The original series of Monster in My Pocket hit the shelves in
1990, produced by Matchbox.
Forty-eight monsters were in the original series, and four
different colors -- red, yellow, green (light olive) and purple.
Four neon colors were added later:
neon-green, neon-yellow, red-orange, and violet.
Premium colors, available with such items as the board game,
included pink, neon orange, blue, pine green, a brighter neon green (similar to
that of Series 2 figures) and glow-in-the-dark white.
The forty-eight original monsters were used for the comic
books, cartoons, and video game, with some additions.
Each monster had a points value, representing the monster's
relative power and the figurine's scarcity. These ranged from five to
twenty-five points.
The figurines were released in single packets (with an
appropriate Battle Card), four packs (usually comprising lower value monsters),
'Secret Twelve Packs' (in which only a single, 25-point monster was visible
without opening) and a 24 pack, the packaging of which functioned as a basic
display case.