Choujinki Metalder (Super Android Metalder) is a tokusatsu show from 1987. A lot of footage from it was used in 1994 in VR Troopers. If you need more background than that, I highly recommend you just download the Metalder series here and give it a watch. It’s pretty short and very cool!
During the run of Metalder in Japan, Bandai produced a toyline called the “Ghost Bank Series”. This is a fascinating line to me, largely for the fact that it’s roughly in-scale to the M.A.S.K. line from Kenner, which began in the U.S. just a few years earlier. There seems to be basically no English info on it though, so I had to create my own checklist for the line. Because I’m me, I made sure to note the VR Troopers counterparts (labeled “VRT”). I’d like to expand this overview with reviews of the individual toys at some point, but right now it’s all I can do to just find the things!
01 Metalder/Springer
VRT: Ryan Steele
02 Sidephantom
VRT: VR Turbo Cycle
03 Metal Charger
VRT: Quantum Jet
04 Coolgin
VRT: Decimator
05 Valsky
VRT: Zelton
06 Topgunder
VRT: Dark Heart
07 Barbery
VRT: Air Stryker
08 Strobe
VRT: Fighterbot
09 Bulchek
VRT: Cannon Nose
10 Darbarbo
VRT: Ballistix
11 Tagski
VRT: Slice
12 Circulader
VRT: [none]
13 Miragehasha
VRT: [none]
14 Doraigun
VRT: [none]
15 Geldring
VRT: Toxoid
16 Dranger
VRT: Blue Boar
17 Tagson
VRT: Dice
18 Galador
VRT: Magician
19 Jamune
VRT: Fistbot
20 Megadron
VRT: Tankatron
21 Agmis
VRT: Torpedobot
22 Ghost Bank
VRT: Virtual Dungeon
23 Silver Carcass
VRT: VR Base
Probably the most interesting thing to note is that the main villain of the line, God Neros (VRT: Grimlord) had no figure. Kenner also failed to get him out during their VR Troopers line. I haven’t done an exhaustive search of all Metalder merchandise, but to my knowledge he’s NEVER been rendered in plastic. This despite the Ghost Bank series having an entire playset of his throne room!
Another facet that intrigues me is that many of the villains have removable helmets, which turns many of them from monstrous cyborgs into… well, guys in suits. As I already mentioned, the line is in scale to Kenner’s M.A.S.K., and it’s very interesting that the figures have a helmet feature in addition to the same size and articulation. There are also two transforming vehicles (03 Metal Charger and 14 Doraigun)! I think these similarities are coincidental, or at best Bandai was mildly inspired by Kenner, but regardless I’m certainly not going to complain about parallels to one of my favorite 80s toylines!
CREDITS
Images courtesy of Mandarake
English names courtesy of Metal Heroes Wiki
–Luke
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