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This week at Flashbak, I also remembered Electroman, a seventeen
inch action figure from Ideal, from the year 1977.
Here’s a snippet and the url (http://flashbak.com/remembering-electroman-ideals-revolutionary-electronic-toy-sensation-of-1977-63014/)
“In 1977, Ideal released one of the most underwhelming toys of the
disco decade, a giant superhero figure called Electroman.
Described as an “amazing
electronic sentinel," Electroman wore a
bright red, black, and yellow uniform with a dazzling "E" (for
Electroman, we presume.) emblazoned on his barrel-sized torso.
The promotional materials hawked these items in grand terms as his
“prismatic emblem” and “multi-colored uniform.”
The hero's oddest fashion statement, however, was no doubt his
elaborate helmet, a clunky red affair that fired “laser beams.” By adjusting a knob on the base of Electroman's neck,
you could change the settings of the laser ray from Stun, to Radar, to Guard.
Toy catalogs described the settings: "Electroman's computer brain
can detect the slightest movement and sound a warning...In radar position, he
sends out flickering light that changes to a steady beam when he finds an enemy
position."
The knob had a “4 position
power selector” and the horrible-looking helmet featured an “electro motion sensor.”
Electroman was supposed to “protect
his friends” detect his enemies and “defeat
his foes with laser-like beams of light,” but he really just had a glorified
flashlight on his head.
Electroman's nemesis -- a so-called “awesome enemy” -- was sold separately, a brown hulking creature ("a
powerful half man/half monster") with
red eyes, white fangs and a reflector embedded in his head: "Zogg The Terrible."
Zogg was described on his black box as "A Creature so
awesome only Electroman or you can defeat him…"
Please continue reading at
Flashbak.
