I've Been AFK, but I've got some M.U.S.C.L.E to back me up !!

M.U.S.C.L.E. (Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere)

From 1985 to 1988, Mattel released about 236 2 inch PVC wrestling figures in the US derived from a Japanese line called Kinkeshi. Kinkeshi were based on a manga and anime called Kinnikuman.

As shown below, the main hero is Muscleman. He leads the Thug Busters. The bad guy is Terri Bull, leader of the Cosmic Crunchers !!

I had no idea until now that the rest of the figures in the line all have names too ! (Thanks Nathan's M.U.S.C.L.E. Blog)

I had piles of these guys back in the day ! Only the pink ones though, I didn't know about the other colors til I acquired these guys recently. I actually used to wrestle them against each other. Wrestling Mania was full upon me back then. I could take any figure and create matches with them. These guys were perfect for it ! The memories of scanning each pack to find the "cool" looking one that had a good wrestling pose that I could use in a match ! The best part was I could always afford a pack or two cause they were cheap enough !

 

Upon researching these little pink gems I have found all kinds of nostalgia, mostly seeing a lot of the ones I had as a kid. Looks like I'll be starting a bit of a M.U.S.C.L.E. collection now !

Pulsar: Mattel's Ultimate Man of Adventure and Enigma ...

Remember Pulsar ? I know you do ! He was Mattel's answer to the Six Million Dollar Man line. Released in 1977 (even though he is stamped 1976), and billed as "The Ultimate Man of Adventure", Pulsar was a toy that had a lot of quirky features but little backstory. The box had a few catchphrases, but there was never a comic, cartoon, or any real support. I guess they left it up to your imagination what exactly he was and why he so "gifted".

Standing in at a massive 14 inches tall, Pulsar is imposing to sat the least. He is built like a tank and looks to be an older gentleman. A cool spandex jumpsuit that forms to his sculpted body with big white plastic boots adorn this guy. The figure sports some great detail and is really crafted well.

 

Here is where it gets weird .......

 

His head pops open and reveals a clear brain cavity that houses a sort of odd looking brain that holds two "mission discs". Apparently these discs are Holographic Mission Discs that I assume transfer information to him. The discs themselves are cool and spin around on a peg in his cranial cavity, but they do not do much else. The brain has a recess in it that I always thought should have held something, I think I put a Playdoh brain there at one time. Now looking at it, it just accommodates the hinge and band that open his head.

Pulsar's second feature is a clear chest cavity that reveals his circulatory system and groin. There is a button recessed in his back that you can push in and out that acts as a bellows. The pumping action expands and contracts his lungs/heart, while circulating liquid in his intestines. While this is a cool feature to play with, I cant imagine how this would help him at all. The fact that his reproductive system is missing is cause for concern. But it looks cool.

 

The third feature is probably the oddest. There are holes in the back of his head. While they are probably there to let the breathing action work, I imagine they were drilled in to let the "demons" out ! I remember someone explaining that they let the air out when you pumped him, but as a kid I was unconvinced. I talked and breathed through those holes like they were some sort of "Play Feature." Gross now that I think of it ......

 

Typical of the era, the figure is very solid and sturdy (even though mine has a broken hand, I'll need to get a new arm). There is limited articulation. Shoulders, knees elbows and neck move, but the lack of hand articulation is a huge downfall. His hands are stuck in a open Karate chop pose that allows no utility other than chopping his adversaries. Even a Hard Plastic Kung Fu grip would have been helpful. The jumpsuit is well made and durable. The lack of ankle articulation makes his pants difficult to maneuver on or off. The Hologram discs are cool but probably got sucked into vacuums quickly.

 

 

His shoes are pretty cool though. Instead of the "slip on" action that was common for the time, these hinge at the arch and snap together at the top. They are pretty easy to take on and off, but remain in place throughout tough play.

 

 

As a comparable, here is Pulsar in comparison to Steve Austin: taller and built thicker.

I had Pulsar early in the 70's and immediately he was an adversary of the Six Million Dollar Man. I never had Bigfoot (I was afraid of it), and only Maskatron was there to take on Mr. Austin, so Pulsar played the role. Stand alone, Pulsar is a weird toy that has no real use but as a supplement to the Six Million Dollar Man toys, he fits in good.

 

This figure is from a bygone era that is not likely to come back again. Big toys that were able to be played hard with. The price point back then was reasonable, but the lack of articulation and support of this line speaks of Mattel trying to keep the figure cheap enough to mass produce. My Pulsar got a lot of use beating up Steve Austin and my 12" Han Solo and I'm glad I now have him again in my collection. Now on to Ebay to find a new arm .....

Clash of the Titans Thallo is fear Personified !!!

Clash of the Titans was released in 1981 to Big Screens across America. After the success of the movie, a toy line had to be produced ! Mattel was chosen to produce the Action Figure recreations of the characters of the movie. While the toy line was nice, for the era, I can only lament what would have happened with this line if it was produced by a better toymaker.

THALLO. The name rings fear in the hearts of ..... um ... someone. Maybe Giant Scorpions. Calibos's pitchfork ...

 

The figure is a decent likeness of Tom Pigott-Smith and it's fairly well detailed considering it was produced in '81.



 

Thallo came with a Sword and Shield. Unfortunately, they were not movie accurate, but that's not a big complaint. The sword is sculpted nicely with a good bit of detail. The shield incorporates two clamps on the back to attach to his arm and is sculpted well too. The eagle design is pretty intricate for a 3 3/4 scale figure of that era. Mattel could have included his Whip/Fly Swatter, but you cant have everything.

 

I have to admit, I like Thallo a lot. I used him the most out of all the Clash figures and I had all the action figures of this line. I incorporated him into Dungeons and Dragons play pretty easily. Of course I wanted the Kraken ...... I usually used Thallo as a God that takes human form to fight alongside the mortals while dungeon delving. I know, Perseus was there, but I liked Thallo's Roman look.

One problem I have is the line should have been produced by a better toymaker. There are so many more figures and accessories that could have been incorporated. An Ammon with Bubo, the Stygian Witches and Medusa come to mind. A "Gods" set and maybe Calibos's lair.....

What could have been ..... None the less, Thallo is a nice figure. I do take into consideration that in 1981 there wasn't much emphasis on action figure quality so when looked at through that perspective, Thallo and the line as a whole really stands out.

 

Like this ? Click this Link to read what I wrote about Perseus from the Clash line:

 

Clash of the Titans Perseus

Iron Man, Iron Man, friendly neighborhood Iron Man !!

Iron Man from the Marvel Secret Wars line circa 1984. I remember wanting one of these quite a bit but never getting it til a few years ago.

By far my favorite Iron Man figure.

I was a huge fan of the Iron Man comic pre #200 and this figure is a great representation of the red and gold version armor.

 

 That's the face of a hero!
This figure is perfect.....



Just don't get out of line!!!

Iron Man: "Originally I came with a gun....but threw it away cause I don't need it."

Punisher: "I got a gun right here.."

Iron Man: "I got a boot right here."

Iron Man: "Got myself a new utility belt!"

Originally Iron Man came with a shield and a gun.....I guess Mattel figured that Iron Man needed some accessories but for me I don't need em. I snagged this guy sans accessories and display him like Stan Lee intended. Gold,Bold and Invincible.