by Sarah Herman
This Launch Evac 1 vehicle (6614), with a revolving yellow hose, bears the Launch Command rocket logo. © StreetFly JZ
Divers (1997–1998)
With Aquanauts, Aquasharks, and Aquaraiders all diving onto the scene as brandnew themes in the mid-1990s, Town soon picked up its own flippers and oxygen tanks and took to the deep seas. A heavy dose of sea life in the form of sharks, stingrays, and octopi, combined with the realistic Town colors of white, blue, and yellow for the mini-subs, stations, and boats, made this an original new sub-theme for Town fans. Memorable sets include Diving Expedition Explorer (6560), with its subterranean ruin, diving cage, and large boat; Deep Sea Refuge (6441), which included an underwater station complete with portholes; and Discover Station (1782) for its helicopter and crane that could lower an observation pod down into the water.
RES-Q (1998–1999)
The year 1998 saw the release of two action-packed Town sub-themes. RES-Q was a high-octane emergency response team comprising of water, air, and land vehicles designed to evacuate people from disaster zones—similar to System Coastguard sets released between 1989 and 1995. In the 1998 American catalog a LEGO display to introduce the theme featured a collapsed bridge in a lightning storm. The photograph displays the different elements of the RES-Q team sent in to remove debris from the road, save drowning survivors, and air lift the injured to safety. The RES-Q color scheme was yellow and black with transparent blue and their black and red logo is visible on all their vehicles and on the back of their white and orange uniforms. The whole team came together at the Emergency Response Center (6479), a set similar to previous waterside police bases such as 1996’s metro PD Station (6598).
Extreme Team (1998–1999)
This group of adrenalin junkies made up the other turn-of-the-century Town release. The Extreme Team members are easy to spot with their recognizable black jumpsuits with colored sleeves, visor shades, and bright red “X”s on their backs. Their outfits were reflective of the vibrant colors used for their vehicles and equipment, setting the stunt team apart from other less adventurous Town ranges. Whether they’re trying to break the land speed record in Land Jet 7 (6580), performing gravity-defying stunts in Daredevil Flight Squad (6582), or risking life and limb in Extreme Team Challenge (6584) with its abseiling zip line and rocky rope bridge, they always look like they’re having a good time.
Space Port (1999–2000)
While LEGO Space was stretching the imagination of planetary travel with the likes of UFO and Insectoids—themes that featured colorful alien creatures—LEGO Town took on the more realistic Space Port. With a renewed public interest in space travel due to Mars missions, these sets were fresh and exciting, and the first real-world space designs to come out since 1995’s Launch Command—Space Port’s logo was an updated version with a shuttle veering across a blue and yellow circle. The astronauts’ white jumpsuits, similar to those available with the first Classic Space sets, were modernized with a full-face gold visor. The space shuttle itself in Mission Control (6456) and the satellite-bearing rocket in Countdown Corner (6454) both featured electric bricks with light and sound capabilities.
The new Space Port logo can be seen to the left of this minifigure scientist, as he prepares his instruments for liftoff in Mini Rocket Launcher (6452). © Kent Quon
City (1999–2002)
Having developed distinct Town sub-themes such as Divers and RES-Q, the LEGO Group decided to rebrand the more traditional town sets as “City.” The new logo featuring a Manhattan-esque cityscape was the image that encompassed sets relating to emergency services including police and fire service (Super Rescue Complex 6464) and coast guard (6435), as well as construction sets such as Roadside Repair (6434) and other iconic Town staples such as 2001’s Octan Gas Station (6472). In 2000 a number of smaller, easy-to-build sets aimed at five-to eight-year-olds were released, which included a fire station (6478) and a highway construction set (6600) made up of large ramp pieces and 2 × 4 × 3 bricks. The sub-theme logo was altered to show a city surrounded by greenery.
* * *
While Town was diversifying, Space was giving children of the 1990s exactly what they wanted—really awesome spaceships. In a decade of Power Rangers, Buzz Lightyear, and toy-store queues for Thunderbirds’ Tracy Island, this period was dominated by sci-fi, monster-fighting heroes, and action-packed cartoons. The LEGO Group’s own TV commercial campaigns were reflective of this, with increasingly cinematic and dramatic realizations of the products, such as a Futuron and Blacktron commercial which included a desert canyon chase sequence reminiscent of many popular sci-fi/action movies. Some of the most memorable advertisements from 1988 to the mid-1990s centered on a boy called “Zack the LEGO Maniac” (sometimes he was referred to as Jack or Mac). The commercials showed Zack—dressed in shades and a LEGO jacket, playing with the latest LEGO sets—accompanied by a catchy theme tune, demonstrating the technical capabilities of sets in an effort to make the building toy appear contemporary and exciting, an easy task for Space sets, which often featured in Zack commercials.
The 1990s were a busy decade for Space and a tough time for Space fans who had the unenviable task of having to choose between a large number of new sets (unless their pocket money could stretch to all of them, of course). Not only were fans able to buy some of the most realistic and scientifically accurate space travel sets with Town’s Launch Command and Space Port, designers were throwing caution to the wind with a continuous outpouring of fantastical and unusual Space ranges. The charm and creativity of Classic Space has never diminished, and these sets remain some of the most collectible and well-loved by adult fans. But since Classic sets were phased out in 1987, the theme has expanded to include good guys, bad guys, alien guys, and everything in between. With some sub-themes only lasting for a year or two, the late eighties and nineties space sets stand out for their use of color, design, and varied minifigures. With some timeline crossovers and color palette similarities, it’s forgivable to confuse the different factions of LEGO Space’s intergalactic world. Below is a guide to the space sets of the period ranging from 1987’s Futuron civilians to 1998’s Insectoid cyborgs and their bug-shaped spaceships.
Futuron (1987–1990)
The phasing out of Classic Space is hard to spot if you take the minifigures out of the equation. Considered to be a “civilian” space race of worker astronauts, the name Futuron was never referred to on the boxes of the sets, causing some confusion with the last Classic sets due to the continuation of the blue and white color scheme. Futuron designs were markedly more sci-fi than the Classic sets—they even included brick-built robot droids—and would inspire and shape much of LEGO Space in years to come, although the simplicity associated with it would slowly be replaced by more heavily themed ranges.
Minifigures: Although Futuron astronauts’ torsos had the same gold planet logo as their Classic predecessors, their uniforms could be recognized by the diagonal zip that ran across their torso, separating a colored top half (yellow, red, blue, black) from a white bottom half. Their trousers, arms, and helmets matched their main body color, except all of their visors, which were transparent blue.
This 1988 Hovercraft (6875) exemplifies the white and blue futuristic design of the Futuron sets. © David Martin
Futuron’s uniforms were only subtly different from Classic Space—notice the diagonal zipper and half-white torso. © David Martin
Significant sets: Futuron made a big impact with the 1987 release of its monorail system (6990), bringing more movement and interactivity to the theme than Classic Space had. Although the monorail was updated under the Unitron sub-theme in 1994, this remains a popular early set. The building style of Futuron’s base, Cosmic Laser Launcher (6953), and the control center for the monorail displays the LEGO Group’s first use of large dome-shaped transparent pieces to create arches, and spherical structures, something that would be a recurring feature in LEGO space.
Blacktron (1987–1988)
Released the s
ame year as the new Futuron designs, the original Blacktron sets were one of the LEGO Group’s earliest attempts to market a truly unified sub-theme. Although the 1987 and 1988 sets or catalogs never openly refer to the Blacktron members as “bad guys,” they did little to avoid the reputation with their sleek black and yellow ships, and it became quite clear they were up to no good in 1989 when they started appearing as Space Police prisoners. Although Blacktron sets were few, designers would return to the sub-theme in 1991.
The design of this Blacktron Alienator illustrates the stark contrast of the Blacktron sets from any other previous Space sets—even the Blacktron visors were black. © David Martin
Minifigures: Blacktron members are true to their name when it comes to picking out their wardrobe. And designers made sure the attention to detail paid to the Blacktron ships was reflected in their dress code. These spacemen wore black all over with a silver space suit design printed on their torsos.
Significant sets: Blacktron is one of the darkest space themes, with only a hint of transparent yellow adorning their black ships, vehicles, and base. Released a year after Futuron’s laser launcher, Blacktron’s Message Intercept Base (6987) was the largest space base yet, and is considered one of the best of its kind. From its large open dome and futuristic corridor to its two accompanying vehicles and spacecraft hanger, this is a complete base with a multitude of functions. Other well-loved sets from the first Blacktron era include Alienator (6876)—a land vehicle with a leg-walking mechanism, and the racing-car rover Battrax (6941).
Space Police (1989)
The LEGO Group made it clear Blacktron were not behaving in space when they created a police team to keep them in line. The original police sets were not dramatically different from Futuron—white as the main color had been replaced by black and blue with transparent red—but chunky “POLICE” tiles made it clear who was in charge. By introducing “good guys” and “bad guys” into the theme, designers opened the door for other similar sub-themes and what every sci-fi LEGO fan enjoys—space battles.
Minifigures: Unfortunately, TLG did not design a distinctly different uniform at this stage for the police—perhaps to help show their allegiance with the Futuron civilians—and they were kitted out in black and white Futuron torsos, (with black sleeves and white hands), black hips (giving the impression of a belt), and white trousers. They are most easily identified by their white helmets with red visors.
Significant sets: Of the original six Space Police sets on offer in 1989, there are a couple worth a special mention. The Space Lock-up Isolation Base (6955), where the police took their Blacktron criminals, was an original base design, which included a launch mechanism for the small police cruiser and housed the portable prison cell pods that were available with other smaller sets such as the Galactic Peace Keeper (6886). The police patroller SP-Striker (6781) was the only Space Police set to include a battery brick system—a light-up computer and lights across one set of the ship’s wings, which could be set to flash or remain on.
M:Tron (1990–1991)
The new decade brought with it a shiny new range of LEGO workers. With no weapons to fight or defend, the M:Tron race were considered to be civilian workers replacing Futuron. Their functional black and red vehicles with gray trim and neon-green transparent parts stood out from the space teams that came before them. They were also the first space range to utilize magnets for increased interactivity. To facilitate the use of magnets, designers devised various manual work for M:Tron around the idea of searching and recovering precious raw materials from the sandy planet they were based on. This was the first space theme not to feature any kind of base set and is made up entirely of vehicles. This was also the last space theme to be marketed under the “LEGOLAND” banner, replaced by LEGO System from 1991 onward.
Minifigures: It’s difficult to confuse an M:Tron minifigure with any other space men because of their distinctive red torsos with black and red “M” logo. They had white arms and legs, and black helmets with their signature neon-green visors.
Significant sets: The sub-theme’s space ships were Particle Ionizer (6923, pictured) and the slightly larger Stellar Recon Voyager (6956), but one of the best-remembered M:Tron sets is the Mega Core Magnetizer (6989), also known as the Mobile Recovery Center, which served as a sort of base unit for the M:Tron team. With its quarter-dome, neon-green cockpit with stadium-style seating for three, magnetized crane, chunky durable wheels, and abundance of mining accessories, this is M:Tron at its best.
An M:Tron worker mans the controls of 1990’s Vector Detector (6877). © StreetFly JZ
The Particle Ionizer (6923) was just one of the M:Tron sets to incorporate the use of magnets—seen on the crane on the back of the ship. © StreetFly JZ
Blacktron II: Future Generation (1991–1992)
The M:Tron minifigures were working hard ionizing particles and detecting vectors, but 1991 saw the Blacktron bad guys crawl out from whichever space rock they were hiding under. With a flashy new logo and chunky black and white spacecrafts (with the same neon-green transparencies as M:Tron), it was clear Blacktron were looking for trouble. These new sets were essentially an upgrade of the 1987/’88 sets, which saw the angular, delicate designs replaced by military-inspired vehicles and ships with cockpit pods that could be switched between sets.
Minifigures: Unlike their Vader-esque ancestors, 1991 Blacktron militants sported white torsos with the new black and green “B” logo. They had white legs, black arms and hands and the same black and green helmets as their enemies.
Significant sets: With obvious comparisons to the original Blacktron designs, Blacktron II managed to carve a distinct identity for itself with the introduction of more spherical cockpit pods, which were the centerpiece of the more popular sets. Alpha Centauri Outpost (6988), with its use of lights and landing pad, is generally not as celebrated as other base sets, but the Aerial Intruder (6981) fared better, thanks to the cockpit, which opens to lower a ramp for two roving buggies. There were also a number of smaller sets, including the Tri-Wheeled Tyrax (6851) and Super Nova II (6832).
The Grid Trekkor (6812) was one of a number of smaller sets that made up the Blacktron II fleet. © StreetFly JZ
Blacktron II’s Alpha Centauri Outpost, released in 1991. © StreetFly JZ
Space Police II (1992–1993)
Sensing trouble, TLG unleashed a new Space Police sub-theme, to begin what the coppers had started a few years earlier. In the 1992 catalog, the Space Police can be seen flying in to stop trouble as M:Tron workers wave their wrenches in the air to scare the Blacktron bad guys. This time, there was no mistaking the Space Police for ordinary civilians. With their black and gray ships with red trim and dark green transparent pieces, these guys meant business. Despite only releasing six sets over two years to most territories (a further two sets were available in the United States), these Space Police did not have a base or station to take Blacktron back to, although they maintained a form of detachable jail cells like the earlier police sets.
Minifigures: Setting them apart from other space characters, these were the first space-themed minifigures to have non-standard faces. The smiley staple was replaced with a brown-fringed face with raised eyebrows and a headset microphone. They had green torsos (with the Space Police logo and what appear to be tech devices), green arms and legs, black hands, and a black helmet with a dark green visor.
Significant sets: Despite not having a black and red police station to house all the Blacktron II criminals, Space Police II made up for this with its fleet of vehicles. There was Rebel Hunter (6897), with its releasable prison pod hinged in the midsection, and Solar Snooper (6957)—a ground vehicle with a reconnaissance aircraft that could land on the back. The largest Space Police II set was the Galactic Mediator (6984), which despite not having the armament associated with a crime-fighting unit, is known for its size, playable space, and sleek wing design.
Ice Planet 2002 (1993–1994)
By 1993, Blacktron’s techno
-stealing tendencies had driven them far from the dusty M:Tron plains to a frozen wilderness dubbed “Ice Planet 2002” inhabited by a team of rocket-wielding, ice-tunneling scientists. The blue and white color scheme harked back to the days of Classic Space and Futuron’s monorail, but was cleverly revitalized with the injection of transparent neon orange. Ice Planet 2002 was a futuristic sub-theme for a whole new generation of 1990s space fans, and the sets were detailed and eye-catching.
Minifigures: In the 1993 catalog a Blacktron thief is caught frozen in a block of ice—their clothes and equipment inferior to the local inhabitants’.
The Ice Planet 2002 minifigures with their bright orange skis and helmets and warmweather clothing brought new life to LEGO Space. © Jordan Schwartz
Ice Planetiers’ black torsos decorated with a blue, white, and silver design featured the Ice Planet 2002 logo, and a zip revealing a warmer second layer beneath. Larger sets included a second torso design with gold trimmings intended for the “chief” minifigure with his scowl and white mustache. Taking the torch from Space Police, other minifigure heads included a floppy-fringed Ice Planetier and a redheaded girl with bright red lips and hoop earrings—just what space was missing. To handle the extreme climate, the inhabitants wore neon-orange goggle visors with attached antennas on their white helmets, neon-orange skis, and carried matching chainsaws to break through the ice.
