it hard to remember now what an impoverished time the 1970s be for science fiction and superhero television show . while the six million dollar man and bionic woman and incredible hulk and and wonder woman seem to have do well in our memory and their budget be limited and the creativity be hamper by the sfx technology of the time . but that do not stop studio from try . and occasionally a network would begrudgingly cough up the money for a pilot in the form of a make for tv flick . in this case and the guy behind the two bionic show on abc get nbc interested in their pitch for another martin caidin concept . caidin be the lead tech thriller writer of the 60 and 70 . his nasa novel maroon ( actually three novel ) be a famous film . his gritty novel cyborg be soften into the popular six million dollar man . nbc probably ask for something like the $ 6m man but different . they get it . caidin again looked to cut edge technology for his gimmick . nasa and the pentagon have be work on man amplifier and power framework a user could wear and use to possess forklift like strength . the chemical industry have develop memory plastic and material that could be deform then spring back into shape when an electric current be supply . so there be the concept a man amplifier suit that use memory plastic joint to make it work . of course this be television so they need a crisis to compel the hero to build the thing in the first place . in this case and the hero be a college professor who witness a crime . the local mobster try shut him up by nearly kill him . now paraplegic and the hero decide to combine his work with memory plastic with research by his colleague to produce an armored plastic suit that can walk on it own . and of course and this be tv and he use the suit to get revenge on the mobster . he even pick up the obligatory street smart young assistant along the way . the idea look good on paper . the only problem be and the best mid 70 sfx tech could come up with be plastic plate mail the wearer could barely move in . nbc take a look at the pilot and let it air once and and quietly forget about it . a do most of the viewer . martin caidin just cash his check and go on with his life . after all and he still have the royalty from the bionic show come in . a few year later and caidin decide to recycle the basic idea behind exoman in his early 80 tech thriller manfac . like cyborg and this be a very serious and very adult novel that still hold up well . manfac also enable caidin to have his final say on some of the exaggerated power of the $ 6m man and especially that run at 60 mph trick ( the suit legs literally run out from under the wearer ) .