Air Raiders
One big problem with the vehicles designed for action figures is that
the kids playing with these toys had to create all the motion
themselves. Sometimes, a cool toymaker would throw in sound effects or
lights as a bonus, but usually you had to push the vehicles across the
ground or through the air. Action figure fanatics got a relief from
this hassle in 1987 when Hasbro released their Air Raiders toy line.
Surprisingly, the Air Raiders toys were not based on a television
show or movie, but they did have a cool story all their own to provide
the fuel for your high-flying toy adventures. The Air Raiders lore
focused on the planet Airlandia, which was overtaken by the evil
Aerozar after a giant comet robbed the planet of most of its oxygen
supply. He formed an army called the Tyrants of the Wind and sought to
ration air and imprison anyone who opposed him. These evil designs were
opposed by a group of pilots calling themselves the Air Raiders. Led by
Admiral Fury and General Rokk, this group of heroes lived by the motto
“Free air for free men!”
Thus, the battle line was drawn between the Air Raiders and the
Tyrants of the Wind, and Hasbro made it possible for you to bring this
scenario to life with an impressive array of nine land and air
vehicles. These vehicles had cool Mad Max-styled names like the Storm
Dagger, the Wind Seeker, and the Thunder Hammer. They combined sleek
design with cool features like air-powered rocket cannons that really
fired. Some figures were even air-powered: a good example was the Storm
Dagger, a land cruiser that could be launched into action by its “air
cannon.”
The vehicles also included two-inch action figures that acted as
their pilots and drivers. Additional figures could be purchased in
five-figure packages: the Battle Squad pack contained Raiders, and the
Enforcer pack contained Tyrants. The series also included the Command
Outpost playset, an Air Raiders operations base that included a
tyrant-crushing avalanche you could launch yourself. There was also a
mail-in accessory package available for Air Raiders fanatics that
contained a map of Airlandia, Aerozar, a glider, and extra missiles for
the vehicles.
Air Raiders toys were only produced for a year, perhaps because
they lacked a television show or movie to make the mass public aware of
their existence. Just the same, the toys are still sought after by
collectors for their cool air-powered features.
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