Buck Rogers has been around a long time. First appearing in two issues of the Amazing Stories pulp, Buck has gone on to star in comic strips, comic books, a radio show, a movie serial, television series, and novels. His face has graced countless toys over the decades and it was this pop culture icon that helped introduce Americans to science fiction and the idea of space travel and exploration. Not a bad start, huh?
Over the years, Buck has been a presence in his own right, dominating most of the media he appeared in and his merchandise. It might seem a bit unusual that he should share the spotlight with another popular character, but that’s exactly what happened in 1980.
During the late 1970s, a toy brand was exported from Japan by toy company Takara. This line was the immensely popular Micronauts. Thirty years later, the Micronauts remain a fondly remembered pop culture craze. But something not many people realize is that there was a crossover event between the Micronauts and Buck Rogers.
Mego, in conjunction with Takara released their fourth Micronauts series in 1979. In this series, the “Star Defender” vehicle was included. While very apropos for the Micronauts line, it’s not a vehicle that one would expect the see Buck Rogers piloting. But that’s what happened the following year. Again released by Mego, the “Buck Rogers In The 25th Century Star Searcher” featured a retooled version of the Micronauts’ “Star Defender” vehicle. All that changed was the colors, decals and of course, the packaging.