In 1984 Carl Mecek wanted to import a Japanese Anime TV series to the United States for syndication. The series that he had first purchased was the famous Chôjikû yôsai Macross. The problem was the series was only 36 episodes long and a standard American syndicated show 65 episodes. This forced Macek to obtain two other unrelated series Chôjikû kidan Southern Cross and Kikô sôseiki Mospeada. He then hired a team of writers to join the three series into one grand epic that featured three generations living under the umbrella of a mass alien invasion.
The story line for the third, and final, arch would revolve around Robotech pilot Scott Bernard who was sent back to Earth to organize a resistance against the Invid. This time the aliens wouldn't be after a missing warship. They intended to harvest Earth's bio-energy in the form of Protoculture (Derived from the Macross term for a "Prototype Culture") and enslave the remaining humans.
Bernard would have a personal quest of his own. The search for his childhood sweetheart Marlene who he had left behind when he joined Admiral Hunter's forces in their search of the Robotech Master's home world. This quest sadly would lead to the news that she had perished in the invasion.
Scott Bernard would slowly assemble the group of rebels he would need for an assault on the Invid base of operations known as Reflex Point. The group would consist of a couple of cyclone armored renegades, an ex-military mechanic, a orphaned young girl who desperately wanted a husband, and interestingly enough an ex-soldier, Lancer, who hid his true identity by posing as the female pop star "Yellow Dancer".
Every new episode would present new problems for the group as the forged their way across what was left of the United States towards Reflex Point which was located just outside the ruins of New York City. Attacks from the Invid, angry humans, and a spy who looked and sounded like Scott's old flame did little to detour the group from their objective. In the end the strength of the human spirit would prevail and the Invid would be overcome.
Robotech would open up a whole new market for Japanese Anime in the United States. The series was leaps ahead of its competition on weekday afternoons. Shows like Gobots, Inspector Gadget, and GI Joe had little to offer in the shadow of Robotech's complex character driven episodes. Fans of Cowboy Beebop, Gundam Wing and Inuyasha ow a great deal to this pioneer from the mid 1980's. Had it never hit the air waves Anime may have taken much longer to catch on here in the United States.
In the 21st century, Earth's pollution problems result in the development of a new hydrogen fuel called "HBT" as an alternative to fossil fuels, while mankind colonizes Mars. In 2050, a mysterious alien race called the Inbit invades Earth. Unable to fight off the Inbit, Earth becomes desolate with only a few pockets of human beings scattered throughout the planet. Many of the refugees escape aboard a few remaining shuttles to seek shelter on the Moon. The Inbit set up their main base of operations on Earth, called "Reflex Point", in the Great Lakes area of North America.
However, the Mars colony, dubbed the Mars Base, does not forget about the plight of Earth. Troops are sent in to fight the Inbit from the Moon, only to fail miserably. The Inbit do not attack Mars and show no interest towards the other planets. Surprisingly, the aliens show no hostility towards humans unless they are directly provoked. The Inbit can also sense the presence of HBT and use of the fuel is limited under their supervision, as HBT is a common component in weapons technology. Mars Base becomes a gigantic military factory, producing vast amounts of advanced weaponry and trained troops. In 2080, Mars Base sends in the next wave of troops called the Earth Recapture Force - but it is virtually destroyed despite a technological advantage including the deployment of transformable mecha.
Mars Base deploys the Second Earth Recapture Force three years later but suffers a similar fate as the first fleet. Legioss pilot Stick Barnard turns out to be the only survivor as he crashlands in South America, but his fiancée, Marlene, is killed in the chaos. A holographic recording of Marlene given to Stick just before the operation began gives him the strength to move on and avenge her death. In his quest to reach Reflex Point, he meets the other main characters of the show, forming a group of ragtag freedom fighters in a quest to rid the planet of the Inbit.
As the plot unravels, the purpose of the Inbit invasion is revealed: to find a suitable place to evolve into more complex beings. However, the Inbit do not know that their endeavor actually threatens to cause the extinction of both humans and Inbit and thus, it is up to Stick and his group, with the help of humanoid Inbit (Aisha and Solzie), to convince the supreme ruler of the Inbit, the Refless, to flee from Earth. - Wikipedia
AKA: Genesis Climber Mospeada, Robotech 3: The Invid Invasion
Directed By: Katsuhisa Yamada
Written By: Satoshi Namiki, Kenji Terada, Sukehiro Tomita and Ryô Yasumura
Cast:
Bin Shimada as Stig Bernard
Mika Doi as Houquet
Hisao Ôyama as Ray
Waka Kanda as Soldie
Mio Matsumoto as Yellow Belmont
Sanae Miyuki as Mint Rubble
Tomomichi Nishimura as Jim
Noriko Ohara as The Refles
Hôchû Ôtsuka as Battler
Hirotaka Suzuoki as Yellow Belmont (male)
Miki Takahashi as Aisha / Marlene
American Credits:
Directed By: Robert V. Barron
Written By: Gregory Snegoff and Robert V. Barron
Cast:
Cam Clarke as Lancer
Mary Cobb as Annie
Richard Epcar as Lunk
Aline Leslie as Marlene
Gregory Snegoff as Scott Bernard
Runtime: 25 -30 Minute Episodes
Country: USA / Japan
Language: Japanese / English
Color: Color
Sound Mix: Mono
Air Date: October 2, 1983 (Japan) / September 10, 1985 (USA)
Script by Carl Macek and art by Reggie Byers and Tom Poston. Wraparound cover.
Adaptation of the New Generation saga of the1980s popular animated TV series, Robotech. Reconnaissance forces arrive in Earth's atmosphere to check out the planet but when an Invid force attacks, Scott Bernard is the sole survivor. He lands on the Earth and begins to look for help in the battle against the Invid in "The Invid Invasion." Issue also has advertisements for Robotech products and merchandise.
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