Ep. 4: Burn! F1 Spirits!

This article is about an episode in Hikari Sentai Maskman.

Ep. 4: Burn! F1 Spirits!
Hikari Sentai Maskman, Episode 4
Air Date(s)	March 21, 1987
Production Information
Written by	Hirohisa Soda
Directed by	Shouhei Toujou
Episode Guide
Previous	Ep. 3: The First Step into the Unknown
Next	Ep. 5: The Small Swordsman, Blue

Burn! F1 Spirits! (燃やせ! F1魂!, Moyase! Efu Wan Tamashii!) is the fourth episode of Hikari Sentai Maskman, in which the Spin Cruiser is created.

Synopsis

The Maskman must save a boy and his father trapped within a tunnel transformed by Oyobu into an endless Moebius tunnel.

Plot

A little boy named Hisashi Sudo calls the Sugata Racing Club, the Maskmen's front, asking to see the Sugata F1 Super Racing Model currently in development. Takeru says yes, though Kenta is against it. Red Mask doesn't see any harm in it, and points out that the same car inspired all of them.

As his father drives him to the Club, Hisashi wonders if they'll accept his car design. Meanwhile, Oyobu summons Capila Doppler, ordering him to start the Mebius Tunnel operation. The monster enters a road tunnel and activates his sonar, capturing Hisashi and his father in a vortex. Observing, Baraba explains the Mebius Tunnel: it twists dimensions to create a neverending loop, trapping those within. They plan to turn every tunnel in Japan into a Mebius Tunnel, to inspire panic and show Earth what the Underground Empire Tube can do.

An alarm in a wall-mounted bust begins to sound, and the Maskmen run into their command center, where Hisashi is calling for help on a phone in his car. The five go to help, but entering another tunnel on the way, are nearly trapped in another Mebius Tunnel. They manage to back out, to the surprise of the watching Underground Empire Tube. When Igam asks what kind of car could resist the Tunnel, Baraba has no answer.

As the Maskmen recover, Oyobu confronts them, summoning Ungler Soldiers to fight. Amazingly, the foot soldiers win, and Oyobu summons the monster. It tries to suck Akira into the tunnel, but Kenta tackles him down, and they transform, scaring the villains away.

Back at their headquarters, they work out the Mebius Tunnels, and that their car only just escaped because it was stronger than most. Commander Sugata realizes that they have another car even stronger: the Sugata F1 Super Racing Model. Going to the garage, they begin customizing the car to combat the Mebius Tunnels. Takeru calls Hisashi to encourage him.

The five work tirelessly, only taking a break when Sugata brings them seaweed-plum-salmon sandwiches. Watching them, Sugata reminisces on how much they wanted to use this car to win the Grand Prix, and how working on it helped them develop unity and teamwork.

Takeru drives the F1, now the Spin Cruiser, into the tunnel. With some trouble, he destroys the Mebius Tunnel, freeing Hisashi and his father. Joined by his teammates, Takeru faces Oyobu, Baraba and Capila Doggler, along with more Ungler Soldiers. However, the villains prove to be resilient, and the Maskmen retreat to their vehicles, using those to take down the Ungler Soldiers. Using the Shot Bomber, they destroy Capila Doggler, only for Okelampa to revive him giant-sized. Accordingly, the Maskmen form the Great Five and take him down.

Returning to Hisashi, Takeru informs him that they can't show him the F1 anymore, since they've revamped it. Hisashi asks if they'll make another, and when Takeru says yes, asks him to look at his own designs. They do, and all like them, asking to keep the book when Hisashi's father calls him away. In fact, they privately decide to use one of his designs in a race once they've defeated the Underground Empire Tube.

Cast

• Kaidzu Ryosuke as Takeru
• Kusakari Kouichi as Kenta
• Hirota Issei as Akira
• Nagata Yuki as Haruka
• Maeda Kanako as Momoko
• Tani Hayato as Sugata Sanjuuro

Notes

• The first onscreen transformation of all five members. It's fairly clear that the same male model is used for the mid-transformation stripdown shots, even for the girls.
• Creation of the Spin Cruiser.

DVD releases

Maskman Volume 1, DVD cover

Hikari Sentai Maskman Volume 1 features episodes 1-10.