Welcome to STARCOM-The U.S. Space Force Website
HomeSearchContact The Depot
History
Our Forces
The Enemy
The Depot
 Cartoons
 Club
 Collectibles
 Collection
 Collectors
 Custom
 Exchange
 Fan Art
 FAQ's
 Inserts
 Links
 Supplies
 Thanks
 Toy Releases

TOY RELEASES
1 Collector PointHere is our attempt at trying to figure out the exact time and groupings that Starcom toys were released, who released them and where. Most of this has been verified by Martin Joynes and ex-Coleco employee. He left the company after Mattel took it over in May 1989.
 
FIRST WAVE (Coleco, 1986, USA and Canada. Late 1986 to Early 1987 in the UK and followed to parts of Europe.)
 
Figures: Some figures came with vehicles and playsets, they are marked.
ASTRO MARINES
Col. Paul "Crowbar" Corbin
Capt. Vic "Dakota" Hayes (Laser R.A.T. Driver)
Capt. Rick Ruffing (M-6 Railgunner Driver)
Staff Sgt. Champ O'Ryan (H.A.R.V.-7 Driver)
Sgt. Bill Travers
Sgt. Hector Morales
Sgt. Victor Rivera
Pfc. John "Cowboy" Jefferson
Pfc. Al "Cannon" Evans
 
STARBASE COMMAND
Col. John "Slim" Griffin
Capt. Pete Yablonsky
Maj. Tony Barona (Starbase Command-Starbase Commander)
Sgt. Maj. Bull Gruff (Starbase Station-Station Chief)
Pfc. Shawn Reed
Pfc. Rusty Caldwell
 
STAR WING
Col. James "Dash" Derringer
Capt. Rip Malone (Starmax Bomber Pilot)
Lt. Bob T. Rodgers
Lt. Tom "Bandit" Waldron (F-1400 Starwolf Pilot)
Lt. Jeff "Bronx" Carrier (SF/B Starhawk Pilot)
Sgt. Red Baker
Sgt. Ed Kramer
Sgt. Bob Anders (Battlecrane Pilot)
 
STARMADA/INVASION
General Von Dar
Capt. Mace (Shadow Vampire Pilot)
Maj. Klag (Shadowbat Pilot)
Maj. Romak (Shadow Invader Driver)
Lt. Magg (Shadow Parasite Pilot)
Sgt. Von Rodd
Sgt. Hack
Sgt. Ramor
Sgt. Borek
Cpl. Slash
Cpl. Storn
 
ROBOT DRONES
General Torvek
Capt. Battlecron-9 (Shadow Raider Driver)
Cpl. Agon-6
 
Vehicles:
ASTRO MARINES
Laser R.A.T.-Rapid Assault Tracker (Capt. Vic "Dakota" Hayes)
M-6 Railgunner-Ground Attack Vehicle (Capt. Rick Ruffing)
H.A.R.V.-7-Heavy Armed Recovery Vehicle (Staff Sgt. Champ O'Ryan)
 
STAR WING
Starmax Bomber-Transport Missile Cruiser (Capt. Rip Malone)
F-1400 Starwolf-Flexwing Astro Fighter (Lt. Tom "Bandit" Waldron)
Battlecrane-Combat Cargo Lifter (Sgt. Bob Anders)
 
STARMADA/INVASION
Shadowbat-Battle Cruiser (Maj. Klag)
Shadow Parasite-Attack Fighter (Lt. Magg)
Shadow Invader-Rapid Strike Vehicle (Maj. Romak)
 
ROBOT DRONES
Shadow Raider-Sneak Attack Vehicle (Capt. Battlecron-9)
 
Playsets:
STARBASE COMMAND
Starbase Command-Headquarters (#1391)
Starbase Station-Strategic Deployment Platform (#1392)
 

SECOND WAVE (Coleco, 1987, USA, UK, Canada and parts of Europe.)
 
Figures:
Emperor Dark (Canadian exclusive, Mail-away figure)
 
Vehicles:
STAR WING
SF/B Starhawk-Strategic Fighter Bomber (Lt. Jeff "Bronx" Carrier) (#1352)
 
STARMADA/INVASION
Shadow Vampire-Enemy V.T.O.L. Fighter (Capt. Mace) (#1351)
 

THIRD WAVE (Coleco, 1988, UK, Canada and parts of Europe.)
 
Vehicles:
ASTRO MARINES
Missile Fox-Tactical Launching Vehicle
Skyroller-High-Rising Supertank
 
STAR WING
Sidewinder-High-Speed Jackknife Fighter
Tornado Gunship-Air/Space Transcopter
 
STARMADA/INVASION
Shadow Spy-Disguised Enemy Fighter
 
ROBOT DRONES
Shadow Bandit-Enemy Pod Lifter
Shadow Blast Track-Enemy Tank/Transport
 
Playsets:
STARBASE COMMAND
Medical Bay-Mobile Action Pod
 
STAR WING
Command Post-Mobile Action Pod
Vehicle Repair-Mobile Action Pod
Laser Artillery-Mobile Action Pod
 

FOURTH WAVE (Coleco/Mattel, 1989, UK and Europe only. Mattel took over in May 1989.)
 
Figures:
Single and 2-packs. I'll just list the 2-packs because I think that's where they added the NEW REPAINTED FIGURES.
 
NEW-Hammer and General Torvek
Col. Paul Corbin and NEW-Capt. Howl
NEW-Yank and Gen. Von Dar
NEW-Tiger and Cpl. Agon-6
Col. John Griffin and NEW-Capt. Gorn
NEW-Lone Wolf and Sgt. Ramor
Pfc. Shawn Reed and NEW-Lt. Vasor
Col. James Derringer and NEW-Capt. Hydrone
NEW-Speed and NEW-Cpl. Cronax (The only package with 2 NEW figures together)
 
Vehicles:
STAR WING
Six Shooter
 
ROBOT DRONES
Shadow Upriser-Elevating Land Vehicle
Shadow Mini-Tank
Shadow Attack Trike
 

UNKNOWN
 
3-pack figures cards (Possibly never made, and not known if new figures would have been introduced like the 2-pack versions) View the European figure 2-packs
Starcom Double Fighter-Massive Attack Jet (Possibly never made)
Big Cannon Fortress-Mobile Action Pod (Possibly never made)
Missile Station-Mobile Action Pod (Possibly never made)
 
Star Fleet Action Set (This is a Boxed Starcom Star Fleet Action Set. Containing the following Starmax Bomber, F-1400 Starwolf and Missile Fox as well as 6 Starcom and 2 Shadow Force figures. This set appears to have been made by Mattel after Coleco went out of business. We are not sure if this was a exclusive set for Europe or just England. All the vehicles appear to have different decals, minus the U.S. Flag.) View the Starcom Star Fleet Action Set
 

Here are some more interesting notes from Martin.
One question that did arise on the board sometime back was why random character figures appeared in vehicle boxes. The policy in the US was (I believe) to sell the figures separately after the First Wave. In Europe, it was decided to continue to include a figure. Therefore, from Skyroller/Bandit wave onwards, when shipments arrived in the UK from the Far East, they were taken to our subcontractors in Abingdon, Oxforshire, where the taped boxes were carefully opened and a loose figure (taken from a standard single-figure pack, and usually still in its plastic bubble) was dropped in and the box resealed.
 
There were at least three different kinds of packaging in use by Coleco. The original US packaging was in deep red; the Canadian English/French packaging was much more orange in color, and the European packaging had German, Spanish, Italian, French translations - again, in deep red. I imagine when Mattel went on to produce their own packaging purely for the European market the decision was taken to remove the more obviously US-based insignia. I always wondered why the original line was called 'The U.S. Space Force' , as it did seem to limit its applicability outside the US.
 
 
 
 
 
Site design by Mars Prime Design
Site owner(s): Gary Anderson, Patrick Stewart and Ward Schultz