Space Commando is a clockwork astronaut dating from the 1950s. This grey and red robot has one of those highly prized goldfish bowl helmets. He's well equipped to destroy any aliens he encounters; he's not out to advance the cause of science. If his rifle doesn't kill 'em his litho pistol and ammo pouches should finish them off. It's part of the history of robot toys: they reflect our changing attitude to outsiders.

The box art is superb. It's subdued colours make a pleasant change from the bright primaries of most toys. The Space Commando examines some sort of screen as he roams the mountainous surface of one of Saturn's moons.

This is a simple wind up toy from Nomura, but is bears a striking resemblance to the A.N. (AHI) Earth Man & Deep Sea Robot group. The body shell and heads are different, but the underlying structure, the legs with their rounded front and the pivot pin position, and the arms with their flattened inside faces look identical. To confirm the connection there's the identical space rifle that they all carry. So, what's the connection between the two companies?

This robot turns up frequently enough to keep its unboxed price reasonably low. The quality of the box is such that it would more than double the price of the toy. The dome is particularly prone to damage and discoloration.