And now part II of Kamen Rider: Over 30 Years of Kicking Ass – A Walk Down Memory Lane. We’re finishing up Showa era this post, coming up in part III — Heisei and Decade!

Shigeru Jo is fueled by revenge after the death of his close friend and mentor. He decides to join the organization that killed his friend, Black Satan, in order to use their power against them. He undergoes a surgery in order to become one of their powerful cyborg warriors. He escapes shortly before they brainwash him and the scientists at Black Satan become infuriated and devise a plan to kill him. While escaping, Shigeru meets Yuriko Misaki, another cyborg created by Black Satan. They team up and fight against Black Satan in order to foil their plans of world domination.

Kamen Rider Stronger aired on TBS and Mainichi Broadcasting System from April 5, 1975 to December 27, 1975.

The evil organization Neo-Shocker has captured Doctor Keitaro Shido, an acclaimed scientist, in order to utilize his knowledge of robotics. He convinces Neo-Shocker to allow him to operate on someone in order to turn him into an evil monters. Hiroshi Tsukuba was chosen because he was injured. However, Doctor Shido doesn’t turn Hiroshi into a monster. He instead turns him into the powerful Kamen Rider. The name “Skyrider” is coined by Kamen Rider Stronger who later goes on to train him with the help of other Riders. After the training, Kamen Rider Skyrider re-emerges, stronger and badder than ever.

Kamen Rider Skyrider aired on TBS from October 5, 1979 to October 10, 1980.

Kazuya Oki, an aspiring astronaut, decides to undergo cybernetic surgery in America in order to withstand the harshness of space without the need of a space suit. After the operation is successful, they give him the codename “Super-1”. However, before he can depart into space, the base where his operation took place is attacked by the Dogma Kingdom. Kazuya is the sole survivor. He becomes determined to avange the deaths of all the scientists that died during the attack. He returns to Japan in order to train in the ways of Martial Arts. He is trained by Master Genkai and with his new-found knowledge, he is able to transform into Kamen Rider Super-1.

Kamen Rider Super-1 aired on Mainichi Broadcasting System from October 17, 1980 to October 3, 1981.

Step brothers Minami Kotaro and Nobuhiko Akizukiwere were kidnapped on the night of their 19th birthday by the cult Scient– I mean, Gorgom. They are submitted to a cyborg surgery with the intent of becoming candidates to become the next Gorgom’s Century King. Kotaro escapes before becoming brainwashed with the help of his foster dad. He finds out that the Gorgom killed his birth parents. Since Kotaro and Nobuhiro were born on the day of the solar eclipse, they are reffered to as “Black Sun” and “Shadow Moon”. Kotaro assumes the identity of Kamen Rider BLACK and fights to rescue his step brother and Japan from the evil clutches of Gorgom.

Kamen Rider Black aired on Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 4, 1987 to October 9, 1988.

Five years after the defeat of Gorgom, Minami Kotaro is now a helicopter pilot for the Sahara Family. He is later captured by the Crisis Empire and is forced to serve them. He refuses and is thrown into space and the sun’s radiation causes him to mutate into Kamen Rider BLACK RX. With these new powers, he battles Crisis Empire for the safety of all of Earth.

Kamen Rider Black RX aired on Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 23, 1988 to September 24, 1989.