Space Men

Robot to assist my Space Men.  I selected the largest and most robust looking figure for the task.

This Red Space Men unit is Rust-Oleum Gloss Apple Red.

Naturally I had to include the GI Joe Adventure Team in any space adventure.  Here is there yellow robot.

Rust-Oleum Sunburst Yellow gloss spraypaint.

This rather retro-color is Tamiya Coral Blue.  You can see a few of the Space Men on the right side of the photo getting some touch up paint.  The figures are 1/72nd scale figures from Dollar Tree from about 20 years ago.  They are pretty good copies of the 1/32nd scale Airfix WWII USMC and WWII British Paratroopers, all with US M1 style helmets and rather generic weapons.  Sadly only a few poses.

The white figures are more technical troops, supply, maintenance and others.  The are in a semi-gloss white by Rust-Oleum.

This last group is what I call my US Army Astro-Rangers.  These started as MPC 60mm troops in gold.  I use the gold figures because MPC made a space set and the figures were gold plastic.  Also one of the official colors of the US Army is gold, the other is black.  So when I started doing Space Men in 1/72nd scale I included the Astro-Rangers.  They take the name of Ranger and spread it throughout the solar system.  The are elite troops in space as they are on Earth.  I named them Astro-Rangers because it had a 1950's retro sound to it and combined astronaut and Army Rangers.
 

Astro Rangers

Power armor team training.

US Army Astro Rangers 1st Power Armor Squad.

Working with robots....

Large and small....

Ready to face any danger...

Confronting advanced technologies....

And strange alien creatures....

And their allies....

And overcoming all obstacles....

The high technology, US Army Astro Rangers!
 

Exploration

A large world with little evidence of civilization.

But wait, what's that?

 A statue of a man?

Not a man, an APE!

Worthy of investigation.

What does it mean?

Who built this?

The investigation begins.

Lizards

The levithan's fight!

Dimetron wins!

As two monstrosities devour one another a new plague arises!

Locusts, the same plague that hit just outside Chicago.

Fire the bazooka.

Fire the machine guns.

Dimetrodon

The dog and the US Army Astro Ranger are on alert for the strange movement in the forest.

Keep the bazooka ready.

Move forward.

Get ready for anything.

It's a dimetrodon!  An ancient carnivore.

Just what they were looking to find.

It Comes from the Forest

The Doctor sees it too!

The dogs are on alert as well.

Something large is moving in the trees!

It's HUGE!

That sail?

Could it be?

Down the Trail.

The Navy and Air Force are thinking about adopting a similar program, but for now are training with the Army Astro Rangers.

Dr. Handrickson thinks they should not venture too far from the trail, but find a likely spot to stand and wait for any unknown or rare animals to cross the open space.  In the jungle you can be three feet from a jaguar and not see him.

The men brought a few dogs with them.  Their keen hearing and sense of smell may pay off where the men's vision is limited by the vegetation.

The gold uniform of the US Army Astro Ranger.  Not good camouflage in the forest, but there are no forests in space, that we know of!

Something is looking out of the trees.

Astro Rangers in the Jungle

A team of US Army Astro Rangers, US Navy Sailors, and regular GI's a few civilians and Dr. Karl Handrickson are exploring the jungle of Panama.

Dr. Handrickson brought his granddaughter, Gretchen, with him, she lives in the Canal Zone.

Reports have come in of strange wildlife and ranchers finding the remains of cattle.

Dr. Handrickson is one of the most renowned scientists in the world.  He oversees much of the US Army Astro Ranger program.  The troops train in Panama to help them adapt to strange environments.

Soon men will walk on Mars, and they will face unknown dangers.  They brought one of the new Astro Bazookas, lighter weight, but a larger rocket than the standard bazooka.

This trip is part of the field test, and also a bit of exploration.