Pulsar (toy)
Pulsar: The Ultimate Man of Adventure was an action figure for boys made by Mattel in 1976. Pulsar was a 14" action figure looked like a handsome middle aged man with short white hair. However once you opened his sweat suit top it revealed that his entire torso was clear plastic which allowed viewing of his internal organs. There was a button on his back that when depressed would make his lungs and heart pump and force simulated blood through some simulated arteries and veins in the body cavity. In addition to having visible innards, Pulsar's head could flip open and a holographic mission disk (a small lenticular plastic disk) could be placed inside. The literature provided with this toy said that this was his mission program disc. There were two versions of the doll, the difference between the two being that the second version of Pulsar had his lower waist and groin painted to match his skin color thus disguising the rubber connectors for where the legs attached to the pelvis. Some also claim that the second version has a more expressive and friendlier face. There never was a back story given to Pulsar, he was just the "Ultimate Man of Adventure". His strange biology could make one think he is an alien, an evolved human cyborg or a combination of these possibilities. The only other toys to be developed for the Pulsar toy line were his nemesis Hypnos: The Ultimate Enemy and Pulsar's Life Systems Center which was a medical bay style wall that Pulsar could be placed inside. Pulsar was patented in 1976 but Mattel toys did not produce him until 1977.
Hypnos: The Ultimate Enemy
Pulsar's one and only enemy was Hypnos, a humanoid alien who also had a clear plastic torso and switch embedded in his right side that when pressed spun a hypnotic patterned disc and created sparks inside the chest cavity.
External links
- Toysyouhad.com Pulsar Page
- Bug Eyed Monsters review of Pulsar
- Paid Stallions Mattel Catalog with Pulsar
- YouTube video of Pulsar Life Systems Center