REVIEW INDEX: Microman/Micronauts

It's a rare treat when one can pin an exact date upon something that at first seems trivial yet gains later gravity. Thankfully I'm able to do just that with the day I bought my first Micronaut: I remember buying a Time Traveler on a day-trip to York then coming home and watching the first episode of The Man from Atlantis.  All in all, September 24th 1977 was a good day to be me.

I remember as a kid being obsessed with the details of my Time Traveler Micronauts - how poseable these tiny little spacemen were, how their chest panels popped-out and how the sunlight would pass through them if you held them up to the window.  To this day, I'm a sucker for semi-transparent toys and I'm sure it was this early experience with Micronauts that formed this, well, obsession.

I'd spend hours just flying my Micronauts around (in our play universe, the L-connector was transformed into a rocket pack when inserted into their backs), assembling my Mobile Exploration Lab into all manner of new configurations, firing Micronauts out of the Astrostation launcher or coveting the exotic-looking figures shown on the back of the pack... Space Glider... Galactic Warrior... and of course, Acroyear...  I've only recently learned that Airfix didn't import the full range  of Micronaut figures into the UK but also didn't bother to change the packaging.  I wonder how many other kids spent fruitless hours searching local shops for these figures!

Needless to say, I was never able to find an Acroyear.  Or any other figures - with the exception of the mysterious Pharoid, who was clearly King of the Micronauts.  Later came Baron Karza and Andromeda (my cousin had the Force Commander and Oberon, both of which I thought too much like a Stormtrooper to be cool) and a host of other vehicles.

And then as I grew older, so I put them all aside.

That was, until about five years ago.  Spending another dull lunchtime in the office, on a whim I decided to search to see if there were any sites dedicated to my favourite childhood toy.  Details were scarce, but I found two sites.  Inner Space Online and, through that, Microman Forever.  I discovered the history of my Micronauts and the link between them and an earlier toy I'd owned, the Denys Fisher Cyborg, Muton and Android toys (which I further learned to be a repackaging of Takara's Henshin Cyborg.)

And then something clicked in my mind: during a visit to my (then) local comicbook store, I'd seen a new Microman on their shelves!  I recall at the time the figure had seemed interesting to me, but I'd barely paid it any attention, as it never occured to me that this figure could be the from the same line as the ones I'd played with as a child.

Although the figure I'd seen (a Skymaster Hyate, I later worked-out) was gone, I was fortunate enough to pick-up a Microsister Shion and a Magneforce Achilles.  And as luck would have it, I had a small box of Micronauts sitting in my attic...

My collection has grown and through it, I've rediscovered my love of collectable toys.  As an adult I can now appreciate the aesthetics of their design, the intricacies of their construction and - best of all - as I'm now taller, my Micronauts can fly higher...

CHECKLIST
The following is a list of all Microman/Micronaut and related toys a I own. Please note that none of these toys are for sale! This list is provided simply to give some insight into my collection.

Vintage Micronauts
Mobile Exploration Lab
Astrostation
Ultronic Scooter
Hornetroid
Terraphant (Incomplete)
Neon Orbiter (Incomplete)
Hydrocopter (Incomplete)
Assorted Parts from a Thorium Orbiter, Aquatron and other misc. pieces.

Pallisades Micronauts
Black/Gold Time Traveler
Green/Silver Space Glider
Black/Clear Acroyear
Clear Membros
Time Traveler Medic (with Med-Pod)
Blue/Black Centaurus
Green/Red Repto
Blue/Red Red Falcon

''Classic'' Microman Replicas
M102 ''Barefoot'' Jack
M112 Barnes
M154 Microcommand Evan
M171 Microcommand Takuya

Microforce 2004 Series

Masterforce
MF2-01 Skymaster Hyate
MF2-02 Groundmaster Alan
MF2-03 Divermaster Roberto
MF2-04 Automaster Ryan

Acroyear-X
AX-11 AcroScorl
AX-12 AcroCleve
AX-13 AcroVoltech
AX-14 AcroBiom

Microlady
ML1-01CommanderLady Diane
ML1-02 NinjaLady Shina

Acrolady
AL-11 AcroVena
AL-12 AcroDita

Biomachine
BM-01 Mirror and Microman Xeku
BM-02 Stinger and Microman Godoh
BM-03 Tiger and Microman Hack
BM-04 Kong and Microman Trinity

Military Force
MF4-03 Lava Planet

Acroyear X-2
AX-21 AcroPhantom
AX-22 AcroMedalg
AL-21 AcroElsa
AL-22 AcroPlana

Microforce 2005 Series

Magne-Micromen
MGM-01 Achilles
MGM-02 Theseus
MGM-03 Icurus

Magne-Acroyear
MGA-01 Phobos
MGA-02 Atlas
MGA-03 Metis

Road Spartan
RS-01 Machslugger with Kaito
RS-02 Ridepython with Ryu
RS-03 Delta Phantom with Thunder
RS-04 Side Caliber with Ray

Micro-Sisters
MS-01 El
MS-02 Shion
MS-03 Ran
MS-04 Orga

Microforce 2006 Series
Microman Assassins Force
AF-11 Microman Shouma
AF-12 Microman Kyoushiro
AF-13 Microlady Yume

Acroyear XADO
AX-41 AcroHidou
AX-42 AcroMuzan
AL-41 AcroSetsuna

MicroLady 2
ML2-01 MicroLady Marl
ML2-02 MicroLady Eriss
AL-51 AcroGarula
AL-52 AcroSpiria

Related Toys
Henshin Collection 05 - Henshin Cyborg as Devilman
Denys Fisher Cyborg (Missing original arms and legs, replaced with clip-on weapons)
Denys Fisher Android (Missing one arm, replaced with clip-on weapon)
Denys Fisher Android Zerconators Set
Denys Fisher Muton (Missing both arms and feet)
Denys Fisher Muton Torg Subform Costume (Complete)
Denys Fisher Muton Amulak Subform Costume (Incomplete)
Denys Fisher Cyborg Cybo-Invader Ship (Broken Dome)
Denys Fisher Cyborg Cybo-Interceptor (Missing missiles)

There's a great article at Plaid Stallions for those unfamiliar with Denys Fisher's take on the line.

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