Airlandia? Yeah, Toys in the 80s Sucked as Much as They were Awesome

The Air Raiders toys — the jets, that is — look fantastic, but the story behind the toys completely blows. As Retroland tells us in their summary:

“Arriving on the heels of numerous successful sci-fi toy franchises came one of the most underrated toy concepts of the 1980s. In 1987, the catchphrase “The power is in the air” heralded the story of a killer comet strike on the planet of Airlandia. With most of the planet’s oxygen destroyed, the ensuing chaos ushered in the reign of the despotic Aerozar, a villain in control of the remaining useable air and determined to ration it for his own sinister gains. Thus, the Air Raiders, an intrepid band of rebels lead by Admiral Fury and General Rokk, were created to free the Airlandian inhabitants from Aerozar and his Tyrants of the Wind.”

That’s not exactly exciting, but it was enough for a full series of toys, a short comic, and ridiculous prices on eBay. I absolutely love the look of these jets/aircraft, and the Hawkwind — shown in the commercial, below — is the best of the bunch.

For more Air Raiders toys be sure to check Virtual Toy Chest and Action Figure Directory.