cheek; it’s deliberately poking fun at superheroes. That may be the strength of the property. The humor will either make or break the property. Tune in and judge for yourself.