When Ideal's Japanese Branch, Nippon Ideal, introduced Captain Action to Japan in late 1966, his arrival in toy stores was heralded by ads in kids magazines.  One magazine in particular, Kodansha's "Shonen Magazine" (which translates to "Boy's Magazine") did more than simply carry advertisements for the toys.  Along with those ads, they also ran a four-page article featuring the good Captain, where they happily touted Captain Action and his 10 costume sets. 

What's that you're saying?  When Captain Action was first released in 1966, he had 9 costumes, not 10?  Well, you're right, he did have only 9 costumes, but that wasn't the way it was planned for Japan.  You see, along with the 9 familiar sets of Superman, Flash Gordon, Captain America, et al, the article in Shonen Magazine included a 10th costume, that of the Japanese costumed hero Ultraman. 

For those who are unfamiliar with "Ultraman," the live-action TV series featured the adventures of Shin Hayata, a member of the Science Patrol.  Hayata was mortally injured in an accident involving the otherworldly Ultraman, who merged his life force with Hayata's in order to save him.  In times of crisis, which happened regularly to members of the Science Patrol, Hayata could transform into the alien hero, becoming the red-and-silver garbed Ultraman.  A sequel to the X-Files-meets-Godzilla style TV Series "Ultra Q," "Ultraman" started airing on Japanese TV in July of 1966, and by the end of the year was a smash hit with its young viewers.

Given that the variety of costumes designed for Captain Action were based on American comic book and comic strip characters, many of whom were unfamiliar to Japanese children, it was only natural that Nippon Ideal would want to increase Captain Action's chances for success in the Japanese market by adding a character that would be immediately familiar with Japanese boys.  Ultraman certainly fit that bill!  So, Nippon Ideal designed what would have been the first addition to the initial Captain Action line.

When it came time to promote the toys via the article in Shonen Magazine, Nippon Ideal wanted to pull out all the stops.  So, along with the original 9 costume sets, they also allowed Kodansha to include their new Ultraman costume.  Unfortunately, announcing the Ultraman set turned out to be a premature move.  Perhaps the initial sales for Captain Action in Japan were, as feared, poor because of the unfamiliar characters.  Perhaps Ideal in America nixed the plans because they couldn't use the set for the American Captain Action line.  Or perhaps Tsuburaya Productions, the studio that created "Ultraman," decided they didn't like the costume idea.  Whatever the reason, this set wound up never being produced.

Since the Captain Action Ultraman costume project was canceled, the odds are that we would never have heard of it if it hadn't been for that article in Shonen Magazine.  As it is, the two photographs with Ultraman in them are the only evidence of this costume known to exist. It is highly likely that the costume shown in the article is a prototype Ultraman suit created by Nippon Ideal.  As such, no accessories for the set are shown, and it is not known if any were ever designed for it. 

It is difficult to see many details regarding the costume from the two photographs, printed in black and white on newsprint as they are.  It appears that Nippon Ideal was intending to avoid the need for boots and gloves by making the bodysuit include both the feet and hands, much like the costume worn by the actor in the "Ultraman" TV series itself.  The mask, though, was a separate, molded plastic piece.  Whether Nippon Ideal would have gone ahead with this design, or if they would have redesigned the suit to fit the standard Captain Action costume pattern is, alas, lost to the ages.

Proving that a good idea can't be kept down forever, a 1/6th scale Ultraman costume did finally make its way to the Japanese market six years later, though not as part of Nippon Ideal's Captain Action release.  Instead, the costume was part of Takara's "Henshin Cyborg" line.  Introduced in mid-1972, Henshin Cyborg (which translates to "Transformation Cyborg") was a Captain Action-like line which had a central hero figure, Henshin Cyborg himself, and a variety of costumes that could be purchased for him.  Most of these costumes were based on the heroes from popular live-action kids shows of the day, including the various Ultraman characters who had been created over the years for sequels to the "Ultraman" TV series.  Among those costumes was, of course, the original Ultraman himself.  Their design differed from the Nippon Ideal prototype in that the costume itself was made of thin plastic rather than fabric, and it included separate plastic gloves and boots.  The plastic mask is the only feature common to both versions.  As was the norm for Henshin Cyborg costumes, no accessories were included with the set.

The final fate of this lost Captain Action prototype is also unknown.  For many die-hard Ultraman collectors, the notion of discovering the whereabouts of this prototype is something of a Holy Grail. While it's likely that the prototype was lost forever when Nippon Ideal closed its doors, there is a chance that it made its way to the hands of a young Japanese Captain Action fan.  You see, to accompany the article in Shonen Magazine, Nippon Ideal gave Kodansha a pile of Captain Action figures and costumes to be given away to lucky readers who entered a mail-in drawing for prizes.  The prizes started at a basic Captain Action figure for 240 readers, and increased incrementally by adding costumes and additional figures right up to the grand prize, a complete set of Captain Action costumes and figures to go with them!  It's probable that this grand prize ended up being simply the 9 existing costumes and 9 figures, but there is a chance that the Ultraman costume prototype may have also been included, simply because it was part of the article.  If so, perhaps this lost Ultraman prototype still exists, buried away in a closet in the family home of the lucky winner, just waiting to be returned to the light of day.  Until that day comes, if it ever does, we still have a pair of pictures that show us what could have been Captain Action's 10th costume. 

For more on Ultraman Toys visit:  http://www.ultramantoys.com