 Metal Man is a line of toys very similar to Mego’s Micronauts. Metal Man toys, as the name suggests, are die cast figure with joints at their shoulders, elbows, hips, legs and knees. Metal Man was distributed by Zee Toys in the US, and Zylmex in the UK and Japan.
You can see a list of the Zylmex figures to the right. In the U.S., some had different names.
Zee Toys/Zylmex is also known for their M.A.S.H. die cast vehicles and a line of space toys known as Firebirds. |
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Metal Man toys came in a number of themes. The Corporal Chrome military line had a variety of soldiers with guns, stretchers and rafts. The Sgt. Silver Policeman sets came with a roadblock, a search light and a helicopter.
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Radon was one of Zee Toys’ robot lines. This particular Radon came with an orange space helmet and laser gun. Radon also came with a recharge capsule and a sky sled. Zee Toys also made a flying saucer ship for Radon to pilot. |
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Easily one of the heaviest of the Metal Man toys, Questar is a also one of the less interesting. He comes in solid gold or chrome or one variation with a blue torso and gold arms, legs and head. Questar is most commonly found with a collapsible jet back that is similar in function to the Micronauts’ Space Glider. |
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Go Navy! The Corporal is the military arm of the Metal Men. He comes in a variety of packages, including the boat you see here with it’s sticks of dynamite, a medic set with a stretcher and first aid kit, a flame-thrower type unit and a jeep playset. |
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The Metal Man line isn’t limited to robots and astronauts, Zylmex/Zee Toys also ventured into a police theme with their metal cop named Sergeant Silver. The sarge comes in several packaging variations, including the box you see here, a roadblock and radio backpack kit, and a search light and bullhorn combo. |
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This was one of the last Metal Man figures released and he is pretty hard to come by carded. He only has two variations that I know of, one includes the recharge capsule, and one is the Zylmex boxed figure. |
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Zee Toys shipped at least three unique sets exclusively for customers of the Sears catalog. Each set had a combination of ships and figures, some of which were exclusive to the sets. |
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What is an action figure to do without a way to get around town or space? Fortunately, Zee Toys came out with a number of terrestrial and outer space vehicles to move your favorite Metal Man figure from place to place. |
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Major Mercury, to the left, came with his sled, a jet pack and repair unit set. You could also get a NASA rocket ship to play with. Major Mercury loose is often missing a transparent visor that attaches to his white helmet.
Greetings:
I’m sorry I don’t have a content-related comment – just a question. Do you have a catelogue? Do you have any Metal-Man figures for sale? If this question is not in keeping with the nature of your site, I apologize for the departure.
Sincerely,
Dan
Hi Dan,
I don’t have a catalog, in general, these toys aren’t for sale, but I do in fact have a bunch of metal men toys for sale. If you’re interested, lmk and I will email you a list.
Hi Rick, as same as Dan I wonder if you can email me a list of the “bunch” (sic) you are selling, please include the condition of every figure if possible, thank you.
I’ll put up a link with all my toys for sale
Hi Rick,
Did you ever give out a link for the metal men for sale–I have been looking for a complete Questar for a long time and haven’t been having too much luck. Thanks, Ken
I would be interested as well in any Metal Men you have for sale
I think I have some Metal Men I have from my old toy store! If I can, can I list my Ebay name on your site, and maybe your friends can request things that if I have them I can put them up on Ebay. Thanks for your time, Clyde.
Clyde = You can, but only if you tell me what you have first! 🙂
I will search for them real soon!
HELP..hi,where i can buy Roton or Questar metal-man?
I live in Italy and i had those metal-man when i was kid..beautiful remember.
Thanks in advance for your support..
Ciro
ebay is really the best place to find that stuff. I will be selling off my entire metal man collection shortly, however, so watch this space.
That saucer looks like a plastic plate with a purple insert. Radon is laying down in that chair!
I have a used…in fair condition.
-Roton robot
-Questar robot
-Unknown Mego Corp robot (plastic human head and hands with metal robot body)
All out of package.
Email me at ifftech at yahoo for pics. Located in San Diego.
Dear Jeff,
Greetings, and happy new year. Do you happen to have any pictures of the metal man toys you referred to in your post?
Sincerely,
Dan
Yeah I still have 2 Radons a Questar a Roton and a Mercury guy.
I never really thought they would be worth anything.
Those toys were rude and crude.
I dont like touching them because you get that metal smell on your hands.
Dear Jeff,
Do you have any pictures/prices?
Sincerely,
Dan
Hey! I snagged one of these off eBay many, many years ago (maybe 1999?). It was merely listed as “metal robot”. Took me a few more years on Flickr before a Micronaut enthusiast could tell me where the figure was bootlegged from.
Anyway, here’s a pic of my Microman Gakeen errrrr, I mean my Metal Man Questar:
http://www.collectiondx.com/gallery/Collections/JINZONINGEN+73/Metal+Man+Questar/
wow, those bring back memories. i remember getting the Sears Set for christmas, very fun
We are selling my husband’s robot collection from the 50’s. 60’s, early 70’s.
We have 2 Radons – one perfect, other without one arm.
What are these worth in today’s market? I have no accessories or package.
What is the time frame for these Metal Man figures?
Thanks for any advice.
J.
Plain figure in good condition, $5. From the late 70’s.
How rare are the Radon accessories? I have his orange helmet and blue weapon that I got in a lot of Micronaut accessories. Do prices compare with the later Micronaut alien weapons- especially Lobros & Kronos?
I have the all metal man ROTON figure if someone is interested. It has red upper body – looks to be complete. I am probably listing it on Ebay unless someone is interested. Contact Clynnhughes@yahoo.com if you would like pictures and more information.
Hi, I was wondering…could you tell me – did all the metal men figures have “Zelmex” printed on the bottom of the figure’s feet? I mean, I know that in the U.S. it was distributed by Zee Toys, but did it still carry the Zelmex copyright imprint on the actual figure? Or was it converted ot Zee Toys?
I ask, because I have a figure that my father bought for me, and I was trying to remember if he would have bought it for me out of the country or in the U.S.?
Thanks
Michael, the U.S. versions still said Zylmex on the feet, because mine do, and I never got toys from outside the U.S. I’ve got Roton and Questar, remember getting them when I was very young.
Hi, Thanks for posting this information! I found the major mercury and the Nasa1 ship on a close-out table at Shop Rite. This was waaaay back in the mid-70s. I was a kid at the time and didnt know anything of this toy. Well, I found it in a tote just today in my garage and decided to research it. Thanks again for listing these cool toys here or I would probably have remained ignorant to the metal man toy line!
Looking for a Metal Man named Sargeant Silver. Willing to buy especially if it is the playset with the helicopter. I can be reached at boodabri@yahoo.com if anyone has a line on one.
I thought this was just a dream I had when I was 7. I remember seeing these guys at a truck stop store in mid-Michigan and wanting them so bad. We only went by that place every few weeks, and when I had money and returned they were gone! I remember what a couple looked like, and today I identified one as Radon Robot / Sky Sled Set! Took 30 years to know what I saw!
The Radon from Zylmex has nothing written on the bottom of his feets. Just found out that the Radon I have I never know what it was. Until I was looking for TH3 and on this site came. Bravo!
Do you have the blue Questar in your possession? The only one I’ve seen is the one in the photo you have posted. Have you ever seen one MOC? I’ve looked all over for one of these and can’t find anything on them.
The color scheme on the standard Questar is a bit boring; he would have looked better if Zylmex would have issued different colored torsos. Have you ever tried to take any of your Metal Men apart and paint them?
Also, if you have any accessories to sell let me know. Trying to complete my figures. Thanks.
@Brice: I had the blue body questar for several years and traded it away about a year ago. I have never seen one on a card. I got my blue one as part of a sears figure pack that came in a cardboard box. When I purchased it, all I got was the box and figures, none of the packaging.
@geotroid: want to send me a photo of the black questar for the site? Would love to add it!
@ Brice. I, too, am very interested in seeing a MOC Blue Questar and would like to learn its country of origin. I have seen other loose blue samples on eBay, but the last time was several years ago and I’ve always missed out ;-( Very rare, but they are definitely out there.
Also. . . and I am reticent to admit this, but what the hey. . . there is also a version of Questar with a BLACK torso. I’ve seen only three of these on eBay, and I am in possession of one myself. I’ve verified with a very experienced collector that it is indeed a factory paint job and not a custom. So keep an eye out for those, too!
@ Brice (again). I’m not sure if you are aware of this or not, but Questar and Roton were actually unlicensed knock-offs of a Takara Microman figure called “Gakeen.”
http://www.microforever.com/mgeeggakeen.htm
Hence, if you are looking for some cool Questar color variations, getting a Microman Gakeen is definitely worth the effort!
While Questar had a new, two-faced head sculpt, Roton’s head was copied from an 8″ Super Joe figure called “The Shield.”
http://www.plaidstallions.com/hasbro/sjoe.html
“The Shield” halloween costume mask (near the bottom page) is amazing. I could have been Roton for Halloween!
I’ve seen the Shield figure online but never put the two together. I do have the Gakeen and noticed immediately that he and Questar were related. Not subtly either!
So the Roton is just a mash up of 2 other figures. And I think it’s cheap that the only difference in the Questar and Roton is the head (yeah, a little orange paint).
Thanks for the info geotroid.
Rick, can you send me an e-mail regarding the black Questar?
i have loose roton and quasert also have others and parts. anybody intrested? please contact me
I have the Sears playset still in the generic box. Thanks for the info on it. It has been hard finding any info on it. Can you please send me a list of your avail metal men for sale? Thanks
Hi,
I enjoyed your site and noted that you have not seen the rescueman figure. I have that figure since I was a child together with Questar and Roton. I’ve since bought the rest from ebay. I can send you a picture if you’d like.
Ben
Rescueman is indeed incredibly rare. I have only seen three samples in the wild. One loose, two boxed. My recently acquired MIB sample took 17 years of diligent searching. The other two both popped up in late 2007.
If Ben indeed has one, that makes #4 by my personal count.
I’m sure there are more out there. Its just a matter of time, sleuthing, awareness, and. . .luck!