The M.U.S.C.L.E. Preservation Society

Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere

M.U.S.C.L.E. 101
A compilation of frequently asked questions about the M.U.S.C.L.E. toyline

FAQ's

What is M.U.S.C.L.E.?
How many M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were made?
Are there any rare M.U.S.C.L.E.'s that are worth a lot of money?
Was there ever a M.U.S.C.L.E. Cartoon or comic book?
Does each M.U.S.C.L.E. figure have a name?
So what's the story behind the Japanese version of this toyline?

Where Can I buy or trade M.U.S.C.L.E.?

How many other colors of M.U.S.C.L.E. are there?

How can I tell if a M.U.S.C.L.E. is counterfeit?

What is M.U.S.C.L.E.?

In 1985 Mattel introduced a toy line to American Kids called M.U.S.C.L.E. The acronym stands for Millions of Unusual Creatures Lurking Everywhere. This new toy line "officially" consisted of 233 different wrestling figures that averaged around 2 inches in height. Figures were available for purchase in various quantities including.. 4, 10, and 28 piece packages. Other items available for purchase were a wrestling ring, wrestling belt, board game, Nintendo 8-bit game, and a mail away poster to help categorize your collection. Oh yeah.. the color of these wrestlers were "pink", but that didn't stop boy's from buying them up like crazy. Later on.. when interest in the toy line declined, Mattel started casting the figures in a variety of different colors.

In the 80's, professional wrestling was sweeping the nation, so MATTEL probably figured they couldn't go wrong launching a wrestling based toy line. The M.U.S.C.L.E. toy line ran strong for a couple of years, and then slowly faded into oblivion. That is.. until about 1996 when the Internet's very first M.U.S.C.L.E. web-site was launched by yours truly!

How many M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were made?

Kids only had one source of information to go on when it came to determining exactly how many M.U.S.C.L.E.'s were made. This was by obtaining the M.U.S.C.L.E. Collectors Poster. The M.U.S.C.L.E. Poster was a mail away offer available on the back of 4-packs, and 28-packs. You could obtain one by sending in two 4-pack proof of purchase barcodes, or one barcode from a 28-pack along with a cash register receipt. According to the official M.U.S.C.L.E. poster, there were 233 M.U.S.C.L.E.'s available. However.. two M.U.S.C.L.E. figures included with the M.U.S.C.L.E. wrestling ring, and another figure (known among collectors as Satan Cross) were also available. The addition of these three figures technically brings the total up to 236 different figures. While there are other figures that many collectors swear they obtained in packaging as kids, no one has been able to confirm that these are legitimate M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. One can only write these others sculpts off as Kinnikuman figures (M.U.S.C.L.E.'s Japanese cousin's)

Are there any rare M.U.S.C.L.E.'s that are worth a lot of money?

The Satan Cross M.U.S.C.L.E. has been coveted by many collectors as a rare M.U.S.C.L.E., which may very well be the case. I personally have seen this figure sell for upwards of $60.00 on ebay. The more our hobby grows however, the more we continue to see Satan Cross figures appear. Sealed M.U.S.C.L.E.'s that were in pack premiums for a MATTEL / Nestle QUIK promotion, also sell for more than the average M.U.S.C.L.E. There were no exclusive M.U.S.C.L.E.'s slated for this promotion, and the only way you can tell if a MUSCLE was from this promotion, is if it is still in the cellophane wrappers they were placed in, so as not to contaminate the Nestle' Quik Powder... or vice versa.

Was there ever a M.U.S.C.L.E. cartoon or comic book?

No. The closest thing to a comic was on the back of the 28 pack box, which featured a short story that gave you a vague look into the MUSCLE Story. In Japan where MUSCLE's originated from, the Kinnikuman toy line enjoyed success from the many comics and television shows which helped to propel toy sales into the stratosphere. There was a "Kinnikuman" cartoon show, but it never made it to the states. It was created and shown in Hong Kong and Japan. Fellow M.U.S.C.L.E fanatics from France, Germany, Spain, as well as other countries have informed me that it's been shown there also. A few years ago, "Kinnikuman Ultimate MUSCLE" was translated and aired on the Fox Kid's network. The show was titled ULTIMATE MUSCLE "The Kinnikuman Legacy"

Does each M.U.S.C.L.E. figure have a name?

Some characters had names printed on them like "Niku" and "Sukaru", but not too many. From what you could gather by reading some of the toy packaging, only two characters were given names by MATTEL. Clearly identified were two leaders named MUSCLE Man and Terri Bull. Muscle Man was the hero and leader of the "Thug Busters" (The Good Guys), while Terri Bull was the villain and leader of "The Cosmic Crunchers" That's pretty much all Mattel gave you to go on. After that, you needed to decide what characters were good and which ones were evil.

So what's the story behind the Japanese version of this toyline?

The translation of the word Kinnikuman literally means "Muscle Man." Kinnikumen, are a race of Super Men, and the premise of the comics had to do with good vs. evil, and lots of wrestling! There were many characters, and most had their likeness transformed into toys as well as numerous other types of merchandising. The toy line, comic, and cartoons were an instant hit in Japan. Apart from the plastics used, most of the Kinnikuman base set of figures were identical to the figures in the M.U.S.C.L.E. toy line.

Currently in Japan, Kinnikuman has evolved into an all new storyline. The comics, and TV shows feature the old characters, but have introduced many new ones as well. In fact, many of the old characters had offspring that are now the stars of the new series. There was an attempt to introduce an all new series entitled.. "Ultimate MUSCLE The Kinnikuman Legacy." It was translated, and brought to the states along with some great toys, but the series only lasted for one season on the Fox Kids lineup. They did bring reruns back in the fall of 2006, but we're not sure if it was due to demand, or simply to fill in blocks of time on Saturday mornings.

For more info on Kinnikuman visit:
Jason and Tsubasa's M.U.S.C.L.E. and Kinnikuman Site
or..
www.littlerubberguys.com

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Where can I buy or trade M.U.S.C.L.E.?

You can sometimes find M.U.S.C.L.E. in flea markets, swap meets, garage sales, or online at ebay. If you're just starting out, I recommend getting to know other collectors first. That way you can get an idea of what prices you can expect to pay, and possibly find people who are willing to part with any extras they may have at a fair price. The best place to go for doing this is LittleRubberGuys.com. My friend Jonathan runs these great message boards where M.U.S.C.L.E. Heads gather online to buy, sell, trade, and just hang out. Little Rubber guys is the beginning and the end for M.U.S.C.L.E. forums on the web!!

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How many other colors of M.U.S.C.L.E. are there?

Nine different colors of M.U.S.C.L.E. were produced. Originally light pink was the only color M.U.S.C.L.E. was made in, but when interest in the toy line started to decline, Mattel had the figures produced in eight other colors which were: Red, Dark Blue, Dark Purple, Magenta, Neon Orange, Neon Green, Salmon, and turquoise. There were also five sculpts which were a purplish grape-like color, but these were only available in the M.U.S.C.L.E. Mega Match Board Game.

Soupies M.U.S.C.L.E. Color image archive is a great resource where you can view every M.U.S.C.L.E. in the toy line to see what colors have been confirmed for each particular sculpt

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How can I tell if a M.U.S.C.L.E. is counterfeit?

In short.. fakes are a different consistency due to the plastics and casting methods used. You can read my tips for spotting imposters Here.

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Web design, and images © 2007 ' The M.P.S.' Web-site designed and maintained by Darrin Vindiola Sr
Artwork and graphics Kevin Mayle and Darrin Vindiola Sr
M.U.S.C.L.E. is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc. © Characters © Toei/Yudetamago