Microman T49X Titan Command 5
T491 Mires, T492 Cashias and T493 Armis
Takara released Titan Command 5 T49X Type in October of 1977. T49X was the fifth and last of the Titan Command series and are among the rarest of the Titan Commands toys. Titan Commands were never as popular with kids compare to Microman Command 1 and 2 and being sold as part of Gimca line of die-cast slot cars probably lead to many confusions. Takara, in the end, marketed the Titan Command 5 solely as Microman toys with Magnemo-8 features and Gimca references were mostly removed from the packaging.
Unlike the other Titan Commands, Titan Command 5 T49X consists of three members - T491 Mires, T492 Cashias and T493 Armis. The Titan Command 5 follow the same naming convention as the previous Titans by having Greek or Roman mythology sounding names. Titan Command 5 also comes with Gimca die-cast slot car accessory. T491 comes with F5-S Pulsar in metallic blue, T492 comes with F5-SS Pulsar in lime green and T493 comes with F5-SSS in bright orange color. Titan Command 5 retains the same blocky and robotic looks. T49X hands are molded as separate part which allow for some articulations (the hand is design with 5mm connector that plug into the arm and also features 5mm port as hand grip which allow Titan Command 5 to hold many of the 5mm accessories along with the chromed cannon that included with the figure.) Another change in the design is a much more elaborate head sculpt design and the figure is also taller due to lengthen torso section (which make the figure less blocky and more proportional looking than the first two Titan Commands series). While the Gimca slot car is no longer being market as the main part of the toys, T49X figures retain the same interactive features as the previous series and the figure can be combine with the Gimca cars just like the other four Titan Commands.
F5 Pulsar uses Gimca frame with modified rear section that now house a twin "magnemo-8" connector and chrome 5mm connector for Titan (or other Microman) body. (This is one of the reason for Titan blocky body so they can appear to be "engine" for their slot car counterparts.) Titan Gimca cars have clear plastic canopy that slide over to cover the connectors.
Titan Commands Story
Titan Commands were originally living robots that were constructed by ancient Microman Command who came to inhabit Saturn long ago. These ancient Microman build Titan robots to help them with scientific research. These living robots contained "cultured brain" (brain cloned from Microman) that contained brain wave of these Microman ancestors. The culture brains were used as a control program and also gave these robots super Artificial Intelligence since the brain actually came from Microman-being. When these ancient Microman left, the robots were put in suspend animation state. When modern Microman arrived on Earth following Micro-Earth explosion, the alpha H-7 wave also triggered the program and began to awaken these robots and started the automatic evolution process.
Microman Titan 1 & 2 and Microman Spy Magicians discovered these robots while they were investigating the anomaly around planet Saturn. The robots were eventually revived from their suspended animation using Spectrum MX ray. However these robots were no longer just robots, their brains had developed and the robots have became ego of Microman from whom their brains were cloned from. The robots called themselves the Titan Commands. Titan Commands build Titan Gimca cars using the same cultured brain technology, they were able to transplant their brains to these cars which allowed them to be telepathically link to one another. This very advance concept of cloning the brain to create super AI and then stored it inside a robot which in turn produce a robot that would evolve into a sentient being is quite far reaching especially for kids toys from 1970's.
Titan Commands and Titan Gimca Cross-Section
- Titan AI Brain - advance "cultured brain" that house consciousness of ancient Microman Command (#1)
- Magnetic Globe - enable Titan to break apart their bodies and reattach them at will. (#3)
- Photon Energy Gathering Device - trap photon energy but unlike Microman, Titan Commands have Magnetic Converter that convert Photon Energy into magnetic energy. (#5)
- Magnetic Energy Transfer - allow Titan Command to exchange energy with Titan Gimca and vice versa. (#6)
The Arrival of Blitzkrieg Brigade - Microman Titan Commands
Titan Commands act as lighting attack force or Blitzkrieg Brigade (from German WW2 term Blitzkrieg or Lighting Warfare). They do this maneuver by combine their attacks with their Titan Cars and used the speed and combine arms assault to stunt the opponent defense.
Packaging
- Microman Titan Command Series
- T49X Titan Command 5
- Released : 10/1977
- Retail Price : 850 Yen
The toys are packaged inside styrofoam tray. There was a rumor that many of the Titan Command 5 toys were damage in Takara warehouse flooding which lead to make the already low production toys being even more rare. Many of the Titan Command 5 that I came across seems to suffer from water damage.
Packaging
Packaging
Packaging
Accesory
Double Cannon Engine
Titan Command 5 is one of a few Microman figure to include weapon as accessory.
Stickers
Each toy comes with sticker sheet to decorate both action-figure and die-cast car. The stickers for the T49X are not as elaborate as the previous four Titan Commands.
Catalogs
Merging Three Lines
Takara's vision of a "unified toys line" saw the Titans blending Magnemo functionality with the regular Micro lines 5mm playability and Gimcas slot car stylings.
Takara Gimca System
Gimca was TAKARA line of scale die-cast slot car produced in late 1970's. (above is box art from Gimca F103 scale die-cast of Toyota 2000GT) Slot car racing was a very popular hobby back then and Takara market a line of die-cast slot cars under Gimca system where various components can be purchase separately and then combine together (same concept uses by scale model train hobby) TAKARA still have a division that produce scale slot cars.
