Mattel wanted to make some large action figures for the kids in 1976. This one was named Pulsar The Ultimate Man of Adventure. He was a towering thirteen and a half inches tall, which was two inches taller then the competition. He had some interesting aspects to those who liked biology, as his internal organs were all visible under his shirt. Get the story here on the Ultimate Man of Adventure named Pulsar in this enlightening article.
When the going gets tough, the tough get their organs pumping. This must have been the idea behind the Pulsar “Ultimate Man of Adventure”. He came with a pump on his back that made his lungs and heart start working, like a “pulse”. He was a large action figure and came with a sort of operating table that was called “Pulsar’s Life Systems Center”. He was a red and black good guy with white boots. His enemy was named Hypnos. If you used the pump on his back, the blood pumped through his body. His lungs would also start to breathe. His head popped open to reveal discs that were supposed to give him his mission. They did not turn or really do anything, but were there to play with. The Pulsar “Ultimate Man of Adventure” came in two versions which were not that different from each other. The later version had the clear plastic chest piece that showed his innards all the way down to his legs. The first was clear just to the waist. His shirt was made of real cloth.
With all the attention to detail that this action figure got from Mattel, it is not too difficult to find one. A Pulsar “Ultimate Man of Adventure” will sell for $20 dollars on ebay if he is in poor condition. If you find one with all his brain discs, high quality clothing and in the original box, the price will be about $300 to $600. Loose he will sell for $50 to $100. The “Pulsar’s Life Systems Center” sells for about $200 – $300. His enemy, Hypnos, is harder to find than Pulsar. He was created to fulfill the “ugly enemy” profile. He was not given clothes, and his guts were definitely not human, but could be seen inside his chest. He will sell for $300 up to $600 with the box.
Finding this Pulsar the “Ultimate Man of Adventure” play action figure with his blood still pumping will take some effort. The red goo used for blood back in 1976 will usually be just a trickle if you can get the heart and lungs pumping. The goo congeals with age, so that aspect of the toy will usually be defective. Pulsar is another one of those action figures that has become a collector’s item. He is now considered a vintage collectible toy. He was considered to be Mattel’s answer to Kenner’s “Bionic Man” who was selling very well at the time.
