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Space Force (Action Force)
Encyclopedia
Space Force is a fictional space military unit that features in the Action Force
universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe
action figure
and comic book
series.
Space Force was depicted both in the Battle Action Force comic books and also with a range of action figures and vehicles from Palitoy Limited
.
-based unit, the characters and toys were released around the time of the second wave of enthusiasm for space travel and exploration at the start of the shuttle orbiter program
(in 1981) during the space-friendly Reagan administration and the Star Wars
era. The range was small and limited in scope.
Described in promotional material as:
and SAS Force
, the figures and vehicles had no real-world equivalents or military reference points. Without a practical need for camouflage, the uniforms and equipment of Space Force were coloured in grey, blue and orange with the principal characters dressed in a style typical of late 1970s and early 1980s science fiction television and movies.
Space Force was the only Action Force range (including the enemy Red Shadows
) without a member characterised as being from the United Kingdom
or Ireland
.
The Battle Action Force back-stories
that accompanied the release of the figures were, given the outer-space angle, less extensive than were the case for the SAS Force and Z Force ranges for example. The comicbook storylines created a space station environment to enable stories to be written that included the vehicles, characters and equipment represented by the action figures, toys and datafiles. The space station however was never released as part of the Action Force toy range.
With limited theatres in which to operate and without toy representations of any space-based Red Shadows characters or vehicles other than the Roboskull, the comic stories (see Battle Action Force tie in) were limited, often to cameo roles in stories involving other Action Force units such as Operation Spearhead (a holiday special) and in Crossfire! Like Q Force
, Space Force were never written into any storylines involving Cobra or the third generation Action Force characters however, the Moondancer character (pilot of the Triad Fighter) was one of the few Second Generation characters (including Q Force's Dolphin) whose profile was taken over to the AF (Third Generation) release in an unreconstructed form.
The action figures were, in keeping with much of the second generation of Action Force, repaints and repackages of existing G.I. Joe
figures and vehicles as well as some First Generation toys.
Action Force
Action Force was a 1980s range of European action figures initially based on Action Man, and later used to introduce G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to European markets...
universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series.
Space Force was depicted both in the Battle Action Force comic books and also with a range of action figures and vehicles from Palitoy Limited
Palitoy
Palitoy was the name of a British toy company.It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence...
.
Graphic Representation
A spaceOuter space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
-based unit, the characters and toys were released around the time of the second wave of enthusiasm for space travel and exploration at the start of the shuttle orbiter program
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
(in 1981) during the space-friendly Reagan administration and the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
era. The range was small and limited in scope.
Described in promotional material as:
"Action Force's eyes and ears above the Earth's atmosphere, they are able to issue early warnings of Ironblood's hostile plans."the unit was introduced as part of the second generation of Action Force (see Action Force – second generation (1983)). In contrast to the First Generation releases and conventional land-based units Z Force
Z Force (Action Force)
Z Force is a fictional infantry military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
and SAS Force
SAS (Action Force)
SAS Force is a fictional special forces military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
, the figures and vehicles had no real-world equivalents or military reference points. Without a practical need for camouflage, the uniforms and equipment of Space Force were coloured in grey, blue and orange with the principal characters dressed in a style typical of late 1970s and early 1980s science fiction television and movies.
Space Force was the only Action Force range (including the enemy Red Shadows
Red Shadows
The Red Shadows are the fictional fighting force opposed to Action Force and depicted in the UK Battle Action Force comic books. They were also portrayed in action figures by Palitoy as a European version of the G.I. Joe range. Later US G.I. Joe storylines have revived the Red Shadows as an...
) without a member characterised as being from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The Battle Action Force back-stories
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
that accompanied the release of the figures were, given the outer-space angle, less extensive than were the case for the SAS Force and Z Force ranges for example. The comicbook storylines created a space station environment to enable stories to be written that included the vehicles, characters and equipment represented by the action figures, toys and datafiles. The space station however was never released as part of the Action Force toy range.
With limited theatres in which to operate and without toy representations of any space-based Red Shadows characters or vehicles other than the Roboskull, the comic stories (see Battle Action Force tie in) were limited, often to cameo roles in stories involving other Action Force units such as Operation Spearhead (a holiday special) and in Crossfire! Like Q Force
Q Force
Q Force is a fictional marine military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....
, Space Force were never written into any storylines involving Cobra or the third generation Action Force characters however, the Moondancer character (pilot of the Triad Fighter) was one of the few Second Generation characters (including Q Force's Dolphin) whose profile was taken over to the AF (Third Generation) release in an unreconstructed form.
The action figures were, in keeping with much of the second generation of Action Force, repaints and repackages of existing G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
figures and vehicles as well as some First Generation toys.
Characters
| Code Name | Function (figure) | Real Name | Birthplace | Serial number | Primary military speciality | Secondary military speciality | File card or comic book 'Datafile' description | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Raider | Commander | Charles 'Chuck' Connors | Cincinnati | AF 934101 | Space battle tactics | Space command | Top astronaut in NASA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... during US space programme. Qualities of leadership demonstrated during crisis at American space satellite programme. Seconded European Space Agency European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... as instructor in advanced space technology. joined Action Force, completed induction course in record time, with highest score ever recorded. |
Orange cap Cap A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes... and blue Uzi submachine gun Uzi submachine gun The Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols. The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows for the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.The first Uzi... |
Stand-alone carded figure, the character of Chuck Connors was the most prominent of all Space Force characters in the Battle Action Force comic strip. |
| Blast Off | Space Patroller | Greg Taggart | Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
AF 934102 | Weapons | Freefall aerobatics Aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport... |
Initial training Australian Air Force Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts... . Member of parachute Parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon... training school. Instructor in advanced weapon training Australian Air Force Regiment. Took NASA free fall space training courses, passed out with distinction. Action Force provided logical step to take and swiftly became indispensable part of the team. |
Depending on release, either a blue laser rifle Raygun Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns... or a blue uzi with an SA80 assault rifle SA80 The SA80 is a British family of 5.56mm small arms. It is a selective fire, gas-operated assault rifle. SA80 prototypes were trialled in 1976 and production was completed in 1994.... |
A new mold Molding (process) Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern.... released as a stand-alone character, duplicates were issued as Hawkwind with the Satellite Defence craft (see below) albeit with a separate datafile and back-story |
| Kiwi | Space engineer | Scott Walters | Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
AF 934777 | Computer engineering | Freefall combat | Lost his hand performing a heroic deed in the depths of space (for which he received three citations for bravery). In time Action Force doctors were able to manufacture a computerised hand to give him greater strength and dexterity. PhD PHD PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer... graduate of M.I.T. Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... and an expert in computer security. Knows all there is to know about space hardware. |
Welding-style helmet Welding helmet Welding helmets are headgear used when performing certain types of welding to protect the eyes, face and neck from flash burn, ultraviolet light, sparks, infrared light, and heat. Most commonly used with arc welding processes such as shielded metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and gas... with visor Visor A visor is a surface that protects the eyes, such as shading them from the sun or other bright light or protecting them from objects.... and two optional robotic (bionic) hands with hydraulic pipes. |
New mold. Action figure representation differed to the comic book representation. |
| Hot Jets | Space Pilot | Yuri Ivanovich Asimov | Leningrad Leningrad Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province... , Russia |
AF 934100 | Space Astrogation | Pilot instructor | Received basic training at Soviet military complex at Baikonw Baikonur Baikonur , formerly known as Leninsk, is a city in Kyzylorda Province of Kazakhstan, rented and administered by the Russian Federation. It was constructed to service the Baikonur Cosmodrome and was officially renamed Baikonur by Russian president Boris Yeltsin on December 20, 1995.The shape of the... . Several sub-orbital and lunar Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... flights on the Soyuz Soyuz programme The Soyuz programme is a human spaceflight programme that was initiated by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, originally part of a Moon landing project intended to put a Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon... programme. Achieved first successful manual rendezvous with three other craft during Soviet space station project. On loan to NASA for additional two years training. Joined Action Force after special dispensation from Soviet Praesidium. |
Helmet (with visor) and uzi pistol, pilot of Cosmic Cruiser | Action figure supplied as a stand-alone character and also variants re-packaged with Cosmic Cruiser and Triad Fighter craft (see below) however only the latter was re-characterised as Moondancer. |
| Hawkwind | Space Security Trooper | Lars Elsund | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
AF 934103 | Combat Helipilot | Unarmed combat | Member of elite section of NATO armed forces specialising in helicopter Helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally... assault. Chief instructor in unarmed combat school. Expert judo Judo is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an... and karate Karate is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,... . Olympic Olympic Games The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate... gold medal Gold medal A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... both sports. Transferred Action Force, received space training at special school funded by both US and Soviet space commands. Free-fall combat chevron award. |
Variants included a selection of weapons including uzis, SA80s, laser rifles and sten guns, piloted the Satellite Defence craft | Figure was identical to Blast Off but characterised differently when accompanying Satellite Defence (as pilot). |
| Moondancer | Triad Fighter Pilot | Tariq El Shafei | Middle East Middle East The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East... |
AF 934848 | Astral assault tactics | Rapid space deployment | Trained originally in fast jets Jet aircraft A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft... , converted to space. Friendly rivalry with Red Wolf started at NASA. Not so friendly now, but Moondancer hasn't yet given up on his old pal. Secondment to Cosmic Security and further Action Force training have made Moondancer a top rate space combat tactician. |
Ubiquitous uzi pistol and helmet (with visor), pilot of Triad Fighter | Identical to Space Pilot (Hot Jets) figure, packaged with Triad Fighter. Moondancer was one of the few characters who was duplicated without adjustment in the Third Generation. |
External links
- Action Force Online Action Force Online
- Blood For The Baron!!! Battle Action Force comic scans