Type of organization Special Infantry-based military unit | ||
Z Force is a fictional infantry conceived and designed by Palitoy that features in the 3 3/4 inch Action Force figure range; similar to the G.I. Joe action figures and featured in a comic book series. Possibly based in-part on the Z Special Unit (also known as Z Force), a joint Australian, British and New Zealand commando unit, which saw action against the Empire of Japan during World War II, Z Force was part of the Palitoy range called Action Force and later depicted in the Battle Action Force comic books.
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Graphic representation
Z Force was released as part of the second generation of Action Force. Taking the form of a limited number of action figures and vehicles released in two waves, the unit was expanded with back-stories in Battle Action Force.
Z Force has been described as:
The infantry backbone of Action Force, well supported by heavy armour and artillery
The unit had distinctive green and black camouflage (notwithstanding their occasional deployment in desert and other terrain) with a red 'Z' insignia (in military-style stencil typeface) and occasional other red detail.
Z Force fought alongside their fellow Action Force units SAS Force, Q Force and Space Force most often against their Red Shadows enemy but also, on occasions, other fictional and non-fictional terrorist or para-military factions including The Mamba Men, the Gibli and Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
As the range evolved in the early 1980s (see Action Force - Third generation) Z Force operated alongside the more prevalent G.I. Joe-influenced 'AF' against the new enemy Cobra and were limited to only cameo appearances in later Battle Action Force storylines.
The figures were, in keeping with much of the second generation of Action Force, repaints and repackages of existing G.I. Joe figures and vehicles as well as some first generation toys (e.g. the jeep vehicle was a re-paint of the AF-3 jeep).