Microman is the grandfather to modern action figures. They burst onto the scene in 1974 with small scales, interchangeable parts, and an average of 30 points of articulation per figure - a set of characteristics that is still impressive even by today's standards. G.I.Joe and Transformers owe their development to these fantastic toys. Their unique scale and articulation is a clear inspiration for modern 3.75" figures, and later robot-themed Microman waves were literally rebranded to become the earliest Transformers. I also love that Microman has such a unique, timeless style. The bright colors mixed with their trademark metallic heads and occasional translucent pieces is still recognizable and utilized by the brand today. The Lady Command series was rare and represented the only females in the original run (1974-1984). So when a major resurgence in the line happened in 1999, they were some of the most popular reissues. Let's check them out in detail below!
* Microman was released in the US as Micronauts by Mego.
Forgive the pics swiped from eBay. I opened these figures more than 15 years ago at this point.
Note the Statue of Liberty carrying cases for each figure. I still have mine somewhere, but was unable to find them for this review.
Apparently these reissued versions of the Microman Angels are so well.made that you can only tell the difference when placing them side-by-side (slightly different details in the grooves of the clothing, etc).
Based on the color of their torso, here is a breakdown of their figure numbers, names, and bios:
RED M181 Ann: Expert in medical treatment for injured Microman, especially in emergency care.
BLUE M182 Alice: Expert in math and complex calculation. Excellent at providing backup support.
GREEN M183 Annie: Excellent knowledge of herbs and plants in making medicine and remedy to cure illness.
PINK M184 Ai: Expert psychologist and has superb telepathic ability. She can read minds and
can even take over another mind momentarily.
These details (and a lot of other information) was found on Microforever.com - an absolutely amazing collector's site for Microman.
An interesting tidbit about the Microman mythos is that they are supposed to be life-sized miniature cyborgs that live all over the earth disguised as toys. Their carrying cases represent the region of Earth the call home
(the MicroLadys all hail from New York apparently).
The wings are typically meant to be anchored into their thighs like their male counterparts, but I much prefer them on their backs like true angel wings. Plus, when they are worn on the legs, it interferes with their skirts.
Like can be expected from most reissued toy lines, there were a slew of new variants added to the mix.
There was a set of Translucent versions (with the same color motif) as a Toys R Us Exclusive.
There was a "smoky clear" version as an Azone Internation Exclusive.
There was a Metallic Pink version of M184 Ai.
There was a new figure (M180 Maria) who was White with Gold wings as an e-Hobby Exclusive.
There was a Glittery version of M180 Maria as an eS! Toys Exclusive.
And finally there was a super rare white and gold variant named Arcee as a drawing contest prize.
You can see pics of all the variants by clicking the entries on the left margin on This Page.
Below is an example of a more modern MicroLady: MicroSister Hanne from 2006. Click the picture to see more photos of her. At one point I had all the female Microman figures. I sold them all many years ago unfortunately.
Time for a Group Pic!
Cheers!
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