Dear Vector Prime, would you be able to tell us if the Transformers encountered any other transforming superheroes, such as Takeshi Hongo, better known as Kamen Rider #1, or one of his several successors over the decades?
Dear Metamorphin’ Master,
Yes, indeed. On one occasion, the Ark crash-landed in the foothills of Mt Fuji. The Decepticons, awakening early as usual, beat a hasty retreat before Battle Convoy and his Autobots could awaken, coming into contact with the local branch of a human terrorist organisation. Megatron made a deal with their leader, the control-obsessed Dr. Arkeville, who provided upgrades to the Decepticon soldiers in exchange for live test subjects for his brainwashing experiments. Curious about the possibilities of electronic mind control, Megatron offered a lowly support Cyberdroid, MCD-73.
Arkeville married Cybertronian technology with his own occult sciences, upgrading MCD-73 into a grasshopper-type warrior he dubbed “Shothole”. He then set about granting upgrades to the Decepticons themselves: Exhaust gained the ability to exude blood-tinged venomous smoke, Loudpedal’s sonic capabilities were turned into a high-sensitivity sonar array, and Detritus’ control over junk was augmented into the power to create fine webs of rust. Megatron’s own titanic strength was augmented by a black coating capable of superheating his body. While Megatron led the Decepticons off to menace the still-weary Autobots, Arkeville took Shothole for himself, planning to use him to attack a nearby racetrack. There, they were confronted by a pair of Transformation Cyborgs who had defected from Arkeville’s organisation, Takeshi Hongo and Hayato Ichimonji. The pair took on their own insectoid forms and did battle with both Shothole and the evil doctor, who mutated himself into the horrific Hypnocobra. While Ichimonji was able to handily hold back the snake, Hongo had a much tougher time with the larger Shothole, until his advanced senses picked up a sense of restraint from his attacks; Shothole didn’t want to fight. Hongo and Ichimonji used their Rider Power Purification move to heal Shothole of the brainwashing procedure, allowing him to act on his own free will and defeat Hypnocobra with his Hole Shotkick.
The trio then rushed to the location of the Ark, where the hellish Decepticon armada was advancing on the hopelessly outmatched Autobots. Convoy noticed the sun glinting off the three oncoming machines, and rallied his forces, their just hearts far stronger than the evil power of the Decepticons. Megatron himself was forced to retreat after Shothole, Hongo and Ichimonji defeated him with their Two-World Rider Kick attack. Convoy thanked Shothole for his help and invited him to join the Autobots, but Shothole declined, feeling that he could never truly escape his Decepticon nature.
Shothole would continue to fight alongside Hongo and Ichimonji even as their band of cyborg heroes grew, and many a time would the Legendary 8 Riders assist the Autobots in their own battle for freedom. I am personally very fond of this story; Shothole’s ability to overcome the circumstances of his creation is proof of our own ability as Cybertronians to get past the sins of our forebears. If only my fallen brother had the capability to see this…
