Madthunder

Madthunder
New Japanese Release Madthunder
RZ-055, RBOZ-008 Triceratops Type Helic Republic
Crew	4
Weight	585 tons
Depth	41.8 m
Height	16.6 m
Maximum Speed	100 km/h
Weapons	Magnezers Drill (2), Thunder Horn, Double-Barrelled Large-Bore Impact Cannon, Beam Cannon (2), Four-Barrelled Beam Gun, Double-Barrelled Shotgun
Equipment	Particle Absorption Shield, Hyper Rolling Charger, Radar, Laser Searcher (2)

The Madthunder (マッドサンダー) (also stylized as Mad Thunder), is a Triceratops-type of Zoid, a race of biomechanical lifeforms from the fictional Zoids universe. One of over 200 species of biomechanical life forms that provide the basis for TOMY’s model kit, anime, and comic based Zoids franchise.

Overview

The Madthunder is a Triceratops-type Zoid created by the Helic Republic, as a counter to the Deathsaurer.

The heaviest Zoid ever created, the Mad Thunder was equipped with the thickest armour available. In order to protect it from the Deathsaurer's fearsome Charged Particle Cannon, the Zoid was also equipped with a special energy shield mounted in its head. This shield absorbed and deflected charged particle attacks, making it effectively immune to the Deathsaurer's main cannon.

The Zoid is equipped with a pair of massive drills, capable of boring through even the thickest armour. The intention was that the Madthunder would simply ram the Deathsaurer and impale it. The Zoid was equipped with numerous secondary weapons so that it could fend off attacks by other Zoids while doing so.

In addition to its fearsome battlefield capabilities, the Madthunder is outfitted with a field command center and extensive communications and sensory capabilities.

Battle Story Appearances

This section is about the events in Battle Story, which is primarily in Japanese. Information in this section may require additional citations.

Madthunder vs Deathsaurer

The Madthunder was developed in secret by the Helic Republic, as a super-heavy Zoid capable of standing up to the Deathsaurer, and it's Charged Particle Cannon, in combat. In ZAC 2048, the Zoid was completed and used to spearhead an assault on the captured capital. The Zenebas forces, unable to stop the new Zoid, were driven back to their own territory. The Helic army continued, driving towards the Zenebas capital once more. With no Zenebas units able to stop the Zoid, they took the capital in ZAC 2049, crushing the Zenebas Empire.

Madthunders were used until ZAC 2055, when they finally met their match, the Guylos Gilvader. Having dispatched the Salamander F2s that were providing their air cover, Störmer lured the Madthunders into the Devil's Maze. Trapped and unable to maneuver, the Madthunders were wiped out by the Gilvader. The few Madthunders that survived the massacre in the Devil's Maze were wiped out during the meteor strike in ZAC 2056.

The design survived, and when the Guylos Empire revived the Death Saurer using technology found in the Mount Olympus ruins, the Helic Republic re-created the Madthunder. The two Zoids met again in ZAC 2101, the Helic Madthunders again triumphing. The victory was short-lived, however; the Madthunder force, along with the bulk of the Helic army, were destroyed shortly afterwards in the explosion of Prozen's Bloody Deathsaurer.

Media Appearances

Legacy Madthunder

Video Games

The Madthunder's appears in minimal roles in the various electronic games. The most significant of these is where a Madthunder captured by Terra Geist is the final boss in Zoids VS II's Republic campaign.

The Madthunder is also the final Zoid Stoller uses in Zoids Legacy. This differs from the anime, where Stoller uses the Elephander in all three battles with the Blitz Team.

Web Comic

In the Web Comic, the Madthunder is a top-secret Republican Zoid, having just been rebuilt (see the Battle Story section above). It is attacked by the Liger Zero X and Dark Spiner, and later uses its shield to protect the main characters from the explosion caused when the Dark Spiner self-destructs.

Video

A Madthunder appeared in a TOMY commercial, where it functioned in a similar role to the above Web Comic.

Models

Madthunder 1983 Box art

Madthunder 1983 Box art (back)

Madthunder 1999 Box art

Madthunder 1999 Box art (back)

Zoids (1983)

1983 Madthunder

The Madthunder was released as part of the Zoids (1983). Introduced in 1988^{[citation needed]}, production continued up until about 1989.

The kit comes on six frames^{[citation needed]} (one of which is a weapons frame from the Republic Customise Set, which would later be reissued as Customise Part 01), along with a battery-powered motor with light, a clear frame, thirty-two large rubber caps, two smaller rubber caps, four small chromed gold pilots, and label sheets. The Madthunder is moulded in light and dark grey, with orange eyes and an orange window on the command centre.

It is one of the largest Zoids kits ever released, comparable to the King Gojulas, Gilvader, and Ultrasaurus.

It uses a pair of “C” sized batteries for motion. Once activated, the Zoid walks forwards at a moderate pace, sweeping its tail from side to side, the jaws opening and closing and the drills, as well as a drum and two large discs on the sides, spinning. The Madthunder's eyes also flash on and off.

Like several other Zoids of the time, the Madthunder could use a number of different optional weapons that were included in the Republic Customise Set.

Technozoids

The Madthunder was also intended to be released as a part of the Technozoids line, under the name Thunder Tritops^{[citation needed]}. However, the line was discontinued before the Zoid reached production. No production samples have ever been located, although a single photo in a catalogue revealed that the Zoid had been recolored in silver, black, and red.

Zoids (1999)

Size comparison with Liger Zero

The Madthunder was released as part of the Zoids (1999) line. Introduced in 2001^{[citation needed]}, this version featured grey pilots and a new label sheet. There were no other changes to the model.

Several chromed versions were released in limited numbers in Malaysia^{[citation needed]}.

Trivia

• Both Triceratops-type and Toriceratops-type are displayed on the box.

References

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List of Zoids

A-F

G-L

M-R

S-Z