I missed the 80s (at least the end of Robotech). What the heck WAS Protoculture?

This looks to be a good as place to ask as any. Like a lot my generation I watched Robotech when it was running on Saturday Mornings(?) Kids Cartoon shows a long time ago (15 years???). Naturally said commercial network was incapable of running the episodes in order (and frequently repeated previous episodes for no apparent reason).

And it's been bugging me for over a decade- what the hell did the alien Zentradi (sorry spelling) WANT with the Earth/SDF-1 in the 1st place? As you may have guessed the follow on series were never shown in my local area so they can't answer my question, and the odd robotech book I saw didn't seem to either.

(None of the FAQ's I've seen here answer the question either so I presuming it's so commen knowlage that it's just a 'blah' answer).

Frankly, I'm kind of glad to have outgrown Robotech. On its own, it was OK. Somehow, I couldn't see them making a sequel (the Sentinels), but remember them doing that. There are the novels and comics to stand as evidence.

On the subject of the novels, I had those for several years, both for the main series and for the Sentinels. The author (in conjunction with Carl Macek) was a fellow going under the pseudonym 'Jack McKinney'. In retrospect, I'm a bit embarrassed about them as there were a lot of things that McKinney added to the story (Dr. Lazlo Zand?) which I really didn't care for. Made it more like an American comic than a sweeping sci-fi epic.

The comics were published by Eternity, which is no longer active. I remember the artists who drew these books and their tendency to draw enormous BOOBS ('Amazon Gazonga!' on all their female characters. For a little while, it seemed like Eternity was doing well with their stuff, then it fell apart in the end.

You might want to look for the Robotech novels and comics (Eternity's 'Sentinels' series and the TV-series adaptations published by Comico). As for the main series, they have re-released Harmony Gold's series on DVD, so the collections are everywhere.

In The Macross Saga, we learn that Protoculture is a power source for Robotechnology which is used by the SDF-1, mecha, and Zentraedi.

We also learn the Zentraedi are just the servant army of another race called The Robotech Masters.

The Robotech Masters come to Earth, trying to complete the mission the Zentraedi failed to do - recover the SDF-1's Protoculture Matrix.

During the second war, we learn that a long time ago, a scientist named Zor discovered a plant called The Invid Flower Of Life, from which he developed Protoculture, and the Robotech Masters' empire was born.

Unfortunatly, when Zor was killed, the secrets of how to create additional protoculture matrixes was lost with him. The Robotech Masters have been trying to clone Zor, hoping his memories would come back. They are also hoping to recapture the SDF-1, which was Zor's ship before he sent it away to Earth as he died. The Robotech Masters hope to regain the SDF-1's protoculture matrix as well.

Unfortunatly, the SDF-1's protoculture matrix has, literally, gone to seed, and the war ends with the Earth being covered by clouds of seeds for the flower of life.

When Zor discovered the Invid homeworld, he took advantage of their Regent's feelings for him to learn about the flower of life. Later, Zor's people attacked the Invid's homeworld, hoping to become the sole source of the flower, and protoculture. Thus the Invid declared war on anyone poessessing protoculture. You can imagine their reaction when they discovered the earth *covered* with their flowers...

This is the opening of the third Robotech saga - New Generation. The Invid invade earth, and basically set up shop. They enslave most of the remaining humans to harvest the flower for them, while small bands of resistance try to fight back.

Scott Bernard was part of an early attack force sent back by Admiral Hunter to retake Earth. While his fleet was wiped out, he survived, and together with some new friends, works his way towards the Invid's main stronghold called Reflex Point.

At the end of the conflict, the main battle fleet approaches Earth. This time the Invid are no match for them. Meanwhile, Scott and his friends have penetrated Reflex Point and learn the truth about Zor and Robotech Masters, as well as the Regis' plan to evolve the Invid into a new life form. Seeing that the Earth forces would rather destroy the planet than see it subjugated, the Regis leaves Earth, taking all the Invid and flowers with her and heads for an unknown destination...presumably to complete her people's evolution in peace.

There was a 'sequel' of sorts planned for Robotech called The Sentinels, which would have started with Rick and Lisa's marriage, and subesequent departure from Earth in the SDF3 with most of the other surviving characters from Macross. The idea was to better tie the stories in Robotech together better, but to be honest, it just never felt the same. The novels were 'ok', but still didn't make sense in a lot of places, and towards the end things just get downright bizare. I didn't understand much of 'Circle Of Light' at all, other than I *think* Minmay ends up on an asteroid pregnant with the child of Zor's clone.... Only the first 3 episodes of the planned 65 were ever finished and are on one of the bonus discs.

I did like that luckless janiter Fishowltz(sp)

...who is fated to become Zor himself. My brain still hurts from that

Tell me about it. Yuck.

I just wanted to mention something that stuck in my mind as I was reading the novels... There is a single comment in the cartoon that generated a ton of material in the novels. That comment was Lisa or Claudia stating that Miriya 'didn't have to *throw*' her baby to Lisa. Based on this one line the author wrote pages about the female Zentradi culture and Max and Mirya's relationship. I can't help but wonder what might have been written differently without that one line. I also wonder what was the topic of dicussion in that scene in the original Macross anime. Anybody happen to know this?

Or songs that get replaced, but the reference stays. Specifically, My Boyfriend's a Pilot, which doesn't have a Robotech equivilant, but is referenced in a scene between Minmei and Rick.