The Phoenix Factor

Umbra awakens the cyborg scientist Doctor Phoenix, exiled from Earth 200 years ago. Wary of Umbra but hungry for revenge, Dr. Phoenix agrees to use his outlawed Mechanogen energy virus to help Shadow. Phoenix is surprised by Mighty Orbots in the Danger Zone (where outlawed devices are dumped) while trying to retrieve his Mechanogen; in the encounter, Ohno is infected with the virus. While Rob struggles to cure Ohno, Dr. Phoenix releases a mutated version of the virus on Earth, where it begins to take control of everything mechanical. Rondu orders the evacuation of the city, and it is quaratined by erecting a force field dome... but this is only a temporary measure; the dome can't hold for long. Galactic Patrol sensors detect Phoenix's cloaked vessel in orbit, and Mighty Orbots (including ailing Ohno) head out in pursuit. By using Boo to match wavelengths with the cloaking field, they neutralize it and soon work their way inside the massive ship. They confront Dr. Phoenix and are on the verge of convicing him to switch sides (he and Umbra haven't been getting along well, and Ohno assures him that the anti-cyborg fears of 200 years ago are gone, and now "humans are robots work together") when an eavesdropping Umbra released the last of the Mechanogen inside Phoenix's ship... and all over Phoenix and the Orbots!

Bo, Boo, Bort, Dia, Robert Simmons, Umbra, Tor, Crunch, Rondu, Oh No, Returns

One of the few U.S.-Japanese co-productions, this series lasted only a single season due to the huge success of "Transformers."

Along with "Galaxy High School," also by the same team, this was part of an effort by TMS to break into the American market with the help of producer Fred Silverman.