Line #46 Toys/LEGOLifeOnMars


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/llom.png]]
2	''LEGO Life on Mars'' was a short-lived Franchise/{{LEGO}} theme from 2001, and a subtheme of Toys/LEGOSpace. Basically, a small group of human astronauts crash-landed on Mars, discovered {{Martians}}, and sat down and observed them for a while. It is unusual among LEGO Space themes for its stronger focus on exploration and discovery over combat; the human astronauts had no interest in conquering the Martians and instead preferred to observe their lives. The only conflict takes place in the online story, where the human astronauts help the friendly Martians deal with a violent rebel faction.
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4	This was the last true LEGO Space theme for several years, until its SpiritualSuccessor ''Toys/LegoMarsMission'' turned up in 2007. Although both themes share the same Martian setting, unique vacuum pump system, and other similar concepts, ''Mars Mission'' does not continue the storyline of ''Life on Mars'' and presumably takes place in its own continuity.
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6	Unrelated to the TV show ''Series/{{Life On Mars\|2006}}'', though that would be awesome in its own right.
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8	!!LEGO Life on Mars provides examples of:
9	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Compared to most ''Toys/LEGOSpace'' themes, ''Life on Mars'' is closest to modern technology. It certainly helps that it's a StealthSequel to the ''[[Toys/LEGOCity Space Port]]'' line, which appears to be set in present day. The timeframe of Arcturus invading Earth 60-70 years prior to the present day storyline suggests that it takes place between 1998 and 2008.
10	* AllThereInTheManual: The majority of the theme's storyline could only be found the website. The ''LEGO Mania'' magazine also provided extra information, such as revealing that Cassiopeia is Riegel's daughter.
11	* CombiningMecha: A more unconventional example: all sets were designed to be consistently segmented and modular, and all instruction manuals point out that the modular segments are interchangeable between sets. Also, most of the Martians' sets are mecha.
12	* CoolStarship: The Solar Explorer, the humans' rocket ship. Not only can it fly from Earth to Mars and back, but it also has a modular system that can convert into a lab and a mini-rocket.
13	* {{Crossover}}:
14	** In ''[[VideoGame/LEGORacers LEGO Racers 2]]'', ''Life on Mars'' crosses over with ''[[Toys/LEGOCity LEGO Town]]'', ''Toys/LEGOAdventurers'', ''LEGO Arctic'', and ''LEGO Racers''.
15	** In the November/December 2001 issue of ''LEGO Mania'', the Life on Mars team teams up with Toys/LEGOAlphaTeam and the Toys/LEGOStudios crew to foil Ogel's plans to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind-control]] the LEGO Dinosaurs.
16	** ''LEGO Life on Mars'' participates in ''VideoGame/LEGOSoccerMania'' alongside ''LEGO Soccer'', ''[[Toys/LEGOCity LEGO City Center]]'', ''[[Toys/LEGOCastle Knights' Kingdom]]'', ''Toys/LEGOAdventurers'', ''LEGO Arctic'', ''Toys/LEGOPirates'', ''LEGO Wild West'', ''LEGO Space Port'', and ''VideoGame/LEGOIsland''.
17	* EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion: As it turns out that the events of ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds1938'' are real, Arcturus's invasion of Earth was cut short by exposure to germs.
18	* HumansAreSpecial: Defied by Riegel, who seems unconvinced of the intelligence of highly-trained astronauts.
19	-->'''Riegel''': "So you say you are Earthlings? Are you an intelligent species?"
20	-->'''Mac''': "Of course we are! We built a rocket ship and came here, didn't we?"
21	-->'''Riegel''': "You came here, but maybe you didn't build the ship. Maybe you are just test animals. After all, some Martians believe that creatures with - ugh! - hair on their heads must be stupid, since the sun never warms their brains enough."
22	* HumongousMecha: Most of the Martians' vehicles are mecha that tower over any minifigure.
23	* MineralMacGuffin: Biodium is a glowing mineral that is crucial for Martian survival, and the canyon rebels are out to seize it.
24	* PlotCoupon: Cassiopeia and the astronauts search Mars for three scrolls instructing how to create synthetic Biodium.
25	* PowerCrystal: The Martians were searching Mars for Biodium, a green type of crystal which creates a breathable atmosphere.
26	* RealAfterAll: Remember all the panic that was caused by people who thought that a 1938 radio drama of ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds1938'' was a true story? It ''was''. Arcturus was leader of Mars at that time, and he actually ''did'' invade Earth and was forced to retreat after being exposed to Earth germs.
27	* ShoutOut: Arcturus was leader of the Martians during the 1930s. As it turns out, [[Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds a certain radio drama in 1938 retelling the events of a Martian invasion of Earth]] was actually telling the truth.
28	* SliceOfLife: The LEGO sets, unburdened by the canyon Martian rebels of the [[AllThereInTheManual online]] storyline, basically depict daily Martian life.
29	* StealthSequel:
30	** While it's not directly advertised as such, ''Life on Mars'' is actually a sequel to the 1999 ''[[Toys/LEGOCity Space Port]]'' sub-theme. BB made his debut as a trainee in the ''Rocket Rescue'' book, which even says that he is training for a mission to Mars.
31	** ''VideoGame/LEGORacers 2'' implies that ''Life on Mars'' might also be a StealthSequel to the ''LEGO Arctic'' line, since the game identifies an identical-looking scientist on the Arctic team as "Doc". It's possible that both scientists may be the same character, much like Brains appearing in both ''Toys/LEGOPowerMiners'' and ''LEGO Atlantis'' ten years later.
32	* TubeTravel: The big gimmick of the Aero Tube Hanger set is a set of tubes and a big hand-operated pump: Martian minifigures can be placed into pods that can be loaded into the tubes, and depending on how the pump is oriented, either sucked or pushed towards either end of the playset (with four possible destinations for the pushing which can be switched between like a train track).

Context Toys / LEGOLifeOnMars