The is a
metaseries of
manga and
tokusatsu television programs and films created by manga artist
Shotaro Ishinomori. The various Kamen Rider media generally feature a
motorcycle-riding
superhero with an
insect motif who fights
supervillains often referred to as . The franchise began in 1971 with the
Kamen Rider television series which followed college student
Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering
Shocker organization. Over the years, the popularity of the franchise has grown and the original series has spawned many television and theatrical sequels, and launched the "Second Kaiju Boom" or "Henshin Boom" on Japanese television in the early 1970s, greatly impacting the superhero and action-adventure genre in Japan.