[viper spray]

The series debuted in NBC in January 1994 about a Viper sports car that fights crime in the future. The first series was about Michael Payton, top driver for crime organization "The Outfit." After an accident from a high-speed chase with Metro City Police, doctors put a chip in his brain, erasing memories of his past. Payton was reborn as police officer Joe Astor, the only man capable of handling the Viper and its systems.



To some, the Viper was nothing but a hot rod, but with the flick of a button, it morphs into an silver vehicle known as the Defender. But Astor's past came back to haunt him when his Outfit associates asked to steal the Viper, but he refused, and his girlfriend ends paying the price. When the Viper Project was terminated due to corruption, Joe sets out to steal the Viper and uses it for his fight against the Outfit. With the aid of the car's designer Julian Wilkers and Metro City police mechanic Franklin "Frankie" X. Waters, they set out to clean up the streets of Metro while Joe digs deeper into his past.

The 1994 series revolve around the trio's war against the Outfit, Joe investigating his past, and dodging the police after them. Airing on Friday nights-- where Knight Rider was in the 80s -- Viper had everything. It had a comic-book feeling. Metro City was Gotham City; Joe was Batman, and the Viper/Defender the Batmobile. The Power Station was the Batcave. Viper was sort of like Knight Rider-- except the car didn't talk and the protagonist was a bad guy. Still, the main character was given a new identity, new life, and new mission-- champion of the innocent. Joe, Julian, and Frankie were the main heroes while The Outfit-- headed by powerful businessman Lane Cassidy -- was the main villian. The transformation from Viper to Defender was cool. However, despite amazing special effects and character-driven storylines, Viper was cancelled in April 1994 after 12 episodes.