Microman Rescue Team

I was in first grade at the Dracut Center School. The year was 1979. I was six. A friend showed me this cool toy that he had, it was an orange action figure. It was a Micronaut called Time Traveler. I was fascinated.

The teacher came by and said that the kid needed to put it away, so he put it in the pocket of his jean jacket hanging from a hook in the hallway. I sat in class and thought about that figure, maybe a little too much. So when I snuck out to go to the bathroom, I went in and took the figure from his jacket. It all seemed so easy. I like to think that I was a kid and I didn’t know any better, but I think I did.

As I got older I realized what I had done was wrong, but it was too late to make amends for it. I don’t remember the kid’s name, but I remember his house as I went over once. That was probably my opportunity to make amends but I was too scared that I was going to be punished. I never gave it back, and the kid never knew it was me.

Since that point, I’ve never collected Micronauts or Microman. Every time I come across one I am instantly transported back to 1979, and the guilt of a child comes back to me as if it were yesterday. Time and time again memories are brought back through these pieces of plastic.

I don’t know that i’ve ever told this story. It’s not much of a confession, but I still feel bad about it, and I still don’t collect Microman. Kid, if you are ever reading this, I owe you a Mego Micronauts Time Traveler figure.

This review is not about that figure. But it is about Microman, which was the original name for Micronauts in Japan. The first series of Microman ran from 1974-1984 and featured many different styles of characters, vehicles and accessories.

Due to demand and nostalgia, in 1999 Takara launched the Reissue Microman series, with re-releases of classic figures and some new designs based on unproduced or rare figures.

One of these reissues was the Microman Rescue Team. Originally released in 1979, the Rescue Team consisted of three characters – M251 Robin, M252 William and M253 Richard. The Reissue line released three sets each consisting of the three figures and a bonus fourth character (M255 Steve, M256 Vergil, M257 Charles). 

What you see here is Set B which contains Vergil. Each figure is identical aside from color, so for the purposes of this review we are going to look at M251 Robin.

Each figure comes in a clear case that looks like some kind of stasis chamber. The clear cover has a sticker indicating that you can use a play feature on the side. There’s a small glow-in-the-dark figure to the left on each case. You can “flick” the lever to launch the small figure up the tube. I imagine it’s some sort of transformation chamber, changing the miniature figure into the larger or vice versa.

The figure inside is typical vintage Microman. The trademark chrome head is there, along with the 5mm hole on the back for accessories. Microman uses a rubber band in the body to secure the body to the waist, much like old G.I. Joe figures. While vintage versions can dry out and break, the reissue editions should last a while longer.

Robin (like all of the Rescue Team) comes with a Pulsar Energy gun that connects to a backpack. The gun can be held in the hand, or mounted to the side of the leg. The hose is rather stiff, so it is difficult to pose this gun the way you want to.

While there is no traditional Microman stand, there are two pegs on the case that the figure can attach to. It looks awkward, but serves as an acceptable stand.

These are a fun, affordable replacement for the vintage version but sucks that you have to buy all three sets to get the three extra figures.

I’m still not at terms with my past with Micronauts – and I think I need to pass on this set largely because of that. There’s nothing wrong with it – I just don’t think I’m ready (or willing) to go down this avenue of collecting.