[AkibaSilver]

Kamen Rider X - Episodes 22-25:

So we open with the "Historical Villains" arc, where we get a new main villain, and a new design. I don't know if the writing team was just out of Ancient Greek mythology, or this was always planned. In any case, we open with

#1 - The Terrible Giant! King Dark Appears!
This is the best episode of Kamen Rider X so far. Not because of King Dark - he's interesting certainly, being a giant animatronic puppet villain, but because of Genghis Khan Condor. Who is also a vampire who can spit fire. The plot just has so many twists to it - a couple stumbling across King Dark's random cave hideout, theh girl being turned into a vampire by "the reincarnated monster form of Genghis Khan!, that girl turning out to be Chiko and Mako's best friend because of course, them being turned into vampires, Keisuke not figuring out what's happened to them until they turn Tachibana in a vampire too, Keisuke being bitten and vampirised... except:

Keisuke, is, of course, immune to vampire viruses. He then detonates Genghis Khandor. I cannot get to you how much I enjoyed this episode. It's a pure 70's rollercoaster. Showa forever.

23 - King Dark! The Demon's Invention
Surprise! A plot arc! Some scientist working for GOD, because apparently they're the number one recruiter for post-grad STEM in Japan at this point, is trying to hide his new invention from them because they'd use it for evil. Keisuke has to protect the dude's kid from GOD, so this one is a more predictable affair. Toad Goemon is fine, but I'm not Japaneese, I don't have the cultural background to be able to say if this is as bizarre as Genghis Khandor. My experience with Goemon is, uh...
It's all going quite well, the scientist is saved, Keisuke has Part One of the blueprints, right up until the scientist gets a Tomahawk in the back. Oh dear.

Episode 24 - Revenge Demon Geronimo! The Silent Attack!
So, uhh, Salamander Geronimo here has a squad of "Native American" archers to fire upon children. He has war drum backing. He makes the war cry, you know the one. It's not what you would call a sensitive treatment of a minority group. And the episode itself isn't the strongest. It's the first in a plot arc of GOD and Keisuke trying to find the 8 missing pieces to the now deceased scientist's Energy Converter. Some kid has it, Keisuke has to protect the kid, there's nothing super notable. Except at the end, where, after Salamander Geronimo's explosion (Is Geronimo seen as a villain by history? I'm British, this is 100% not my area of expertise), the part is swiped away, by a beetle! GOD gets a victory!

Episode 25 - The Mysterious Thief, Rhinoceros Beetle Lupin!

Part 2 of the map is sent to some very weird scientist who tattoos it on a pair of children's backs with his Alpha Ray Machine. Because why not? The villain this time is Lupin, who was totally a real person, and he doesn't do much heisting, mainly just going for GOD's usual tactic of kidnapping children. A decent episode.