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1977 Microman Series Microman T48X Titan Command 4 - T481 Neptune and T482 Alphas (c.1977) |
Titan Command |
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T481 Neptune and T482 Alphas
Takara released Titan Command T47X and T48X type in March of 1977. These Titan Command figures were the first toys released under Microman Command banner. However, the most interesting thing about Titan Command series is not that they were the very first Command toys but the fact that they were also released as part of TAKARA Gimca line of die-cast slot cars. This practice of tie-in has been one of the hallmark of TAKARA marketing strategy (a strategy that they are still using today). F4-SS Magma Rod (brown) and F4-S Magma Rod (blue)
Titan Command 4 T48X consists of two members T481 Neptune and T482 Alphas. The Titan Commands follow the same naming convention as the previous Titan by having Greek or Roman mythology names (in the case of T482 his name is a made-up name using Greek letter Alpha). Both T481 and T482 shared the same body style and both were sold with the same Gimca die-cast slot car (F4). T481 comes with F4-S Magma (blue) while T482 comes with F4-SS Magma (brown). T48X Type is probably the most distinctive of the Titan Commands, Titan Command 4 are plane shape instead of robotic designs. These two Titans though might have appearance of aero plane they are every bit just like their other Command teammates in that they are actually robots (or in this case drone) that house the consciousness of ancient Microman Commands. These two Titan planes are not vehicles but are actually living Titan Microman. The idea behind Titan Commands is quite advance for its days especially toys that were being market as slot car parts and Titan Command 4 take the concept even further by having living machine in shape of a plane way before the concept of Transformers that would came almost a decade later.
Titan Commands Story
Titan Commands were originally living robots that were constructed by ancient Microman Command who came to inhabit Saturn long ago. These ancient Microman build Titan robots to help them with scientific research. These living robots contained "cultured brain" (brain cloned from Microman) that contained brain wave of these Microman ancestors. The culture brains were used as a control program and also gave these robots super Artificial Intelligence since the brain actually came from Microman-being. When these ancient Microman left, the robots were put in suspend animation state. When modern Microman arrived on Earth following Micro-Earth explosion, the alpha H-7 wave also triggered the program and began to awaken these robots and started the automatic evolution process. Microman Titan 1 & 2 and Microman Spy Magicians discovered these robots while they were investigating the anomaly around planet Saturn. The robots were eventually revived from their suspended animation using Spectrum MX ray. However these robots were no longer just robots, their brains had developed and the robots have became ego of Microman from whom their brains were cloned from. The robots called themselves the Titan Commands. Titan Commands build Titan Gimca cars using the same cultured brain technology, they were able to transplant their brains to these cars which allowed them to be telepathically link to one another. This very advance concept of cloning the brain to create super AI and then stored it inside a robot which in turn produce a robot that would evolve into a sentient being is quite far reaching especially for kids toys from 1970's.
Magma Rod cars use Gimca frame with modified rear section that now house a twin "magnemo-8" connector and chrome 5mm connector for Titan (or other Microman) body. (This is one of the reason for Titan blocky body so they can appear to be "engine" for their slot car counterparts. Titan Gimca cars have clear plastic canopy that slide over to cover the connectors.
Titan Commands and Titan Gimca Titan AI Brain- advance "cultured brain" that house consciousness of ancient Microman Command (#1) Magnetic Globe - enable Titan to break apart their bodies and reattach them at will. (#3) Photon Energy Gathering Device - trap photon energy but unlike Microman, Titan Commands have Magnetic Converter that convert Photon Energy into magnetic energy. (#5) Magnetic Energy Transfer - allow Titan Command to exchange energy with Titan Gimca and vice versa. (#6)
The Arrival of Blitzkrieg Brigade - Microman Titan Commands
Titan Commands act as lighting attack force or Blitzkrieg Brigade (from German WW2 term Blitzkrieg or Lighting Warfare). They perform this maneuver by combine their attacks with their Titan Cars and used the speed and combine arms assault to stunt the opponent defense.
Titan Commands Checklist
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Toys with Identity Crisis
TAKARA vision of "unified toys line" or some might see it as a marketing ploy make Titan Command line to be Microman toy with the most lineage since the toy is part magnemo-8, part Microman and part Gimca slot car.
Magnemo-8 figure included
Gimca F4-S Magma Rod comes with Microman Titan Magnemo-8 figure - T481 Neptune
or is it Gimca slot car racer included?
Gimca F4-SS Magma Rod comes with Microman Titan Magnemo-8 figure - T482 Alphas
Takara Gimca System
Gimca was TAKARA line of scale die-cast slot car produced in late 1970's. (above is box art from Gimca F103 scale die-cast of Toyota 2000GT) Slot car racing was a very popular hobby back then and Takara market a line of die-cast slot cars under Gimca system where various components can be purchase separately and then combine together (same concept uses by scale model train hobby) Today, TAKARA still have a division that produce scale slot cars.
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