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Air Raiders
Synopsis of Toy
One big problem with the vehicles designed for action figures is that the kids playing with these toys had to create all the motion themselves. Sometimes, a cool toymaker would throw in sound effects or lights as a bonus, but usually you had to push the vehicles across the ground or through the air. Action figure fanatics got a relief from this hassle in 1987 when Hasbro released their Air Raiders toy line.
Surprisingly, the Air Raiders toys were not based on a television show or movie, but they did have a cool story all their own to provide the fuel for your high-flying toy adventures. The Air Raiders lore focused on the planet Airlandia, which was overtaken by the evil Aerozar after a giant comet robbed the planet of most of its oxygen supply. He formed an army called the Tyrants of the Wind and sought to ration air and imprison anyone who opposed him. These evil designs were opposed by a group of pilots calling themselves the Air Raiders. Led by Admiral Fury and General Rokk, this group of heroes lived by the motto “Free air for free men!”
Thus, the battle line was drawn between the Air Raiders and the Tyrants of the Wind, and Hasbro made it possible for you to bring this scenario to life with an impressive array of nine land and air vehicles. These vehicles had cool Mad Max-styled names like the Storm Dagger, the Wind Seeker, and the Thunder Hammer. They combined sleek design with cool features like air-powered rocket cannons that really fired. Some figures were even air-powered: a good example was the Storm Dagger, a land cruiser that could be launched into action by its “air cannon.”
The vehicles also included two-inch action figures that acted as their pilots and drivers. Additional figures could be purchased in five-figure packages: the Battle Squad pack contained Raiders, and the Enforcer pack contained Tyrants. The series also included the Command Outpost playset, an Air Raiders operations base that included a tyrant-crushing avalanche you could launch yourself. There was also a mail-in accessory package available for Air Raiders fanatics that contained a map of Airlandia, Aerozar, a glider, and extra missiles for the vehicles.
Air Raiders toys were only produced for a year, perhaps because they lacked a television show or movie to make the mass public aware of their existence. Just the same, the toys are still sought after by collectors for their cool air-powered features.