Robotman Series - The Inter-Changeables Cosmobot

Takara Robotman Series

Hourtoy The Inter-Changeables - Cosmobot (c.1980)

Robotman

1974

Microman Zone
First year of included the Founder Microman, Micro Kit Machines and Conning Tower.

1975

Project Victory
Second year saw more Microman and several new sub series such as the Acroyears, Titans and Victory series.

1976

Spy Magician

The line finally came into its own during the third year with new figures and the classic Microman Transfer Fortress.

1977

Command
A watershed year for Microman series, this year saw some of the best toys for the line.

1978

Police Keeper

Takara tried new design and direction for the series with the released of Hoodman and Arden.

1979

Rescue Team
Takara "rescue" attempt for the line with the Rescue Team Microman. This year also saw updated of the old favorite like the New Tower Base.

1980

Punch & Blizzard Man
The last year of the original series saw the shift in the line to more robot like look and larger figures.

New Microman Series

1981

New Microman
Takara reset the line and relaunch the series under the New Microman banner.

1982

Micro Robot
Micro Robot series became the main focus of the new line. Takara also tried to cash in on the "pla-mo" popularity with Real Type and Micro Borg.

1983

Micro Change
The "transformation" for Microman series began with the Micro Change series.

1984

Transformers

Takara continued with the successful Micro Change series but the changing of the guard was inevitable.

The Inter-Changeables

Cosmobot came packaged in very large colorful box with pictures of Cosmobot toys in various modes.

Second series of The Inter-Changeables toys were produced by another company called M&D. The toys from M&D were done in mostly red, silver and gray color schemes instead of Hourtoy bright candy colors. Two versions of the Biotron / Robotman mold were planned for the second series but these were most likely never saw production. The first was silver version Cosmobot and the second was dark gray and blue Biotron named Terrobot. Terrobot had all new head sculpt and probably was plan as the nemesis of Cosmobot. There were much speculation regarding the production status of these two toys and thus far no actual sample ever show up on the collectable scene. However this did not mean that these toys were never produced since toys like Cosmic Attack Cruiser (silver Battle Cruiser) and silver Captain Cosmo from M&D The Inter-Changeables had recently found their ways to the Micronauts collectible market.

After Mego went bankrupt in 1980, a company named Hourtoy, began releasing Micronauts toys under "The Fantastic World of The Inter-Changeables" banner. It was unclear the legal status behind Hourtoy and later M&D Co. and how they came to own and used these Micronauts toy molds. (There were many legal fights and dispute after the demise of Mego) The packaging for the new line, however clearly indicated that these toys were produced under licensed from Takara. Hourtoy released many of the Micronauts toys in new bright candy color scheme and Biotron (Micronauts version of Takara Robotman) was no exception. Biotron was released as part of the Inter-Changeables line as "Cosmobot" in the bright candy color schemes.

Cosmobot toy was pretty much identical to Mego Micronauts Biotron. The toy had the same functionality, and retained all the play features of Biotron except now the toy came in super-bright color schemes. The body was done in purple, the back section was in red so were the feet, and the arms and legs were done in yellow. One of the more notable change in color was the clear chest canopy. Cosmobot had clear dark red canopy instead of the clear or smoke clear found on Biotron toy. Cosmobot came with the connector parts in yellow and some were reported to even include the sticker sheet from Biotron. The production run of Hourtoy's The Inter-Changeables was pretty limited and most of the toys from the line were very hard to find. Cosmobot probably had the most interesting color schemes of all the Robotman variants.

Takara Robotman Series

Microman Series

Robotman

Robotman 2

Robotman God Fighter

Micronauts Series

Biotron

Phobos

Cosmobot

Replica Microman Series

Replica Robotman

Crystal Mode Robotman

SAS Robotman

*Special Thanks to Fred C. for helping me completed this Cosmobot

"Faked Robotman" - Cosmobot piloted by an Acroyear A30X Type.