Toy-Ventures: Mike Power Atomic Man

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This week is all about one of my favourite childhood friends, the amazing Mike Power : Atomic Man from the GI Joe Adventure Team.

We talk about his origins, foreign incarnations, accessories and his sales.

Special thanks to Chris at www.1964gijoe.com

Hosted and edited by Brian Heiler (@plaidstallions)


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[B-Lister]

I found a Mike Power in Amish country some years back, and sold it to a member here. Cool figure, but 12" GI Joe was never really my thing.

[GlobalObserver]

This was the last action figure I ever had when I was a kid. I got it for my 11th birthday. I liked it way better than the Six Million Dollar Man figure by Kenner. I loved The GI Joe Adventure Team figures.

[Wee67]

Its clear you love bionic knock-offs, but do you have a passion for official SMDM toys?

and I love the SMDM end cap photo. Do you know where its from?

[PNGwynne]

You're ebullient in this video, Mike must have sparked some truly fond memories. I really enjoyed this toy venture.

I was strictly a SMDM kid, and I had a lot of it. But now, I really like Mike. I have the Palitoy version, which I think is awesome. (I love their additional touches to Atomic Man and Bulletman.) I'm pleased to see you featured him, too.

I'm even working on a custom version of Mike. I wish Hasbro had expanded the Adventure team even more as Mattel did with Big Jim's PACK, but I'm trying to remedy that with some simple customs.

[powersthatbe]

I never had Steve Austin but I had Mike Power, who I filled in for as the bionic man.

[knight errant00]

Finally got Mike Power in my 30s. I was surprised at the light pipe feature, as I'd assumed as a kid that he had an actual light behind his eye. Funny how he wen from being worthless to valuable -- I unfortunately never grabbed Bulletman back then (the Joe I really wanted to add to my set as a kid!) and finding one at a reasonable price now, as you mentioned, is a challenge.

But man, what a fun figure -- I still like to make his helicopter arm spin! Thanks for the video!

[PNGwynne]

It's interesting that you mention his eye, because I thought the same. But actually, I liked the low-tech aspect once I had one in hand.

[MysteryWho]

One of the first figures I bought on eBay when I actually had some money together was a carded Atomic Man. I had the SMDM figures as a kid, as well as Pulsar and Hypnos, but I missed out on Atomic Man. I must've known about him, he was in the comic book ads, etc., but I never really noticed him until I started collecting as an adult. I'd love to get some of his sets and accessories but the cost now is too high for me to consider. One interesting point about mine, he is called Maj. Mike Power on the card, I've never seen another with "Major" on it, although I know he was referred to that way in the comic ads. Oh, it does say that on the accessory sets as well, possibly other packaging.

[J.B.]

Wish I still had my Atomic Man and Bullet Man figures.

[B-Lister]

Atomic nipple!

[Earth 2 Chris]

^That's exactly what my daughter an I thought while watching the video! She didn't want to say it, but when I did, she remarked "I was thinking it too!"

Chris

[scott metzger]

One of my favorites as a kid. He was Steve Austin's (admittedly short) younger partner, a friend who was in a car accident and became the second $7 million man. These and my Megos were the things I played with the most. And I still have all the originals: Mike, Steve, Oscar, Jamie, Bigfoot, Duke the German Shepard as Max (only had to replace Maskatron in my display because my original has a bunch of melt marks, but I still have him). Never cared for the goofy, ill fitting camo suit, so he usually wore the black GI Joe turtle neck with navy pants. His hands disintegrated long ago, but the classic chop stick hands work fine. Had to touch up his hair paint a bit, but this is the actual figure I played with as a lad in nice updated outfit:

mike1.jpgbionicdisplay2.jpg

(Oscar is waiting for his lazy tailor to get around to making him his signature gray three piece suit...)

Now I want to go run somewhere in slow motion...

[B-Lister]

^That's exactly what my daughter an I thought while watching the video! She didn't want to say it, but when I did, she remarked "I was thinking it too!"

Chris

Haha. It's a cool detail I wish the US version had. If I collected Joe both versions would top my list.

[drquest]

I have both version and the Action Man version is better, flocked hair rules as does the atomic heart he has.