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Radiege
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another faceRadiege was a creature of many faces. In a way he was a blunt, honest enemy to have. He preferred straight-forward mayhem to sneaking around. But that was at the beginning. Life, as it does, forced change on him. What we know about the Vyram is actually very little. They came from a world devastated by either natural disasters, or war. They turned on their queen and sealed her in a prison they set adrift across the dimensions (either that or someone else did) and ended up wandering the universe. Were there only three or four Vyram? I never quite got that straight. But when they settled on Earth, there were four. And Radiege was the leader, by benefit of being slightly stronger than the others. Up there is what he usually looked like. And this bizarre picture to the right is what he truly looked like. Maybe. He went through a lot over the year he fought the Jetman. Repeated loss annoyed him, but it was not enough to leave him mad. At least, it wasn't until the Queen came. The Vyram Queen, a lovely, sadistic creature. At least in her human face. When Radiege could no longer stand her imperiousness and his reduction in status to her servant, he attacked her. But she was stronger, and stripped him of his memory and abandoned him on Earth. He was a strikingly handsome young man. I cannot help but suspect that Radiege was inhabiting a helpless, human body, rather than living in his own body disguised as a human. This is supported by rumors of a sequel wherein Radiege comes back, inhabiting the mindless body of Toranza. But who knows? The writers, maybe.

Radiege was found unconscious on a beach, by a beautiful young woman who was walking her dog. She brought him home and when he regained consciousness, tried to reassure him. This was difficult. He was in a panic, not knowing where -- or who -- he was. Saki reassured him, and must have fallen in love with him virtually at first sight. She took him around, soothed him, explained things to him. With her there, he was calm and at rest, perhaps for the first time in his existence. But Saki was dying, as she explained to him. She had little time left.

Careful!

When he understood that she was dying, he accessed the powers he did not remember having, and healed her. None of them understood what had happened, though to Saki it was enough that he had special gifts, and that he was gentle and sweet. Or he was until the Queen came within his range and her powers disrupted him. Enraged, he was drawn to the source of his discomfort. And upon seeing the Queen, began to remember who he really was. Radiege recovered his memory, and his standard armored appearance, then directed the Jetman in their battle against his enemy. This was a useful tactic, he found. He would use it again later. And when Saki found him again, and begged him to come back to her, to be the gentle, human man she loved, he weakened. He began to change, his skin losing its blue hue. But then he broke himself out of it, and he killed her. Temperamental men are dangerous to love.

Unlikely Allies Radiege wore a human face again, much later in the series. Toran had become Toranza, far more powerful than our man here, and all too willing to abuse his power. Radiege, after failing to sabotage Roranza's robot, was then fed to it to supply extra power. But he escaped, with more power than he knew what to do with, and wandered the city with his human face. But this time he wore army fatigues. Trembling constantly, he would have energy spasms that would set off odd behaviour in anything electrical near him. Eventually he was drawn to a battle between Toranza and the Jetman, and rescued Ryu while Toranza pursued the others. Poor Ryu hadn't a clue who this man was, or why he hated Toranza. He had not a clue why the man was willing to put himself through agony to help Ryu. It was Radiege who turned the tide of battle, lending his strength to Ryu. When he almost helped, Toranza tried to hold Ryu hostage, only to have the man he was facing become Radiege, in a crackle of dangerous power. While the heroes thought they defeated Toranza, it was really Radiege who dealt the final blow, that left a mindless, burned and bandaged human in an insane asylum.

Vengeance But the story did not end there, for there was still Maria to deal with. Radiege gave her a creature made from his own blood that turned her into a vampire, but swung her power levels higher and higher. She was unaware that the price was her humanity. For Radiege wanted that gone, even if it only left a half-mindless creature in her place. But Maria's humanity was brought into full relief by Ryu, once lover of Rie, whose body Maria wore. She became one entity. And she hated Radiege, for what he had done -- or/and attempted to do -- to her. Perhaps she would have returned to the Vyram. But instead she attempted her revenge and stabbed him in the back. He struck her a killing blow. "You are MINE! Not Red Hawk's!" he said, teleporting away to the Vyram base.

The Queen had damaged him. He had killed Saki (but did that matter to him?) Toranza had humiliated and distorted him. And Maria had turned on him. That left only Gure, who had loved Maria, and so Radiege was alone. The defection and his killing of Maria drove him over. He and Ryu went after each other, both happy to die if it meant taking the enemy with. But Radiege was far more powerful than Ryu, and had learned to be truly sneaky over his time on Earth. If it were not for the other Jetman arriving, Ryu would have died in that battle. Radiege took all the power remaining to him, bonded with the Vyram base ship, and used it to fight. And in the end it was not enough to defeat six humans and three, powerful robots.

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