Action Force

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Action Force was a range of comic book characters and action figures initially based on Action Man.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] First generation (1982)

First produced in 1982 by Palitoy Limited and released in two waves, the action figures were a response to falling sales of the company's larger Action Man range and the comparitive success of the smaller Star Wars action figures which it was licensed to sell in Europe.

Called Action Force the figures were a mixture of historical military figures (for example a Desert Rat and German Stormtrooper) and more contemporary soldiers (for example Arctic and Naval Assault characters). The range was kept international, in contrast to G.I. Joe, including British, Australian and United States soldiers. However, unlike later releases the figures were not accompanied by file cards (on the reverse of the figures' packaging) giving the figures back-stories nor were they featured in comic books, other than a series of mini-comics that were packaged with some of the vehicles (notably the AF-3 and AF-5, see below)

[edit] List of figures

[edit] Vehicles, weaponry and armour

  • Action Force Base (a cardboard headquarters with zip-line feature)
  • AF-3 (a Jeep-style patrol vehicle)[1]
  • AF-5 Multi-Mission Vehicle (a wheeled patrol vehicle with extendable wings for flight and a detachable flotation collar for amphibious use)[2]
  • AF-7 Deep Sea Diver Platform
  • AF-9 Mountain & Arctic (a snowmobile-style vehicle)

[edit] Second generation (1983)

Following the success of the first generation, a second much larger range was launched in 1983.

[edit] Characterisation

This second generation took a different approach by grouping the allied action figures and enemies each with accompanying weaponry and vehicles:

[edit] Z Force

See Z Force

  • An allied infantry and artillery-based unit

[edit] SAS Force

See SAS Force

  • An allied special operations team

[edit] Q Force

See Q Force

  • An allied Ocean-based team

[edit] Space Force

See Space Force

  • An allied Space operations team

[edit] Red Shadows

See Red Shadows

  • The unified enemy force known as the Red Shadows and led by Baron Ironblood

At this stage the figures were given comic book identities by a new range of stories featuring in the Battle Action Force comic (see below Battle Action Force tie-in). The toys were also supplied with file cards giving a brief profile of the character. These profiles were in turn expanded in Battle Action Force, often for key figures, with their own multi-issue storylines (for example The Black Major[3])

[edit] Toys

Both action figures and vehicles themselves borrowed elements from the first generation models and also new casts licensed from the G. I. Joe range from Hasbro in the United States.

At this time the Action Force range was marketed heavily and branched out into Atari video games, audio stories on cassette tapes, stationery and toiletries. There was also an Action Force fan club promoted both on the figures’ packaging and in the Battle Action Force comic book.

In 1984 additional figures and vehicles were cast, borrowing more heavily from the G. I. Joe and Cobra ranges.

[edit] Third generation (1985)

See also AF (Action figures)

Eventually, in 1985 Palitoy had ceded control of the European market to Hasbro and began to package G.I. Joe figures under the Action Force brand. This move marked the end of the sub-grouping of the Action Force team and a new unified Action Force (or AF) also faced a new enemy in the name of Cobra.

The parallel comic book storylines also maintained continuity with a number of plotlines that blended elements of the second generation with the third, featuring the new characters as an international elite anti-terrorist unit of a wider Action Force still backed up by the Z Force, SAS and other units fighting Cobra, the Red Shadows and even Adolf Hitler and the Nazis[4]. Over time however the range melded into an unreconstructed G. I. Joe force and its enemy Cobra.

[edit] Battle Action Force tie-in

See also Battle Action Force

The Action Force characters initially featured in a comic strip serial in Battle. Eventually, the success of the action figures led to a re-focusing of the title renaming it Battle Action Force.

The comic took on the role of providing back stories and plotlines to the popular action figures and helped to maintain the continuity of Hasbro’s move to marketing the G. I. Joe range in Britain.

In addition the yearly annuals, mail-in offers, advertisements and free gifts were all focused towards adding detail and context to the Action Force universe.

Eventually the decline in interest in the action figures and vehicles matched the decline in the popularity of the comic book stories and Battle Action Force merged with Eagle. After a brief period where G. I. Joe stories featured in Marvel UK’s title, the strips were discontinued.

[edit] Distinction from G. I. Joe

The characters created by Battle Action Force and detailed on the file cards were more international in their nature than their G. I. Joe equivalents. Character file cards and comic book storylines in both the second and third generation were altered in the European market to have mixed nationalities in contrast to the US-centric G.I. Joe characters.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mini-comic storyline related to the AF-3 vehicle courtesy of Blood for the Baron!
  2. ^ Mini-comic storyline related to the AF-5 vehicle courtesy of Blood for the Baron!
  3. ^ The Black Major storyline courtesy of Blood for the Baron!
  4. ^ Death in South America storyline courtesy of Blood for the Baron!

[edit] External links

 v • d • e Action Force
Toy Line Action Force | AF | G.I. Joe | Action Man
Comics Battle Action Force
Action Force Characters Gaucho | Steeler | Jammer | Quarrel | Tracker | Wheels | Shark | Dolphin | Stakeout | Blades | Stalker | Sparrowhawk | Beaver | Hunter | Quickfire | Sky Raider | AF Characters
Action Force Units Z Force | Q Force | Space Force | SAS
Action Force Villains Baron Ironblood | The Black Major | Red Laser | Red Jackal | Red Shadow | Red Wolf | Muton | Kraken | Skeletron | Cobra Commander | Destro | Baroness | Zartan | Storm Shadow | Firefly
Factions Red Shadows | Cobra | G.I. Joe Team
Video Games Action Force
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