COPS (animated TV series)

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COPS (Central Organization of Police Specialists) is an American animated television series released by DIC Entertainment (distributed by Claster Television) and Celebrity Home Entertainment (some VHS tapes went through Golden Book Video, though). This cartoon, which ran from 1988 to 1989, used the tag line: "Fighting crime in a future time, protecting Empire City from Big Boss and his gang of crooks". In 1993, the series was shown in reruns on CBS Saturday mornings as CyberCOPS, the name change due to the 1989 debut of the unrelated primetime reality show of the same name. The show was based on Hasbro's 1988 line of action figures called C.O.P.S 'N' Crooks.

COPS (animated TV series) Hollywood Adapt This COPS Collider

Cops 56 the case of the lowest crime

Overview

COPS (animated TV series) COPS Animated Series Complete 65 Episodes 6 DVD Set 198889

In an indeterminate part of the future, Brandon “Big Boss” Babel and his gang of crooks are causing crime to run rampant in Empire City enough for the Empire City Police Department to be unable to stop him.

Mayor Davis requests federal assistance. The FBI sends in Special Agent Baldwin P. Vess (Codename: Bulletproof) to help take down Big Boss. However, Vess suffered very serious injuries in a car wreck during a fight with Big Boss' criminal henchmen and had to be taken to the hospital. Facing years of rehabilitation, Vess is outfitted with a cybernetic bulletproof torso that allows him to walk again.

COPS (animated TV series) COPS Western Animation TV Tropes

While staying at the hospital, Bulletproof, knowing he cannot do all of this alone, sends out Empire City police officer P.J. O'Malley (Codename: LongArm) and rookie officer Donny Brooks (Codename: HardTop) to round up the best law enforcers from all over the country. With these men and women consisting of David E. "Highway" Harlson, Colt "Mace" Howards, Stan "Barricade" Hyde, Tina "Mainframe" Cassidy, Walker "Sundown" Calhoun, Suzie "Mirage" Young, Hugh S. "Bullseye" Forward, and Rex "Bowser" Pointer and his robot dog Blitz, he forms a team that is “the finest law enforcement agency there is in the country.” Bulletproof becomes the proud founder and commander of COPS. Together, he and his COPS team are able to take down Big Boss and his gang of crooks and thwart the first of many of Big Boss' criminal schemes.

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Each episode has a title that begins with “The Case of...” with a different phrase being added to it (i.e. “The Case of the Iron C.O.P.S. and Wooden CROOKS”; “The Case of the Half-Pint Hero”; and “The Case of the Crime Nobody Heard”) along with the COPS file number. Bulletproof would narrate at the beginning of the episode as well as at the end, concluding by repeating the COPS file number and title, ending it with “Case Closed” with a “Closed” mark being stamped onto the file folder. The two exceptions are the first parts of each of the two-part episodes, “The Case of Big Boss' Master Plan” and “The Case of C.O.P.S. File #1,” where the conclusion of the episode is marked with a “Case Continued” plastered on the files.

COPS (animated TV series) COPS animated TV series Wikipedia

In the cartoon, the COPS frequently shouted, “It's Crime Fighting Time!” as a battle cry when it was time to bag the CROOKS and solve a caper. Meanwhile, the CROOKS would shout “Crime's a-wasting!” whenever they went to do another caper, whether it was pulling another heist (as in so many episodes such as “The Case of the Blur Bandits”), giving C.O.P.S. a hard time to the point of replacing (actually disposing) them for good (as in “The Case of the Big Boss' Master Plan”) or taking captive a certain individual to be held prisoner for ransom (as in “The Case of the Ransomed Rascal”).

COPS (animated TV series) COPS TV cartoon intro theme music YouTube

The music for the series was created by Shuki Levy, while the COPS theme music was written and composed by Haim Saban.

Numerous characters were featured in the cartoon that did not have action figures (including Mainframe, Brian O'Malley, Whitney Morgan, Nightshade, Ms. Demeanor, and Mirage).

COPS

COPS is short for Central Organization of Police Specialists. They were assembled in order to combat C.R.O.O.K.S. and other bad guys. Among the known members are:

Baldwin P. "Bulletproof" Vess (voiced by Ken Ryan) - The leader of COPS as well as the only COP to appear in every single episode, Baldwin P. Vess is a Federal Agent from the FBI who was called in to help take down Big Boss. During the fight, he ends up seriously injured in a car wreck and is taken to the hospital. To save his life, Mayor Davis had the research scientists from the Overdine Institute perform an operation that gives Baldwin a cybernetic torso to save his life as it would take years for his torso to recover. Going by the name "Bulletproof" due to the cybernetic torso being able to deflect bullets, Baldwin assembles a team of highly trained police officers from across the country to form COPS and stop Big Boss and his gang of crooks. His cybernetic torso as seen in the case of C.O.P.S file #1 part 2 also has the ability to interface with machines as seen when he accessed the computer on one of Big Boss's machines to stop it from crashing into Empire City. He is representative of a Police Detective or an F.B.I. Agent.

P.J. "LongArm" O'Malley (voiced by John Stocker) - P.J. O'Malley serves as a police sergeant for the Empire City Police Department. Second-in-command of COPS, he is a very compassionate officer who has the talent to convince juvenile delinquents to give up their criminal ways and become law-abiding citizens. He wears a wrist device that extends out a handcuff-like device to grab criminals escaping the law, or as an improvised grappling hook. LongArm is representative of a Beat Cop.

Rex "Bowser" Pointer (voiced by Nick Nichols) - A police officer who worked for the Chicago Police Department. He loves animals and is the handler of Blitz. Bowser is representative of a K-9 officer.

Blitz - Bowser's robotic dog who thinks like a human being.

Walker "Sundown" Calhoun (voiced by Len Carlson) - A former Texas Sheriff. He is an excellent lasso handler and sharpshooter known for conducting special investigations. Sundown is representative of a Texas Ranger.

Susie "Mirage" Young (voiced by Elizabeth Hanna) - A female police officer who worked with the San Francisco Police Department. She is known for her talented work in undercover investigations. Mirage is representative of a Vice Officer.

Sgt. Colt "Mace" Howards (voiced by Len Carlson) - A police sergeant who worked for the Philadelphia Police Department. He is known for his tactical strategies, his laser "Mazooka," and his love for a femme fatale named Nightshade. Mace is representative of a S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactical) Officer.

Dave E. "Highway" Harlson (voiced by Ray James) - A police officer who worked for the California Highway Patrol. He is a known ace cycle trooper who is not good at baking cookies. Highway is representative of a Motorcycle patrol officer.

Stan "Barricade" Hyde (voiced by Ray James) - A soft-spoken police officer who worked for the Detroit Metro. He is known for his calm demeanor, his M.U.L.E. device, and crowd control. Barricade is representative of Riot Control. He also seems to have training in Hostage Negotiation.

Donnie "Hardtop" Brooks (voiced by Darrin Baker) - A rookie police officer who works for Empire City's Police Department. He is the driver of the COPS' Ironsides vehicle and has a crush on ECTV news reporter Whitney Morgan. Hardtop is representative of a Patrol and Pursuit Officer.

Hugh S. "Bullseye" Forward (voiced by Peter Keleghan) - A police officer who worked for the Miami Police Department. He is the best police helicopter pilot on the force which earned him the nickname "Bullseye." Bullseye is representative of a Police Helicopter pilot.

Tina "Mainframe" Cassidy (voiced by Mary Long) - A police computer specialist who works for Empire City's Police Department. She is the best computer jockey ever whose talent in computer wizardry has helped solve even the most chaotic of capers. Mainframe is representative of a Police Technical Analyst.

Wayne R. "CheckPoint" Sneeden III (voiced by Ron Rubin) - A military officer who grew up in Alabama. He works for the United States Army and joins forces with COPS. Very fearful, nervous, anxious, but stays on the case with the team anyway to help get the job done. Appearing in "The Case of Mukluk's Luck", "The Case of The Iron C.O.P.S and Wooden Crooksm" and "The Case of The Red Hot Hoodlum" which had major roles in those episodes. CheckPoint's toy File Card says his "father was a member of a top-secret military team in the 80’s and 90’s", referencing G.I. Joe character Beach Head (AKA Wayne R. Sneeden). He is representative of a U.S. Army Military Police

Robin Wade (voiced by Zevi Wolmark) - A military officer who is a fifth generation career soldier. Due to his military skills, he is placed on a special duty with the C.O.P.S.

Hy "Taser" Watts (voiced by Len Carlson) - A police officer who worked with the Seattle Police Department and is known for tasering crooks who try to resist arrest. He appeared in a few episodes, but his major role was in "The Big Boss's Big Switch".

Robert E. "A.P.E.S." Waldo - A police officer who worked with the Boston Police Department. He has a pair of long grappling hand devices similar to LongArm's powercuffs. A.P.E.S. is short for Automated Police Enforcement System. He appeared in "The Case of the High Iron Hoods."

Roger "Airwave" Wilco - A police officer who worked with the Los Angeles Police Department and is a good communications expert.

Francis "Inferno" Devlin - A firefighter who worked with the San Francisco Fire Department. He appeared in a few episodes including "The Case of The Bad Luck Burglar."

Dudley "Powderkeg" Defuze - A police officer who worked with the Washington D.C. Police Department that is known for disarming and defusing bombs and other types of explosives. He helped Squeeky Kleen neutralize the Midas Glove that Squeeky wore in "The Case of the Midas Touch."

Max "Nightstick" Mulukai - A police officer who worked with the Honolulu Police Department and is an expert in martial arts. He appeared in a few episodes including "The Case of the Missing Memory."

Sherman A. "Heavyweight" Patton - A military officer who worked at Fort Leavenworth. He joined up with COPS where he serves as their A.T.A.C. (short for Armored Tactical Attack Craft) Driver.

C.R.O.O.K.S.

C.R.O.O.K.S. is an crime syndicate that commits a lot of crimes in Empire City. Among the known members are:

Brandon "Big Boss" Babel (voiced by Len Carlson) - The primary antagonist of the series. Brandon "Big Boss" Babel is a crime lord who plans to rule Empire City with an iron fist...literally and he is also a businessman while in public. He is portrayed as being obese, yet is able to walk normally.

Scratch - Big Boss' pet weasel with metal paws and cybernetic armor. He is always seen in the company of Big Boss.

Berserko (voiced by Paul De La Rosa) - Barney L. Fatheringhouse is an impulsive, dim-witted thug who is the proud nephew of Big Boss. He is called 'Berserko' because his methods are often seen as crazy or bizarre. Berserko once robbed a party supply store, wearing a mask he just bought from the same store.

Rock Krusher (voiced by Brent Titcomb) - Edmund Scarry is a super-strong thug who works for Big Boss. He often uses a heavy-duty jackhammer in order to get into bank vaults. At one point, Rock Krusher was romantically involved with Ms. Demeanor. He wears striped-clothes reminiscent of an old prisoners uniform.

Ms. Demeanor (voiced by Paulina Gillis) - Stephanie Demeanor is a middle-aged, super-strong woman with the appearance of a normal businesswoman. She works for Big Boss. Ms. Demeanor has the muscular physique of a champion bodybuilder and often gets upset when people accuse her of not being feminine.

Turbo Tu-Tone (voiced by Dan Hennessey) - Ted Stavely is a minion of Big Boss who serves as his getaway driver. He is a skilled mechanic and pilot as well. Turbo Tu-Tone was the one responsible for causing the car wreck that resulted in Baldwin P. Vess gaining a cybernetic torso.

Doctor Badvibes (voiced by Ron Rubin) - Dr. Percival "Percy" Cranial is a brilliant, though completely deranged mad scientist. Ever since he was fired from Comtrex Technologies Incorporated for stealing top secret electronics, he works for Big Boss devising inventions for his plans, and robotic minions for Big Boss's gang. Doctor Badvibes has a glass dome on top of his head which shows his abnormally large brain and is known to create literal brainstorms by charging electricity through his brainwaves to form a cloud that can produce rain, thunder, and lightning.

Buzzbomb (voiced by Ron Rubin) - A robot created by Doctor Badvibes for companionship that works for Big Boss. He has a buzzsaw on one arm and a clamper on the other. Buzzbomb also seems to have a personality that counters/compliments Doctor Badvibes in a lot of ways.

WALDO - A small robot created by Doctor Badvibes that once impersonated Bulletproof to take over and sabotage C.O.P.S.

Shifty - A shape-shifting android created by Doctor Badvibes.

Nightmare the Android - An android that was created by Doctor Badvibes.

Nightshade (voiced by Jane Schoettle) - Rafaella Diamond was born into a rich family. She ended up disowned when she turned to crime stealing expensive and exotic jewellery for the thrill of it, not out of financial needs. She now works for Big Boss and is secretly in love with Mace who reforms her after Big Boss kidnapped her younger sister to force Nightshade to pull off a major heist.

Buttons McBoomBoom (voiced by Nick Nichols) - Constantine Saunders is minion of Big Boss. He is seen wearing a red suit and fedora and carries around a violin case that hides his favorite playtoy, a deadly modified Thompson submachine gun with a scope attachment that he uses to blast away at any target at will. Buttons McBoomBoom hides underneath his suit a cybernetic torso that conceals twin machine guns with which he blasts away after he unbuttons his shirt to reveal them in the heat of battle against either the COPS or a swarm of bugs.

Squeeky Kleen (voiced by Marvin Goldhar) - Dirk McHugh is a bald and lanky criminal who serves as Big Boss' lackey. He drives Big Bosses limo, cleans his clothes, his office, and once tried to arrange a surprise birthday party for Big Boss, which Berserko ruined by trying to steal a bridge.

Koo-Koo - A time bomb expert that works for Big Boss.

Hyena - A criminal mastermind that uses prank-related gimmicks in his crime. He held a criminal contest against Big Boss to determine who will stay in Empire City and who will leave. A challenge like that caused Big Boss to orchestrate Highway's kidnapping in order to get Bulletproof and Barricade to help him. During the criminal games, COPS managed to turn the tables against Hyena and his goons and arrest them. Hyena and his henchmen later inexplicably popped up as minions of Big Boss indicating that the two of them have formed an alliance.

Bullit - Bullit is a henchman of Hyena. He wears rocket boots and a bullet-shaped helmet strong enough to break safes.

Louie the Plumber (voiced by Ron Rubin) - A plumber-themed criminal who is a henchman of Hyena. He has a mechanical left arm containing a grappling hook.

Minor criminals

Not all enemies of COPS are members of Big Boss' gang:

The Bugman – A short criminal who uses an insect-controlling device that enables him to control insects to commit his crimes after people stopped showing up to his flea circus. He joined up with Big Boss' gang, but left when he did not get a high pay. This causes Nightshade and Buttons McBoomBoom to steal Bugman's bugs and the insect-controlling device and use them in their crimes. When Mainframe and Bowser and Blitz found him after tailing Gaylord, they find out that Bugman only turned to crime because people stopped coming to see his Flea Circus meaning that he was simply desperate. They help him into regaining his insect-controlling device. Though Buttons and Nightshade are defeated, Bugman is also arrested for trying to steal jewels that the pair stole using Bugman's bugs. He was last seen restarting his flea circus in prison where his entertaining of the guards is a diversion for Gaylord who secretly makes for the keys. In "The Case of the Lesser of Two Weevils," Bugman escapes from prison when Gaylord gets captured by his rival the Boll Weevil. When Boll Weevil was defeated, Bugman and Gaylord went back to show business.

Gaylord - A weevil who is the Bugman's favorite insect. He leads Bugman's insects in Bugman's crime spree.

Joseph "Jim" Vargas - The corrupt head of City Council who was bribed by Big Boss to make the Instant Justice Machines. When the Instant Justice Machines caught Mace and Barricade trespassing in Vetrocon, he called Big Boss about what to do. When COPS storms Vetrocon, Vargas unleashes the Instant Justice Machines on them. When Mace and Barricade catch up to Vargas, he demands immunity and an offer to name names of anyone involved. Vargas even gives himself up and is sentenced to prison.

Instant Justice Machines - A bunch of robots built by Vargas in order to put COPS out of business. They act not only as police officers, but also as judges and jailers leaving the culprit trapped until a police car comes by. Some of the crimes they busted involved a man illegally parking on a spot that is only allowed on Tuesdays, a woman jaywalking, a man littering when his hat fell off in the wind while carrying groceries, and two teens speeding on their skateboards. When it came to Highway busting Ms. Demeanor, an Instant Justice Machine found her innocent of all charges. The Instant Justice Machines ended up fighting COPS when they stormed Vetrocon. Barricade even talked the Instant Justice Machine guarding him and Mac into releasing them. When Mace and Barricade end up cornering Vargas, the other Instant Justice Machines stopped their attacks. Following Vargas' arrest, most of the Instant Justice Machines were deactivated except for the one that Barricade talked into freeing him and Mace. The Instant Justice Machine in COPS' possession reappeared in "The Case of the Big Boss' Master Plan" two-part episode.

Johnny Yuma - Johnny Yuma is the former partner of Sundown who became an outlaw. He was put away by Sundown for trying to steal the money they recovered from a robbery and various train robberies. He eventually escapes from the Texas State Prison to take revenge on Sundown. When Turbo Tu-Tone sees him, he calls up Big Boss who instructs him to follow Johnny and know his every move. Sundown hears of Johnny's prison break and manages to confront him when he breaks into the cowboy museum to regain his lasso, from the Outlaws Hall of Fame. Johnny manages to lasso Sundown to a robotic bull. As Johnny heads out to rob the Silver Bullet Express, Turbo Tu-Tone trails him and turns on the robotic bull to stall Sundown. Upon being tipped off by Turbo Tu-Tone, Big Boss sends Berserko, Rock Krusher, and Buttons McBoomBoom to recruit Johnny Yuma. When the three rendezvous with Turbo Tu-Tone to recruit Johnny Yuma into Big Boss' gang, Johnny Yuma tells them that he works alone and defeats them. Johnny then leaves to go rob the Silver Bullet Express prompting Berserko to lead the Turbo Tu-Tone, Rock Krusher, and Buttons McBoomBoom into robbing it first. Sundown manages to catch up to Johnny Yuma on the Silver Bullet Express and ends up fighting him until Big Boss' minions crash the fight. After Berserko, Turbo Tu-Tone, Rock Krusher, and Buttons McBoomBoom were defeated, Johnny Yuma agrees to return to jail to finish his sentence which led to an early release due to good behavior. He now works as a deputy in a small Texas town.

Small Guy - A pint-sized criminal who ran his own gang.

Jenny Wringer - A female con artist.

Big Momma - An old lady who is Big Boss's mother and Berserko's grandmother. She is blind to the fact that her son is not as skinny as she thought to have been. When she once visited Empire City to visit her son, Big Boss had to cover up his criminal side by stating that he is a philanthropist and even started an orphanage with his henchmen posing as orphans. Due to his mother being around, he was not able to successfully steal the money and had to donate it to charity. In "The Case of the Lost Boss," she secretly moves to Kansas and orchestrates her son's kidnapping before he can plan a heist on Stargy Island's diamond mines. Big Momma's kidnapping of Big Boss caused his henchman to blame the COPS for Big Boss' disappearance causing them to capture Barricade. Berserko tails the COPS when they run into Big Momma and informs Doctor Badvibes that Big Boss is at Big Momma's apartment. The C.R.O.O.K.S managed to swipe Big Boss from Big Momma's apartment so that they can get on with their plans to take over Stargy Island. COPS thwarted Big Boss' plans causing him to escape with Big Momma.

Mukluk - A tricky Canadian thief.

Boll Weevil - An insect-themed villain. He once captured Gaylord causing Bugman to escape from prison to get him back.

Addictem - A drug dealer who was selling Crystal Twists that were causing people to become addicted to them. He tried to join Big Boss' gang only to be denied since Big Boss does not deal in drugs. Because of Addictem spreading his Crystal Twist drugs across Empire City and Berserko falling into a Crystal Twist crate trying to steal a cache of Mayan Gold, Big Boss and his gang had to team up with COPS to stop Addictem's drug ring. When Addictem was chased into the hospital and grabbed by Berserko, Addictem surrendered to COPS to evade getting beaten up by Berserko. Addictem was sentenced to life in prison and those who were affected by the Crystal Twists are recovering from them. Big Boss and his gang went right back to crime after his capture.

Supporting characters

Mayor Davis - The mayor of Empire City.

Commissioner Highwaters - The female police commissioner of Empire City.

Whitney Morgan (voiced by Jeri Craden) - ECTV top Reporter who is referred to as the prettiest reporter in Empire City.

Beamer - Whitney Morgan's camera robot.

Brian O'Malley - LongArm's son.

Minor characters

Judge Davis - Mayor Davis' twin brother.

Linda O'Malley - LongArm's wife.

Mickey O'Malley - LongArm's dad.

President of the United States - An unnamed African-American female.

Suds Sparko - A criminal put away by Mickey O’Malley in the 1990s, who later became Rock Krusher’s cell mate. Before he was arrested he was able to hide his loot in a laundromat.

Brannigan - Mayor Davis' assistant who's revealed to be a spy for Big Boss.

Prince Baddin - A bratty spoiled foreign prince who was kidnapped for ransom by Big Boss's men.

Nancy and Kathleen - Nightshade's sisters.

Greasy - A cellmate of Rock Krusher's at Greystone Prison.

Audrey Ferrer -

Samantha - A tomboy who helps the COPS out during an investigation Doctor Badvibes' circus.

Captain Crimefighter - Cindy Johnson is a teenage girl who dreams of being a superhero. She assisted the C.O.P.S. in one of their cases.

Inspector Yukon - A police inspector attached to the RCMP. First appeared in "The Case of the Iceberg Pirates", Yukon's mission was to transport an aid package from the Canadian government to replenish Empire City's depleted water reserves.

Agent Belson - An Executive Protection Unit agent (this show's version of the Secret Service).

Brandon Welch Master 5000 -

Episodes

On February 28, 2006, Shout! Factory and Sony BMG Music Entertainment released C.O.P.S.- Volume 1, a 4-disc boxset featuring the first 22 episodes on DVD in Region 1. It includes concept art, storyboard-to-screen, and some of the original PSAs that were shown after the episodes. Volume 2 featuring 21 episodes was released as a Shout! Factory select title, available exclusively through their online store.

In October 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that they had acquired the rights to the series and would be releasing it in its entirety. They subsequently released Volume 1, featuring the first 32 episodes of the series, on February 15, 2011. Volume 2, featuring the remaining 33 episodes, was released on September 13, 2011.

In both the Shout! Factory and Mill Creek Entertainment volume 1 sets, Part 1 of "The Case of C.O.P.S. File #1" has the two introduction scenes of Highway and Sundown excised from the episode. The three-episode DVD single, C.O.P.S.—Fighting Crime in a Future Time, released by Sterling on November 13, 2003, does have the footage, however.

In some markets, a 60-minute preview broadcast, possibly of one of the two-part stories, aired as early as September 9, and new episodes ran through February 20, 1989.

C.O.P.S. for Kids

At the end of each episode of C.O.P.S., a special Public service announcement (PSA) segment known as C.O.P.S. for Kids is shown either in animated form featuring the C.O.P.S. and CROOKS or in live action form with real-life police officers giving kids information about safety issues. These included staying away from drugs, gangs, how to be safe at home and on the street, and how to help in preventing crime. Each and every C.O.P.S. for Kids segment was made with the blessing and assistance of organizations like DARE, the National Crime Prevention Council and the California Highway Patrol. These segments were omitted from some international broadcasts of the show.

C.O.P.S. 'N' Crooks

C.O.P.S 'n' Crooks was originally created by John Fertig while working at toy invention studio Marvin Glass and Associates. It was first known as Police Man, however an unsuccessful attempt to market it under this name led to an idea session between Wayne Kuna and Dennis O'Patka. Their collaboration revived the concept into "C.O.P.S. 'N' Crooks", at which point it was shown to Hasbro and successfully licensed in 1987.

C.O.P.S ’n’ Crooks was produced by Hasbro and sold between 1988 and 1989. These figures are made up of police and criminals of the future and uses the tagline: "Fighting Crime in a Future Time."

In the packages containing the C.O.P.S. figures, only the C.O.P.S. logo is shown while the packages containing the CROOKS figure adds the phrase "N'CROOKS" next to the logo. Each figure, fully articulated and poseable, standing about six inches tall on the average. Each figure came with cap gun accessories, which simulated the firing of weapons; a trigger could be pulled to activate a cap gun strip, causing a spark and a popping noise.

Each figure also had a file card printed on the back of the package that contained a biography of the character. These file cards were written by Larry Hama, who also wrote the file cards for Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline. The artwork made for each package is illustrated by Bart Sears, Mark Pennington, and McNabb Studios. Because Hasbro also owned the rights to G.I. Joe and Transformers, some of the character names used in both toylines were also used in C.O.P.S. such as "Roadblock" and "Airwave". The codename "Bullet-Proof" would be reused for an unrelated character in G.I. Joe's Drug Elimination Force sub-line in 1992.

Several female characters (namely Mainframe, Nightshade, Mirage, and Ms. Demeanor) appeared in the cartoon and the comics, but were never released as action figures. Big Boss's servant, Squeeky Kleen, was never made into a figure either.

Comic books

C.O.P.S. (Central Organization of Police Specialists) was a fifteen-issue comic book series created based on a Hasbro toy line. The series was written by Doug Moench and published by DC Comics.

The Case of COPS File #1 – BadVibes

Dr. BadVibes join forces with Big Boss and his gang of Crooks and creates a device that shakes buildings to the ground. Special Agent Baldwin P. Vess arrives in Empire City to experience the following: get blown up by an attack made by Turbo Tu-tone and Rock Krusher on the 647 Precinct (A.K.A. "Purgatory"), fixed with a cybernetic torso, apprehending Berserko, and forming a team of the best law enforcers there is in the country known as C.O.P.S. (Central Organization of Police Specialists). Together, Baldwin Vess (Code name: Bulletproof) and his C.O.P.S. team, with the help of Donny Brooks in his armored assault vehicle and Tina Cassidy in front of the terminal, destroys the vibrating machine built by Dr. BadVibes at an old abandoned sewage plant, thwarting the first of many of Big Boss' crooked plans. As a result, Bulletproof graciously welcomed Tina (Codename: Mainframe) and Donny (Codename: Hardtop) to the C.O.P.S. team.

The Case of the COPS File #2 – The Long Cuff of the Law

Big Boss takes revenge on Longarm by sending Buttons McBoomBoom to harass his family. Longarm (P.J. O'Malley), after learning about what happened, goes after and arrests McBoomBoom.

The Case of COPS File #3 – The Vibe Piper of Empire City

Dr. BadVibes unleashes an army of mechanical rats to free all of the inmates at the Empire City Prison. His plan is thwarted by C.O.P.S. officers Highway (Dave E. Harlson) and Sgt. Mace (Colt Howards), who shoots his laser bazooka and destroys Buzzbomb while stopping the parade of crooks who were making their way out of prison, only to get stopped in their tracks by Highway. Meanwhile, Buttons McBoomBoom escapes.

The Case of the COPS File #4 – Sundown Hates Bugs!

Like Buttons McBoomBoom in the cartoon, Sundown (Walker Calhoun) in the comics hates bugs. Big Boss takes advantage of this and sends Ms. Demeanor to plant all over the 647th Precinct mechanical bugs to serve as radio transmitters that will send out messages to Big Boss about what's going on with the C.O.P.S. However, thanks to Bowser (Rex Pointer) who turns on his electric razor to shave his mustache only to pick up the signal coming from the bugs, the C.O.P.S. found out all about it. At once, the C.O.P.S. team located the bugs and destroy them. Then they geared up to defend the precinct from the attacks from the crooks who laid siege on the precinct to get their hands on the 5 million dollars in cash the C.O.P.S. are assigned to guard. The C.O.P.S., however, stopped the broadcast and defeated the Crooks while Ms. Demeanor carries out a much different plan to usurp Big Boss and become the new crime lord of Empire City.

The Case of COPS File #5 – A Bowser and his Blitz

Rock Krusher destroys Blitz, leaving Bowser deeply traumatized. Bowser reminisces about Blitz and his first dog Maxie while the lab boys rebuild Blitz. Bowser decides to avenge Blitz by going after Dr. BadVibes and Rock Krusher. Blitz broke loose after being rebuilt and joins Bowser in taking down Rock Krusher and send him behind bars.

The Case of COPS File #6 – Ms. Demeanor’s Capital Crime

Big Boss fakes a vacation to secretly transfer some stolen loot hidden in a mechanical fish from one area to another. Ms Demeanor also got into the act only to catch a real fish while Big Boss catches another mechanical fish with counterfeit money inside that burst into flames and Highway and Mainframe nets the real catch with the real money inside.

The Case of COPS File #7 – Rogue Cop! and The Case of COPS File #8 – Rogue Cop II The TRAMPLUR Rampant!
Both C.O.P.S. and Crooks encounters a crooked cop named Paxton Dern, also known as Rouge, and his robotic elephant, T.R.A.M.P.L.U.R. (Titanic Radio Activated Multi-Purpose Laserized Urban Ravager) who wants to not only go after the Crooks, but go after the COPS as well.

The Case of the COPS file #9 – The Big Krush

C.O.P.S. goes after Rock Krusher who has escaped from prison and swipes a jackhammer he stole from a construction site and uses it as a weapon. He was able to take control of a military robot factory and used the robots made there to destroy the C.O.P.S. Fortunately, Mace was there to destroy the robots and free the hostages held inside the factory. Krusher, however, escaped.

The Case of the COPS file #10 – Week of the Good BadVibes

Thanks to some mishap brought on by Rock Krusher, Dr. BadVibes becomes a good person and agrees to join on the side of C.O.P.S. and become a law enforcer. As he rebuilds Buzzbomb and brought him back to life after his robot companion was destroyed by Mace in Issue 3, then rebuilt and destroyed once again by T.R.A.M.P.L.U.R. in Issue 7, BadVibes helps the C.O.P.S. team thwart a week-long crimewave Big Boss is planning. But his goodness is short lived thanks to another mishap that occurred when Berserko threw a silver ingot at Barricade (Stan Hyde), only for him to deflect it with his shield, sending it ricocheting right back at BadVibes, conking him in the head and bringing the mad scientist back to his old self again.

The Case of the COPS file #11 – Barricading the Man

To redeem himself, BadVibes captures Barricade and put him in the arena where Barricade is forced to go after an army of rioting robots as entertainment for Big Boss. But Barricade, to maintain his calm, cool behavior, goes after the Crooks instead.

The Case of the COPS File #12 – The Bride of Berserko

Ms. Demeanor tries to marry Berserko as an attempt to usurp Big Boss again, only to have a major, unpleasant, face changing experience and a much literal, stronger status, no thanks to BadVibes, who was ordered by Big Boss to make her much dumber than Berserko. But the experiment never worked out as planned. She called the wedding off just after she punched Berserko in the face, sending him crashing into a large wedding cake.

The Case of the COPS File #13 – T.H.U.G.S.

Dr. BadVibes created 5 coneheaded robots, a reminiscent of the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live, known as T.H.U.G.S. (Titanium Humanoid Ugly Goon Squad) to commit 5 different robberies at the same time, only for the robots to get fried by Blitz and be sent to the nearest scrap recycling center by the orders of the judge. BadVibes: [sobbing] "My poor T.H.U.G.G.I.E. W.U.G.G.I.E.S!"

The Case of COPS File #14 – Buttons on a Vess

A jealous crook named Drago wants revenge on Bulletproof for an incident involving a certain "person" who was named "Lucille" that happened years ago, when Drago was a kid growing up in Washington D.C. along with Bulletproof. So, he went to Big Boss and got his permission to use Buttons McBoomBoom to help him carry out his vengeful plan. That night, Bulletproof had a nightmare about his past that goes like this:

Bulletproof, as a child back in his hometown, was riding his bike when he saw the streets, the building, and everything else melting right before his eyes. Next thing he knew, he was falling into a void of darkness and landed on the ground with a thud. When he got up a bit, he found himself having a cybernetic armor chest on him and wondering what was happening to his hometown. Suddenly he heard guns blazing. He turned around and look at a skull bullet design being made by none other than Buttons McBoomBoom who kicked the door open and utters, "Hi Kid." and "Bye Kid." just as he opened the chest to reveal his twin machine gun torso that he fires at his target....and Bulletproof wakes up in cold sweat.

Not having a good day as a result, he stews in his office trying to figure out if it was a nightmare or a premonition (He does not believe in premonitions.). Finally as night approaches, Bulletproof took to the streets and winds up chasing a getaway car driven by Drago with Buttons McBoomBoom inside. When the car stops, out popped Buttons who gave Bulletproof a chase while ripping his shirt and trenchcoat apart with his machine gun bullets. When he finally took him down, Buttons let Drago have at it with him. Drago reveals himself to Bulletproof and told him why he wanted his revenge on him for getting back Lucille just after Drago has stole her from him. Drago, with vengeance almost his, orders McBoomBoom to finish him off. But McBoomBoom refuses to kill him. He prefers to let his targets live after he breaks him down. McBoomBoom leaves, leaving Drago to try to take care of Bulletproof himself. But Bulletproof got the best of him, pounding him down with his fists, vowing he will never be broken no matter how many nightmares McBoomBoom throws at him.

In the end as Drago, who has now lost his sanity over Lucille, is being led away to prison, Longarm just had to ask Bulletproof about Lucille. Was it really a fight over a woman named Lucille? "Not quite, Longarm." Bulletproof replied. "Lucille was a bike." Longarm got a kick out of that one.

The Case of the COPS File #15 – Operation: Big Bust!

Mainframe while doing her daily routine at the terminal makes a surprising discovery of multiple parking tickets that have not been paid by the Big Boss himself. This reminds the C.O.P.S. team how Al Capone was brought in for tax evasion, thus giving them the opportunity needed to get out there and bring Big Boss to justice once and for all. At once they mobilize on Big Boss's penthouse and give the crooks a gunfight they will never soon forget. The crooks desperately fight back, but inevitably they rack up more offenses to the point where in the end, they are all arrested and taken into custody, including Big Boss.

Broadcast

C.O.P.S. was released into syndication in 1988. The program was re-titled Cyber C.O.P.S. and re-run on CBS from March 27 to September 4, 1993. It was re-run again on the USA Network from January 2 to March 9, 1995 under its original title.

Reception

Hal Erickson, author of Television Cartoon Shows, An Illustrated Encyclopedia stated that "C.O.P.S. had potential — though it was a potential left unrealized by the dishearteningly flat animation style." Erickson noted that C.O.P.S. "scored with a sturdy inner lining of social satire" such as Mayor Davis' cost-cutting attempts that would unwittingly aid the cause of the villain". IGN gave the show a rating of three out of ten, stating that "to fully appreciate this series one must have a tolerance for clunky, mechanical animation (the kind that says "We really didn't spend too much money on it") and a love for '80s-style action;" and that "it offers little in terms of character development. I mean, all any kid needs to know is the C.O.P.S are the good guys and Big Boss and crew are the bad guys. Beyond that, the cartoon does offer one element to behold: its emphasis on gadgetry.".

References

COPS (animated TV series) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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