As with the Gobots, Robo Machine and Machine Men, Monsterous / Monster Fiend is a recoloured version of an existing Japanese Machine Robo Series toy 'Devil Satan 6'.
Devil Satan 6 was a Japan only release as part of the Machine Robo Series sub-line 'Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos' by Bandai in 1985.
The Robo Machine and Machine Men releases retained the most from the Machine Robo original with the figures 'Fright Face' and 'Weird Wing' retaining the silver plastic parts VS the Gobots grey; see details below.
The character names for Weird Wing and South Claw(s) were reversed between the Gobots vs. Robo Machine and Machine Men lines.
Licensed Lines:
1983 - Bandai - Machine Robo Series - Japan
1983 - Bandai - Robo Machine - Europe
1983 - Bandai - Machine Men -Australia
1983 - Tonka - Gobots - United States of America
Region Codes Used:
JP Japan / US United States / AU Australia / EU Europe
NOTE: Location codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete.
MONSTEROUS / MONSTER FIEND / DEVIL SATAN 6
Gobots US Tonka 1985
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [some marketing showed 'Monsterous Puzzler']
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [some marketing showed 'Monster Fiend, Super Monster Fiend and / or Puzzler Fiend']
Machine Robo Series JP Bandai 1985
known production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images)
NOTES: Unlike the marketing for Puzzler, depictions of Monsterous and Monster Fiend's section locations were uniform as far as across releases. Both Robo Machine and Machine Men marketing material specified the
location of each part and the Machine Robo original was only sold as a set.
While the configuration of Monsterous and Devil Satan 6 remains the same, the alpha and numeric identifiers
assigned to the Machine Robo, Robo Machine and Machine Men components often
differ.
Leg orientation for Gobots Monsterous was reversed in marketing images vs. the Machine Robo and Robo Machine depictions. Assembled examples of Monsteous
incorrectly show the legs sections rotated 180 displaying Fangs and Gore Jaw's faces in
combined mode; see cardback image.
The example shown below is a greatly reduced quality bootleg, however it's still a good example of the colours and overall look.
Gobots US Tonka 1985
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [lised as 'No.6' on card]
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.6' on card and 'F' in other marketing]
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number Six' in the anime)
Unknown production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images)
Gobots US Tonka 1985 (light grey face and horns)
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.1' on card] (silver face and horns)
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.1' on card and 'C' in other marketing]
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number One' in the anime)
Unknown production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images)
Gobots US Tonka 1985
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.5' on card]
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.5' on card and 'B' in other marketing] XX
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number Five' in the anime)
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number Five' in the anime)
Unknown production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images).
XX some marketing material listed Gore Jaw as simply 'Gore'.
Gobots US Tonka 1985
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.2' on card]
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.2' on card and 'D' in other marketing]
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number Four' in the anime)
Unknown production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images)
Gobots US Tonka 1985
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [listed as part 'No.4']
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.4' on card and 'E' in other marketing]
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number Three' in the anime)
Unknown production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images)
* The character names for Bandai's Robo Machine in Europe and their Australian Machine Men line were swapped (presumably by mistake) on both individual blister cards and combined figure sets. South Claw was named South Claw(s) in Europe and Australia. This is likely due to the term 'southpaw' not being commonly used outside the United States where the naming joke of the character being the combined monster's left arm was totally lost.
Gobots US Tonka 1985
Robo Machine EU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.3' on card]
Machine Men AU Bandai 1985 [listed as 'No.3' on card and 'A' in other marketing]
Machine Robo Series Bandai 1985 [sold only as a set] (named 'Number Two' in the anime)
Unknown production details bootleg [unstamped] (see example images)
* The character names for Bandai's Robo Machine in Europe and their Australian Machine Men line were swapped (presumably by mistake) on both individual blister cards and combined figure sets. South Claw was named South Claw(s) in Europe and Australia. This is likely due to the term 'southpaw' not being commonly used outside the United States where the naming joke of the character being the combined monster's left arm was totally lost.
