In 1994, Lego introduced the first non-Blacktron villain faction to Lego Space in the form of Spyrius. Their sinister color scheme was black and red with transparent blue windscreens and transparent neon green highlights, and their guys tended to have rakish bangs or dastardly mustaches.

As their name suggests, the Spyrius were spies, dedicated to stealing advanced technology and secrets from the Ice Planet scientists. Spyrius also introduced the first android minifigures to Lego Space – previously, robots had been little brick-built contraptions. Now they were both minifigures AND towering colossi.

The Spyriuses’s underwhelming base in 6959 Lunar Launch Site reflects the degradation of the building experience the Lego Group was beginning to slide into around this time, as they overproduced huge specialized parts (those craggy facades are not-so-affectionately called BURPs, for Big Ugly Rock Pieces, by fans).

Spyrius was finished by 1995. But Ice Planet wasn’t the only faction they were spying on.