Figures
Although the card art and relatively low marketing power of this line might suggest that these are cheap, cruddy toys, they aren't. They are very well made, well jointed, easily poseable and quite articulate!
The first series of figures consisted of: Sgt. Silver, a policeman; Corporal Chrome, a soldier; Major Mercury, an astronaut; and Radon, a robot. These, along with the accessory sets, were all released in 1977.
In 1978 two more figures were added to the line, both robots. Their names were Roton and Questar. Both share the exact same body, with only their heads and paint details differentiating the two. The body is derived from that of the Japanese anime character Ga-Keen, as he appears in the Microman line.
Questar is a beautiful figure, painted entirely in metallic gold. He is jointed at the shoulders, elbows, torso and knees and has a movable head with two faces, back to back. Questar also came with a very nicely made wing pack. This bright orange wing pack has retractable wings, utilizing a mechanism almost exactly like that of Space Glider. This wing pack is exceptionally well made from hard plastic and works better than the Space Glider wing packs.
Roton has an orange body with silver limbs and head. His head is humanoid within a kind of pyramid shape! Other than that, he is identical to Questar. Roton might also have come with a recharge capsule similar to that of Radon's.
Below are pictures of some of the Metal Men. Also, follow the link below to view a carded Questar Metal Man. Note that his is an error figure as he is packaged on a Major Mercury card.
Above, Major Mercury (missing visor on helmet) and Radon (with accessory pack). Below middle, another picture of Radon. Below bottom, front and back pictures of Questar.
