Micronauts

Type	Action figures
Invented by	Takara/Mego
Company	Mego
Country	United States
Availability	1976–1980
Materials	Plastic/die-cast
Slogan	"The Interchangeable World of the Micronauts"

Micronauts is a North Americanscience fiction toyline manufactured and marketed byMego from 1976 to 1980. TheMicronauts toyline was based on and licensed from theMicroman toyline created by Japanese-based toy companyTakara in 1974.^[1][2]

Mego discontinued theMicronauts line in 1980 prior to the company's bankruptcy and dissolution in 1982. Years after Mego's demise, other toy companies, such asPalisades Toys andSOTA (State of the Art) Toys, have attempted to revive the toyline.^[3][4] In 2025, Super7 added Micronauts to their ReAction toyline and had planned to release new Micronauts figures in March 2025.

TheMicronauts toyline consisted of 3.75-inch tall (9.5 cm)action figures which were known for their high number of articulation points relative to other toys of similar size and scale in the 1970s. The toyline also included vehicles, robots, playsets and accessories. Many of theMicronauts toys used interchangeable 5-millimetre (0.20 in) connectors and ports that allowed parts to be transferred and connected between different toys.^{[5][unreliable source][6][7]}

Takara first releasedMicroman toys in Japan in 1974 as a smaller version of their popular 8-inch-tall (20 cm) and 12-inch-tall (30 cm) 1972Henshin Cyborg (Transforming Cyborg) line.Henshin Cyborg figures were based onCombat Joe figures—which themselves were based onHasbro'sG.I. Joe figures—with their bodies molded in clear plastic, exposing their inner workings and supposed cybernetic parts.^[1][2]

By downscaling their size, Takara sought to create a toyline that would offset the sheer cost of producing a full line of plastic-based figures and related playsets as well as acknowledging that basic living space is limited for most Japanese households. SmallerMicroman figures would not only cost less to produce during theenergy crisis of the 1970s, the line's smaller scale would also take up less physical space in a household and thus be more attractive to space conscious consumers in the Japanese market.^[8][9]

In Japan, theMicroman figures themselves were marketed as actually being 3.75-inch-tall (9.5 cm)cyborg entities that hailed from a fictional planet known as "Micro Earth" and disguised themselves as action figures while onEarth.^[10][11]

In 1976, Mego licensed severalMicroman toys from Takara and marketed the toyline in North America and other countries asMicronauts. During their initial series 1 and series 2 release, Takara produced small quantities of products in Japan before production was officially moved to Mego's facilities inHong Kong.^[1][12][13]

While much of the initialMicronaut toyline offerings were simply repackaged versions of TakaraMicroman equivalents, some items in theMicronaut toyline were original Mego creations that used modified and reconfigured parts from existing Takara toys. For example, the larger, 6.5-inch (17 cm) magnetic action figures Baron Karza and Force Commander were re-colorings of the MagnemoKotetsu Jeeg action figures with newly designed heads. In addition, as theMicronaut line grew in popularity, Mego expanded the line by creating whole new figures from scratch such as the "Aliens" line which included Antron, Repto, Membros, Lobros, Kronos and Centaurus.^{[14][15][16][17]}

TheMicronaut toyline sold extremely well for Mego. According to Neal Kublan, Mego’s Executive VP of Marketing/Vice President of Mego Research & Development (1972-1980), the line generated more than $32 million in sales for the $110 million company during one period.^[4][18]

After Mego's 1982 bankruptcy and dissolution, the original molds for many of the toys were sold to Hourtoys/M&D Toys for theirInterchangables discount toyline, other original molds were sold to PAC Toys for use in theirLords of Light toyline and even Takara produced several series 5 toys for Italian licensee/distributor Gig'si Micronauti line.^[1][3][4] Additionally, leftoverMicronaut toyline stock from Mego's production run was eventually sold for sale/clearance in North America by Lion Rock Limited under theMicronauts name.^[1]

Below is a basic overview list of MegoMicronaut toys with size/scale, release dates and Mego series numbers as well as cross-referenced information connected to the Takara equivalent toys they were based on;Microman and otherwise. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all Mego releases/variants but rather a high-level overview of theirMicronaut line offerings.

In 2002Palisades Toys acquired the rights to manufacture a new line ofMicronauts toys fromAbrams Gentile Entertainment, LLC, the company which was formed in the aftermath of Mego's collapse to retain and manage Mego's licensing contracts, rights and deals. This licensing agreement was done by Palisades under the assumption that the original manufacturing tooling and molds from the 1970s Mego toyline were still available.^{[citation needed]} When Palisades discovered the manufacturing tooling and molds were not available, it turned to the Micronaut/Microman collector's community to donate vintage toys so Palisades could create new molds to replicate the figures. Most of the Palisades reissues were MegoMicronaut figures based onTakara designs, but several original alien designs from the original Mego toyline (such as Repto, Membros and Centaurus) were included in the line as well.^[19][20]

When initial manufacturing of the Palisades figures was completed and the new, retro line shipped to consumers and stores, many figures were found to have defective or broken parts caused by manufacturing practices followed by the first Chinese factory. Many consumers who returned defective merchandise were inadvertently given defective replacements by Palisades.^[21]

Facing these issues, Palisades developed the Series 2 figures which utilized other, more reputable factories in China, but ended up losing more money than expected. As a result, retailers were wary of carrying the newMicronauts toyline, which resulted in the abrupt cancellation of a third series which was already in development. The whole series of events contributed to Palisades’ bankruptcy in 2006.^[21]

Below is a basic overview list of Palisades ToysMicronaut toys with size/scale and release dates. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all Palisades Toys releases/variants but rather a high-level overview of theirMicronaut line offerings.

In January 2005,SOTA (State of the Art) Toys unveiled plans for a collector's toyline called "Micronauts: Evolution" which would be a redesign of theMicronauts figures presented in a slightly larger 6-inch (15 cm) size. Concept art was released and prototypes displayed at the 2005 Toy Fair, with a projected release of late 2005. The figures appeared at the 2006San Diego Comic-Con.^[22]

The initial series was planned to include 6-inch (15 cm) renditions of Lobros, Baron Karza, and Space Glider.^[23][24] Plans changed to an online-only box set of all three characters, available on SOTA's website as smaller figures.^[25]

In September 2006, SOTA president Jerry Macaluso said "the retail environment for collectibles is in the gutter right now", and many stores wishing to order the "Micronauts: Evolution" line were going bankrupt.^{[citation needed]} He noted that the Palisades line "disaster…had a huge negative effect", with retailers rejecting SOTA’s upcoming series. Macaluso hoped to release the line in 2007 before SOTA's license expired, and considered funding it himself but the line was never produced.^[26]

Below is a basic overview list of proposed SOTAMicronauts releases. Since no products were actually produced this is simply a high-level overview of their proposedMicronaut line offerings.

In June 2016,Hasbro announced the special release of a limited editionMicronauts Classic Collection toy set. The set included threeMicronaut characters: Galactic Warrior, Pharoid and Orbital Defender and featured packaging artwork by artistKen Kelly. The set debuted atSan Diego Comic-Con.^[27]

Below is a basic overview list of HasbroMicronaut toys with size/scale and release dates.

In January of 2025, Super7 announced their ReAction toyline would include the firstnew Micronauts figures since Hasbro's 2016 limited edition Toyfair set. In January of 2025, Super7 began taking pre-orders for their new Baron Karza and Biotron figures which were released in early March, 2025.In previous versions, Baron Karza and Biotron were large figures (Karza being a "magno" figure as well)but the Super7 releases reduce their sizes to 3.75 inches for the first time.

Several comic book series based on theMicronaut toyline have been published byMarvel Comics (from 1979–1986),^[28]Image Comics (2002–2003),^[29]Devil’s Due Publishing (2004),^[30] andIDW (2016–2018).^[31]

In November 2009 during an "Investor Day" event held atHasbro's headquarters inPawtucket, Rhode Island, Hasbro's VP of Global Designs, Brian Chapman, announced the company's re-introduction of theMicronaut toyline and hinted that directorJ. J. Abrams’Bad Robot was in negotiations to produce a film based on theMicronauts property.^[32][33] In March 2013,Rhett Reese andPaul Wernick mentioned they were working on a screenplay and the film was on Paramount's list of possible productions. Wernick said that they wrote a couple of drafts with Bad Robot and their script was deviating from the comic, but described the adaptation as "cool and different".^[34] The planned project made little progress, though in November 2015, Paramount said that it was still planning aMicronauts film adaptation.^[35]

That December, Hasbro and Paramount were planning a cinematic universe combining Micronauts withG.I. Joe,Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light,M.A.S.K. andRom.^[36] Several writers such asMichael Chabon,Brian K. Vaughan,Nicole Perlman,Lindsey Beer,Cheo Coker,John Francis Daley,Jonathan Goldstein,Joe Robert Cole,Jeff Pinkner, Nicole Riegel andGeneva Robertson-Dworet joined the writers room in April 2016.^[37] The release date was originally scheduled for October 2020, before it was pushed for June 2021.^[38][39]

In 2019,Dean DeBlois was attached as the writer and director of the film,^[40] but the film was pulled from the release schedule in November 2020, and was presumed to have been cancelled since then.^[41]

In 1998, AGE,Annex Entertainment, Gribouille and Kaleidoscope Media Group planned to produce a Micronauts animated series starting with a five-part miniseries to air on theSci Fi Channel in Fall of 1998, followed by a syndicated 26 episode Micronauts animated series for 1999, with action figures and a Marvel tie-in comic announced. The project was later cancelled.^[42][43]

Boulder Media Limited (a then-subsidiary ofHasbro Studios) announced it was developing aMicronauts animated series in 2018, with a projected release date of 2019.^[44] 52 half-hour episodes were fully produced, with production concluding in January 2020, but as with the planned live-action movie, the series' release was quietly cancelled. There has been no official announcement regarding its failure to release or its future; executive producer and head writer Eric Rogers has stated that he has received no information from Hasbro on the fate of the show,^[45][46] and has speculated that it was turned into atax write-off.^[47] Other sources refuted this, claiming that Hasbro still hoped to release the series in conjunction with a potential live-action project in the future.^[48] The entire series was later anonymously leaked onto the internet in July 2025.^[49]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMicronauts.

• 1970s toys
• 1980s toys
• Action figures
• Hasbro brands
• Hasbro products
• Takara Tomy franchises
• Media franchises introduced in 1976
• 1980 disestablishments in the United States

• CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list
• All articles lacking reliable references
• Articles lacking reliable references from April 2024
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles lacking reliable references from September 2017
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018
• Commons category link from Wikidata