Mad Warrior! Black Flame Valvarad
- Original Airdate: February 4, 2024
Written by: Keiichi Hasagawa
Directed by: Teruaki Sugihara
Summary
Narrator: Previously on… Kamen Rider Gotchard!
Through the machinations of the Angel Malgam's power over the dead, Supana Kurogane "Gotchanko-t" to confront the memory of his parents' deaths.
He then overtook Madwheel, and transformed into the Wheel Malgam!
Supana now stands on the edge of despair; will he ultimately succumb to the power of darkness...?!
Through the machinations of the Angel Malgam's power over the dead, Supana Kurogane "Gotchanko-t" to confront the memory of his parents' deaths.
He then overtook Madwheel, and transformed into the Wheel Malgam!
Supana now stands on the edge of despair; will he ultimately succumb to the power of darkness...?!
Enraged over the truth about his parents, Supana fully gives into his new powers in a quest of vengeance as the Wheel Malgam. With time running out, the Kitchen Alliance teams up with Kyoka to finish Supana's driver, which will hopefully extract him from the Wheel Malgam.
Can they save Supana before his black flame consumes him?
Tropes
- Batman Gambit: Minato pulls one off. It initially appeared that he went along with the plan to bring Supana to despair by killing off Kyoka and take the Valvaradriver, claiming it as Alchemists' Union property. In reality, he lets Kyoka leave untouched, but still faces off against his junior and fights him — either Minato wins and Supana can no longer become Geryon's pawn, or Supana wins and he forges his own path.
- Bittersweet Ending: As thanks to Supana for saving it, Angelead summons his parents one final time after the fight. They beam and nod in pride at how he's grown and leave for what comes next. While he feels a bit of pain at seeing them leave again, this time he also nods in recognition, knowing they have to go.
- Came Back Strong: Supana returns from the brink of despair and has a full-fledged Rider form to back up his new resolve.
- Catapult Nightmare: After Gotchard and Majade calm Supana down, he has a nightmare of his parents’ death with Geryon telling him to give into anger.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Several are given out this episode:
- The Angel Malgam is on the receiving end from Supana as the Wheel Malgam after his parents willingly seal themselves off from his ability to revive them. He flees before it can conclude.
- Minato gives one to Supana later, almost in a Stealth Mentor fashion as he's seemingly trying to get him to control his flames... and with Madwheel upgrading itself to Machwheel to assist he does EXACTLY that, he gets a beating in return for his trouble. As in not only is he knocked out of the Dread transformation, but the Driver also itself is seemingly blown up in a big explosion, and Minato just collapses unconscious straight away.
- But by far the greatest is our third one, between the Angel Malgam and the newly minted Kamen Rider Valvarad. Immediately the latter activates a Crash Finisher and just... calmly blocks, parries, and dodges the former's attacks as the gear shifts up. And we mean calmly, as barely any effort goes into any of the movements he undertakes, with the petticoat of spikes the suit has allowing him to anchor himself to dodge too. Heck, at one point he actually turns and walks away from Angel, then effortlessly spins on his heels and turns around again to make him whiff an attack...which all leads to him fully charging his finisher and pulling a Geats by kicking the Valvarusher straight through his body. Then he shifts to a Custom form and traps the Malgam to deliver a meteor style kick to drop both back to the ground. It's quick, efficient, and an exceptional showing of what Supana can do with Rider powers.
- Exact Words: Minato reassures Lachesis that Supana won't become Geryon's attack dog and that he'll do so by beating him. While Minato loses to Supana, the first part of his statement stands — Supana does not become Geryon's attack dog.
- Faking the Dead: As it turns out Kyoka isn't dead and is just fine, meaning Minato didn't kill her as he told Supana. Supana tells Kyoka he figured it out himself anyway.
- Flaming Sword: When Supana masters his powers, he ignites the Valvarusher on fire — and uses it to defeat Dread while untransformed.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Houtaro gives Supana one in a rather dramatic fashion — by giving him a Rider Kick as Fire Gotchard Steamhopper, knocking the latter out of his Wheel Malgam form.
- The Glasses Come Off: No actual glasses are involved, but Spanner removes his necktie just before transforming into his Rider form.
- Hard-Work Montage: The Kitchen Ichinose Alliance help out Kyoka with completing the Valvaradriver as shown through a series of shots, from Kyoka analyzing Fire Gotchard, to the team using alchemy to craft new parts for the driver.
- Hazy-Feel Turn: Lachesis begins to have doubts about her loyalty to Geryon and how she might have outlived her usefulness, a fact that Minato is willing to exploit for his own ends.
- Mêlée à Trois: A brief one early in the episode with Gotchard and Majade on one side, the Angel Malgam on another, and the Wheel Malgam rounding out the three sides.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Lachesis chooses to break away from her sisters who are fighting Gotchard and Majade to spy on Supana and Minato instead.
- Stuffed into the Fridge: Invoked by Geryon and Minato, figuring that killing Kyoka would push Supana deeper into despair. Minato even tells him that he killed her to get him angry, though Kyoka is actually alive and none the worse for wear.
- This Cannot Be!: The Angel Malgam is caught off-guard when the copies of Supana's parents somehow use alchemy, preventing themselves from being reused to break their son's spirit.
- Tragic Keepsake: After his parents choose to sacrifice themselves again, Supana carries around their alchemist rings. The rings are gone after Supana builds his new resolve and upgrade his own ring into a unique violet variant, though their essence remains in his own.
- Wham Shot: Following Supana letting go of his desire for vengeance, stick to his beliefs, and use everything he has, including his black flames, with his own strength to save the future, Madwheel is touched... and all of a sudden, it drives faster until it evolves into Machwheel.
Titular Chemy: Madwheel
Cards used:
Valvarad: Machwheel (evolved from Madwheel) + Daiohni = Kamen Rider Valvarad, Gutsshovel + Jyamatanoorochi = Valvarad Orochishovel Custom
Chemies recovered:
Valvarad: Gutsshovel, Gekiocopter, Daiohni, Angelead
