The Weirdest Toyline of the 1980's? The Story of Power Lords!

[@CraigZagorski]

Uhh... Y'all just deadpan presented "Burt Backattack" as a legit character.... Well done.

[@MasterShake9000]

“Burt Backattack” is a criminally underrated name.

[@LeatherRebel75]

I may have to "borrow" that name if I ever get to play a rogue in D&D. That would be too good not to use in the type of irreverent campaigns my group likes to play. lol

[@CandGoods]

The trains and boats and planes, took this toyline away, away from me

[@MaximumWarp2099]

I saw your comment first and thought the name a joke from Dan. Nope! That was the name of an actual character. And it rules!

[@CandGoods]

@@MaximumWarp2099 I think that is actually just a Dan joke and an edited image, 'cause "Burt Backattach" didn't really return any relevant Google results.

[@vanillajack5925]

@@CandGoods It's really just "Bakatak".

[@ChadCWatson]

There are Power Lords stickers all over my vintage R2D2 toy box that I keep my instrument cables in here in my home studio. I was a big fan of them in the 80s

[@timvanboening9432]

HOLY CRAP! I had Adam Power as a kid, and didn’t know who he was. I had many figures who I didn’t know what they were from growing up. I thought the figure was weird and didn’t like how his arms bent backwards and forwards. This line definitely was too weird to survive.

[@robertathey8504]

I had it too. It's almost as if he just crawled into my toy box one night.

[@ralang999]

his Lord Power mode scared 7 year old me. He looked like he was bleeding!

[@privateprivate31337]

I had that female nightmare inducing figure as a child. Knew nothing about it until today. Happy to know that at least she was a "hero" character and not some evil alien butt prober.

[@CrudeConduct666]

I read this as "evil alien butt sucker" and I don't know how I feel about it

[@BroomPusher2024]

Sounds like Kinda like a ripoff of V with that context.

[@chadryan9900]

Yeah the Sheya character freaked me out when I saw her on the pegs at the time.

[@willman85]

I think it would have been better if she was evil, because she looks like a mutant with four feet pointing all over the place.

[@kforcer]

I only ever saw these guys in comic-book ads but man, they really fascinated me as a little kid. When looking through my older brother's comics, I'd often linger on the pages that featured ads for them. My brother would read the text on the ads to me and tell me about them. At the time, I didn't have the pragmatism to just go and ask my parents to buy one. I don't know if I even realized that one "bought" Power Lords. They just seemed like awesome, mysterious cosmic objects that you could only hope might fall into your hands one day. The ads had a real cool look, with a dark, space sorta background and the toys caught in action shots as they transformed.

[@justbuggin67]

“Sustains his essence by the anguish he causes his victims.” Sounds like my former HS math teacher.

[@corygraves4351]

We must have gone to the same school.

[@Clay3613]

Did he also act pervy towards female students?

[@CrudeConduct666]

He said this as I read it. Weird

[@themainmatt7057]

I remember getting 2 of these toys for my birthday in '83 or '84 from my relatives. I had Adam Power and Trigore, but didn't know anything about them beyond that. Up until now it was just a fragmented memory from my early childhood, not being able to remember the characters names or toy line they came from. Thank you so much for posting and bringing back another hidden gem from the good old days that was the '80's!

[@josephmayfield945]

God, you're channel is like a shotgun blast of nostalgia; straight to the face! I forgot about so many of these toys, until I see them on your channel, and immediately -- memories of playing with them wash over me; thank you.

[@eribertogonzalez2160]

I was reading an old comic book that had this in the ads. I knew nobody who owned it.

[@caseysmith3329]

Now you do. I had Adam Power/Power Lord as a kid. Until this video I had forgotten the name of the character and line. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@chrishopkins209]

@@caseysmith3329 I had him too...They advertised them in DC comics of the time

[@namelessjedi2242]

I knew someone who had one or two.

[@jahmd8377]

I had the Adam Power/Power Lord figure as well. Had to get it..... that ad was in seemingly every comic book I read around that time.

[@Desslar]

I saw the comic ads, but never the toys.

[@michealcormier2555]

I had Adam Power/Power Lord. I never saw the background story of this, so I created my own. Adam Power was an admiral of a star faring navy who doubled as a super hero.

[@garywilson177]

I actually found the Adam Power/Power Lord figure on the street when I was a kid sometime in the mid 80's. I took it home and I guess the range was already obscure and forgotten by that point because I never found out what range it was from until I was an adult. When I used him in my games, he was a Jekyll & Hyde type character who could turn evil at any moment.

[@dadandvideogames]

I have literally been waiting for this validation my entire life.

[@joeholt9704]

I had backattack as a kid. He was always a bounty hunter trying to catch He man! Lol!

[@danielelliott4670]

I get a backattack thinking about that transformation.

[@thegodfatheroftoys3349]

In a very odd chain of events, my best friends dad lost his job when I was about 9-10. He got a job at a plastics molding place. They happens to mold the main black parts of Volcan rock, and the lava pool. So he brought a box of them home, so every kid on the street got one, with some to spare. It was used for every figure line but power lords. I ended up getting Adam Power at some point. I thought I was the k my one who remembered this line

[@bigneon_glitter]

"Weird" is right. The one toyline I _didn't understand_ as a kid. Looked cool though.

[@caardappel]

I also have clear childhood memories of confusion about these.

[@avernikas]

Same

[@ThePhenomf4]

That Burt Backattack figure has quite possibly, the most accurate head sculpt of any figure to have ever existed!

[@PeterSchmuttermaier]

Oh. My. God. Arcus the evil dictator was actually my first action figure! I was barely three years old and in hospital. My memories are blurred, but I remember the boy in the bed next to me was visited by his grandfather, who bought him an action figure. He noticed how fascinated I was, and at his next visit, he brought one for me - it was Arcus! The boy next to me had Ggripptogg, I remember the red skin and the club. I don't know what happened to Arcus - maybe I lost it or it broke, but shortly after I got home it disappeared. Maybe my mother made it disappear because she was very religious back then and probably thought it's the devil... When I grew older I oftentimes asked myself what toy that was. Thank you for giving me the answer! Great channel!

[@graumail]

As a kid my brother had Barlowe’s Guide and it was one of my favorite tomes of secret knowledge, so-called because i could only read them when he wasn’t home for fear of retribution

[@sugarfree1223]

OMG Until now I assumed my parents had bought me these off the side of the road. These were some of my favorite action figures. I was the only kid who had them. They were so different from other toys. I LOVED them. I haven't seen anything about them in 35 years! Thanks Dan!

[@ivane5110]

I completely forgot about this line. I first saw it thanks to backpage comic ads and then a comic mini-series (which I never did find the final issue to). By the time I saw it in person it had no hope of living up to my self-imagined hype.

[@CommodoreFloopjack78]

My parents got me an Adam Power/Power Lord figure once upon a time and I had absolutely no clue what to make of it. It looked like a demonically possessed David Hasselhoff to me.

[@Marneus28]

I actually liked these a lot when I was a kid because I always had a soft spot for any of the weird and unusual looking alien type toy figure lines. Things like these and Sectaurs or Inhumanoids. Anything that was gruesome or crazy looking I wanted them. XD

[@DragonTail49]

First toy line to give me nightmares. Seriously... young me was *terrified* by Adam Power's transformed self, so much that I'd run out of the room if commercials came on TV and walk a wide berth around the pegs at the local toy store. It'd be years before I paid the toys any attention, all thanks to those memories.

[@jamesdlin7]

I loved Power Lords as a kid; the designs were imaginative and unique, and the toys had great articulation. Adam Power and Disguyzor were among my most prized toys. My understanding is that one problem was that Revell, being a model-making company, was not experienced at making toys made out of non-brittle plastic.

[@OscillatorCollective]

Wow, I’m getting emotional from seeing this artwork and hearing the mythology. I remember having this toy, but too young to remember any of the advertising or mythology. 🤯. THANK YOU, This is a video I never knew I needed.

[@billpagan3070]

The main bad guy Arkus looks like a vintage Micronauts Alien figure!👍😁. Love the colors on these!😁. Dan and Greg another great episode! Have a great weekend!👍😁

[@AaronLitz]

I friggin' LOVED Power Lords when I was very little (I was 7 in '83.) I don't remember having any of the good guys like Adam Power, but I definitely had Arkus and it was my favorite toy for quite a while. I especially loved how his silver blasters clipped onto his triple-branched forearm.

[@flannelogue]

Man, this is why I love this Channel. I would always see those ads in the back of comics and always wondered what the hell their deal was. What a stupidly awesome design. Thanks for this. Actually, that Burt Bacharach gag is why I love this Channel.

[@Gappasaurus]

14:47 Dan: “...never turning their backs...” Adam Power: “Excuse me?! That’s LITERALLY all I do!”

[@Darusamon]

Oh wow, I love the work of Wayne Barlowe. I was like 4 or 5 when these toys were around, but I remember them. I had no idea Barlowe was involved in their designs.

[@sk1ppman]

I have his book on my shelf right now.

[@kaministquiamahackamack336]

Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials was actually his own visualization of literary aliens, not how he imagined them to actually be... that was covered in another of his books.

[@myoman1977]

You have nearly officially completed my 80s childhood. The only thing missing is mantech and remco mini-monsters

[@tawdryhepburn4686]

What, specifically, makes it complete in your mind?

[@vryusvin3905]

Man-Tech! Yes! God, I remember them as fondly as my Power Lords and Sectaurs.

[@Gappasaurus]

@@tawdryhepburn4686 Toys owned as a child, most likely 😊

[@tawdryhepburn4686]

@@Gappasaurus fair enough.

[@Marneus28]

@@tawdryhepburn4686 I think he just means Dan will have finished making videos based on all the figures he owned as a kid. Thus it will be complete. XD

[@DarmokAtTinegra]

Barlowe's Guide is an incredible book; along with the Terran Trade Authority books, among my favorite finds from used/rare bookstores. I would never have known it had any connection with a toy line. Thank you Dan and Greg.

[@yokaicustoms]

I have Barlow's Guide to Extraterrestrials! He's an incredible artist. His series exploring Hell is really interesting also (Barlowe's Inferno)

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

My Nan bought me the Adam Power figure back then and I loved it, until the day I pressed the button and his torso rotated... and flew spinning across the room, quite separate from his legs!

[@subraxas]

I mean, these alien figs are just AMAZING ! ! ! ! ! And I've totally loved and admired Wayne Barlowe's work. The geezer is a genius in my book!!

[@oxmeatpete]

I totally had Trigore and the Adam Power action figure when I was young (Sorry I did not get a Burt Backattach). I loved it and it creeped me out at the same time. The two faced head and hands with the crazy fingers always gave me the creeps and if I’m remembering correctly he was too big to match my other figures. Man-E-Faces took over his position in the toy hierarchy quickly. Adam hung out at the bottom of the toy box mostly until his parental treachery disappearance. Good times.

[@MacabreHouse]

The queens alien form is horrifying. No wonder this line failed

[@ironmaster6496]

they look either disturbing or straight up stupid

[@steve_bal4]

These figures were so amazing looking (had no idea Barlowe had designed them, but then I only learned about his alien book just a couple years ago). Stupidly, I skipped purchasing Power Lords because they weren't 3 3/4", which was the sole focus of my collection(s) at the time. I'd LOVE to get my hands on some of the Four Horseman line of PL, they look incredible.

[@keelerogers]

I had Shaya as a kid and couldn't get over how odd she is.I have been trying to find her since.Thank you!

[@maples328]

I love ❤️ how Toy Galaxy can take a show (Manimal) or toyline (Power Lords) that I care nothing about and make it into a fascinating 🧐 expose ! Thanks 😊

[@Exiled_Rouge]

As a kid, I own Gripptog(?) but I never knew where he came from, the name of the figure, or who bought it for me. It must have been a Xmas or Birthday gift at some point. This video literally informed me of a 38-year-old mystery I lived with up until this day.

[@RalphBarbagallo]

My cousin got these back in the day, we use to laugh at how stupid the flip around gimmick was and the hideous character designs.

[@FlannelJedi]

Well, that solves a mystery for me- as a kid, I had the helmet from the Shaya figure, but had no idea where it came from. Thanks, Toy Galaxy!

[@VJFranzK]

My thought at the time, and now: Because they were a model company, these figures were more detailed than the others of the time! Though indeed thin / fragile. The designs were weird and interesting!

[@mathieu4204]

The 4H line had fun potential, but it started with several repaints of the guards before the actual named characters were finally available. By then people had already stopped caring. As for the original line, I remember seeing the figures on the pegs, but never knew anyone who was into it.

[@mikelemosakaspacetrog]

I had the good fortune of being able to illustrate some tee shirt transfer designs (it was the early 80s the transfers made the tees “bulletproof”, or so we liked to think), for the company I worked for (Photo-Lith International) that had the license to do shirt transfers. I fell in love with the toy line and little did I know they were designed by Barlowe who was one of my favorite illustrators.

[@wstine79]

I'd say Toy Galaxy is gonna run out of toys to talk about, but I'm sure they will find some in the back of the closet. Good work, guys.

[@happiaxxident]

Aiiiiir Raiders! Power is in the Aiiiiiir Raiders!

[@andrewtaylor940]

@@mr.pavone9719 Not to mention some of the more insane Japanese lines that the American stuff borrowed heavily from. Or the British variants such as Action Man/Action Force, etc

[@Dynaman21]

@@andrewtaylor940 Lot of British stuff. They haven’t discussed Terrahawks yet.

[@andrewtaylor940]

@@Dynaman21 Really or much at all of any of the Gerry Anderson stuff.

[@DBraeges]

Honestly, it's the weird, forgotten, back-of-the-closet stuff I find most interesting.

[@ashrafmourad2901]

I had Adam Power/Lord Power at eight years old. I remember have him join forces with my He-man, because there was no point for me--even at eight years old--to collect the rest of the line because they were less-than aesthetically pleasing.

[@greenlanternhg5141]

I had Sydot, it was the only figure I found, yes it was a clearance sale. But! I’m surprised how much I liked it, it was well made and it became the villain for many of my toy adventures 😂 Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg MP 👍🏽✌🏽

[@Popebug]

Fun fact: Wayne Barlowe later designed creatures for Pacific Rim, Avatar and Hellboy (Hellboy 2 is basically just Deltoro recreating one of Barlowe's sketchbooks.)

[@Getwright-]

I was so lucky to get a copy of barlows guide to aliens from a booksale at my local library as a kid. It changed my life. I cant read most classic sci-fi without thinking of his version of the characters most times

[@mikelemosakaspacetrog]

I still own that one 🤪

[@Ultrazilla]

Great art style on these toys, definitely left an impression on me as a kid. Grabbed 4H's Lord Power, but hope one day they can back the license and make them part of Mythic Legions in that scale. Heck they should look into buying the brand outright! Great show, and thanks for mentioning the lettering on the comics part. ;)

[@GalactiVids]

I ended up asking for and getting an Adam Power figure as a kid, but I don't remember ever seeing any commercials or anything else prior to seeing them on a store shelf. It was the only toy from the series I had at the time, but I definitely thought it was cool. I currently have an Arkus (sadly his limbs seemed to just disitegrate over time) and an Adam Power in my collection.

[@howardmoon2687]

I had the main bad guy as a kid. I had no idea what toy universe it was from, I just remember it being a cool looking action figure.

[@madcaptoys]

Yeah, it was a pretty strange toy line but I love the 80's figures no matter how weird they got.

[@mistagoat6713]

OMG! This has solved a 20+ year mystery for me!! I had Sydot and Arkus as a kid. I never knew their names and Power Lords had completely faded from my memory. I've searched for Sydot for years but without knowing his name or franchise I'd always search for some variation dino/person (I was like 6, I remembered his head more dino like) so I never got any results. Such a relief to finally have this answer, I can't thank you enough!!!!

[@travezripley]

“I mean Lookout” -Dan * I peed my pants with that quote

[@jessodum3103]

I remember my little brother had the Adam Power/Power Lord figure. I'm not sure if he ever knew what it was, but I sure as heck didn't. It was just one of those weird toys in the collection. I think I assumed that the character was some sort of sci-fi Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde story.

[@leftygurl]

getting here in under a minute is a deeply neat feeling tbh

[@malikot63]

Burt Backattach wrote (or co-wrote) hits for Dionne Warwick, Perry Como, Andy Williams, and Tom Jones. A dangerous free agent whose spiny back is second only to his catchy ear worms.

[@prestonvogel1431]

Burt Backattack's backstory involved the tragic loss of his beloved. After that day he turned to the side of evil and vowed, "I'll never fall in love again!"

[@terrylight3086]

Finally!!!!!! I've been waiting for this for so long. Thank you!

[@dianefranklin1690]

I love this channel. It's so much more entertaining and informative than the others, especially Retroblasting.

[@nikkicoyotie8431]

Thank you so much for this! I remember finding these in a budget department store in the middle of no where small town I grew up in and i've been trying to figgure out what they were for DECADES

[@JoelCarroll]

Man, as much as I loved the weirdness that was/is Power Lords, the plastic was just strange and brittle, accessories were also weird and cool but no one could hold them....I was really hoping the 2nd wave from 4Horsemen would have made it out.....Now, I want to draw these weirdos

[@BainesMkII]

I used to own a copy of Barlow's Guide. While I could be wrong, I vaguely recall thinking Barlow's renditions didn't really fit the descriptions in the novels that it was supposedly illustrating.

[@tueferbenz7492]

Wayne Barlowe also designed creatures for Avatar, Pacific Rim, Hellboy, Dante's Inferno, and Prisoner of Azkaban, a number of of which have been made into action figures.

[@solidus0079]

THANK YOU! I was actually thinking about these figures a few months ago, well specifically the red suited guy that spins around and becomes the blue guy. (AKA Adam Power, apparently) But I couldn't remember enough about them to even search for what they were!

[@theonlyfaeronarr]

WOW, I forgot that I even had Adam Power back in my childhood!

[@RICOFRITO]

Wow very interesting toy line! Sad to see it didn't become popular as transformers. The figures were very unique, and I never heard of these until now.

[@willmistretta]

Also, I thought of Barlow as soon as I saw Arcus's design. I've treasured that weird book since I was a kid.

[@stuartbagley2586]

Totally forgot about that DC comics mini series. I still have it!

[@littleBIGrobots]

Easily in my top 10 toys of all time. We need more original IPs -- I can't tell you how tired I am of finding toy hobbiests or channels that are nothing but GI Joe, He-Man, etc. YAWN. I wish we had more of these weirdos back then!

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

Yeah, it bummed me out to hear that parents were unhappy with the designs, but that was the best part. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that unique in character design, outside of Inhumanoids.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

Well, Ben10 is new Ip (after this one I mean), but it's basically the same thing anyway. I'm too young for He-Man but in my retrogression I grew up with Blackstar and Conan the barbarian and Castlevania without feeling like I missed much, i pretty much feel the IP isn't that much of a factor. The sad cases are some things like Sectaurs that could have had its spirit carried forwards in the revival of Yars' Revenge in 2008, but that completely fell through with lack of popularity. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faDSg5RmeJmfsKs

[@misterelom]

Almost hate to admit that I actually wanted the 83 Adam Power/Power Lord figure when I was a kid. Fortunately that interest wore off after about a week 😂. Never knew the Four Horsemen versions existed before this video but they look way better than those 1983 ones.

[@seibervideo]

My god. I had Adam Power. Had him for all of 10 minutes and it broke. 🤷‍♂️

[@orangetee9636]

Same. I got upset when that happened and my parents refused to buy me any other toys for awhile because they thought it was my fault. I'll bring that up in therapy next time.

[@seibervideo]

@@orangetee9636 oh man I’m so glad it wasn’t just me. I remember being so mad about it. It was something my mom had just picked for me I think when she went into the store. Opened it up in the backseat, and the thing didn’t even make it home. 😅

[@nigelflood7074]

Same here, Adam Power hit the floor once and ended up two pieces

[@441ld]

Mine too

[@tawdryhepburn4686]

It was Precision Specialties, not _Durable_ Mass Productions.

[@yoyodynetoys]

My experience of Power Lords was all thanks to the clearance section at Kaybee Toys. Pretty sure I picked up all the major characters in the line for a song. Come to think of it, it's the same reason I had all the Crystar figures!

[@moze-x]

So glad you covered this. Took me back the Childrens Palace

[@JustPlayTheGame76]

My cousin had a Power Lord figure (I never knew that was the name of it.) I always thought it was missing some things, now I know he wasnt. I also thought this was a toy line exclusive to Venezuela since I never heard about it in the US. Thirty years later, I find out it was a US made toy line with more than just the single figure. lol

[@ryantwombly720]

This and other episodes have reminded me of toy lines I had completely forgotten about, even though I had some of the figures. Thanks for helping me appreciate Mom and Dad’s generosity and/or savviness at catching a deal.

[@xmann10761]

I totally had Tork growing up! He was Awesome! Even the biting beak action and spinning fists and body! He was my Hordak stand in, because I never got a Hordak...

[@raeje]

Oh my god, I was hoping you would do this one! At one point i thought this toy was just a fever dream

[@Anhviet19]

I remember having this toy when I was about 7 years old. I don't think I ever played with it that often. The nostalgia this video brings is tremendous, bringing back a forgotten memory truly there is nothing like it.

[@theincrediblemisternobody8724]

I had an Adam Power figure when I was four years old. I never noticed how much he looked like Bentley from The Jeffersons.

[@mikeddh2018]

I still have Burt Backattack. Minus the quills and his removable right hands.

[@YouSuperJ]

This is my all time favorite “forgotten” toy line. One of my favorite all time toys. So creepy. Still looking for that Atari 2600 game.

[@fwfocusproductions]

Hey Dan - it's hard to understate how much I've been enjoying your videos since I discovered your channel. I'm not a toy collector or even a toy buyer, so the history and story videos have been better for me, but fortunately there's plenty of those. You've taken my mind off sad things and made me feel like there's a big community of people who remember the same things I do. You're winning hearts and minds and changing lives - keep it up. Thank you!

[@cullenn2100]

As a kid, I collected these toys and loved their look; in middle school I discovered "Barlowe's Guide," but never knew the connection until now.

[@OscillatorCollective]

Even more ironic, I remember that book by Barlow being one of my favorite ones to read in the many book stores I used to visit in the 90s, and probably saw it I my school library very early on.

[@someonesane]

If not for randomly stumbling onto this video, I would never have remembered owning the figure of Power Lord. I saw the thumbnail and it triggered an instant feeling of nostalgia. I have only a faint memory of showing someone the "transformation" and playing with the action figure in the yard. I would've been no older than 7, based the memory, as the yard was at the apartments my family moved away from at about that time. I don't remember much of anything about it, but I can "feel" the connection I had with the fun of playing with the toy. Life is pretty crazy...

[@noahhunt3930]

The review I was waiting for. This explains why my memory of acquiring this action figure was next to a bunch of models. My soul is now clean.

[@darkdeity2012]

I definitely had that Trigore three-legged vehicle creature. Toy Galaxy is getting really good at reminding me of stuff from when I was a kid that I'd almost entirely forgotten about. Those half He-Man, half tank figures are... unique.

[@jonathanhernandez3292]

Barlowe's style is so unique that I said to myself 'these toys look very Barlowe-esque' before you mentioned that haha imagine that

[@joesefjoestar7741]

Had a few of them (Sydot, Raygoth ), and even as a kid I've already considered them as super weird

[@bl1zz]

When I was a kid, I came home one day & my Mom had bought me the entire OG set(1st & 2nd wave, vehicles & Volcan Rock). Although I had no idea what they were or the story behind them I was SO happy. I played with them for years, making up my own back stories & using them with my other toys. This video has brought back so many good memories while also finally I get to know what the whole story was about them. Thanks for this

[@willmistretta]

Wait, "The Goon of Doom" is taken!? So much for my autobiography.

[@cowpuddles4851]

Besides Dan’s neatly trimmed facial hair, the retro commercials are the best part of these amazing videos.

[@Fantomaslives]

One of my favorite line as a kid. The beast machines were awesome.

[@JmannDX]

Seeing you use our press release article makes me happy. Love, One of the weirdos at CollectionDX