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10 classic 'Star Trek' toys that had absolutely nothing to do with the show
Who could forget that classic 'Star Trek' episode with the… space helicopter?
Star Wars was a seismic event in pop culture, but the 1977 movie perhaps has a more profound effect on the toy industry than the movie biz. Up until that point, popular films and TV shows might offer a tie-in doll, or perhaps a little toy car. But when Kenner launched its expansive line of action figures and playsets, suddenly a hit film needed dozens of little plastic figures, true-to-the-movie ships, miniature replicas of the sets, carrying cases, so on and so forth.
Heck, in the 1960s, tie-in toys didn't even have to resemble the franchise at all. Take Star Trek for example. Remco, a New Jersey toy company that had been around for a couple decades, produced a line of Star Trek toys around when the series originally aired. Quite blatantly, Remco simply took existing molds and models and slapped "Star Trek" stickers on the side. Green army men? Why not just make them red? That's kind of the like Redshirts on Star Trek, right?
Remco also cranked out licensed toys for the Beatles, Batman and Lost in Space. But the Star Trek toys stick out for their sheer silliness in relation to the show — in that they had no relation to the show. Take a look.
1. Rocket Pistol
This blaster bears some resemblance to the one carried by Han Solo. Trek was not so into the heavy arms, outside of the briefly used Phaser Rifle. This looked nothing like the Phasers carried by the Enterprise crew, but it did shoot a fat yellow dart.
Image: Hakes
2. Spock Helmet
Not even "Spock's Brain" looked this ridiculous. Is his head supposed to be a police siren? An alarm? This product was not from Remco, rather from a competitor called the Enco Company. The two toymakers had rival helmets on the store shelves…
Image: Vintage Toy Archive
3. Astro-Helmet
Okay, the Spock Helmet is starting to look a little more on-brand now. This bug-eyed cap looks more like a Sleestak from Land of the Lost.
Image: Vintage Toy Archive
4. Astrocopter
Psst… helicopters don't work in space. They need an atmosph… ah, who cares, right? Kids'll love it. Is that Andy Griffith piloting the thing? It also came with three red army men.
5. Mighty Mike Astro-Train
Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a choo choo conductor.
Image: Pop Culture Safari
7. Astrotank
Gene Roddenberry went out of his way to show a galaxy at peace, but here's a tank.
Image: iCollector
8. Sky Diving Parachutist Spock
Why beam down when you can slowly, dangerously drift to the surface?
Image: Vintage Toy Archive
9. Astro-Wrist Radios
Calling Dick Tracy… calling Dick Tracy… I lost my communicator.
Image: Plaid Stallions
10. Flying Rocket Plane
Again, we hate to spoil the fun, but that's a propellor, not a rocket. If you look very, very closely, in the Brady Bunch episode "Kitty-Karry-All Is Missing," this toy can be spotted on a shelf behind the store clerk in the toy store.
Image: superunderdoggie
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PS - the "rocket gun" toy was retooled slightly and used as an actual prop on the first season of Lost in Space . .
