1982: MEGAFORCE PRINT ADVERT

Here's the US print advert, which appeared on the back of multiple American comics during the summer of 1982, hyping the kid-friendly action flick MEGAFORCE.

At the time, I assumed the hardware-heavy movie (yup... it's the one with the bikes that fire missiles) was an opportunist attempt to cash-in on the success of the G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO action figures.  In retrospect, I don't think there's any connection at all.  Hasbro only (re)launched their toys in 1982, the same year that Hal Needham's MegaForce (briefly) hit the big screen.

Amongst the movie's semi-familiar faces were Persis Khambatta (considerably more hairy than her turn in STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE), Edward Mulhare (just prior to KNIGHT RIDER) and Henry Silva (Kane in BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY). 

The movie was a box office flop and seems - apart from the odd cultural reference - to have vanished without trace in the DVD era.  Although bootlegs are in circulation. 

I was "man enough for Megaforce" (it must have been the regulation gold jumpsuits the team were outfitted in) and first saw this on tape when a friend rented the tape for his birthday party.  He also received some ACTION FORCE (Britain's G.I. JOE) toys as gifts which helped cement by (unwarranted) association between the two anti-terrorist squads.