Space

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Revision as of 03:38, 19 November 2009 by 24.242.248.80 (talk) (→‎History)
Space
Theme-space.gif
Years:

1978-present

Subthemes:

Classic Space
Blacktron
Futuron
Space Police
M-Tron
Blacktron Future Generation
Space Police II
Ice Planet 2002
Spyrius
Unitron
Exploriens
UFO
Roboforce
Insectoids
Life on Mars
Mars Mission
Space Police III

Space is a science fiction LEGO theme featuring astronauts and spaceships. It was introduced in 1978. Space is one of the most expansive themes in LEGO history, and contains over 200 individual sets.

As of October 2009, there are 297 space sets and counting.


History

Classic Space (1978-1987)

See main article: Classic Space

The first Lego Space sets were a leap forward in Lego design. The theme had the most sets then any other space theme. In 1987, many of the sets started to have the Futuron color theme. This was also there last year. Many compared to the Lego Company's previous releases of spacecraft sets Space Rocket (year unknown, probably 1950s) Rocket Base (1973) and Moon Landing (1975) this new theme of sets boasted new parts and building techniques previously unseen. Although plenty of basic bricks were used, there were now parts with finer detail used in smoother-looking ships and multi-purpose vehicles.

Despite curiosities and oddities such as steering wheels used to direct spacecraft, and often no inflight pilot protection other than a spacesuit, simple new constructs sparked builders' imaginations. Starting with spaceships and basic wheeled vehicles, the theme developed, occasionally mirroring science fiction designs. As Lego Space expanded, the basic pattern of ground-buggies, walking robots, small and large spaceships, and bases emerged.

Early Space sets had a simplistically modern yet colorful charm unrivaled by any other mass-produced science-fiction toy of the time. Many of the theme's more specialized pieces had yet to be developed, although when Space was first introduced, many parts were new, or were older parts made in new colors. Examples of these early simple sets include: Rocket Launcher (1978), Space Shuttle, and Mobile Tracking Station (both 1979).

Perfectly suited for utilitarian Lego Space, gray had finally become a major color for a Lego theme, especially as more plate-type parts were made in that color. Most often, gray Space sets were paired with green windows. The other predominant colors were blue with yellow windows. With the introduction of the Starfleet Voyager in 1981, classic spaceships began to appear in white, with blue canopies.

Introduction of different factions (1987 - 1991)

Taking over from Classic Space and inheriting its white-and-blue color scheme, Futuron was one of the new factions introduced for Space. Its minifigures came in many colors (red, blue, yellow and black), but all shared the same uniform—a zipper crossing from hip to shoulder, with color on top and white below—as well as light-blue-tinted helmet visors. They also had the old classic space symbol. Instead of a big ship, the theme centered around the Monorail Transport System, which featured a battery-powered train system and some twenty linear feet of track.

The first unified and truly themed Space theme, Blacktron took to the stars in black with yellow trim, and red and yellow transparent pieces. (The odd man out was the Meteor Monitor, which was white and black with red transparents.) Blacktron minifigures (or "minifigs" for short) wore black jumpsuits akin to today's military pilots, with white trim and opaque black visors. Stylish, sleek and intimidating, Blacktron was a major step up from the rather clunky design values of Classic Space. It featured a large spacecraft, the "Renegade," which set the tone for all future big ships by splitting into a number of smaller modules, including a storage bin for a small wheeled vehicle; these modules could be recombined not just with each other, but with modules from other vehicles in the set as well, specifically the "Invader" and "Battrax." This modular interchangeability has been a staple of Lego Space ever since.

For clarification, Blacktron is often referred to as Blacktron I, as Lego released Blacktron II in 1991. Though Blacktron officially ended in 1988, the Meteor Monitor (1990) was released. Considering Blacktron II's slightly altered color scheme it could be viewed as being from between the "upgrade" era of Blacktron to Blacktron II.

M-Tron astronauts are assisting their fellows from Futuron in a catalog scene from 1990.

In 1989, Lego made a storyline decision. Blacktron, previously operating in a moral void, were now declared the "bad guys" of Lego Space; opposing them and defending Futuron from them were the Space Police, a series of brave individuals whose spacecraft were black and blue with red transparent elements. (This would be a continuing theme of space, having "bad guy" space agencies, "good guy" space agencies and "civilian" space agencies between them.) Space Police re-introduced the idea of modular systems, on a smaller but also grander scale. The Space Police theme features three spaceships, two wheeled vehicles and a ground-based space station; all but the smallest buggy comes with a Space Police jail cell (which was often supplied with a Blacktron occupant). These jail cells were identical from set to set and could be traded around between vehicles with no hassle whatsoever. This theme marks the beginning of Lego Space's greatest period of success, and is one of the most well-loved themes of the collection; complete models of the largest ship, the Mission Commander, have been known to sell for USD $90 via online vendors.

In an effort to increase interactivity, Lego introduced magnets in the next Space theme, M:Tron, who took over the "civilian" role of the Futuron space agency. Vehicles in this set, distinctive for their red hulls, gray trim and neon-green canopies, are devoted primarily to mining out precious ores. They often featured crane-like attachments with magnets for picking up small cargo and storage boxes. These boxes, unfortunately, were generally not interchangeable.

M:Tron was also the last space theme to carry the Legoland banner. Lego System was the name used starting in 1992.

Renewal of the first factions (1991 - 1997)

In 1991, Blacktron received a makeover: black with white trim, M:Tron's neon green canopies, as well as new uniforms. It also replaced the creative but haphazard interchangeability of Blacktron I with refined and mostly-uniform cockpit globes (best seen here), which could be switched unimpeded between those ships. To the dismay of fans, however, only three sets of eleven featured them. Some fans were also disappointed that, aside from a proliferation of small (50-element-or-less) vehicles, Blacktron II seemed to be mostly a rehash Blacktron I on a set-by-set basis.

Space Police was the next theme to receive a makeover, remodeled into its more widely recognized black and grey with green canopies and red trim. The standardized jail cells were retained, though only three vehicles could accept them; the theme also lacked a permanent installation like Space Police I's Space Lock-Up Isolation Base (1989). It was the first Space set to replace the Lego standard smiley face minifigure head with a more complex graphic (in this case, the face augmented by a fringe of hair and an ear-mounted microphone). Finally, Space Police II ships were known for being under-armed; several vehicles sported no overt weapons (such as the Galactic Chief, whose epaulet-wearing pilot is armed with only a hand-held blaster that might actually be a bullhorn), and the others featured only two small cockpit-mounted weapons (including the theme's heavyweight multi-module spaceship, the Galactic Mediator).

Taking place in a time and location that should be fairly obvious, Ice Planet 2002 can be considered M:Tron's replacement as the "civilian" space agency. It featured new elements such as a distinct setting (an ice planet or also thought of as Mars polar ice caps), skis (both on vehicles and personnel), and bright neon cockpits (orange). As befitting an icebound theme, most of its vehicles were ground-based; many of its smaller vehicles also showcased satellite dishes.

Taking over the "good guy" space agency from the Space Police II was the Unitron, a more military themed group. Unitron also features elements from the classic Futuron line, as it revolved around a large monorail system powered by a 9V battery; it retained Lego interchangeability in the form of small, sleek cockpits which could dock on the front or top of its vehicles. Unfortunately, aside from a ground installation, a large buggy, an advanced looking spaceship, and aforementioned monorail, the theme was underdeveloped, a fact that is still lamented today.

The Spyrius took over the "bad guy" space agency theme as a group of spies out to steal technology and valuable data. Official evidence of a Spyrius attack against Unitron is documented in this 1994 catalog picture.

Returning to the clean white and transparent blue cockpits of Futuron (as well as their civilian role), Exploriens sets are known for their use of large, open (sometimes rickety) structures and special image elements (e.g., as foil-holograph stickers for viewscreens). The Exploriens were searching, evidently, for fossils, certain flat plates contained triple images: one in white, for the naked eye; one in blue, for viewing under transparent red scanners; and one in red, for viewing under transparent blue scanners. It was the second space theme to include a robot minifigure, and was also the second Space theme to include a female minifigure, a robot named Ann Droid.

Taking the "good guy" role was another four-set theme, Roboforce featured various large robots (arguably mecha) in varying color schemes. Orange Class features a police-like patrol function in humanoid robos, equipped with buzz saws for extracting criminals or rescuing civilians. The "head" of each robo was also a small space ship that could be used as an escape pod or secondary vehicle. Green Class featured a more military theme with animal shaped robos. The Robo Raptor was the only set not to feature a space craft, while the Robo Master's small starcraft strongly resembled the Unitron Star Hawk II as a tribute to the fan favorite set. Roboforce "Robos" were powered by "secret" "robo disk" which were oddly enough rectangle-shaped power sources. By this time, the theme was well and truly exhausted, and the remaining sets were a slow march to the theme's obscurity.

Introduction of alien factions (1997 - 1999)

UFO was the first Space theme to feature aliens. All of its minifigures were cybernetic in nature, and the race featured two wholly robot figures, and, as befitting its name, many of its spaceships used saucers or half-saucers as elements. It has the smallest proportion of wheeled ground vehicles to ships (two to nine) of any Lego Space theme before or since. UFO was the first theme to introduce what has since become a staple of Lego System sets in general: large pieces meant to provide effects (such as curvature) that would be difficult to achieve with traditional Lego pieces.

The Insectoids from 1998 were especially interested in "energy orbs" which included magnetic stickers so that magnets attached to cranes could lift them. Predictably the Insectoids utilized a number of pieces designed to look like insect components, particularly legs and wings. Its minifigures were primarily cybernetic, and the third Lego Space theme to have a female minifigure, Gypsy Moth, also known as Queen.

The Insectoids were going to be enemies for the Rock Raiders at first, but the concept was dropped in the prototype stage. [1]

Mars subthemes (2001, 2007-2008)

During the 2000s all Space subthemes would feature human explorers on the planet Mars as well as the aliens that they encounter.

Life on Mars is one of the only Space themes with both Humans and Aliens. The sets denote peaceful coexistence between the two species on the planet Mars, and were timed for release to the public around a time of much curiosity about the planet, and the life that could possibly exist there. Although set in the future, LOM is unique among the Space themes, as its conception was more inspired by and coincided with real space exploration activity than any other Space theme yet introduced.

Incorporating the new "sand" colors, red, green, and purple, Life on Mars sets were not as colorfully bold as sets from other Space themes. Transparent brown (or trans-black/"smoke," as it is popularly known) made its debut as a primary window and canopy color for Space with this theme. After the discontinuation of this line, there were no new Space sets until 2007 when the next new theme would visit Mars yet again.

Mars Mission from 2007 was the second Space theme to feature both Humans and Aliens and is a reboot of Life on Mars. Unlike Life on Mars, the aliens and humans are against each other.

Revival of Space Police (2009)

In 2009 a new version of Space Police is released. This time the bad guys are aliens that are in a gang called the Black Hole Gang or the Space Biker Gang, depending on what media they are in. Each of the aliens have names, unlike the aliens of themes like UFO and Insectoids (except for Gypsy Moth).

List of subthemes and factions

Other space-related themes

... more about "Space"