Centurions Action Figures Identification Tool with Pictures

The creation of the Centurions

Kenner had been a small company under General Mills’s wing until the late 1970s. When they had the chance to gamble on George Lucas’s Star Wars, they hit the big time. Kenner revolutionized the toy industry by proving the viability of cross-media merchandising. They also reinvented the standard action figure, scaling it down to a simple 3 ¾” size. Nearly overnight, Kenner became one of the largest toy companies in the world.

However, their success largely depended on the success and continuation of the Star Wars brand. The brand lost steam when the trilogy concluded with 1983’s The Return of the Jedi. Only a few years later, in 1985, Kenner became an independent toy manufacturer, no longer part of General Mills. Thus, the company was determined to experiment again and make another smash hit.

Unsurprisingly, one of Kenner’s head designers, Mark Boudreaux, helped create the Centurions. Several other designers worked under him, including Alton Takeyasu. However, one other group helped shape this new toy line.

Knowing that toy lines now required support from cartoons and comics to become a success, Kenner partnered with Ruby-Spears Enterprises to produce an animated mini-series that would usher in the new line. They even pulled on the expertise of renowned comic artists like Jack Kirby and Gil Kane. This new series notes from the budding toy line while giving it a story for audiences to latch onto.

The five-part miniseries helped launch the toy line

The five-part miniseries officially launched on April 7, 1986. It presented the battle of the Centurions, Max Ray, Jack Rockwell, and Ace McCloud, against the evil forces of Doc Terror. Each Centurion had access to powerful exo-frames that gave them extreme power. This power was even hinted at by the series catchphrase: PowrXtreme.

Not long after the mini-series finished airing, Kenner introduced the first series of toys to stores nationwide. The first and only series of toys featured Ace McCloud with his Skynight armor, Jake Rockwell with Fireforce, and Max Ray with Cruiser. There were also Dr. Terror, Hacker, and two Doom Drones: Strafer and Traumatizer. Beyond the main cast of characters, the line also featured a large array of assault weapons that could be attached to the exo-frames. These accessories included the Skybolt, Swingshot, Tidal Blast, and many more.

A full season run of Centurions action

After the successful launch of both the mini-series and the toy line, the Centurions returned to television with a full season of 60 episodes. Along with the full series came two new characters: Rex Charger and John Thunder. Unfortunately, neither of these characters ever made an appearance in the toy line. The series even featured a dog, Shadow, and an orangutan, Lucy, who both had weaponized armor.

The canceled parts of the Centurions toy line

While Kenner had planned to release more than one series of toys for the Centurions, those toys never appeared on toy shelves. Despite the support of the animated series, the Centurions only lasted a single year. Thus, toys like the Awesome Auger and Thunder Knife remained in the prototype stage.

The lasting impact of the Centurions

However, there was one last piece of media for Centurion fans. In 1987, DC released a four-issue series that told even more tales of the Centurions PowerXtreme. Bob Rozakis contributed his writing skills to the comic. Meanwhile, artists like Don Heck, Al Vey, and Tom Ziuko also worked on the series.