Exciting news for Micronauts fans (myself included): Hasbro has licensed Mego's beloved seventies toy line to the fine folks at Super7. The Micronauts attained a cult following and were briefly resurrected by Palisades Toys in 2002.
“The return of Micronauts really represents what Hasbro and our licensing business are all about – bringing unique interactive fun and collectible experiences for fans across multiple generations,” Marianne James, Senior Vice President, Global Licensing at Hasbro, tells IGN.
“The team at Super7 have done an incredible job reintroducing the line for a new generation while capturing what made the original 1970s lineup so special. We look forward to exploring even more licensing opportunities with world-class partners like Super7 to give fans unique offerings from the brand like never before.”
The Micronauts, Mego’s rebranded name for Microman in the US, was a storied interchangeable toy line from Takara (the Japanese toy company that would go on to create Transformers).
The 3½ inch action figures and accessories scaled perfectly with Kenner’s Star Wars toys, so they inhabited a shared universe in my childhood bedroom. Ironic, as Mego infamously passed on Star Wars. Incidentally, Mego reused Microman tooling for Disney’s The Black Hole and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century toys, which I also collected.
Super7 co-founder and CEO Brian Flynn says,
"As kids, Micronauts were undeniably some of the coolest action figures ever made. Their clear bodies and interchangeable pieces were like nothing else, and their fantastical designs were out of this world (in space!) and ignited imaginations everywhere. From the colossal Biotron and the magnetic Baron Karza to the dynamic Microtron and the translucent Time Travellers, Micronauts had it all - from aliens to robots to heroes! Being able to revisit the fantastical world of Micronauts with the same childhood excitement is nothing short of a dream come true for all of us here at Super7."
Marvel Comics released a tie-in comic (reprinted in Star Wars Weekly and Future Tense) following the adventures of Commander Rann (my Xbox Gamertag) and his battle with the evil Baron Karza. The latter, a Darth Vader lookalike, was a cherished holiday gift in 1978.
The original comic book series is being reprinted in partnership between Marvel Comics and Hasbro. The omnibus editions are available
here (affiliate link).
In June 2016, Hasbro announced a limited edition Micronauts Classic Collection toy set. The San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) exclusive included three Micronauts: Galactic Warrior, Pharoid and Orbital Defender, and featured packaging artwork by artist Ken Kelly.
The first wave of Micronauts action figures from Super7's ReAction+ line features the villainous Baron Karza and heroic Biotron with 12 points of articulation and an O-Ring construction. In the future, I'd like to see Acroyear and Force Commander.
Will you be collecting these Micronauts action figures? Which Micronauts would you like to see re-released by Super7? The fate of the Microverse is literally in your hands. Let me know in the comments below.
