Since 1966, Action Man has been a constant companion in the lives of little boys, often lingering on shelves and in memories long after the toys themselves have been packed away. In the span of these decades, real men have achieved incredible feats—walking on the moon, circumnavigating the globe on foot, and even running the London Marathon dressed as a banana. But what remarkable deeds has this iconic action figure managed? In reality, not much.

Here on “Toy Stories,” we’ve tackled all sorts of ambitious projects: building a full-sized house out of Lego, uniting towns with toy trains, spanning chasms with Meccano, and even challenging the horticultural establishment with a massive lump of plasticine. Given such outlandish feats, we thought it was high time Action Man proved his worth. He ought to be a trailblazer for other toys, taking them to new heights—gripping hands and all. So, the challenge was set: let’s put the “action” back into Action Man by launching him to the speed of sound and beyond, ensuring he returns safely to Earth.

First, we needed to explore the science of breaking the sound barrier. Sound is simply air vibrating, so when a plane approaches the speed of sound, the air becomes highly compressed, resulting in a shock wave and a sonic boom. Historically, many thought the sound barrier was unbreakable because high-speed planes experienced severe structural issues. That is, until October 14, 1947, when Chuck Yeager piloted the Bell X-1 through the sound barrier, proving it could be done, and now, breaking the sound barrier is fairly routine with advanced aircraft.

Our plan for Action Man, though, was considerably more complex. Initially, we aimed to launch Action Man using a rocket capable of supersonic speeds but quickly realized he needed to bail out and descend safely with a parachute—a feat no toy has ever accomplished. After a failed firework experiment, we considered everything from commercial rockets to purpose-built ones. We even attempted a drop from the stratosphere using a weather balloon, inspired by Felix Baumgartner’s infamous jump. However, making Action Man achieve the speed of sound required something more reliable.

Eventually, we landed on constructing a rocket capable of doing the job. After countless hours of designing, mixing rocket fuel, and stress-testing components, the day finally arrived. Competing against a rival team launching a Cindy doll, we hastily finished our intricate two-stage rocket, incorporating everything from telemetry modules to ejection systems.

At the launch site, we were filled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Would our efforts pay off? The rocket took off, and for a few heart-stopping moments, it soared. We confirmed that Action Man must have broken the sound barrier as we detected apogee reports and retrieved his intact figure safely. The data showed Action Man had reached Mach 1.1, significantly surpassing our goal and even beating Cindy’s attempt.

Ultimately, we proved that Action Man could indeed be more than a mere shelf ornament. By executing a supersonic rocket launch and a successful parachute descent, we transformed Action Man into a genuine hero, elevating him from a plastic figure to a pioneer in toy history. And so, after nearly 50 years, Action Man has finally lived up to his name.