X-Ray Man (1980)
Can you believe I’ve been blogging daily about Fisher-Price’s Adventure People line for almost two years? Who would have thought that there were even enough figures to last that long? I’m no math whiz, but somehow it’s worked out so far. Here’s to two more years of daily AP excitement!
Adventure People collectors fall into two categories: those who collect only reality-based figures and sets; and those who find enjoyment in the more odd and strange sci-fi figures and sets, which were released to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars. While I find myself interested in something on both sides, I am generally more fascinated by figures like X-Ray Man.
Released only on a single card, X-Ray Man is based on the AP male swimmer body, with a newly created chestplate mold. There’s something a bit disturbing in general about this figure, which is essentially a clear tiny shorts wearing man with a robotic chestplate. The most disturbing are the eyes; they seem to be peering directly into my soul. Why do I get a Man From Atlantis vibe from this guy? Is the head mold based on a likeness of Patrick Duffy? Does he have supernatural powers? Who are you, X-Ray Man?! What do you want?! Get out of my head! Get out of my head!
This guy creeped me out a bit as a kid. He had a female counterpart, too. Both were reminiscent of Scooby Doo villains. Keep up the good work, before your blog I never realized there were over 750 different Fisher Price Adventure People figures.
This guy is a classic, an action figure masterpiece!
I would totally be into an updated version of this guy: modern sculpt, more PoAs, same awesome blue-green translucent plastic.
Ah! Ah! Eh! Eh! Eh!
To quote Def Leppard: F-f-f-foolin’!
Havnt you guys seen step by step. That guys freaky!
Fan-art:
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs22/f/2008/011/6/3/x_ray_male_by_nightwing1975.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs23/f/2008/011/d/d/x_ray_female_by_nightwing1975.jpg
This figure puts the “Adventure” into Adventure People! The next best thing to an actual Man of Atlantis line, the X-Ray Couple also compliments the likes of Muton, Kraken, and Baron Ironblood from our Action Force friends over the pond. Trippy!
That is some awesome art, Jester. Kind of like the FPAP version of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe “200X” revival.
Wish i could draw like that
Though I got rid of all my FP stuff many moons ago, they’re still very nostalgic. I didn’t have this guy, but at least one of my friends did. That’s the funny thing about the Adventure People: they were ubiquitous! One of your friends might have that black, single-seater spaceship while another would have the double-prop airplane with the handle. I had the space shuttle, myself.
Heh, I wish I could draw like that too…
(in case anyone’s wondering, the linked pictures are not mine).