T452 Poseidon and T451 Jupiter
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). Takara released Titan Command T45X and T46X type in
March of 1977.
F1-S Cosmo Rod (red) and F1-SS Cosmo
Rod (blue)
Titan Command 1 consists of two
members T451 Jupiter and T452 Poseidon. The Titan Commands follow the same
naming convention as the previous Titan by being named after celestials
object (which were mostly named after Greek and Roman mythology). Both
T451 and T452 shared the same body style and were sold with the same Gimca
die-cast slot car. T451 comes with F1-S Cosmo Rod (red) while T452
comes with F1-SS Cosmo Rod (light blue). T45X and the rest of Titan Commands
have very distinctive design that really set them apart from the other Titan
series. Titan Commands have very blocky and very machine like looks, the
body is make up of one solid box-like shape and instead of Microman
cuff-style hands, Titan Commands have robotic claws and fists. There is
actually a reason for this very robotic look, the Titan Commands are
actually robots that house the consciousness of ancient Microman Commands.
The idea behind Titan Commands is quite advance for its days especially toys
that were being market as slot car parts.
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.
Prototype versions of
Microman Command 1 & 2 and Titan Command 3 & 4 can be seen on the back
of early catalogs that were included with T45X & T46X toys.
Cosmo 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 Croos-Section
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 do 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
T45X Type |
T451 Jupiter |
F1-S Cosmo Rod (Red) |
T452 Poseidon |
F1-SS Cosmo Rod
(Light Blue) |
T46X Type |
T461 Tyros |
F2-S Ti-bird
(Yellow) |
T462 Hercule |
F2-SS Ti-Bird (Dark
Blue) |
T47X Type |
T471 Phios
|
F3-S Apo Rod (White) |
T472 Apollo |
F3-SS Apo Rod (Light
blue) |
T48X Type |
T481 Neptune |
F4-S Magma Rod
(Blue) |
T482 Alphas |
F4-SS Magma Rod
(Brown) |
T49X Type |
T491 Mires |
F5-S Pulsar (Dark
Blue) |
T492 Cashias |
F5-SS Pulsar (Green) |
T493 Armis |
F5-SS Pulsar (Red) |
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Package
|
Microman Titan
Command Series
T45X Titan
Command 1
Released : 3/1977
Retail Price :
850 Yen
T451 Jupiter with
Gimca F1-S Cosmo Rod (Red). The packaging design for Titan
Command is based on Gimca packaging design. The main focus is
Gimca slot car with Microman Titan figure as added on part to
Gimca system. The back of the packaging shows various
configurations of the two toys along with diagram to show how
they fit into TAKARA Gimca system of die-cast slot cars. Titan
Commands set consist of "F" part (frame) and "T" part (titan
body).
T452 Poseidon with
Gimca F1-SS Cosmo Rod (light blue). The toys are packaged in
styrofoam tray.
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Instruction &
Stickers |
Stickers for T451 & F1-S
Cosmo Rod
Stickers for T452 & F1-SS
Cosmo Rod
Each toy comes with
sticker sheet to decorate both action-figure and die-cast car.
The sticker sheet include various emblem and coat of arm
(something I wish Takara would make more prominent for Microman
since I feel they really help give these toys distinctive
character and flavor).
The sticker sheets
are different in colors for T451 and T452 but they have the same
exact design.
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Toys with Identity Crisis
TAKARA vision of "unified
toys line" or some might see it as a marketing ploy turned Titan Command
series to be Microman toys with the most lineage since the toys are
part magnemo-8, part Microman and part Gimca slot car.
Magnemo-8 figure included
Gimca F1-S Cosmo Rod come
with Microman Titan Magnemo-8 figure - T451 Jupiter
or is it Gimca slot car
racer included?
Gimca F1-SS Cosmo Rod comes
with Microman Titan Magnemo-8 figure - T452 Poseidon
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) TAKARA still have a division that produce scale slot
cars.
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