Chief Onitora sends Takeshi out on an assignment to protect the scientist Oregara Gestell.

Dr. Oregara was working on the revolutionary project called “Polymer” which involved the design and construction of a body suit, which would give humans extraordinary powers, including super strength, agility and the capability to transform into various human-sized vehicles.

The evil Devil Lizard Gang wanted to steal this technology for their own, and attacked the scientist’s lab. Takeshi, who was a master in various martial arts, fought the gang in vain protecting Dr. Oregara. Unfortunately, Takeshi suffers fatal injuries in the melee and was near death. Dr. Oregara, deciding that he could not afford to lose his “Polymer” invention to the Devil Lizard Gang puts the “Poly-Met” helmet on Takeshi and activates the helmet’s power generators.

Once activated, Takeshi is “changed” into the superhuman “Polymer”. His wounds magically healed, Takeshi as Polyer battles back the Devil Lizard Gang. Dr. Oregara perishes in the resultant fire that engulfs his laboratory, taking the secrets of the Polymer suit with him.

Profoundly effected by these events, the somber Takeshi vows to protect the scientist’s invention and to battle criminals like the Devil Lizard Gang. As a result Takeshi runs away from home to adopt an entirely new persona and identity.

Takeshi is a natural athlete and possesses incredible martial arts skills, chief among them is his mastery of the “Ha Ri Ken” (Internal Destructive Fist) style of Karate. He however underplays these abilities while working for Kuruma Jo as he feels it allows him more latitude in fighting crime.

He rides around in a supped up, “road-hog” he dubs “Sun Buggy”.

Owns a Saint Bernard named Daisaku, who is the only one privy to his secret identity.

Polymer
Polymer is Takeshi’s superhero alter ego. Using Dr. Oregara Gestell’s “Poly-Met” helmet, and shouting out the command “Tenshi Polymer” (Change Polymer), Takeshi is able to active the helmet’s power via internal generators, which in turn activate the Polymer power suit, which slowly envelopes and covers him from head to toe (the suit literally oozes forth from the Poly-Met).

The Poly-Met has different internal “cartridges” which activates each of his transformation (one for his Polymer battle suit and one for each of his various vehicle forms). These cartridges are selected and slotted in place via Takeshi’s voice commands.

As Polymer, Takeshi has various extraordinary super powers, among which are increased strength, agility, speed and endurance. The Polymer Suit also gives Takeshi incredible recuperative powers and renders him immune to many forms of attack (bullets, bombs, explosions, heat and poison gas).

The most unique and strangest power of Polymer is his ability to transform himself into various full functioning, human sized mechanical vehicles. Dependant on what his particular transportation need is, Polymer is able to expand, stretch, modify and warp his Polymer suit into the following single purpose vehicles (Takeshi’s body is strangely left intact):

Polymer Hawk – Polymer’s sleek air jet form.
Polymer Machine – Polymer’s all-terrain, four-wheel, racecar form.
Polymer Roller – Polymer’s heavy armored, battle tank form                                 (resembles a steamroller).
Polymer Drill – Polymer’s underground, drilling vehicle form.
Polymer GrandPlus – Polymer’s submarine vehicle form

Despite these grand powers, Polymer isn’t invincible and there are various limitations to his powers:

1 - He can not maintain his Polymer Superhuman mode for more than 46.01 Minutes. If he should ever go over that time limit, the suit will malfunction and ultimately kill him. An alarm rings at the 45 Minute mark.

2 - Blasts of high electrical pulse energy can disrupt the Polymer Suit’s electronic/magnetic field and can render Polymer vulnerable to attack.

3- While the Polymer Suit can withstand high degrees of heat, extreme cold can inhibit some of the Polymer Suit’s internal circuitry and transforming capabilities.

Incorporating Takeshi’s proficiency in martial arts, Polymer has a number of “special fighting attacks” that he uses against his enemies, some of which include:

“Shinku Katate Koma” (Mid-Air, One-Hand Top) – Like a basketball, Polymer can spins an opponent in the air before throwing them to the ground or grinding them into the ceiling.

“Tenku Kiri” (Mid-Air Kick) – Polymer repeatedly kicks an opponent into the air.

“Hando Sandan Kiri” (Third Degree Impact Kick) – Polymer’s roundhouse kick.

“Geien Hakai Ken” (Destructive Illusion Fist) – Utilizing his great speed, Polymer is able to move in such a way as to create illusionary “shadows” of himself, distracting the enemy before attacking them in a blinding array of lightening fast attacks (the effect is enhanced by illusionary butterflies that fly around).

Polymer frequently confronts and battles entire armies of henchmen at once in an almost frenzied and berserk fashion. In complete contrast to his Takeshi persona, Polymer takes on a more “avenging angel” type of personality and his fighting style is quite cruel (he is frequently seen pummeling henchmen to a pulp, pushing their faces into walls or kicking them into the air and through the roof).

He drives around in a beat-up car he calls “Sherlock”.

Kuruma Jo claims he is a master of disguises but generally always botches his assignments and gets caught.

In one of his vivid dreams, Jo took on the superhero guise of Typhoon Holimer (a play on “Holler”) and saved Polymer’s life.

Teru frequently has to demand the back rent from Jo and Takeshi. While she always threatens to someday evict the duo, she never does however, feeling a bit sorry for them.

Jo always butters up Teru for money on the promise of paying her back with double/triple the interest.

Teru has a bit of a thing for Takeshi and often accompanies him on his assignments for Jo.

Teru is an amateur sleuth and is also a proficient martial artist and can handle herself in fights (she is a bit like Emma Peel in the British Series “The Avengers”..

Teru once dressed up as a faux Polymer characer.

Polymer was Tatsunoko Pro’s attempt to create an “Ameri-Comi” [American Comic Book] style hero albeit with Japanese touches.

The story takes place in a city that could very well be New York (images of the Brooklyn Bridge are frequent) but is given the fictitious name “WashinKyo”, a bastardization of Washington and Tokyo.

While not explicitly noted, “Hurricane Polymer” may have been inspired by Sonichi “Sonny” Chiba’s “Gekitou! Satsujin Ken” (AKA Streetfighter) which came out in the same year. “Polymer also draws inspiration from the Bruce Lee movies at the time.

Sogabe Kazuyuki was the voice behind Black Tiger pilot Yamamoto Akira in the “Yamato Series”.

He also played such diverse characters as Yatadetta Man in the Time Bokan Series “Yatadetta Man” [“It’s About Time” Man], Bruce in “Ginga Sinpu Sasuraiger”, Issac Goodnoff in “Ginga Sinpu Braiger”, Shootikin Radcliff in “Ginga Sinpu Baxinger”, Zeneroff Chroso in “Cho Senki L-Gaim”, Mine Ippei in “Cho Denji Voltus V” [Super Electron Voltus V], Yuzuki Keishiro in “Tousho Daimos” [Fighting Champion Daimos], Captain Wakeen in “Mobile Suit, Gundam”, Beshot Hata in “Sei Senshi Dunbine” [Aura Battler Dunbine] and J. Rock in “Taiyo No Kiba Dougram” [Fang of the Sun Dougram].

Aono Takeshi is the voice behind Piccolo and Kami-Sama (God) in “Dragon Ball”. He also is the voice behind Science Officer Sanada Shiro in the “Yamato Series”. He also provided the voice for President Gatora in Uchu Senshi Baldios” and Rihok in “Hokuto No Ken” [Fist of the North Star].

Tatekabe Kazuya usually portrayed the bulky third evil henchman in the various “Time Bokan Cartoon Series”. He also played Nishikawa Daisaku, one of the members of the team “Cho Denshi Robo Combattler V” [Super Electro Robo Combattler V].

The stunning Character Designers of Amano Yoshitake can also be seen in other Tatsunoko Series such as “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman”, “Neo Android Cassharn”, the “Time Bokan” series and “Space Knight Tekka Man”. Amano has also done the character designs for Vampire Hunter D, and most of Square Soft’s “Final Fantasy” video game series.

Mecha Designer Kunio Okawara, who also contributed mechanical designs to “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman” and “Space Knight Tekka Man”, would later join the Sunrise Animation Studio and produce the landmark designs for the “Mobile Suit Gundam Series” as well as for shows such as “Taiyo No Kiba Dougram” and “Soukokihei Votoms” [Armored Trooper Votoms]. His designs would form the basis for what is now commonly know as the “Real Robot” style of design (as opposed to the “Super Robot” designs of the 70’s (Mazinger Z, Voltus V, Getter Robo etc.)

In 2000, Tatsunoko Pro would remake this series into the OVA “Shin Hurricane Polymer”. The series only lasted two episodes despite a great revamped story.

The Ad Agency “Studio 401” used the Polymer character in one of their demo Advertising Projects (similar to NTT’s Gatchaman “Live Action” commercials starring the J-Pop group “SMAP”. Images can be found at the following website.