| 10.02.2015 – G.I. Joe as a brand is celebrating fifty years since its first ‘action figure’ was introduced in 1965. For the following years it has evolved which mirrors what is actually happening in its succeeding era.
You’ve got military-related themes in the 1960s and in the early 1970s and then there was the Adventure Team in the mid-1970s, which tackle the environment at times, became weird and KRE-O has them too. |
The Adventure Team is considered one of the popular themes for G.I. Joe that introduced the ‘kung-fu grip’ and other things 1970s stylish. It was also the era when everyone had afro hair and had the ‘disco vibe’ to their fashion statement. In the changing culture of that particular era they also had to adapt to fighting not a terrorist threat, but also saving the environment.
It introduced characters like the Adventure Team Commander and his associates like the Land Adventurer. But towards near the end of that era they became weird with characters like Bullet Man and the Six Million Dollar Man inspired Atomic Man.
Those where the times you’ll wonder things will get campy all of sudden, but KRE-O manage to pay tribute for that part too. Since The Adventure Team where the chase mini-figure for the G.I. Joe blind bags and they definitely made that possible with the inclusion of Atomic Man to the third wave of the series.
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The Ballad of Mike Powers
Who is the man called Mike Powers? His secret origins aren’t as clear as the G.I. Joe of the 1980s where file cards are in detail. From what the original 12 –inch figure packaging says that he’s made of ‘atomic parts’ that includes his arm, leg and an eye that sums up that he’s inspired from the classic Six Million Dollar Man that featured actor Lee Majors as the Bionic Man.
It’s almost similar that back then lawsuits must have been less strict with the concept that Mike Powers acquired his abilities through personal funding unlike the characters Lee Majors portrayed. Certainly its an interesting to note that Mike Powers’ arm, leg and an eye is ‘atomic powered’ which seemed campy in this era.
But Mike Powers as a character aren’t as campy as his associate Bullet Man, which is included in the fifth wave of the series. A literal ‘human bullet’ wearing the shape of a bullet, but Atomic Man is quite decent enough as a special kind of soldier.
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Atomic Powered Man
The kreon version adapts all of the 12-inch figure’s details down to the propeller that he uses for him to have the ability to fly. But this version has more details that the propeller is attached to a small engine whereas the original doesn’t have any explanation how he uses the propeller to make him fly. It must be a flick of the wrist for him to use that ability.
Just like the original figure it reveals which part of his body is made of atomic. But for this mini-figure you’ll notice the translucent parts on his leg and arm, while his eye is painted with a ‘twinkling eye’ art that its shows how atomic he can be.
Every Adventure Team member is special being a chase figure for every wave. If the Adventure Team Commander or the Land Adventure has flock hair obviously Mike Powers have a well detailed appearance that shows he’s ‘Atomic Man’, which makes him an interesting mini-figure to acquire.
“Atomic Man” is the chase mini-figure of the wave 3 characters included in the G.I. Joe blind bag for Kre-O produced by Hasbro and OxFord Toys.
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