Gildis MRD-104 / Giludis MRGD-4
This model was originally designed in Japan by Bandai and released for their Machine Robo Series line as Gildis*. This figure was part of a new direction by Bandai to add specifically evil characters to the toy line. Prior to Challenge of the Gobots the toys were un-charactered, non-factioned, interesting robots that turned into vehicles. This also explains why the figures don't bear a good or evil faction insignia. Dividing and giving them a war to wage helped Tonka successfully introduce them to the US market. In Japan for the most part they remained neat puzzle toy robots that were both toys and shelf display worthy. Bandai's initial distributions in Australia as Machine Men and Robo Machine in Europe were also factionless with no specifically good or evil characters. The creation of the Challenge of the Gobots cartoon change that for all Western releases with things in Japan remaining the same... until the Devil Invaders.
Rather than choose existing figures to be good or evil Bandai created new models designed to look the part. These Devil Invaders were the line's first not to include the word 'Robo' in their names and possibly indicating that they weren't technically robots but something else adding to their otherworldly mystery. Bandai also broke from the MR- model numbering system and began MTD- (Machine Robo Devil) specifically for these figures. Unlike their portrayal as single characters in the Challenge of the Gobots cartoon the Devil Invaders were
depicted as a swarm of like looking enemies with marketing imagery showing many of the same figure engaged in battle with existing Machine Robo Series figures.
To keep in line with global marketing Bandai adopted the Gobots name Creepy for the Robo Machine release. Creepy was released near the end of Robo Machine's run, much later than the prevous three Devil Invader models and by this time Bandai had abandoned Machine Robo Series names entierly for the Robo Machine line in favour of the Gobots character names.
* Marketing material and toy packaging showed with model's name as Giludis (with a 'u') from the Revenge of Cronos re-release onwards.
Further details are below, on the Series 1 Index and for more in-depth reading see the Toy Line History page.
Region Codes Used: JP Japan / US United States / CA Canada / AU Australia / EU Europe
NOTE: Region codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet possibly incomplete.
Gobots 56 Series 2 US/CA Tonka [Purple] 1985 (black pins and screws)*
Gobots Free Mail Away Reward US Tonka [Green] 1985 (black pins and screws)*
Robo Machine RM-65 EU Bandai [Purple] 1986 (silver hand pins and screws)*
Machine Men AU Bandai [Purple] 1986 (silver hand pins and screws)*
Machine Robo Devil Invaders Series MRD-104 JP Bandai [Red] 1983
Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos MRGD-4 JP Bandai [Red] (new instruction sheet art) 1986 **
* The Robo Machine release of Creepy is one of the few that is of lower quality than the Gobots version. The eye paint is often missing and the screw on the back and the thumb pins are silver VS the black Gobots version.
** The model code change to MRGD was to tie-in with the Revenge of Cronos anime which saw the MR Devil Invaders origins changed to Gyandlar Devils. It's unclear whether the character name spelling change was due to association with Revenge of Cronos.
The Gobots version are mostly stamped 'Japan' while the Robo Machine release is stamped 'Macau'.
CREDIT Creepy Sunday Comics Promotions American Print Ad kindly provided by JC Williams.
