Origin of the BOPPER MISSILE.
In the early age action figures new details were given to developing toys. No more were they solid pieces of tin or plastic but intricate and detailed toys, with more and more accessories and gimmicks. And as such many new FUN choking hazards for kids all over the world.
Starting in one of the first, small scale action figure lines, the Micronauts (or Microman) we began to see spring loaded missile launchers on various toys and their accessories. And with that, more things for little kids to put in their mouths and choke on or swallow.
Fearing law suits and innocent deaths, the toy industry went on a severe clamp down on all toys with small parts, especially missile launchers. In the mid 70’s the note worthy toy line from Battle Star Galactica sponsored a campaign to have these missiles returned, in exchange for an exclusive Hotwheel’s car. Parents across the nation, rendered Colonial Vipers and Cylon Raders weapons USELESS by taking back the little red missiles and turning them back over to the toy company. Weeks later, the kids received (I got several) gray Jaguar cars with the decal of the animal on the sides. Throwing them at the enemy ship just did not have the same punch. I suppose we were all lucky that they did not recall the ships pilots (which were not much bigger than the missiles).
To combat the choking hazard, Micronauts started coming with these plastic missiles with strange tip, which was stuck inside a rubber topper. The powers that be had thought it would save kids eyes and keep them from getting swallowed, and keep the extra FUN of launching projectiles at pretend enemy forces…or the family cat, which ever.
What they did not predict was 1. The rubber tops come off, 2. They are FUN to chew on, and 3. Once in ones mouth its easy to swallow…if it gets past the throat. 4. In a side by side comparison, to the eye they resemble the tasty treat “Jr Mints� (see below for comparison pictures, as well as a Jr Mint with the missile stuck inside it). They did make a further attempt to combat even the Jr Mint problem by making the bopper heads different colors.
How does this relate to Pre Transformers? Well, the Italian toy industry took heed of the warnings and took their own precautionary measures. Their TraSformer toy line, ½ leftover Diaclone and ½ Transformers was made up of a combination of the two lines as well as these safety steps. So we got most of the little swallowable drivers away, their original small missiles and replaced them with these “Bopper� missiles. They used some of the Transformers colors, the redone Diaclone boxes, and in most cases sticker and launcher parts from Diaclone. Most collectors who have TraSformers either leave out these ugly missiles, or replace them with Transformer versions.
But where did the term “Bopper� missile come from? It may have been written in a Micronaut instruction booklet, but I doubt it. I started using the term when talking about TraSformers shortly after discovering them, and posting reviews on the net (many years ago, mid 90’s under my old screen name “The Weeter.�)
The classic space series “StarBlazers� second series had “Space Marines� who in their first battle with the forces of the Comet Empire (Green People, with “Robot� tanks) Sergeant Knox ordered his men to gear up with their “Bopper� guns and took out the enemy forces. These guns were a lot like the typical toy Bopper missile launcher. As you can see in the pictures below, these guns were bazooka like guns with a large Bopper missile at the top. Its not exactly the same, but it is similar, and when growing up watching the series, and playing with Micronaut toys which came with these same Bopper missiles the name stuck.
Below are some pictures of the scene in the series where the Space Marines show us how the Bopper Gun really works, pictures of various TraSformer missiles, and I even have a clip of the scene you can watch and hear with Quick Time.