The Mongo Beefhead Tribe comes from a prototype action figure envisioned by Kenner for The Epic Continues, a canceled 1986 toy line. Designers created the original figure, named the Mongo Beefhead Tribesman, by taking the head of a "Squid Head" (Quarren) action figure, cutting off its neck, and turning it to face the front. The head was then combined with the torso of a Squid Head figure, the arms from a "Hammer Head" (Ithorian), and the chest pack from 4-LOM (Zuckuss).