If there is one thing that Star Trek and Star Wars taught toy companies, it was that there was plenty of demand for science fiction-based toys. And in the late 80s, the new kid on the planet was Starcom, an innovative line of space toys that far outlived their original inspiration.

The toys were based on the 1980s cartoon, Starcom: The U.S. Space Force which chronicled the adventures of a brigade of American Astronauts, including John “Slim” Griffin and James “Dash” Derrington. Their evil nemesis – a group of robots and aliens known as the Shadow Force, led by Emporer Dark. Debuting in 1987, Starcom came out of the gate with a full line of accompanying action figures and playsets close behind.

Along with a set of 23 action figures, there were six playsets and 13 vehicles on the Starcom side alone. Shadow Force had its own 15 action figures and 11 vehicles to choose from. Setting themselves apart from other action figures of the day, these sure-footed space travelers benefited greatly from magnetized shoes, which meant that finally an action figure had the ability to remain upright, even when in a moving vehicle. But that wasn’t all that the magnets were good for; they also activated various devices like the Starbase elevator, which was set into motion automatically as soon as one of the action figures stepped inside. Likewise, these “magna-lock” magnets would activate cannons and various other devices whenever they were in proximity to the devices. Of course, all of the playsets and vehicles were also chock-full of moving parts such as folding wings, hidden compartments, etc. – basically everything you would expect in a respectable science fiction environment. Well-designed and full of unique features, the Starcom line of toys was certainly one of the better-designed lines of toys in the space genre.

Unfortunately, the show itself never really caught on in the United States and sales of the toys suffered as a result. The show would go off the air within a year and the toys would be discontinued a short time later. They did manage to enjoy some popularity in Europe, however, as well as with toy collectors over the years who are drawn to their unique design and features. They may not have given Star Wars toys a serious run for their money but they did prove that there is always room in the galaxy for other well-designed sets of space toys.