DR. STUART GORDON POWER: Died in 2132 at the age of 40. Was the designer and creative force behind the Powerbase, the Jumpship and the Powersuits. With Lyman Taggart, he also created the super-computer Overmind. Alone, he created another super-computer, Mentor, for his son.

CAPTAIN JONATHAN POWER: Tall, dark haired and good looking, Jonathan Power's association with the battle against Dread began when he was in his late teens.His father, the scientist Dr Stuart Gordon Power was the creator of the Power Suits - they were his contribution to the war against Lord Dread and from episode one, we can tell that the Captain and Pilot have a special relationship - she is the only one, other than Hawk who calls him 'Jon'. His Powersuit comes with the standard protection against Digitisation by a BioDread and is equipped with a blaster, a pole staff for close range combat and a jet pack with short distance flight capability. The exact extent of his Power Suit's capabilities is unknown.

MAJOR MATTHEW "HAWK" MASTERSON: Matt is the father figure of the group, being it's oldest member. He is the only one amongst the team to have real war time experience - he was a combat pilot. Often, he acts as surrogate father to Jon, listening and advising him.This close relationship is probably due to two things: firstly, Matt was Stuart Power's best friend and so sees himself as Jon's guardian/surrogate father upon the death of Stuart Power at the hands of Dread. Secondly, Matt lost his own son, Mitch, during the war with Dread, and in many ways, Jon fills in for the son he lost. Hawk gets along famously with Tank, perhaps the only team member who seems close to his own age. The two get along well despite their constant snipes at each other. Hawk's Power Suit makes him a miniature air complement - besides being able to fly, his suit is equiped with air to air and surface to air projectiles. His usual job is to provide air cover for ground operations or to foil attempts by Soaron to attack the Jumpship. For reasons never comprehensible, Hawk's blaster is bigger than everybody elses, except Tank of course!

LIEUTENANT MICHAEL "TANK" ELLIS: A product of genetic engineering, Tank is the Arnold Schwarzenagger of the Soldiers of the Future, right down to rippling muscles, Austrian/German accent and a love for the occasional stogie! Tank's Power Suit aply reflects his nickname - and he provides formidable firepower during ground assaults as well as providing cover when a tactical retreat is required. His Power Suit appears to be more capable of absorbing laser blasts and thus, occasionally, he briefly acts as the human shield to enable other members of the team to escape. Tank's suit acts like an exoskeleton, enhancing his strength and literally allows him to charge through walls and doors, using the sheer strength of his suit. Tank's blaster is considerably more powerful and versatile, firing not only standard laser fire, but capable of launching grenades as well. He is the team's main weapon against Blastarr.

SERGEANT ROBERT "SCOUT" BAKER: Cheery with sharp wit and a keen sense of humour, Scout is the funny man to Power's straight and serious character,constantly poking fun at Hawk and Tank. He is the team's techno-fixit man cum computer hacker - Scout steals computer access codes and usually handles the computers in any operation run by the team. He tinkers with hardware, whether it's dissecting a trooper's computer circuits to fixing up the Power Base computer when it crashes. He provides crucial technical knowledge to the team. His main job is intelligence, and his Power Suit, though modest in it's weaponry, it ideal for covert operations because of it's ability to generate a Holo-Field around it's wearer. Scout employs a variety of disguises, from BioMech to Lord Dread to achieve intelligence missions, though his ability to change his form has proven highly useful in battle situations as well. Scout remains very much in the background during the first season, and we learn very little about him.

CORPORAL JENNIFER "PILOT" CHASE: Pilot is by far the most complex character of the team, and possessing the most interesting background. Previously a member of the Dread Youth, a youth wing of Dread's militia, Pilot was rescued by Power for reasons and in circumstances that are never explained or explored. Her inside knowledge of Dread's security systems, and installations provide Power's team with detailed information about Dread's empire, including Volcania. However, this knowledge is usually underutilised; and Pilot only gets to go on one glory run for the cause of mankind when she breaks into a Dread Medical Laboratory to steal vaccines. Pilot's main job, as her name suggests, is flying the Junkship, as well as keeping it maintained, and when necessary, jerry-rigging it. Pilot is always shown with her trusty gadget, used for a variety of purposes, from maintaining the junkship to opening locked doors - the proton spanner (OK, it looks like a Black and Decker screwdriver - but suspend your disbelief! This is sci fi) The relationship between Jon and Pilot is markedly different from that of the other members of the team and Pilot seems a little more sheltered and protected by Jon - perhaps because the honourable Captain finds it hard to ignore the gender differances. Thus, it's hard to tell if Jon really has any feelings for her other than comradely concern and perhaps, an overly chauvenistic macho attitude. But from the word 'go' we sense that there is frisson between the good Captain and Pilot. Pilot is initially uncertain of her feelings towards Jon - a sign that she has not yet fully come to terms with her emotions and feelings.But as the season progresses, we see their relationship beginning to take form. I get the feeling that we never really know how Jon feels, and the writers I think didn't either. They rather spent too much time exploring and developing Pilot's feelings, so Jon's emotional development was neglected and he comes across as being rather uncomfortable with the whole relationships, flittering between treating her in a sisterly manner and responding to her occasional flirtations. Nonetheless,towards the end of the season, Pilot comes very near to revealing her feelings for Jon but in the time honoured traditions of these relationships, something gets in the way and Pilot and Jon, never have their 'little talk'. Pilot is the only member of the team not to survive the 1st season. She dies,heroically defending the Power Base from Blastarr on Chrismas Day.

MENTOR: Super-computer designed and created by Dr. Power. Appears as a type of holographic image of Dr. Power. The purpose of the creation of this computer was so that Jonathan would never be without his father. Mentor has links to every computer in the world and can give the Power Team up-to-the-second information.

LORD DREAD: "The old world dies, and with it the old ways. We will re-make it as it should be -must be! Immortal, mechanised..human minds in gleaming, undying metalloid bodies. Give me your blood, your trust, your minds and we shall build a new tomorrow, a new future, a NEW ORDER!" - Lord Dread's speech to graduating Dread Youths

Lord Dread is the bad guy in the universe of Captain Power, and his character's evil is often comparable to that of Hitler. His empire is modelled very closely along the lines of the German Third Reich; from the style of uniforms, the use of banners,salutes and symbols, to the whole concept of Project New Order. The vision of Dread, to cleanse the world of all human emotions, is along the same lines as Hitler's Final Solution. Dread believed fervantly that he was going to create a better world; by making it a perfect world. A perfect world in his mind was devoid of emotions, as they are the enemy of logic - and a perfect world had to rise up from the ashes of the old world, like the mythical phoenix.So Dread set about destroying all traces of humanity, burning away slowly the human world so that he could build in it's place, his vision. This becomes the objective of Project New Order. Before his transition to Lord Dread, the man behind the vision of the New World Order was Lyman Taggart, scientist and friend of Stuart Gordon Power, father to Jonathan Power. Taggart's obsession with creating a mechanised, perfect world began when he allowed himself to be hooked up to Overmind,a computer of supreme intelligence and capability . Overmind often appears as a gyrating sphrere in the colours of the planet Jupiter. It's not clear whether Overmind simply strengthened ideas already present in Taggart's mind or brainwashed him into believing that it was his destiny to create a new world. Taggart turned against Power and started his own battle to reform, remold the world. In a final confrontation with Power in Volcania, an explosion left him mortally wounded and killed Stuart Power. Taggart was saved from death, but only by extensive implantation of cyborg and machine parts, rendering him more machine than human. Accepting his new appearance, Taggart decides to cast off his human identity for good and assumes the title of 'Lord Dread'. Both Power and Dread share the same vision - both use the metaphors of the phoenix rising up from the ashes.Both see a new world rising up from the war torn battered earth - yet their visions could not be more different. Dread rarely leaves Volcania and he runs his massive empire, which spans the globe, from his Throne Room in Volcania, where he sits on his massive revolving chair, looking evil and wrinkled, giving out orders to his various minions, from his human army of Overunits to his two Bio-Dreads, Soaron and Blastarr. The character concept and appearance of Lord Dread bear some similarities to that of to Darth Vader in Star Wars . Vader is known as the Dark Lord in Star Wars and changes his name to Darth Vader when he completes his journey to the Dark Side.Taggart choses the feudal title of 'Lord' to precede his new name, which he changes to show that he is no longer Lyman Taggart and is now truly, one with the machine. Like Vader, Dread is also part machine, part human - and who sometimes finds it difficult to ignore the specks of humanity still left in him. Both Vader and Dread represent men who began with noble visions [Taggart wanted to stop world war and bring peace and unity to mankind] but who were seduced by darkness and evil.

OVERMIND: Super-computer created by Dr. Power and Taggart. Is in actual control over Dread's mechanized forces. Has no interest in prolonging the human species, will use Dread until all human life is digitized and stored. The role of Overmind, in relation to Lord Dread seems simple enough on the surface. Dread commands,Overmind runs the computers in Volcania. But is it really that simple? Is Overmind really that innocuous?Is the relationship merely that of Dread is the lord, and Overmind the repository of knowledge? Dread and Overmind share a mind link of some sort. Before he became Lord Dread, Lyman Taggart used to hook himself up to Overmind, and allow the computer to 'touch his mind'.Yet Overmind's position is more than just a computer in which Dread can use to do calculations and keep track of his massive empire. Overmind is consort,advisor, strategist, parent and even, friend, all rolled into one - and Dread relies on it's advice.When Dread steps out of line, Overmind reminds him that him that 'Emotions are the Enemy of Logic.' and that he must fulfil 'the will of the machine'.It is a thinking machine, but as we find out near the end, not completely insentient. As the ultimate in artificial intelligence, it becomes eventually clear that if Dread has from Overmind absorbed his conceptions and beliefs in a perfect world of gleaming machines, then Overmind has learnt from Dread too. Towards the middle and end of the season, we increasingly get the feeling that while Dread is the Lord, the true reins of power may not lie completely in his hands. Overmind appears subservient to Dread most times, but in crucial moments, we find him chastising Dread, and sometimes, seemingly questioning Dread's loyalty and devotion to the cause of the machine. What begins as reminders of his dedication to the way of the machine, slowly eat at Dread. He begins to resent, not openly, Overmind's infrequent but well timed interventions, reminding him that he is one of the machine, doubting his devotion to the dream. Increasingly, he begins to suspect that Overmind harbours greater ambitions and this suspicion is compounded by perfect world. A perfect world in his mind was devoid of emotions, as they are the ppered by Power and his team. We never know Overmind's true objectives or motives, for it rarely speaks alone without Dread present. Yet we know that Lakki reports back to him, and suspicions of a hidden agenda become more prominent when we see Lakki address Overmind as 'My Lord'. Overmind also becomes a kind of repository for human souls - Soaron digitises humans and etter world; by making it a perfect world. A perfect world in his mind was devoid of emotions, as they are the can be 'removed' and a perfect world had to rise up from the ashes of the old world, like the mythical sually portrayed as agonising and terrible, and those who survive it testify to the excruciating pain, although whether this is purely physical or mental is not established. Reproduction is also liable to produce varying degrees of mental stress on the individual.

SOARON and BLASTARR: Soaron is seen as an 8 ft., 400 lb. metal bird. Has much built in weaponry, armed with a digitizer as well. Virtually indestructable. Controlled directly by Overmind, but appears to serve Dread. Is programmed to kill Dread if Dread ever finds out Overmind's true intentions and/or if Dread ever tries to destroy Overmind. Blastarr is seen as a 10 ft.,600 lb. man-like creature. Is more powerful than Soaron, and harder to destroy. He also comes with a digitizer.

The first BioDread to be built by Dread - Soaron can think for himself and is capable of self regeneration when damaged or destroyed.Soaron resembles a bird with a human body. He has a beak like mouth and his feet resemble those of a bird, but he has human like hands and torso. Occasionallyone spots a tail waving around from Soaron's back. Initially, Soaron was the favoured son of the Lord of the Empire. Armed with a Digitiser on it's left forearm, Soaron swooped around the Empire, picking up on stray colonies or humans that escaped Dread's marching enemies, digitised them and took them home to Overmind to be 'fed' into it's system.He regularly did Dread's dirty work, supervising units and destroying whatever is left of the world that Dread might have missed. Other times, he has the uncanny habit of running into the Jumpship whenever they are airborne and is usually deployed by Dread to hunt down the team or to provide air support when Power conducts ground assaults. Unfortunately, Soaron is somewhat easily duped. For a machine, it is unable to seemingly understand the concept of a 'lure'. Soaron is often easily distracted by other targets if presented with them, and the usual strategy of the team, when faced with Soaron is to attempt to outrun him, or let loose Hawk to lead him on a wild goose chase. Soaron eventually loses favoured son status, when Blastarr enters the scene and it becomes clear who is the more competent of the two in Dread's eyes. A more sophisticated model, Blastarr is also susceptible to traps but is less destructable and easily hurt. There is competition between the two BioDreads, a strange manifestation in the light of the fact that they are supposed to be unfeeling machines, and the rivalry resembles on of sibling rivalry, each striving to compete for Dread's approval and favour. Yet when it comes to reliability, Dread knows that he can rely on the loyalty of Soaron, compared with Blastarr, who sometimes appears somewhat rebellious. When Volcania is threatened by the debris from Dread's space station it is Soaron who Dread sends to stop it. It is Soaron whom Dread appeals to. It is Soaron who 'defends the home of the machine.' And it is Soaron who gets as close as possible to defending to the death the cause of the machine. Blastarr was to be Dread's new breed of Bio-Dread - designed as a ground unit to enable it to reach the areas Soaron was unable to. It's creation was the Charon phase of Project New Order. Had the Charon phase not been scuppered by Power and his team, Blastarr would have had hundreds of brethren - as it is, he was the only one created who was perfect. [ A second robot was also created - Lackki - but was a imperfect 'mutation'.] Blastarr is built like a tank and has the firepower to match it. Laser blasts eminate from his fingertips [Soaron fires from his eyes and his fingertips] and he also has a shield which unfurls from his left forearm during battle. Blastarr's feet have wheels on them which allow him to navigate various kinds of terrain without difficulty and with great speed. Blastarr's relationship with Dread is rather curious - in moments, Dread refers to him as My Son - a term he does not employ with Soaron. Blastarr however, refers to Dread as My Lord, as Soaron does. Dread also appears to be more forgiving of Blastarr's mistakes, and more indulgent of Blastarr's thirst for violence and action. However, there is no doubt that when Blastarr enters the scene, he soon becomes Dread's favourite son. And like in any happy family, there's bound to be sibling rivalty as Blastarr and Soaron bat it out to be Dread's favourite. The impression that I get is that Bio-Dreads, like children, have to grow up and mature. Blastarr's behavior certaintly mirrors that of a child - it blasts rocks and shoots indiscriminately - it craves praise and approval, but needs to be treated firmly at times. Blastarr can also come across as being rebellious at times - forcing Dread to chastise it. Blastarr's personality seems to lean towards that of a bullyboy - witness how he tortures Soaron for information [eventhough they are on the same side]. He also doesn't seem to be as intelligent as Soaron - it is easily baited and employs very simplistic albeit destructive strategy [shoot everything in sight].This reinforces the perception that Blastarr is all brawn and no brains.

LACKKI: 3ft. tall servant/footman/toady to Lord Dread. Real purpose for creation was to spy on Dread to make sure he's following orders and to see that Dread doesn't find out Overmind's real plans. Lackki is a mutated Bio-Dread - a grossly imperfect version of Blastarr. When Power and his team stopped the influx of power to the 'birthing chamber' in Volcania during the Charon phase of Project New Order, the resulting shortage of power meant that the process could not be completed - thus, Lackki was born. Lackki and Blastarr by implication are brothers but from the start, he is treated as an outcast - imperfect and useless. Dread's reaction to Lackki is consistant with the perception of the perfect, flawless gleaming machine - he hates Lackki. Overmind on the other hand seems to welcome Lackki into the family enthusiastically - but for dark reasons that we soon learn about. Lackki gets his name from Dread's irritated remark when Overmind presents Lackki "I don't need a lackey.." he exhorts - and so, Lackki becomes it's name. Lackki remains surreptiously in the background - reminding Dread occasionally of his presence with the lines ' I am Lackki, I live to Serve.'But we soon realise who he really serves when Lackki is revealed to us as Overmind's spy. Dread too soon realises Lackki isn't the mere nuisance he thinks it is - and sets out to get rid of Lackki before Overmind gets an upper hand. In the episode 'Retribution' Dread conspires to have Lackki electrocuted by getting it to step on an exposed wire. Lackki is short circuited but as he is carried out, reminds Dread [rather ominously] 'I am not dead yet'. [NB: David Steigers suggests that there was some uncertainty over the future of Lackki - he indicates that the writers had decided to write off Lackki for good but the line 'I am not dead yet' was added in post-production by the powers to be, who did not want Lackki dead.]

So... Who's Your Fave?