Slizer
  Part of a series on: the BIONICLE Franchise
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Slizer, known under the brand name Throwbots in the North and South America markets, was a series of construction based action figures produced by LEGO, under their TECHNIC theme. The line spanned two waves, from 1999 to 2000.
History
The Slizer line was developed in collaboration with ADVANCE, who designed the original setting[1] and also helped with the concept of the ball and socket joints that would later provide the foundation for the building system.[2] During the conceptualizing stage, plans were made for the sets to be sold in specialized vending machines, though this never came to fruition.[3]
The sets were first released in the beginning of 1999. The line was released with two different names; "Slizer" was used for European markets, while "Throwbots" was used for American ones. Each character had a different localized name, and a different setting was used for the respective markets.
A "Super-Power Throwbot" building contest was announced in the LEGO Mania Magazine's March-April 1999 edition, and tasked builders with creating a figure using Throwbot parts.[4] The five grand prize winners were featured in the September-October 1999 issue,[5] while one of 25 first-place winners, a creation named "Hiker Mike", was featured with building instructions in the same issue.[6]
A second wave was released at the beginning of 2000, featuring four new sets. This wave of sets in the American used the single-planet setting seen in the other markets, though it continued to localize some names.
The line was discontinued after the two waves. LEGO would later continue the elemental themed TECHNIC sets with a short-lived concurrent line, RoboRiders, and eventually develop a spiritual successor, BIONICLE.
Story and Setting
Two different settings and story ideas initially existed for the theme. The Slizers storyline had the characters all co-existing on a single Slizer Planet, located 4,000 light years from Earth and consisting of seven continents and a Slizer Dome at its North Pole.[7][8][9] Conversely, the Throwbots storyline made reference to individual planets inhabited by the characters,[10][11] with each planet sharing a name with its respective Throwbot (Turbo Planet, Electro Planet, etc.).[12]
The Slizers were described as gladiators, and divided into "good" and "evil" teams. The Good Slizers were the Fire Slizer, Ice Slizer, City Slizer, and Sub Slizer, while the Evil Slizers were the Judge Slizer, Jungle Slizer, Rock Slizer, and Energy Slizer.[13] The evil Slizers were led by the Judge Slizer, who lacked his own continent and therefore sought world domination. Each of the other Slizers had their own specific goals and missions related to their respective continents.[9] The Throwbots were said to be developed by aliens, and then self-repaired for "light years" to survive in their harsh environments and were protectors of their individual planets.[10]
The second wave depicted a mysterious meteor crashing into the planet on New Year's Eve 2000, destroying half of the planet and introducing new mutants emerging from the crater.[14][15] Despite the differences in the first wave's American and international storylines, the American storyline now used the single-location setting of the international version, albeit renamed Throwbot Planet.[14] The surviving Slizers were attacked by the new mutants, who battled for supremacy and control of the planet.[15] It culminated in the "battle of the century" as Blaster and Millennia (misspelled "Millenia" in LEGO Mania Magazine) dueled to determine who is the ultimate Throwbot, which ended with a cliffhanger in its third round.[16]
Featured Elements
As described in their American "Throwbots" name, the Slizers had unique arm pieces that could be pulled back and released to launch special disk pieces that came included with the sets. Each Slizer had at least one disk-throwing arm.
The series featured three combination models that could be created by using pieces from multiple sets. The four good Slizers would form the Super Slizer, while the four evil Slizers would form the Mega Slizer;[13][17] in the American market, these super Throwbots were named RoboTops and UltraRex, respectively.[10][11] With the exception of Millennium, the final wave of Slizers could be combined into Dynamo.[14] This concept would later feature heavily in BIONICLE as the Kaita.
Slizers/Throwbots came with special "carry case" packaging; the sets could be transformed and stored in the cases along with the disks, while a clip allowed for attachment to belts and clothing.
Disks
The disks included with the line came in six varieties for each of the eight original Slizers, depicting the world and story of the line, and were made available in collectible packs.
Media
Each set came with a miniature comic, depicting the Slizer/Throwbot in battle and eventually combining into their "super Throwbot" forms to fight.
The online Slizer Game (alternatively titled Throwbots Game) saw players choosing one of seven Slizers (excluding Judge) to navigate an obstacle course on each of their respective planets. Upon clearing a planet with a chosen Slizer, the player may choose to proceed to another planet, where they will encounter that planet's Slizer on the obstacle course. Aside from the game's title, there are no known differences between Slizer Game and Throwbots Game despite Slizer taking place on a single planet.[18]
List of Sets
| Slizer/Throwbots Sets | |||||||||||
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| Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number |
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| Fire Slizer (IN) Torch (AM) |
33 $5.99 |
8500 | Ice Slizer (IN) Ski (AM) |
34 $5.99 |
8501 | City Slizer (IN) Turbo (AM) |
45 $5.99 |
8502 | Sub Slizer (IN) Scuba (AM) |
39 $5.99 |
8503 |
| Slizer/Throwbots Sets | |||||||||||
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| Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Slizer (IN) Jet (AM) |
44 $5.99 |
8504 | Jungle Slizer (IN) Amazon (AM) |
36 $5.99 |
8505 | Rock Slizer (IN) Granite (AM) |
34 $5.99 |
8506 | Energy Slizer (IN) Electro (AM) |
37 $5.99 |
8507 |
| Slizer/Throwbots Sets | |||||||||||
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| Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium Slizer (IN) Millennia Throwbot (AM) |
135 $19.99 |
8520 | Flare Slizer (IN) Flare (AM) |
44 $5.99 |
8521 | Spark Slizer (IN) Spark (AM) |
35 $5.99 |
8522 | Blaster Slizer (IN) Blaster (AM) |
88 $14.99 |
8523 |
| Slizer/Throwbots Collectibles | |||||
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| Name | Pieces | Set Number | Name | Pieces | Set Number |
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| "Single Disc Pack" | 1 | 1061 | Disc Pack (IN) Extra Discs (AM) |
44 $1.99 |
8508 |
References
See also
External links
- Slizer website (archived 17 August 2000 on Wayback Machine.)
- Throwbots website (archived 17 August 2000 on Wayback Machine.)
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