Mighty Orbots

"Orbots! UNITE!"

—Rob Simmons

Mighty Orbots (originally known as Super Broots) is an American/Japanese animated series co-produced by ABC, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and TMS Entertainment that aired in 1984 on Saturday mornings in the United States.

The 23rd Century is a time of robots and aliens. The people of Earth have banded together along with several other alien races to promote peace throughout the galaxy, forming the United Planets. As part of the United Planets, the Galactic Patrol -- a body of law-enforcers -- works to maintain order, under the leadership of Commander Rondu.

However, a powerful criminal organization called SHADOW is out to destroy both the Galactic Patrol and the U.P. Led by Umbra, a massive cyborg-computer, SHADOW employs sinister agents and incredible schemes to attack and someday rule over all corners of the known galaxy.

There is one thing that helps to fight against SHADOW; ingenious inventor Rob Simmons - secretly a member of the Galactic Patrol - creates six special robots (Boo, Bo, Bort, Crunch, Tor, and Ohno) who can use their unique powers to battle against the forces of Umbra. Together, these robots can unite to form a Humongous Mecha called Mighty Orbots, to fight for truth, justice and peace for all.

Executive Meddling -- that is, a lawsuit from Gobots executives -- put this series on ice after one season.

Tropes used in Mighty Orbots include:

Action Girl: Dia, Bo, and Boo.
Action-Hogging Opening
All Your Powers Combined: Mighty Orbots has all the robots' abilities.
Animation Bump: Not a lot, but it did happen from time to time. One of the common manifestations is the shifting appearance of Umbra from ep to ep (Sometimes his lips are friggin' huge).
Bad Boss: When a Shadow agent finds himself stranded on an uninhabited planet after completing his mission, Umbra just leaves him there.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Ono in "Wish World"
Become A Real Girl: This is the result of Ono's wish. Unfortunately, it turns out the Orbots cannot combine without her.
Big Bad: Umbra
Big Eater: Crunch, naturally.
- Rob, as well. See the Dagwood Sandwich example below.
The Big Guy: Tor.
Circus of Fear: The Cosmic Circus in the episode of the same name. Agents of Shadow assigned to make duplicates of top GP officers, including Dia, that are to shut down Earth's planetary shield. Dia's scene where she meets her replica is kinda creepy.
Clark Kenting: Rob Simmons.
- Not to mention the Orbots themselves, who had more rounded "civilian" modes and blockier, more angular "Orbots modes".
Clear My Name: "Devil's Asteroid".
Combining Mecha: Mighty Orbots, natch.
The Commissioner Gordon: Rondu, literally A Father to His Men since Dia is his daughter.
Dagwood Sandwich: Rob constructs one of these in the pilot episode, and muses that it's missing something. A moment later, he's pouring mustard down the side of the sandwich and ready to take a bite.

Ono: Oh no! You already had today's lunch!
Rob: I know, this is tomorrow's lunch.

Doing It for the Art
Dyson Sphere: Umbra's home base the Shadow Star
The Eighties
Extreme Omnivore: Crunch.
Family-Friendly Firearms: Laser weapons were banned from the show by ABC censors. It ended up making the show look more futuristic as a result.
The Hero: Rob Simmons.
Nebulous Evil Organisation: Shadow.
Powered By A Forsaken Robot: Ohno serves as the ignition key for the Combining Mecha to function, allowing Rob to pilot it with Ohna assisting. Of course when she is turned into a human girl (in episode 2) he can't pilot it (it is never said if the other five bots can still merge together into the Combining Mecha).
- Yes it is, and no they can't.
Product Promotion Parade: Simultaneously played straight and averted. Played straight in that the premiere episode has a scene where each Orbot is introduced, with the narrator describing their personalities and powers. Averted in that Mighty Orbots toys were never actually produced...
- Although it's not as if there weren't plans for Orbots toys.
Psychic Powers: Rondu and Drennin
The Quisling: Drennin
Robot Girl: Bo, Boo, and Ohno.
Robot Names
Rule of Cool: Pretty much the only explanation for what the show gets away with, such as Rob's Clark Kenting disguise or wanton disregard for the rules of physics.
Shapeshifter Baggage: Bort violates this with impunity.
- Mighty Orbot does this as well, growing to nearly ten times in size when the team combines.
  - One of the websites suggests that this is done via a "subspace shunt".
Shapeshifter Identity Crisis: Bort goes through this every so often, mainly due to his neurotic nature.
Shrinking Violet: Boo.
Small Name, Big Ego: Tor.
The Smart Guy: Rob Simmons.
Space Does Not Work That Way: Lampshaded in Jewel of Targon where Bort asks how a winged monster can fly through the vacuum of space.
Space Pirates: Captain Shrike and his crew are of the Recycled in Space variety of these. Arrrr. They were the only non-SHADOW villains in the entire show. Strangely, that episode had a teaser with narration from Rob mentioning an upcoming battle with "the evil computer Umbra."
Stock Footage: Used in the Orbots' Transformation Sequence. There were at least two different versions of this during the show's run, the second one IMHO being the cooler one.
- They also use the footage from the show's first episode whenever Rob does his own Transformation Sequence into the Orbots Commander.
Swiss Army Weapon: This is Bort's contribution to Orbots.
Team Title
Team Mom: Ono may be small, but she's quite bossy.
Verbal Tic: "Oh, no!" for Ono -- it's actually where the name comes from. Rob complains about it in the first episode.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: Bort, as well as the villain Plasmus.
Younger Than They Look: Despite all of them (except Ohno) being the size of adults, the Orbots were built less than a year ago, and consequently have the innocence and naivite of children. The series ends on their first birthday.