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Sectaurs: Warriors of Symbion is a line of action figures released by Coleco in 1985.[1][2] Created by Lawrence Mass, Tim Clarke, and Maureen Trotto, the Sectaurs world blended humanoids with insects and arachnids. Marvel Comics released a limited series of Sectaurs comics, and the characters were also adapted for an animated miniseries.[3]

Development

The concept originated with puppet designer Tim Clarke, who attended a Halloween party in 1978. Disliking wearing Halloween masks, Clarke instead created a hand puppet modeled after a fly. Years later, Clarke brought the same hand puppet into a meeting with Lawrence Mass. Mass loved the idea and suggested pairing it with an action figure.[4]

Premise

The planet Symbion is the site of a failed genetic experiment that caused insects and arachnids grow to frightening proportions and the inhabitants to take on insectoid characteristics.

Prince Dargon, ruler of the peaceful Shining Realm of Prosperon, and his allies are in conflict with the forces of Empress Devora, ruler of the Dark Domain of Synax, and her henchmen. The two factions rival each other for possession of the Hyves, fortresses of an ancient civilization holding the key to ultimate power.

Each character was “tele-bonded” with intelligent, non-anthropomorphic insect creatures called Insectoids that had a special ability. The characters and their Insectoids shared each other’s “pleasure and pain”, feeling empathy through a telepathic link.

There are several subtypes of Insectoid: Steeds are Insectoids large enough to be ridden by their Sectaur partners. Action Bugs are smaller partner Insectoids, which each possess a single button or crank activated feature in merchandise. Battle Bugs are Insectoids that carry an artillery weapon atop itself, with a seat for a Sectaur rider.

Characters

Shining Realm

  • Dargon: Prince of the Shining Realm. He is bonded with Dragonflyer, a winged Insectoid which has a biting action. Another insectoid companion, Parafly, was sold with the variant figure Night Fighting Dargon. His weapons included a broadskall sword, shield, twin venguns (a spring-loaded gun that fires poison darts), and a slazor – a projectile weapon that throws pellets. Although Stellara is in love with Dargon, he secretly desires to marry Belana – the royal betrothed of his childhood friend Zak.
  • Pinsor: A veteran warrior who rides the massive Battle Beetle, a Steed with large front arms akin to pincers. He suffered from unrequited love for Stellara, whose affections lay with Dargon.
  • Zak: Captain of Prosperon’s Royal Guard, until his wisecracking insolence got him replaced. Zak’s childhood friend is Dargon, who is his rival for Belana’s affections. His companion, Bitaur, is an Action Bug with a biting action. Zak’s weapons include a Slazor, a Vengun, and a Skall shield.
  • Mantor/Mantys: A “Keeper of the Way”, a scholar of the ancient powers contained in the Hyves and the Ancients who created them. His companion beast is Raplor, an Action Bug with a grappling line that extends from its mouth. Mantor’s weapons include a crossbow, vengun, and skall shield.
  • Stellara: A female warrior. In the comic book series, it was established that Stellara’s Insectoid died in battle some time ago and one story focused on her attempting to tele-bond with a new one, but was unable to complete the ritual because Dargon and the others were in danger. In the comics, Stellara is a romantic interest of Pinsor, but she thought of him as a surrogate father; her true fondness is for Dargon.
  • Bodyball: A character seen only in the unreleased second wave of the toy line. Rather than being paired with an Insectoid, Bodyball was one of two figures planned to have a special action designed into the figure itself. He could be folded up, much like a pillbug, and visually seemed to be a member of a race other than his Sectaur compatriots.
  • Crossbow: The Shining Realm’s Battle Bug. Its projectile is a missile-like pod referred to as a “spear”.
  • Gyrofly: The only Creeper that was planned to be released for the Shining Realm faction in the unreleased second line. It was a scarab-like device which opened its shell and released a spinning propeller projectile named Attack-Gnat.

Dark Domain

  • General Spidrax: The leader of the Dark Domain’s armies, armed with a whip coated in lethal poison. Unlike most Sectaurs, he enslaved his animal companion, Spider-Flyer, rather than bond with it.[5] This was possibly because Spidrax had no forehead antennae (which all other Sectaurs possess) with which to initiate the tele-bonding process, but also to show his cruelty. Spidrax’s weapons included a venom whip, Slazor, Skall shield, net, and twin Venguns.
  • Skulk: Devora’s stepson, who rides the spider-like Trancula, a furry Steed with biting mandibles. His weapons included a Skall dagger, shield, Vengun, and dart wing.
  • Commander Waspax: Spidrax’s rival. His Insectoid companion is Wingid, an Action Bug with flapping wings. His weapons included a Skall saber, shield, and Vengun.
  • Skito: A mercenary. His companion, Toxcid, is an Action Bug that squirts water from his proboscis, said to be “poison” in the context of the stories. His weapons included a Skall sword, shield, and Vengun.
  • Bandor: One of the unreleased second wave figures. Bandor included a flail, Skall sword, and shield. His insectoid was Swipe, which was an Action Bug with an extending proboscis weapon.
  • Nuckles: The other of the two figures in the second line which was to have had a built-in feature rather than an Insectoid. His feature was likely a punching action with his “Mutant Arm”. Nuckle’s accessories included some form of hand weapon, a shield, and two small Skalibur guns which attached to the sides of his helmet and connected to his weapons belt by power cables.
  • Fly Flinger: The Dark Domain’s Battle Bug, from the unreleased second series. Its projectile was a glider-like second smaller insect generically named Fly.
  • Snagg: One of two Creepers planned to be released for the Dark Domain in the unreleased second wave of toys. Snagg featured a short grappling line that fired from its mouth and could be rewound into its body.
  • Ax-Back: One of two Creepers planned to be released for the Dark Domain in the unreleased second wave of toys. Ax-Back featured a blade-like protrusion that snapped up from its back.

Hyve

The Hyve playset was also produced, and is one of the larger playsets released in the 1980s. Accessories included a boulder-like wrecking ball, a heavy Skalibur turret gun, a ladder, and a cage. It featured a landing pad with a trap door, a collapsible bridge, and an interior detailing a “Bio-Control Laboratory”. The Hyve is guarded by Narr and Vypex, a pair of mutant Insectoids.

Other characters

  • Belana: Zak’s royal betrothed, who secretly (and mutually) desires Dargon.
  • Devora: Goddess-Empress of the Dark Domain and stepmother of Skulk.
  • Galken: Galken rules the Shining Realm as a regency, in the absence of his elder brother Markor. He is the uncle of Dargon.
  • Gnatseye: A warrior of the Shining Realm. His Insectoid companion is Jumpyr.
  • Hardyn: Galken’s cousin and chief adviser. He has been Supreme Tribune of the Shining Realm’s Council of Judges, ever since Galken ascended to the throne.
  • Markor the Mighty: King of the Shining Realm, father of Dargon. After disappearing years ago while searching for the Hyve, Markor was succeeded by his younger brother Galken.
  • Scorpia: A villainous Keeper, and Spidrax’s half-sister.
  • Seacor: A headstrong youth featured in the animated miniseries. He is eager to prove himself to Dargon and Company. Seacor’s Insectoid companion is Altifly.
  • Senrad: Devora’s stealthy chief administrator.
  • Slikk: A veteran thief and troublemaker whose ribald jokes, outrageous lies, and embarrassing pranks make him less than popular with his fellow Sectaurs.

Television series

In 1985, Ruby-Spears produced a five-episode miniseries:

  1. “Spidrax Attacks” (written by Dan DiStefano and Janis Diamond)
  2. “Slave City” (written by Dan DiStefano and Janis Diamond)
  3. “Valley of the Stones” (written by Dan DiStefano and Janis Diamond)
  4. “Trapped in the Acid Desert” (written by Ted Field)
  5. “Battle of the Hyve” (written by Matt Uitz and Janis Diamond)

Comic

Nine mini-comics were included with Sectaurs toys in 1984.[6] Marvel Comics published an eight-issue series from 1985 to 1986.[7] All of the stories were written by Bill Mantlo. Mark Texeira drew the first two issues and Steve Geiger drew issues 3-8. Marvel UK released a Sectaurs Summer Special in June 1986.[8]

Oni Press published a three-issue miniseries in 2024.[9] It is part of the NacelleVerse.

Kickstarter campaign

A Kickstarter campaign started in 2018 to restart the franchise.[10]

References

  1. ^ “Battle of the Fun Factories”. Time. December 16, 1985. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  2. ^ Yeoman Lowbrow (January 18, 2018). “Plastic Power”. Flashbak. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  3. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 542. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  4. ^ “The Story of the Sectaurs – A Toy Documentary”. YouTube. August 24, 2018.
  5. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 140. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
  6. ^ “Sectaurs: Warriors of the Symbion (1984 series)”. Grand Comics Database. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  7. ^ Markstein, Don. “Sectaurs”. Don Markstein’s Toonopedia. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  8. ^ “Sectaurs Summer Special (Marvel UK, 1986 Series)”. Grand Comics Database. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  9. ^ https://aiptcomics.com/2024/10/22/sectaurs-1-review
  10. ^ “Because Every ’80s Toyline Attempts a Comeback, SECTAURS Return!”. Nerdist. April 23, 2017. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.