Surely, everyone has heard of the American science fiction movie Planet of the Apes. The original movie began a movie franchise that, to date, has spawned nine films that have grossed over $2 billion worldwide.

The movie franchise is loosely based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel La Planète des singes, which translates most directly as “Monkey Planet.”

In 1968 Charleston Heston starred as astronaut Colonel George Taylor, one of four astronauts whose space ship crash-lands on an unknown planet that is ruled by apes. Apes have evolved over humans (who are now mute due to devolution processes and are treated like animals) into “the walking, talking, thinking rulers of a society where tolerance is minimal and superstition is valued over science.”

The original movie’s ending shocked the world when Taylor rides a horse along a beach and discovers the ruined Statue of Liberty, realizing he has been on Earth the entire time and that humans destroyed themselves through nuclear warfare. This scene became an iconic movie image and the defining scene of the entire Planet of the Apes franchise.

Along with the nine movies, Planet of the Apes offered numerous franchise tie-ins, including television shows, video games, theme park rides, but the most sought after “Monkey Planet” collectible tie-ins were toys.

With Planet of the Apes a huge financial hit and more films being planned while the original movie was still showing in theaters, toy makers began a “monkey-race” to see which company would benefit the most from the millions of dollars of income that Planet of the Apes toys were sure to generate each year. Although almost every major toy maker produced Planet of the Apes toys, Mego Corporation proved the obvious winner of the “monkey-race” and, today, Mego Planet of the Apes action figures have become legendary, becoming, collectively, the Holy Grail of Planet of the Apes toys.

Originally founded in 1954 as a manufacturer of dimestore toys, Mego became a leading toy manufacturer in 1973 when it acquired the rights to manufacture Planet of the Apes action figures. Mego’s entire business model changed and the company’s 8-inch scale action figures with interchangeable bodies became a toy industry standard throughout the 1970s.

Collectors primarily seek Mego’s First and Second Issue Planet of the Apes action figures along with the franchise’s first generation of play sets and accessories.

In 1973, Mego issued five (First Issue) Planet of the Apes action figures, including Astronaut (Colonel Taylor), Cornelius, Zira, Dr. Zaius, and a Soldier Ape. All five of these character toys were sold in limited editions on metal rivet bodies (known as “Type 1” action figures to collectors). In 1975 Mego released its Second Issue Planet of the Apes action figures, including Burke, Galen, Urko, Ursus, and Verdon. Burke and Verdon are Mego action figure astronauts based on the short-lived Planet of the Apes television series.

The most popular Mego action figure, and the most colorful, of the ten original Planet of the Apes toys, proved to be Urko or “Helmet Head.” Urko is an intimidating Ape soldier, who carries a cross-shoulder bandolier with knife and a wicked looking machine gun. Dressed in a purple outfit with a mustard tunic and wearing large “ape boots” and a molded on helmet, Urko epitomizes the type of military control humans have always feared.

Beginning in 1973, Mego produced Planet of the Apes play sets that were intended as accessory pieces for their First and Second Issue action figures. These play sets were quite popular with children when first released and have proven to be fan and collector favorites throughout the past 45 years.

Two of the most popular play sets were the Catapult & Wagon and the Action Stallion. The Catapult came with 10 lightweight, plastic boulders that ape soldiers could hurl at incorrigible humans. The Action Stallion is needed to re-enact the most famous scene of the franchise, when Taylor rides up to the ruined Statue of Liberty and screams, “Why?” But die-hard Planet of the Apes fans insist on building the entire village using the Fortress, Treehouse, Village, Jail, and Forbidden Zone Trap play sets.

Over the years, hundreds of Planet of the Apes toys were produced, so the pickings for an ardent collector are many and varied. Still, Mego action figures were the first and are still considered the best toys. As one collector I spoke to said, “of all the action figures sold, Mego Planet of the Apes toys are the toys that rule Monkey Land!”