Seeing the Outer Space Men all lined up the other day recalled another toy figure line I have, from a more unexpected source. In 2002 Lego branched out from the more familiar part based toys to a range of larger action figures. These were supported by a TV show, a live action Power Rangers type thing with the usual wobbly sets and rubber suits. The basic premise seemed to be transdimensional travel and the standard teenage hero, Nick Bluetooth and his girlfriend Allegra. Whether Lego wanted to broaden its field somewhat after the success of the Bionicle line or it was simply an experiment, I don't know. Either way, neither the show or the toys were very successful. The transdimensional edge to the show involved the characters ability to merge organic and mechanical components, a theme which suited Lego. The figures are all interchangeable, a feature which tended to look a bit silly, especially with the human characters.
There were a good selection of aliens, the usual evil, black enemy and an odd, egg shaped ship called the TDN Module. This was another anomalous creation, big enough to house one figure, the accessories for it such as the wings and legs don't fit any of the other figures, making the play element a little restricted. Micronaut toys always had full compatibility, meaning you could swap the parts around at will to augment the spaceships.
The other unusual aspect about the line was the interactivity. One large figure, the Kek Powerizer, has a small lcd screen in the back which responds individually depending on which head unit is attached, offering various different character phrases. It also interacted directly with the show, picking up a signal from the video and responding appropriately. I've no idea how this worked as I could never stand more than ten minutes of the programme.
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| TDN Module |
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| Gorm Deluxe and Gorm Standard |
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| Jens Robot |
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| Eurypides |
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| Nepol and Shimmel |
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| Ooni |
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| Tager and Variant Nepol |
The unfortunate thing about the line is that all the toys are beautifully made, production is flawless and apart from the TDN Module, everything fits together. Variant and Deluxe figures appeared and towards the end of the line, three rare figures were made including a strange living motorbike! The series also spawned various video games on Gameboy and PC and coverage with McDonalds Happy Meal toys, but never really caught the attention it needed.
I remember these! LEGO really pushed the line for a while and it looked unique and well conceived (shades of Power-Lords in appearance IMO). Ooni, Robot and Eurypides seemed to dissapear quickly, leaving the rest to sit and lower the chance of re-orders. These were merchandised alongside LEGO proper and I wonder if they would have found a better response in the action-figure isle? Interesting point about the parts not ALL being interchangeable...hard to imagine how that slipped past LEGO.
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