Immortal Warrior

"Immortal Warrior" was a hugely popular thirty-first- and thirty-second-century Holovid fictional action series created in the Lyran Commonwealth and watched all across the Inner Sphere.

About Immortal Warrior

Originally created by writer/director Mike Haufenpfahl, the opening plot line of the series followed an elite soldier who left the military to settle down on a new world that no one realized was about to explode into warfare, drawing him back into battle once more. The series was infamous for its extreme amounts of adult themes, profanity and graphic violence, hence its widespread appeal to the peoples of the Inner Sphere. An episode of the show referred to a Shadow Hawk as "The Shad", this nickname spread throughout the Inner Sphere.

The Immortal Warrior was noted for his penchant for creating huge explosions, seemingly expending eight lives per episode, carrying an implausibly large arsenal of guns and explosives on his person at all times, and seemingly having infinite ammunition for his personal weaponry, as the Immortal Warrior was never seen to reload. Movie posters for the series were also noted to have on average fifteen separate explosions per individual one-sheet.

The title character was portrayed by actor Ricardo Hunt for seventeen seasons.

In the 3020s Immortal Warrior would broadcast a thinly veiled story based on one of the infamous Bounty Hunter's most notorious successes, a hot drop on the command combat of the Third Oriente Hussars to kidnap its senior staff officer, who had left a nobleman's daughter standing at the altar two years prior. After the "adaption" aired without acknowledgement to the Bounty Hunter, Immortal Warriors then lead actor Ricardo Hunt would receive a message from the Hunter noting the real operation was more difficult than the episode has portrayed, expressing dismay the credit for the operation had been "mislaid" while also musing on the state of the actor's insurance policies. In response to the Hunter's subtle threat, the producers would hurriedly reshoot and re-release the episode as a "director's cut" in which the Bounty Hunter appears as a close friend of the Immortal warrior and mastermind behind the attack.

In the early FedCom Civil War era, one of the Immortal Warrior holovids featured a character based upon Ace Darwin of the Ace Darwin's WhipIts mercenary unit, his holovid counterpart similarly accompanied by an eclectic collection of elite warriors who helped the Immortal Warrior to save the day at the holovid's dramatic climax. The similarities between this character and Ace were so great that Darwin actually became somewhat famous, almost a mascot among certain entertainment circles for a brief time.

As with any popular show, Immortal Warrior inspired a great torrent of accompanying merchandise. As of 3067 one of the latest was Immortal Warrior: Shattered Sword III, a virtual action/adventure holovid game for Nashan Electronics’ SpectraQuad-64 Game Sphere entertainment system. Likewise, product placement on Immortal Warrior is highly coveted for the increased sales it can bring, such as the spike in popularity experienced by Valiant Systems' Valiant Regal sportster following its use in Immortal Warriors XXVII through XXXII.

At the end of 3067, the TBC holodrama tentatively titled Immortal Warrior: Fractured Allegiance was being filmed, with the series focusing on the ever-increasing tensions between the Lyran government and radical secessionists in the Skye region. Shelton Stone played the lead, supported by Wilhelm DeSol.

In 3072, the sage film, Jaguar's Revenge led the way in popularity and gains.

In 3075 Vista Buena pictures chose Remis Largo to head up Manai Deadonai, the latest installment of the franchise. The company sued director Sylvester VanEastenger for his parody being filmed with very similar topics.

The popularity of the series would persist into Early Republic Era with the production of Immortal Warrior: Vengeance and Burning Sky. Despite the increasing peace of the period and the series' simplistic plots, Immortal Warrior and similar films continued to draw sizable audiences, in part for providing adoring action and 'Mech fans the means of living vicariously through them. The continued ratings powerhouse represent by Immortal Warrior: Vengeance across the Inner Sphere was such that the announcement of a strategic partnership between the Donegal Broadcasting Corporation and the Republic Broadcasting Service in 3132 to become the largest media organization in the Inner Sphere caused considerable fear among other broadcasters that price increases for the broadcast rights of the series would result. Burning Sky earned lead actress Dawn Huntington a nomination for the prestigious Golden Sun Award for Best Female Lead in 3133.

Reaction to Immortal Warrior

An unnamed battle armor–wearing soldier of the Solaris VII Home Defense League at the beginning of the Word of Blake occupation of Solaris VII, was a huge fan of "Immortal Warrior". He said of the show, "We're not talking about the Immortal Warrior here - it may be art, but my God, doesn't that man ever have to reload?"

Clan Jade Falcon Elemental Taman Malthus would also share a similar opinion, viewing the Immortal Warrior as art, albeit unrealistic.

While allowing imports of the series, officially the Capellan Confederation derided Immortal Warrior as a prime example of "natural Lyran aggression".

Bibliography

• Assumption of Risk
• BattleCorps ScandalVids, 29/05/3067: "Wild K-Z Party on Skye"
• BattleCorps Arts and Leisure, 15/12/3072: "Entertainment Year in Review"
• BattleCorps Solaris Broadcasting Co., 05/07/3075: "Controversial Director Sued to Block Filming"
• BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction
• Classic BattleTech RPG
• Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN
• Handbook: House Davion
• Handbook: House Steiner
• MechWarrior, Third Edition
• Mercenaries Supplemental II
• Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 12
• Technical Readout: Project Phoenix
• Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex