#pre-micronauts

In 1977, Kodansha’s TV Magazine published one of the first of a number of what could be considered Microman “bibles”, Microman BOOK.  Each of these works have contained many examples of gorgeous Microman artwork, detailed background information, toy photos, and more.   This volume in particular contains a large full color section “The 99 secrets of Microman”, two manga sections by Yoshihiro Moritou (one main installment, one an “educational” segment on “ancient alien” Microman ties), a detailed directory of Microman and Acroyear profiles, and a section on “High-Performance” Microman Mechanisms. 

A fun cut-out desk calendar insert from Microman Book.   When assembled, you can adjust the month and weekday sliders to keep it current.   Assembly instructions illustrated below:

The following interview was translated from the fantastic 1999 Tokuma Shoten publication, Roman Album Hyper Mook 6: Henshin Cyborg and Microman Victory Project

President and Representative Director of Russell, Ltd. Iwakichi Ogawa

From here on [in this section of the book], we’ll introduce the inventors behind the history of creating the Takara original SF toys.  Iwakichi Ogawa, having been involved in the development of Henshin Cyborg and production of Microman himself, is a living witness to the history of the Takara SF toys.  His eyes shone like a young boy’s as he shared with us the behind the scenes story of these two major heroes.

--Ogawa-san, you handled making prototypes, right?

That’s right. I was originally in my college’s economics department, with a focus on marketing, and nothing to do with development work, one might say.  But you know, I loved doing it and learning everything after joining Takara, so that by the time of Cyborg and Microman, I had begun to sculpt my own prototypes by hand.

--You only started creating models after you had joined Takara?

Precisely.   I had a subordinate, a nice guy who had been in his university’s art club who I told, “teach me, too.”  (laughs)

--That must have been nice, getting to paid to learn on the job.  (laughs)

You mean playing every day from morning to night, and getting paid for it, right? (laughs) Oh, I played, all right.  When establishing the (Japanese localized) rules for “The Game of Life”--adapting this thing which came from America--it couldn’t be anything but fun coming up with the “directions for each space”.  If someone complained at the time, “oh, all you’re doing is goofing off,” I would answer, “no, this is work, you see,” but that was a lie.  (laughs)

--Well  then, please tell us about the time Henshin Cyborg was created.

As you are aware, the forerunner to Henshin Cyborg was Hasbro’s GI Joe, which began around the time I was on “The Game of Life”, so I was not directly responsible for that.  “GI Joe will do well” was Takara president Yasuta Satou’s insight.   So soon we were all on GI Joe.  It was at a point when sales had declined a bit that I remember one fellow suggested, “let’s make a transparent one”.  So the molding section at the factory followed up and produced one.  Once it was assembled, the reaction was “hey, this looks pretty cool.”  It had thick areas where the screws were inside it, right?  From the side, it had a really amazing look to it.  Though parts of the joints were made out of nylon, I could work with that.    

The young guy responsible (he was around 24-25?) had incredibly good sense.  Being transparent was just how it started, with it being plain and hollow, of course we needed to make the insides.  But at the time, Takara was focused mostly on producing games and Licca-chan dolls, so there was no separate department yet for boys’ toys.  Therefore, I wound up taking some kits of motorbikes that the model companies Tamiya and Arii were making at the time which had chrome-plated parts, and put those bits inside.  So the first Cyborg we previewed at an industry trade show had a motorcycle engine for his innards.

At that time we stated the head was still under development, and just used a metal spring inside it. When the actual design was made, it was created by Dan Kobayashi (known since for creating Gaiking and Danguard Ace among others).　He did all the prototyping for the head and the finer detailing.  Though the prototype was made in wax, I noticed quickly that it was green.  Normally the wax is brown but when I asked him about it, he said, “sorry, that’s my secret.” It was a custom mix of waxes that was extraordinarily fine and easy to texture and tailor.   I managed to get some and started using it in my own prototypes.   Kobayashi-san worked with me on the prototypes for Microman as well.   The prototypes for the Microman breastplates were made from a kind of plaster.  Kobayashi used this plaster because silicon was expensive in those days.

Well, it’s actually called “rebase”, and it’s what dentists use to repair crowns in their work.  It hardens quickly, making it easy to work with.  Come to think of it, when we were doing Microman Command’s capsule later on, I forgot how it happened, but the mold wound up with a small “Ogawa” (小川) inside it, and I believe you can find it in there.  (laughs)

--Well that’s… (laughs)  I’ll check later when I get a chance (later on I confirmed that it can be seen molded into Command 3’s capsule).  So, speaking of Microman, can you talk about how that began?

In fact, it started with GI Joe. GI Joe sold incredibly well at first, but eventually not so well, which was when my superior Wakase-san said “we should make these smaller.”  He had worked in steel manufacturing, a very talented man.  “You can’t produce vehicles when they are this big, so make them smaller,” was the advice of my boss from back then.  We were still producing the original flesh-colored GI Joe at that time.  Yet at that point it was totally undoable, with joints already smaller than you’d find on your own pinky finger.  So, after trying anyway using insect mounting pins, I said “this isn’t viable (for production)”, to which Wakase-san answered, “ah, well”.   Later, Cyborg became extremely popular.  But both GI Joe and Cyborg were still too big to make vehicles for them to drive.  So once again I confronted making the “miniature poseable figure” with the desire to make it possible at whatever cost.  In any case, we needed to solve the joint problem, so I tried many different methods; using a beaded key chain to try making small ball and sockets, and other such ideas.  But these would come apart after repeated use by a child.  This was the biggest issue Microman would face.   Then, with a portable folding ruler I found something—a tiny rivet, only 2mm wide.  I began to hunt for it. It came from the shop making Licca-chan backpacks.  I learned they had a machine that could install 2mm rivets automatically, so I checked, but while the rivets were 2mm in diameter, they were much too long.  There’s no choice but to make the rivets shorter.    After confirming it was possible, I asked Kobayashi-san for about 3 test sample bodies.  With that, we assembled them with the fresh rivets, and the heads of the rivets looked quite cool.  “This is good,” I thought as I could now put a request in with the boss which would only require a single mold casting.  Nikkou Toys (a tin toy maker at the time) or such ought to be able to take the order.  When I thought about the potential to use it with translucent parts, I was dumbstruck.  Well, once I put these connections together in private, I actually cried.  It had been over a year since I had first embarked on this project.

--That’s quite a while, isn’t it?  How was it received in the end?

In those days of labor guilds, in spite that there were some who would think heavier was best, others felt “No, lightweight is good”.  And with the oil shock of the following year, with the rise of the era of energy conservation, this was a potential selling point (laughs).  And see, you could put a Microman on a matchbox, and now it’s a vehicle, right?   Or an ashtray can be a flying saucer.  When I showed it to sales, they too were, “Yeah, that’s good”.  Then, for a company evaluation meeting, we took an electroplated frying pan and put a clock inside it so just the second hand axle was exposed and affixed a Microman to it.  That way each time the hand ticked, the Microman would move.   This had an incredible effect.  “That’s it!” they said (laughs).   Not much later this would become the counter display.

(Earliest known discernable photo of Microman prototypes being displayed, via Minoru Sashida.)

--For Microman, the play mechanics were quite novel, weren’t they?

Indeed they were.   I put a lot of thought into how to make the series stand out as unique.  This was “Episode 2” of Microman’s creation for me (laughs). At that time, Lego blocks were becoming the next big thing, and I had bought a set for my daughter, too.  However, living in an apartment housing complex back then, things turned when neighboring children from the third and fourth grade came to play.   “So, this is what I got.”  “I wouldn’t buy that, it’s like a baby toy.”  “But aren’t you playing with it too?”  “Sure, it’s fun, but we’re elementary schoolers now.”  I felt that they were the target.   So the block was shaved down into the form of a wing.   These days, blocks come in all forms, but back then they were only in the square form of bricks.  And when we manufactured Jaguar, we used 3mm joints of ABS plastic for attachments.  Blocks are fun, but for babies.  So you have to make it in a form that is clearly not for babies.  And if you make them into a science-fiction form, it begins to become interesting. (laughs)  So while the figures were ready, the release schedule was repeatedly pushed back to “It will be available when it’s ready”. (laughs)  Honestly, I already had something kind of like Robotman worked out by then. But nothing like vehicles yet, on the other hand. So for that I came up with the term “Material Block”.   Since the 3mm pegs seemed to break easily, I figured, okay, let’s go with 5mm.  From that point onward, Takara has used the 5mm gauge for all their product’s molds ever since.  When we went on to create “Steel Jeeg”, we were able to incorporate the 5mm parts with magnets, too.  So you could say that 5mm interchangeability started out as the basis for playing with Microman.

--That was profound, wasn’t it?  It even became a hit abroad.

At first, when the president and department manager went to try to sell it in America, their efforts failed.  Around then, a certain agent in California asked for “a percentage of the royalties if successful”.   A half-year later, it became an explosive hit in Japan.  When that happened, the company “Mego” was approached.   When we showed them, they were interested and agreed.  Then it became a huge hit there and his share turned into hundreds of millions.  (laughs)   When I visited his home after that, even though it was still back in the day, he had a giant projection TV, a home theater.  A pool, too.  Yet I was still some kind of salaryman. (laughs)  

--Even though you’re the real father! (laughs)

The suspension that holds the hips would have broken were it not made from metal.  I tooled it on a drill press and welded a hook onto it. It was fully my idea.  (The book’s editor suggests comparing with a replica Microman figure release for reference here.)  But I didn’t patent it.  Back around the turn of the century, a similar design was filed to make wooden artist’s mannequins, so it wouldn’t have passed.      

If the owner of that patent challenged us, even if they were wrong, it would have ended everything.  But even today, GI Joe is using the same structure as Microman.  Yet I was the one who designed it…

--By the way, how did it become called Microman?

It was originally codenamed internally as Microman --it was micro-sized, thus Microman—but it became the brand name in the end.  The same for Acroyear which was “’akudoi yarou’ (‘vicious brute’), so we went with “Akuroiya”, or such (laughs).  

--Was the story yours, too?

Yes.  To sell them individually, we wanted to present them in a clear box.  And, I started to think about how we could make the clear box itself a desirable feature.  So I had read and researched a lot of science fiction by that point.  I didn’t really agree with the theory of evolution.  My own fancy was that living things could spontaneously change overnight.  I hadn’t seen any fossils of transitional forms.  So, I came up with the idea that the alpha H7 gas drifting in the galaxy would cause evolutionary change whenever it came into contact with life, and when MicroEarth exploded, it had a different effect by chance.    Back then, there was the notion that Atlantis used crystal energy which I found interesting.  Crystals that return the same frequency when exposed to electromagnetic waves.  So the setting was created by combining these ideas.   That’s what I recorded to a mini-cassette when it hit me in the middle of the night.  (laughs) I contacted Design Mate, and gave it as the pitch.  Suguwara from Design Mate (see page 80 [of this book]) then edited it and it turned out quite good.  I spent a couple extra hours that night on the telephone.  “Am I ever going home?” I thought (laughs).  I’m sure I was annoying them too (laughs).

--I would imagine you always carried a Microman with you?

I always did.  I made a ring for myself, you see.   I placed the head of a Microman inside clear acrylic.  I really wore it.  However, as I gained weight, I had to shave out the center over time. (laughs)  It was a lot of trouble to keep shaving down that acrylic.

--Still, it seems like you could put that on the market, now.

You think so?  I guess I’ll take it to Takara and find out (laughs).  But lately Microman has been getting a good reception from a lot of respectable folks these days, hasn’t it?  However, I had gotten rid of most of mine.  Such a waste, isn’t it?  When it came about, I was “Ah, so that’s how it goes, huh?” (laughs) But, seeing the resurgence in popularity has been fun, you know?  Seeing everyone joining in and putting them up on their home pages and such.  Sometimes I wonder if I should drop in and introduce myself.  (laughs)  Ah, well…

--What kind of work are you doing next?

As a person who lived in the toy industry, you could say I wish to make a new “toy launch”.   Without an anime launch, a toy that is a hit, becomes a game, then becomes an anime.  Right now, I’m planning toward that goal.  I’m about 60% there.   This is a toy’s true essence! –is what I want to be able to express.  That would be something like a new Microman for me.  So now, I’m really fired up! (laughs) What’s it about?  ….that’s a secret (laughs).

The Microman line of toys was a breakaway hit for Takara after its debut in 1974. And while a licensed manga series started in Kodansha’s TV Magazine January of 1976 by Yoshihiro Moritou that would become known as one of his most popular works and later even further integrated into the main and later canon of the toys, it was not the only manga adaptation licensed during this period.  A rival magazine, Bouken Oh (Adventure King) from Akita Publishing, also started a Microman manga series the following month, penned by Yoshimistu Shintaku. Bouken Oh (1949-1983, name changed to TV Anime Magazine until ending in later in 1984) was a good home for the series, often featuring manga tied in with popular programming for young boys such as tokusatsu heroes, super robots, and SF anime, with a number of well-known manga artists contributing regularly over the years.

(cover of October 1976 Bouken Oh) This particular presentation of Microman, though, was quite different from the more famous TV Magazine version from Moritou.  While that version featured irregular but lengthy installments (often about 60 pages per installment!), often featured prominently ln pack-in supplement volumes and with lots of educational tie-in content and large advertisement spreads, the Bouken Oh version was more of a “filler” manga, usually only four to six pages each chapter, while the toy ads were more often limited to single splash page appearances.  Also Shintaku’s art style was clearly not on par with Moritou’s, albeit filled with a lot of character.  The manga also was accompanied with a monthly contest where lucky participants could win the latest Microman figures and toys.  Often fifty lucky winners would get a brand new, just-released figure, while the ten luckiest would get a larger prize such as a Robotman.  TV Magazine also had similar giveaways, but this one was featured directly at the end of Bouken Oh’s manga each month.  What the Bouken Oh Microman manga lacked in page count and art quality, it made up in regularity--the manga series ran monthly without interruption for 62 consecutive issues, from February of 1976 through March of 1981 (actually continuing a fair bit later than Moritou’s series).  And while Moritou’s manga was presented through the eyes of a target reader-aged avatar of sorts in the form of Akira Katagai, Shintaku’s manga tended to only cast humans as part of the story backdrop and chose to keep things focused on the Micromen themselves--and furthermore often starred characters based upon figures which never appeared in Moritou’s saga (such as the M111 and M122 type figures) as well as some other Microman toys that never made it to the TV Magazine series.  It almost seems like it could be set in the same canon with a different team of heroes, were it not for some overlapping subjects and situations handled differently. Sadly, this manga has never been compiled.  If it had, its page count would have made it roughly equivalent to two volumes of manga compilations when compared with the TV Magazine series (which originally had six volumes compiled, though ran for about another additional two volumes worth and was later fully collected in the reprinted series, albeit in larger page-count compilations).  As such, the only way to find it is in the original magazine pages of Bouken Oh (and often the cheap newsprint and strong ink results in extreme deterioration of the pages over time, even in well-preserved copies), and its existence has largely been unknown outside Japan, and mostly forgotten even there except among harder core fans. One such fan, Tette Hakase (Professor Tette, aka Tetsuya), has done much to help preserve the record of lost Microman manga such as this one at their site, Alpha-H7 Research Laboratory.  In the case of this series, he has posted a year-by-year archive of the “Microman Trivia” sidebar column that ran alongside the manga in each issue.  These trivia portions usually expanded upon things introduced in each chapter and helped give additional context and continuity to the saga.   Read by themselves, along with Tette Hakase’s annotations and corrections, they give a good feel for what kind of things transpired over the course of the manga’s 5+ year run. Roughly two years ago, we had originally planned to translate these trivia installments and share what few images we could find of the manga on the net.  However around then, we learned that GanguStars.com had already been pursuing this manga and had recently given up plans to do a translation of it after obtaining six issues of Bouken Oh from 1978 and 1979, even a few consecutive issues allowing for portions of some story arcs to be followed.  We acquired GanguStars’ collection and also continued to look elsewhere and found help from both Christopher Mah at the ToyBox DX Facebook page, who had an issue of Bouken Oh from 1976 and another from 1977, and we reached out to Tim Eldred of OurStarBlazers.com (Cosmo DNA), who graciously scanned the entire last five chapters of the series from late 1980 through March of 1981.   We cannot express our gratitude enough to Dave, Christopher, and TIm!  Thanks to their efforts, we now have roughly one fifth of this “lost” Microman series. Since then, we’ve sat to work recently to incorporate these manga installments with the translated Microman Trivia and can now begin to proudly present these lost Microman “adventures”.  We’ve made one small alteration to the format--the contest portion is mostly irrelevant now (and largely repetitive and often publishing personal information and addresses of winners--a bit of a no-no in these days of increased privacy concerns), and the vertical text of the sidebar trivia would look cluttered presented in English, so we have replaced the contest portion with the trivia that was published with each installment. To keep things in context, we’ll be presenting the trivia installments as a timeline with the manga inserted where we have it.   We will also be including Tette Hakase’s commentary for the most part, except for matters where it called out corrections to spelling and grammar (mostly irrelevant after translation).　We have added new hyperlinks for more info as appropriate. Our first set of three posts will cover the years 1976 through 1978, after which we will be continuing with other topics.  Later on, two sets of posts will continue with 1979, then lastly the final five-chapter arc from 1980-1981. Once all the remaining chapters we have are fully translated, we’ll make better resolution versions available as Tumblr reduces the images in this blogpost format.

Microman Trivia Chapter 1: February, 1976

[Capabilities of Microman]

At only 10 centimeters (3 ¾ inches) tall, Micromen are normally not so different from humans, but have superpowers when equipped with breastplates on their chests.  Installed into these breastplates are light condensers, which receive photonic energy gathered by a great crystal prism orbiting Earth in the Van Allen Belt. ((Tette Hakase: Though the “Microman Trivia” title wasn’t added until March, this trivia was still presented in the sidebar in the debut issue. “Equipping the breastplate on their chest” sounds odd, but refers to a mechanism that is exposed on the front of the Microman’s body. However, for most of the Micromen allies who revived later, their breastplates were built-in and are permanently installed.  The “light condensers” are more frequently called “photonic condensers”. The Van Allen Belt is the name of a radiation belt dense in highly-charged particles packed in a doughnut-shaped region aligned with the magnetic axis of the Earth,  When the solar wind is intense, the shape distorts to leave a trail facing away from the Sun. ))

Chapter 2: March, 1976

Micro-miniaturization is achieved by “ ångströmization”. Ångströmization is very dangerous for a Microman to perform solo, so it is handled at RoadStation Base.  The energy is always conserved at the base. ((Tette Hakase: “ Ångströmization” appears to refer to the more general ability of Micromen to make humans and other things small.  As you may know, one micrometer is 1/1,000,000th of a meter; an ångström is 1/10,000,000,000th of a meter. When specifically making humans Microman size, it is more often just called “micronization”.  We can also gleam from this description an idea of what the “atomium” (super condensed photon nucleus) said to be used by the RoadStation Base is. An ångströmization feature also appears to have been installed into the arsenal of the Spy Cars, and after the June issue, ångströmization took place undersea away from the base instead.))  Acroyears are the nemesis of Microman, themselves formerly Micromen who were born in the toxic sludge in the polluted seabed.  Their brains regressed, affected by the sludge and PCB, and became limited in function and with almost no sense of conscience. 

Chapter 3: April, 1976

Spy Heli is a helicopter with its true strength, unlike conventional vehicles, being is its capability of very low-speed flight.   This slow speed is what makes it capable of thoroughly investigating the human world inside and out.  It is an indispensable reconnaissance vehicle for the Micromen. Titans are a different kind of Microman, combat cyborgs that can aid the regular Micromen. They include Pegasus, Sirius, and Heracles, along with the DoberMachine and MagneCondor playing active roles.  ((Tette Hakase: This makes no mention of coming from Saturn, so it may be that the full backstory of Titan hadn’t been determined yet at this point. They are fully sentient beings and are not just limited to helping Micromen in combat or Zone construction.)) The Atom Cannon is the Titan’s armament, and is an atomizing weapon that can swap with a Titan’s arm instantly with its special ball-joint.  A single shot from this will blow an Acroyear to smithereens.

((Tette Hakase: Despite the name, it is not a nuclear weapon, but rather a gun that atomizes, apparently.))

Chapter 4: May, 1976

Beam Tripler II* is a remodeling by the Spy Magicians of the original Beam Tripler used by M104 John when he was just known as Orange Microman.  It is now used as a spy training vehicle by the Micromen. ((Tette Hakase: The actual Micro-Kits don’t use the “II” designation officially, but it is convenient for differentiating them from the first release, so I’d like to encourage spreading the usage now.)) Additionally there are the Gyrotto II* and Hot Rodder II*.   These were also needed in the Spy Magician’s increased training regimen in order to fight alongside the Titans.   Micromen who complete the training receive a bracelet ring which enhances their special powers. Derived from the Escargot line, the Baseball Machine “Spy Boy” was a super-powered robot developed for Micromen who have finished their spy training.  Though it normally plays baseball with Micromen, this spy machine can function independently as a tank and transform into a Spy Car. ((Tette Hakase: Though it is easy to imagine that Spy Boy is a robot from its face, there is no indication of such on its packaging. Since the canopy is opaque, it would be hard to control manually, so it makes sense it would be autonomous as a robot. But then, why include a cockpit?  You might think this, but actually Spy Boy is designed　specifically for spy training. Blinding the pilot is done on purpose to help increase their reliance on ESP and remote viewing, doing so while playing 3D Baseball using radar; the concept of enjoying training through gamification is quite original for the time.)) 

((* hyperlink image source for Micro-Kit II photos: http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~mikuro/sab1-2.htm  from the MicroEarth website))

Chapter 5: June, 1976

Professional spies covertly fighting the Acroyears…these are the Spy Magician Leaders.  They play an active role in defending global peace as leaders of the Microman Central Intelligence Agency. Sea Spyder is a submersible marine reconnaissance vehicle.  It can achieve a speed of 98 knots at the surface and 50 knots under water.  It can withstand enormous underwater pressure, but it is incapable of flight.  Like all Spy Machines, it also has a feature that can allow it to become something else. Marine Condor, with a pair of hydro-engines mounted on its wings, can do 100 knots on the sea surface or fly airborne at up to 450 kilometers per hour. Additional Spy Machines including Racing Wolf, Drag Tiger, and Jet Mirror are currently in development. 

Chapter 6: July, 1976

The Spy Magicans, currently leaders of the Microman Central Intelligence Agency, are professional spies who fight the Acroyears in stealth, playing an active role in fighting for world peace.

M131 (Dick)  ---an authority in espionage, creates fine-tuned strategies.

M132 (Dan) --- expert in cryptography.

M133 (Danny) ---expert in demolitions.

M134 (David) ---unparalleled in covert surveillance.

M141 (Henry) ---military scientist and designer of heavy ordinance.

M142 (Hudson) ---sociologist highly knowledgeable about Acroyears.

M143 (Holmes) ---Medical expert who coaches treatment of poisons.

M144 (Howard) ---director of ranger training.

Chapter 7: August, 1976

Robotman is a machine with super-high performance mechanisms from head to toe.  For example, his “Noct-Eyes” are sensitive to photon waves allowing him to see in pitch darkness, and his “Mecha-Ears” can detect sounds from as far away as 10 kilometers.  His power source is photonic energy collected in mid-air.

Robotman can transform into a drill tank or bulldozer when needed.  As a bulldozer, he can assist MicroRobot-1 in Microman Zone construction, and use his drill tank mode to exploit subterranean resources.

Aside from being well-armed, Robotman is also capable of joint-combining with Microman Machine and Cosmo Cars.  Use this to try to think up your own ways to defend against the Acroyears.

Chapter 8: September, 1976

The Spy Magicians have been busy in constructing a new base. Microman and Titans have increased their strength with Robotman, and Tower Base has been extensively remodeled.  Attaching the Atom Cannons to Tower Base have impressively increased its potential, and the Micro Saucer can be outfitted for even the potential to tunnel underground. ((Tette Hakase: With the Tower Base, Conning Station, and RoadStation Base already in use by now, this may allude to underground expansion to RoadStation Base and the introduction of Transfer Fortress in the November issue. The underground expansion will become known as “EarthStation Base” and much later become the feature of the Microman Playstation game.  Since there is no place established yet for the MCIA to operate from, construction of the base is clearly a pressing concern.)) When the drill tank’s drill is attached to the MicroSaucer with Beam Tripler’s Energy Arm, it can burrow to the depths of the Earth. Since the super-powered drill excavates the ground in a large perimeter, it allows for the MicroSaucer to pass through the ground easily.  However, as all the energy is diverted to the drill, it is lacking in offensive power. ((Tette Hakase: In this issue’s manga, the front wheel is detached from MicroSaucer and the drill is attached with the Energy Arm.  The sharp nose this forms gives it a pleasing delta silhouette and attractive configuration. It is not clarified whether the Energy Arm is the clear transparent one from Beam Tripler or the white one from Beam Tripler II, making it interesting to experiment with on your own.)) 

Chapter 9: October, 1976

(Panel order is right-to-left.)

Acroyear III is an Acroyear who had awoken as a mutation with a highly developed brain.  He has styled himself as President of the Acroyear forces.  Unlike the less competent regular Acroyears, he is cunning at subversive activities.   The Acroyear III President is accompanied by a robot octopus, crab, and stingray as his subordinates.  They follow the President’s orders and their various limbs can also be equipped as weapons by any of the Acroyears.  The Acroyears have thus since increased in their strength. To oppose the Acroyear forces, the Micromen have moved two new kinds of vehicles into production which can combine with the Titans for use on the ground and in the air.  These Titans, once combined, received special training for these further enhancements.

Chapter 10: November 1976

The Spy Magicians, having been actively using RoadStation Base for the purpose of upgrading Robotman’s combat capabilities to their maximum potential, have now begun construction of a special mobile fortress. ((Tette Hakase: The more recent reissued replica Microman series has released a Robotman Reinforcement set which gave further details, but this was to improve the reaction time in aerial combat with Acroyear II. Also, being able to change into RoboTank and BullDriller increased his arsenal.)) The Titans were further upgraded.  By using Magnemo (magnetic power) to combine with a racing car, Racing Titan 2 increased their land-based activity, while combining with a UFO for space activity to become UFO Titan 2, two new forms had appeared. ((Tette Hakase: You can interpret this to mean the original Titan 401 type was upgraded, but the later biographical material released in the “Microman Book” gives each type their own personality and background, so it seems better to regard them as separate characters.  It might be best to interpret this as referring to upgrades given to more newly revived Titans.)) The names of the three minion robots of President Acroyear have been learned.  The octopus type one is “Takoroyear”*, the stingray-type one is “Eiroyear”*, and the crab-type one is “Kaniroyear”*.  They all have the ability to function as extremely high speed.

((*Image links from the MicroEarth page))

Chapter 11: December 1976

The Spy Magicians were able to obtain more new intelligence about the Acroyear naval force.  They are super-powered cyborgs that do reconnaissance and can combine with the President.  With artificially cultivated brains installed by the President, they are capable of transforming their own bodies independently