Action Man (comics) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Action Man |
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Final issue of Action Man, published by Panini Comics in 2006
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Panini Comics, Marvel UK |
| Schedule | Every three weeks |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Action/adventure |
| Publication date | 1996 – January 2006 |
| Number of issues | 138 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) |
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| Artist(s) |
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| Letterer(s) | Nicholas Norman (2003), Alex Foot (2005), James Clarkson (2004) |
| Colorist(s) | Alan Craddock (2003), Junior Tomlin (2004-5) |
| Editor(s) | Ed Caruana |
The Action Man comic was a popular UK comic book series. It was published by Panini Comics and was based on the famous Action Man toys. The comic ran for a long time, from 1996 until January 18, 2006. In total, 138 issues were released! After it ended, a new comic called Action Man: A.T.O.M. took its place.
At first, a new comic came out every month. Later, they started publishing it even more often, every three weeks. The last editor of the comic was Ed Caruana.
Contents
Action-Packed Comic Stories
The main part of every Action Man comic was its exciting story. These stories always showed Action Man trying to stop his biggest enemy, the evil mad scientist Dr. X. Dr. X had a group of bad guys called the 'Council of Doom'.
When the comic first started, each story was usually a new adventure. There wasn't much connection between issues. But as the comic continued, the stories started to link together. This meant you had to read each issue to follow the bigger plot! Many new characters joined the comic over the years. Some became Action Man's friends, and others were new enemies. The very first story in the comic was called "Into Action."
Island X Adventures (2003)
In 2003, a new place was introduced: 'Island X'. This island was shaped like an 'X' and was the secret hideout for Dr. X and his Council of Doom. Many future stories took place on this mysterious island.
The main plot that year was about Dr. X building a giant 'Death Ray' on Island X. He planned to use it to destroy big cities around the world. He said he would stop only if he was made the world leader. Action Man had to explore Island X to find Dr. X. They had many exciting fights before their final battle in issue 100. The result of this huge fight was shown on a giant poster in the next comic! A new villain named 'Antifreeze' also joined the Council of Doom that year.
New Teammates and Robot Atak (2004)
The year 2004 brought new friends for Action Man! He got two new teammates for his Action Force team. One was Redwolf, a Native American archer who was great with a bow and arrow. The other was Flynt, an Australian extreme sportsman.
The main story that year was about a new villain called 'No-Face'. He created an army of 'X Robots' that looked just like Dr. X. These robots caused trouble everywhere. Later, No-Face even brought Dr. X back to life as a cyborg! No-Face then kidnapped a scientist named Professor Moran. He forced Professor Moran to create a special mind-control gas for Dr. X. This gas would help Dr. X take over the world.
No-Face was also a master of disguise. He used his skills to make it look like Action Man had kidnapped Professor Moran. At first, Professor Moran refused to help the villains. But Dr. X threatened to blow up every capital city in Europe if he didn't cooperate. The story ended in issue 119, published in November 2004. Action Force rescued Professor Moran, and Dr. X was defeated for a while. No-Face continued to be Dr. X's main helper.
The 2004 movie Action Man: Robot Atak was based on this comic story. You could even get the DVD as a free gift with the comic!
X-Missions: The Final Arc (2005–06)
The very last big story in the comic was called 'X-Missions'. It started in issue 120 with a story named 'Tokyo Terror'. You could see the 'X-Missions' logo on the cover of each comic during this time. The action figures released between 2005 and 2006 also had this logo on their boxes.
In this story, Dr. X was using animal DNA to create a dangerous chemical called 'Terror Toxin'. He planned to use it on innocent people to turn them into his own army of 'Toxic Troopers'. Some of the X-Robots were also upgraded. They became 'Toxic Robots' with big blades instead of hands! Action Man also had to complete ten very dangerous missions that Dr. X had set for him. That's why the story arc was called 'X-Missions'. A movie called Action Man: X-Missions - The Movie was also released in 2005. It had some similar ideas to the comic story.
The very last story printed in the comic was called "Island of Terror!" It was written by Simon Frith and had art by John Ross.
What Was Inside the Comic?
Besides the main comic strip, each issue of Action Man was packed with other fun stuff:
- Mission Brief - This was an introduction that gave you more details about the comic story.
- Comic Strip - The main adventure featuring Action Man!
- Colouring Page - A page where you could color in your favorite characters.
- Character Profiles and Features - These sections gave you information about the characters or looked back at past stories.
- Competition - You could often win the toy featured in the comic's story. Other prizes included video games and DVDs.
- Puzzles - Fun brain teasers and games.
- Posters - There was usually a giant pull-out poster in the middle of the comic. Sometimes, the back cover was also a poster!
- Letters Page - This section showed letters and artwork sent in by readers. The person who wrote the 'star letter' won a free Action Man figure! This section had different funny names over the years, like 'Action Stations', 'Gangrene's Gunk Mail', 'Antifreezes Cool Mail', and 'Dr X's Hate Mail'.
Collected Editions
In 2001, a company called Egmont Books published special books. Each book contained two comic strips from different issues of the Action Man comic. They cost £1.99 each and usually included a poster too. Some of the titles released were:
- Action Man: Extreme Adventures (which included the stories 'Demolition Derby' and 'Armed and Dangerous!')
- Action Man: X Hunter (which included the stories 'Smash 'n' Grab' and 'Rumble in the Jungle')
