Mid Sized Marx: 3 inch space guys

For today's installment, I'm bringing in perhaps the most elusive Marx figures I've run down. In addition to the 6 inch astronauts and the 4 inch space guys covered in the first installment of this series, Marx released a set of space guys in nominal 70mm scale, or just under 3 inches. After reading about them on the Marx Wild West page, I kept an eye out. They proved relatively uncommon in online auctions, with prices that were high but not exceptional. The biggest real obstacle was that I went back and forth on how much I wanted them, at one point cancelling an order for a full set. Eventually, I put in a bit for a lot that included 5 figures and 4 out of 8 sculpts. To start with, here's a few reference shots of the figures.

For this pic, one of the space guys is in a lineup with some similarly sized figures: A Galaxy Laser Team astronaut and large-sized bot, the Starcom and Dino Riders pilots, and the Timmee nuclear guy. I estimate that the last figure is 60mm, which at one point was also standard size for Marx army men. Here's shot with some larger figures including the Mexican 4 inch evil space guy.

Another thing about this little line is that it's the same size as the Marx knights previously sighted. The latter may look taller and are certainly more heavily built, but I am satisfied they are the same height apart from a little variation based on posture. Here's a few pics to show what I mean.

Now for the individual figures. The one directly above is the standout. He is obviously cast in a different color, and I believe he is made of a different material. In a quite common pattern, he looks just a bit bigger but not quite as sharp in detail, something I will return to shortly. Here's another pic with the 4-inch knife guy.

The next in line is the one I got two of. He might not be dynamic, but he seems focused and chipper. One has an extra plastic bit that somehow fits the vintage hairstyle. I can't decide what the gadget is, but it reminds me of a portable TV from the 1980s, which is impressive enough given that these certainly weren't made later than the mid-1960s.

The next figure is a bit of a dud, but odd enough to be interesting. He seems especially meek, despite being armed. The singularly unthreatening laser pistol widget doesn't help matters.

"Honest, I don't even know what this thing is. I think maybe it's a thermometer. If it is, I sure hope it goes in your mouth."

The last and certainly best is the one that convinced me these were worth buying. The gun is well-done, and I love the facial expression. Descriptions from collectors will usually say he has a flare pistol. But with that look, I feel like he could be summoning rescue, firing a warning shot or debating whether to put the thing to his own head for the next shot. But then, of course, I'm me.

"I just don't care anymore."

One fairly obvious detail is that these guys came without helmets. I personally didn't mind at all. I had been having a tricky time with the helmets on the 4-inch space guys, and it was a genuine relief not to go through it again. I might take a chance down the line, but for now I'm happy with them as they are. As an extra, here's a closeup of the detailing on the air tanks in back, and particularly how the silver one compares with the rest.

And of course, it wouldn't be complete without a visit from the Truckstop Queen!

That's all for now, more for a long time to come!