Worm (Kamen Rider)

Worms (ワーム Wāmu) are the villains in the Japanese tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Kabuto. They are an alien life form that came from a meteor destroying the city district of Shibuya seven years prior to the series' timeline. However, the Worms known as Natives existed prior to the coming of the Shibuya Meteorite, through another meteorite that came 35 years ago. In the movie, a third meteor nearly hit the Earth, though thanks to Kabuto it was adverted and history was altered. This implies that meteors containing Worms are insolated and there are others.

The Worms were designed by Yasushi Nirasawa (韮沢 靖 Nirasawa Yasushi), who also designed the Undead for Kamen Rider Blade, the Horrors in GARO and later created the Imagin for Kamen Rider Den-O. These designs were later detailed in Worm Works: GITAI (ワームワークスGITAI Wāmu Wākusu GITAI).[1]

Shibuya Meteorite

A mysterious meteorite that crashed into Shibuya seven years ago. This meteorite brought along the extraterrestrial creatures known as Worms. During episode 41, Riku Kagami explains that another meteorite carrying the Natives had arrived on Earth thirty-five years before this, explaining why fragments of the meteorite similar to those of the Shibuya Meteorite existed so long ago. The Natives that arrived on Earth worked with humans to create the Masked Rider System in order to fend off the threat of other Worms that would arrive later. In the movie, which acts as a prequel to the series, it is revealed this meteor was actually far larger and would've vaporized Earth's oceans and released many more Worms until Hyper Kabuto went back in time with the meteor and caused it to slam into the Shibuya meteor, resulting in only a small fragment of it landing in Shibuya.

Classification

There exist two different species of Worms, the Natives and the unnamed Worms. The Natives have a horn appendage attached to their heads and they are not as aggressive as the Worms.

Natives

Natives are the Worms that arrived on Earth 35 years ago. After assuming human identities, they developed the Masked Rider System to give to the humans what would form ZECT. In return, ZECT would protect them from other Worms that might arrive. Most usually live in peace blending in with human society; some actually can create their own human forms without stealing other identities compared to their counterparts. Hiyori is "unique" among the Natives because she was naturally born Native.

Tachikawa Daigo is the first Native to appear. Certain Natives like him are able to summon the power of the Zecters. More Natives are revealed during episode 41, as their alliance with ZECT is clarified. Tadokoro is also revealed to be a Native working for ZECT after an AMB accident forces him back into his Worm form. Sisyra Worm, a Worm that was born from a Native mother, is the only Native Worm to be shown outside of a pupa form.

Negishi, a leader of the Natives who appears in episode 45, seems to be very hyperactive. In episode 47 and 48, it is revealed that Negishi works together with Mishima in order to turn humans into Natives using a special necklace, as Negishi believes that there is no other way for his kind and humans to co-exist. However, some Natives, such as Tadokoro, are indeed able to live on as a human. Ultimately, Negishi's plan fails thanks to Kabuto and Gatack. At the end of the series, it is assumed with the final destruction of the invading Worms, the Natives return to their previous peaceful co-existence with mankind.

Worms

The second Worm species, they are not given a specific name, arrived on Earth seven years ago on the Shibuya Meteorite. Aggressive to humans, Worms attempt to blend into the human population by copying the faces of their victims along with their memories. They only need to look at the human to copy their image, but once done so, they attempt to kill the original. However, the Worms believe the person that was mimicked now exists as a part of them due the fact they also acquired their victims' personalities. Despite being able to copy both image and memory, they are unable to copy certain things such as scent; in addition, their disguises can be neutralize by chemicals, such as makeup. Aside humans, the Worms are extremely aggressive towards their Native counterparts. The pupa form is known as a Salis Worm (サリスワーム Sarisu Wāmu), taking on the shape of a chrysalis. A Salis normally has a green body, except for the albino one known as a Mutation Salis which has a white body. After a Worm is threatened or endangered, it has the ability to molt, revealing a stronger form that can move at blinding speeds which comes from their high metabolism.

It is later revealed that Worms do not need to naturally molt and their "cast" can be broken off or shattered. They also have the ability to revert into a Salis form if necessary. They tend to evolve more efficiently than their counterparts. When a Worm is destroyed, it explodes into its predominant color. They largely resemble Arthropods, specifically insects. The Executives and their direct subordinates are the only Worms with non-insect appearance. Rena Mamiya/Uca Worm, Cammarus Worm, Subst Worm and Reiji Nogi/Cassis Worm are all crustacean-type Worms. The Cochlea Worm is surprisingly a mollusk. By the events in episodes 46 and 47, the Worms eventually die out with only few remaining.

Major Worms

Playing a significant role in the series, these Worms are usually Executives or otherwise important Worms that greatly influence the story.

Worm Class

Executives

The upper-class Worms usually control massive groups of Worms. Very few Executives have been seen, but they each possess an enormous amount of power.

Non-Executive

Native Class

Natives (ネイティブ Neitibu) are commonly shown in an altered pupa form, but a few Natives have evolved and reached a higher stage in the Worm hierarchy and are classified as "unique".

Minor Worms

Some of these lower-class Worms are subordinates of Executives, while others have no association with the majority of Worms. They serve mainly as monsters of the week.

Aracnea Worm sub-class

Spider-based Worms.

Verber Worm sub-class

Tailless Whip Scorpion-based Worms that targeted people in white.

Coleoptera Worm sub-class

Scarab-based Worms.

Sectio Worm sub-class

Mantis-based Worms

Formicaalubus Worm sub-class

Termite-based Worms, spared a doctor's life and assumed his form to target those in his care, turning them into drywood. Though their methods were odd, they still were Worms in nature.

Brachypelma Worm sub-class

Tarantula-like Worms that protected the Worm eggs.

Geophild Worm sub-class

Centipede-like, the Geophilid Worms (ジオフィリドワーム Jiofirido Wāmu) attack anyone that possesses pieces of the Shibuya meteorite that brought the Natives to Earth.

Acarina Worm sub-class

Tick/Mite-like Worms.

Camponotus Worm sub-class

Carpenter ant-like Worms exclusive to the Hyper Battle special.

Other sub-classes

References

  1. ↑ "仮面ライダーカブト　韮沢靖ワームワークスGITAI". Retrieved 2008-05-08.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, February 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.