Going back into the murky depths of the Micronauts' and Microman's past, we find evidence of an earlier traveler that walked upright and was interchangeable. Not as large as earlier specimens known as Henshin Cyborg, this intermediate step in the evolution of the Time Traveler is Timanic.

To be honest, I don't know a lot about these toys, but Takara put them on the market before they started their Microman line and the similarities are clear. The figures, known as Space Travelers, had similar chromed heads, plastic hands and feet, and could be connected to their vehicles in a variety of ways.

There are differences, however. Space Travelers came in two basic models, red and blue, and a special green models (not shown.) Their bodies are chromed plastic and in the center of their chest is a big magnet. On the front of their bodies is colored plastic armor that can be removed. If you connect a Space Traveler to one of their powered vehicles, their heads glow.

In addition to the three figures, there are four vehicles that I know about, two NicMachines and two TimeMachines. The NicMachines are smaller while the Time Machines are battery powered and somewhat larger. Like Micromen or Micronauts, the Timanic machines can be co-mingled and assembled into all new craft for the Space Travelers.

Timanic toys aren't too hot on the collectibles market, but they are somewhat hard to find. I way over paid for mine, but you can find the NicMachines for as little as $25 a piece, with the figures fetching closer to $75.