I'm trying to find an anime movie I watched when I was younger; I believe I first watched it in 90/91. The story revolved around the recruitment and training of a group that would pilot a mecha that was similar to Voltron in that each pilot controlled a portion of the mecha that would merge into a bigger mecha. Points that I remember:
- Started on Earth
- Program was government funded
- One of the pilots was related to the creator of the program, I think a female
- Mecha had chain weapon and a sword that was summoned from it's superhero-like chest icon. Killing blow was an m or w shape
- Ended with father/creator of mecha? being kidnapped by the aliens and used as human shield to deter attack on alien vessel