As a young boy, the 1980’s was a great time, a halcyon era, for toys.
Remember when the original metal-made Transformers were all the rage? Who here didn’t have Optimus Prime, Megatron, Jazz and Star Scream in their collection? Oh, my friends and I spend hours having the Autobots save the Earth from the evil machinations of the Decepticons. Ravage…eject!
Who could forget that real American hero, G.I. Joe! Sure, that particular character and toy line had its origins decades earlier, but it was the 1980’s figurines and vehicles vis manufacturer Hasbro that took that IP to the top echelon of kid enthusiasm. I can distinctly recall Series One Laser Rifle Trooper Flash being my first Joe. He had the cool helmet visor, distinctively protective red padding and charging backpack. Still, I’d look longingly at my brother’s Series Two Helicopter Assault Trooper Airborne because of his Swivel-Arm Battle Grip. Both would team up in our living room on a Saturday morning to regularly defeat the terrorist organization, Cobra.
There was also, of course, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toys, including the expansive playset of Castle Greyskull (which I happily owned – and still own, somewhere in my parent’s attic) and lesser-known lines like Visionairies, Crystar and Inhumanoids.
Those toys captured our imagination along with hours of uninterrupted playtime (which our parents must surely be thankful for), their popularity naturally making way into our other pop culture formats, namely cartoons and comic books.
One particularly niche 80s toy line that has, over time, gained a cult-like following finally makes its way back into comic book form with the upcoming January 29 release of Power Lords #1 via publisher, Oni Press.
You’d need a long memory to recall the Power Lords – The Extra-Terrestrial Warriors toy line, first launched in 1983 by American model and toy company, Revell. Each character in the Power Lords universe had a particular action “power” that kids could instigate. The toy line’s lead hero, the normal Adam Power, could turn his torso around at the push of a button and reveal his Lord Power persona: a muscle rippling, blue-skinned and red veined, super-powered humanoid alien! It was a weird and compelling feature that allowed kids to engage in all sorts of outer space, good-versus-evil, play. Other characters in the toy line also showcased specific powers, whether from a twist of a cape or a flap of wings.
For art historians reading this column, it might be most interesting that the Power Lords toy line was designed by famed sci-fi author and artist, Wayne Douglas Barlowe, who illustrated covers to numerous sci-fi and fantasy books along with magazines like Time and Newsweek. He was also concept artist for films like Galaxy Quest, Avatar, Hellboy and Pacific Rim. Perhaps most famously, he wrote and illustrated the coveted Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials, first published in 1979.
In any case, Power Lords branched out into comic books, care of publisher DC Comics who released a three-issue miniseries in late 1983, written and illustrated by industry legends Michael Fleisher and Mark Texeira. Now, Oni Press alongside The Nacelle Company, the new owner of Power Lords, has the characters and their universe return on January 29 with the release of an all-new three-part miniseries, appropriately called: Power Lords.
Written by Dennis Culver (Unstoppable Doom Patrol) and Matt Hotson (Power Rangers: The Return) and illustrated by V Ken Marion (Green Lantern), Power Lords is a brand-new outer-space beginning, but a return to everything you might remember from the lore created by those 1980’s toys and commercials. Here, deep-space smuggler Adam Power comes into possession of the mysterious Power Jewel which transforms him into something altogether more powerful than he could ever dream! Alongside a ragtag group of characters, Adam Power is drawn into an ages-old war between good and evil that could tear the galaxy apart.
If you remember Power Lords from your youth – get excited! If you’re new to the Extra-Terrestrial Warriors and their story, get ready for a rocking science fiction epic.
Be ready to cross the galaxy on your weekly Wednesday Run to the local comic book shop and prep yourself now for the upcoming January 29 release of Power Lords #1!
