OUTER SPACE MEN, Part 2

Orbitron

Continued from my last post on the Four Horsemen resurrection of  Mel Birnkrant's Outer Space Men line, Orbitron, Man From Uranus has the kind of Atomic Age feel this line typifies, and is pretty much the Metalunan from This Island Earth. The pink and metallic copper color combo stands apart from my other Outer Space Men and reinforces the pop-retro appeal of these figures. His slender buck makes him a natural companion to Gamma-X for parts swapping, utilizing the Glyos joints system these figures are outfitted with.

Gemini

This shorter 3 1/4" Outer Space Man offers offers yet more anatomical variety among the aliens in this line, and comes with one of the best accessories, a third, domed head at the end of a staff! More of a "Little Green Man" character type than the other aliens I've shown so far, the possibilities of head swapping are of course twice as interesting. Like a  few of the others , Gemini came with extra arms bent at the elbow. Again, any action figure with a a domed helmet like this appeals to me generally speaking...

Cyclops

The Giant From Beyond the Milky Way is larger than the others at 5", and is pleasingly hefty in my hand with an overall quality feel. The color combination may be my favorite among these- wildly contrasting. pop-retro in feel with the metallic gold and teal, and translucent orange accessories. Cyclops' rayguns can be holsters, and his single red seen through the visor in his gold helmet.

Colossus Rex

The final Outer Space Man, hailing from Jupiter, is another larger buck among this line, making him a good parts swapping companion to Cyclops. This warlord type character sports scales and carries a triton, giving him a nautical feel. Colossus Rex also comes with a shield and mace in the same translucent purple his triton is cast in. Like Cyclops, Rex has some outstanding metallic paint apps that dazzle the eye, and his heft makes him feel substantial.

The variety of characters and great quality of these, combined with playability due to the interchangeable parts using the Glyos system, make this line a homerun. I was lucky to get most of these at a discounted price at the StoreHorsemen website, but most of them are generally reasonable in price, the larger, more "deluxe" figures like Colossus and Cyclops costing more. I felt this grouping had some great variety and features, so I'm really happy with my purchase!

More Later- Make It FUN!

OUTER SPACE MEN

I'd never purchased any Four Horsemen toys up to this point, aside from their famous DC Universe Classics released by Mattel, of which I own many. DCUCs had a consistency throughout the line, even if resulting in sameness, that was admirable, and I consider them a hallmark in action figure production. That said, I was curious about the Four Horsemen's work outside toy giant Mattel's corporate bubble, and got most of these in a "dinged and dented" sale at their website. I love any action figure with retro appeal, currently trending in action figure styling, and the Four Horsemen re-creation of the Outer Space Men action figures from the 60's. Updated with the interchangeable parts using the Glyos system, imaginative toy designer Mel Birnkrant reinvigorated the forgotten toy line with the ignition and manpower of the Horsemen. I'm happy to report the results were delightful...

Commander Comet and Mystron

This Angel/Devil pairing caught my attention first a couple years ago- I'm unsure that combining sci-fi with religious archetypes in toy form is an original brainchild of Mr. Birnkrant, but these are very appealing to me. I love winged characters! The helmets don't snap onto the figure's armor, but sit nicely enough when posed. Mystron's devilish tail was a nice addition to the original Colorforms product, and the accessories on these two are plentiful.

Gamma-X
As much as wings on an action figure, clear or translucent action figures and accessories interest me. Gamma-X wears a clear torso and head armor that can be removed to expose his angular, robotic features. I also like all the metallic paint apps on these Outer Space Men, many in bright, fun colors any toy fan would enjoy. I can see a distant influence of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and influence on George Lucas' Star Wars here...

Terra Firma and Jack Asteroid

If some of the names of these characters seem to have a comfortably cliche feel to them, there's also a smart sense of humor, most evident in these two space-age retro astronauts. With Gylos joints in the neck, shoulders, elbows, rib cage, knees, boot and glove tops, these Outer Space Men have more posing ability than the average 5-point retro figures we've seen lately. The helmet visors and snazzy jetpacks make Terra and Jack really shine, and the American flags are a nice touch. All this along with the orange flight suits made me think of 2001: A Space Odyssey! I very much admire this line by The Four Horsemen and Mel Birnkrant...

Stay Tuned for the sequel to THE OUTER SPACE MEN...!