I adored Callisto as a kid. You know, Major Matt Mason's alien pal. Or was he a foe? Not sure about that.
Callisto had everything going for him. He had twisty arms and legs, he had cute green boots and a fantastically tactile rubber head, his green see-through brain, which always reminded me of a superball. If it could have come off I reckon it would have bounced!
Of course the best thing about Callisto was his purple shoulder string blaster. That weapon was a thing of beauty. More a tickler than a blaster, it summed up Callisto completely. Here was a pacifist, whose contribution to the Matt Mason armoury was string. I could have pumped those little purple bellows all day long.
I seem to recall the green fella could slot into Matt's vehicles, like the sleds and stuff. It was a shame he never got his own dedicated Callisto-mobile or if he did I never had one. I wonder if the big brains at Mattel ever designed one?
His alien pal Scorpio was and still is a mystery to me. I never had one. A strange purple being I only saw from afar. I'm not sure why he didn't come my way. Just one of those things when a toy range stays incomplete in childhood because time and tide demand it.
Wotan has a Scorpio and it's high maintenance from what I hear. It needs polystyrene balls and a lightbulb! I ask you!
Did you like Callisto as a nipper readers? Did you have a Scorpio?
I've got 3 Callistos - and the head does pull off, and can be put back on again. Later versions were slightly smaller because they shortened the 'cuffs' (or whatever they're called) at the bottom of his rubber legs where his plastic boots were attached. Two of mine are the longer versions and one the shorter. Never had the Scorpio or Captain Lazer figures, nor the Jeff Long astronaut.
ReplyDeleteWow, 3 Callistos Kid! That's a whole landing party! I had a feeling the head came off. I imagine I did that as well. Did it bounce I wonder, the head? Captain Lazer was one my top toys as a kid. My old Mum forgot to get it out for me one Christmas morning and I think I shouted "No Captain Lazer?". Mum ran down - she was still in bed - it was only 5am and had been up till midnight - and placed the Captain in my hands. "Just in from Santa!" she said!
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