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Mattel action figure line
the action figure

Big Jim was a line of action figure toys produced from 1972 through 1986 by Mattel for the North American and European markets. He was renamed Kid Acero in Latin America and, for a short period of time, Mark Strong in Europe. Originally inspired by G. I. Joe, the Big Jim line was smaller in size (closer to 10 inches in height compared to Joe's 12) and each figure included a push button in the back that made the character execute a karate chop action. The action figure's arms were made of a soft plastic/vinyl material and contained a mechanism that simulated the bulge of a biceps when the elbow was bent. Big Jim was less military oriented than the G. I. Joe line, having more of a secret agent motif, but also had a large variety of outfits and situations available including sports, space exploration, martial arts, hunting, western, camping, fishing, and photography.

Characters are sorted in the year in which they made their first appearance. Note that most of them were produced for several years after their initial release.

Mark Strong – Big Jim's conceptual source – The basic figure was dressed in orange shorts with white stripes and came with a karate board, dumbbell and test of strength belt. He was only released in Europe.

Big Jim – the basic good guy leader of the P. A. C. K. He was an average Caucasian male with few distinguishable characteristics, except having a permanent good attitude and joy for life. Big Jack – One of the first African American characters with friendly attitude that made it into toys without racial stereotypes. Big Josh – Effectively Big Jim with a beard. He is one of Jim's best friends, and was positioned as the tough guy among the group. Big Jeff – Big Jim's third buddy. An Australian blond, who was also Jim's opponent in the Olympic boxing match set, even though both Jim and Jeff are on the American team. Dr. Steel – He came with a steel right hand and an iron pipe, and a large dragon tattoo on his chest. Originally a villain, he later appeared as a member of the P. A. C. K. However, in some countries he remained a villain. Chief Tankua – Jim's Native American friend. He came with bow and arrow, and was the first character to wear the wolf tattoo which became the P. A. C. K. logo.

Warpath – Exactly the same figure as Tankua, but with a different name. The Whip – A master of all weapons. He came with boomerangs, bo staff, bola and whip, from which he takes his codename. The Whip is one of the few Big Jim characters known by an alias instead of his real name. Torpedo Fist – Probably the strangest of all members of the P. A. C. K., he was the only one who had superpowers. While all other members of the group were normal humans, Torpedo has a telescopic cybernetic arm. Zorak – A scientist who performed several genetic experiments on his own body, until he became a menace. He was the villain in the P. A. C. K. series.

Agent 004 – Big Jim, with a new secret identity. Joe – A professional alpinist who helps agent 004. Professor O. B. B. – An Asian gentlemen with refined moods and a dangerous profession. His character was partially based on James Bond's Doctor No. Boris – He was inspired by Oddjob from Goldfinger. He has a steel cap on his skull and a fist which could extend from his wrist with a cable.

Commander Jim – Big Jim, this time as the leader of an adventure team, similar to the original P. A. C. K., but oriented to spy and space adventures. Astros – Described as a loyal friend of Jim. He was initially dressed as an astronaut. Dr. Alec – A member of Global Command specializing in jungle and desert missions. Baron Fangg – A longtime enemy and rival of Doctor Alec. He was equipped with a "mimetic armor" which allowed him to mimic the area around him like a chameleon. Vektor – A cosmonaut specializing in supersonic aircraft, he was intended to be Astros's rival.

First Editions – Originally, Big Jim action figures came out in a small blue box with red and white stripes. The 1972 toy line was split into three sub lines: the Basic Line, the Adventure Line and the Sports Line. Simultaneously, Mattel released an almost identical figure named Mark Strong, The Man from Mattel© in Europe. The Mark Strong figure was nearly identical to Big Jim and came with the same accessories. The crotch piece of the Mark Strong figure was thinner and more fragile than that of Big Jim. The basic line was composed mostly of figures which came almost naked, with minimal clothes or accessories. The original basic Big Jim came dressed in orange shorts with white stripes and included a karate board, a dumbbell and test of strength belt. Jack was an identical, figure, with only a different head. He was one of the first toys produced in the United States to represent a minority character in a respectful way. The Basic line also included the first incarnations of Josh and Jeff. Jeff is an Aussie type figure dressed with shorts and brown hat that came with a chopping knife, a chest belt and a bamboo stand. Josh is a bearded woodsman figure fully dressed in denim vest and shorts with brown boots. He was the only one which came with vest and shoes. All four basic figures had a mechanism that simulated the bulge of a biceps when the arm was bent. The adventure series was composed mostly of camping and explorer vehicles, and these were the first playsets in the toyline. Three animals were released with this first wave: a gorilla, a rhino and a crocodile. The sports line was composed of different versions of Big Jim. He was a baseball player, a hockey player, a pugilist, and an eagle ranger. The eagle which came with this set was also included with several later versions of Big Jim. The first wave of Big Jim also included a figure dressed as a nuclear plant worker, which had no relation to any other figures in the line.

Most Big Jim toys from the early 1970s from the adventure and sport series were sold as "Kid Acero" (Kid Steel) in Latin America. All toys are exactly the same as in the American versions and were produced by a local Mattel subsidiary with only the name being changed. The Kid Acero toy line also included several figures which were exclusively created for the Mexican market, such as The Invisible Man, The Bionic Man, Garfio, and Nocton' and retooled and repainted versions of several Big Jim toys not available in the United States or Europe.

Most of the Big Jim toys from the early 1980s were sold as "James Bond" toys in Latin America. The American Spy and Space series were renamed "James Bond, secret agent 007". All toys are exactly the same as in the American and European versions and were produced by a local Mattel subsidiary. Only the brand on the packages is different.

Big Jim makes several cameo appearances on the toyline Max Steel as "Jim McGrath" the TV series episode 12 "Scions" is entirely dedicated to his memory. Big Jim was parodied in the 3rd season Robot Chicken episode "Endless Breadsticks" with Big Jim voiced by Patrick Warburton and Zorak voiced by Donald Faison. In Dog Man, a resident in Cat Jail is named after Big Jim.

A live action film adaptation produced by Mattel Films and directed by Dan Mazer was announced in January 2022.