The LEGO Blacktron I theme was a popular, discontinued sub-theme of the LEGO Space line that ran from 1987 to 1988. It was the first "villain" faction in the LEGO Space universe and featured a criminal organization focused on smuggling illegal goods and technology across the galaxy.
Theme Overview and Storyline
The storyline depicted the Blacktron I faction as a sophisticated group of smugglers and thieves operating outside the law. They were the primary antagonists to the classic, "good guy" Futuron (white and blue astronauts) and later, the Space Police I forces.
Key features of the sets included:
Color Scheme: The vehicles featured an iconic and striking black and yellow color scheme with transparent yellow elements, which has remained one of the most memorable LEGO Space palettes.
Modularity: A core play feature was the use of a consistent "cockpit pod" system. The black cockpits were removable and designed to fit into multiple different vehicles, encouraging mix-and-match building and creating larger, more versatile ships. Minifigures: The minifigures wore black and yellow uniforms with visors and had a unique, stealthy appearance compared to the traditional astronauts.
Notable Discontinued Sets
These sets are now highly sought-after collector's items and are only available on the secondary market from re-sellers.
Blacktron I Future Generation Command Center (6987): The flagship set and main mobile base of operations, this large ship could separate into several smaller vessels and housed multiple cockpit pods and cargo containers. Blacktron I Space Base (6955): A ground-based station with a large radar dish and a magnetic crane system for picking up cargo.
Blacktron I Galactic Scout (6876): A smaller, basic ship with a cockpit pod.
Blacktron I Message Decoder (6894): A ground vehicle with a message decoder accessory.
Legacy and Related Themes
Futuron (1987-1990): The primary "good guy" faction during the same era.
Space Police I (1989-1990): The law enforcement faction dedicated to capturing Blacktron I criminals.
Blacktron II (1991-1992): The direct successor theme with an updated color scheme (black, white, and transparent green) and new villains.
Modern Homage: In 2022, as part of the LEGO Group's 90th-anniversary celebrations, the Galaxy Explorer (10497) set included minifigure torsos with the classic Blacktron II logo as a direct homage to the fan-favorite theme. In 2024, a LEGO Ideas fan-designed MOC of the Blacktron Cruiser was successfully crowdfunded and is now a limited-edition set, a testament to the original theme's enduring popularity.