Are the SilverHawks Toy Worthy of a Resurrection?
This week on the podcast Johnny and Brian wax nostalgic about a toy line they’d like to see returned to glory. The toy line this time out is SilverHawks!
Who Were the SilverHawks?
The Show
SilverHawks is an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass Productions and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1986. The animation was provided by Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation. In total, 65 episodes were made. It was created as a space-based equivalent of their previous series, ThunderCats.
As was the case with ThunderCats, there was also a SilverHawks comic book series published by Marvel Comics under the imprint Star Comics.
Lorimar-Telepictures was purchased by Warner Bros. in 1989, and the rights to SilverHawks are now held by Warner Bros. Television Distribution.
The Toys
Silverhawks was a small toyline produced by Kenner hot on the heels of a popular Rankin-Bass TV show of the same name. The television show rode the enormous popularity of Rankin-Bass’s Thundercats, but the producers opted to partner with Kenner instead of LJN. The toyline debuted in 1987 and scarcely lasted into 1988.
The toys themselves were action figures modeled after Kenner’s highly successful Super Powers Collection. Each figure was about 4-5 inches tall and had some sort of action feature, typically triggered by squeezing the legs. Each early figure included a bird companion with an action feature of its own, while later figures included some other action accessory. The hero figures were extensively decorated with vacuum-metalized “chrome” in a variety of colors.
The scale of the figures allowed the production of various vehicles and beasts designed to interact with the action figures. These were designed in much the same vein, with various attacks and mechanisms triggered by buttons, and firing projectiles.
Series 1 (1987)
Heroes
Commander Stargazer – Stargazer is an old cop with bionic capabilities who serves as the Silverhawks eyes and ears, being much older than the other SilverHawks he longs for retirement after a long career.
Quicksilver – Former head of interplanetary Force, he is the field leader of the SilverHawks.
Lt. Colonel Bluegrass – Second in command to Quicksilver and chief pilot of the group.
Steelwill & Steelheart – These two are twins, physically they are the strongest members of the SilverHawks.
Copper Kid – The youngest member of the SilverHawks and the only one who isn’t an Earthling.
Hotwing – A skilled magician and illusionist.
Flashback – A time-traveler from the far future.
Villains
Mon-Star – The filthy rich mob boss who escaped a prison cell on Penal Planet 10 and is the leader of the villains.
Mo-Lec-U-Lar – A shapeshifter and Mon-Star’s master of disguise and leading hitman.
Mumbo Jumbo – A robotic minotaur who has the ability to bulk up and grow larger and stronger.
Buzz-Saw – A cybernetic war machine.
The first wave of SilverHawks toys are fairly easy to find, the second wave, however, are much rarer and very difficult to locate.
Series 2 (1988)
Heroes
Quicksilver – Already available in series 1, this time he comes in an Ultrasonic suit.
Steelwill – Available in series 1, another this series in an Ultrasonic suit.
Bluegrass – Available in series 1, another this series in an Ultrasonic suit.
Moon Stryker – Moon Stryker can propel himself through space with a powerful cyclone generated by his propellors.
Condor – An old ally of Commander Stargazer who left the SilverHawks but returned.
Villains
Hardware – An extremely intelligent foe who carries a ruck-sack of self-engineered weapons and equipment.
Windhammer – An eco-terrorist with a tuning fork which can manipulate weather.
Vehicles
Tally-Hawk
Stronghold
Maraj
Spring Hawk
Sky-Shadow
Sky-Runner
Over the course of the two series, a number of vehicles and other items were released for both the SilverHawks and the evil Mon-Star.
Unfortunately, because the toy-line was so short-lived many of the characters from the TV series never had toy figures created. Some, however, were designed and shown in toy catalogs but never actually produced after being canceled so quickly.
Seeing is Believing
Check out the toy commercial from the 1980s below for an instant hit of nostalgia!
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Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com.
The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Johnny Pottorf and Brian Tudor and recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor.
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