KR Review #55: Steel-Monster Loghar

I know, I haven't been very active this month. I'm actually trying to enjoy a bit of summer holidays, but I still want to get a review up for the end of July.

Since this variant includes shared parts with both the regular version and a bunch of robotic figures, I guess Steel-Monster Loghar^TM has the potential to be one of the most debatable inclusions in the KR line.

Anyway, this 42^nd action figure prototype from PoliganToys also features some noticeable differences, such as a few paint variations, a set of newly sculpted attachments and, above all, a re-tooled chest piece with a surprising action feature.

Details

Name: Steel-Monster Loghar

Real name: Unit ГЗК-Д

Subtitle: robotic impostor

Classification: robot

Home: Tahron

Affiliation: Rexodon

Rank: drone.

Background

Steel-Monster Loghar appears at the end of the sixth KR comic issue Reptiles reunited. After the Therioms have succeeded in rescuing several hostages held by Loghar (whose spirit possesses Herrion's body) and Lor-Drek, Masq-Lor is confronted by his demoniac twin brother. During their fight, Loghar, like Deptilion previously, reveals that he's in actual fact a droid, whose trunk enshrines a deadly worm-like drilling machine that can lash out at any enemy. The robot has been programmed by the real Deptilion, who also killed the real Loghar. While Masq-Lor appears surrounded and defenceless, Tir-Hing manages to help his son, allowing him to strike out at Loghar, thanks to a nearby Ceratank, in a final violent blow.

Articulation

Standard, except that the left wrist is ball jointed and there is no ab crunch.

Description

Head: black metallic reptile skull, showing a few mechanical and electrical components, the eyes emit a red glow. This head is essentially a reuse of the robot-mode Rexodon Trooper's head, which also came in different versions with the Destructomorph Troopers and Steel-Monster Deptilion. Its structure resembles an Ankylosaurus' skull, characterised by a wide and low shape, the front part of the jaws ending in a beak, two horns projecting backwards from the back of the head and two additional horns below those pointing backwards and down. The only innovation in this variant's head is that it is topped with a silver blade crest

Body: arms and legs have a black metallic look, showing lots of machinery/circuitry patterns and few grey scaly artificial skin fragments on the right arm and the left leg. Like with the other Loghar variants, the right leg is equipped with a silver tripod instead of a claw foot and the left arm ends in a ball&socket connection. Additionally, his creepy and menacing cyborg-like clawed right hand has four little spikes sticking out of the knuckles

Wearables: a silver armour with black details (not removable), two silver cuffs, a silver boot (with a spike sticking out of the side) on the left leg, a silver belt and a black crotch piece that shows lots of cyber details. From a distance, this figure is basically a mix of Loghar's and Destructomorph Trooper's reused pieces, but side-by-side there are subtle differences, such as shinier silver parts with some glossy black trim here and there. The belt is the only completely new piece and displays a diamond-shaped buckle.

Steel-Monster Loghar's stylised armour.

Action feature

Unlike Loghar's previous versions, the left arm extremity is not the main feature of SML, since there is no mechanism attached to it. Instead, we find a black hook with a cog halfway down its length and some loppy wires, which is the remainder of his lost spinning incendiary device. The hook can still be detached to make the forearm look like a kind of cannon. SML also carries the same technological backpack seen on the other versions, with identical sculpted details, such as wires, panels, piping, tubes and dials. However, in this figure the insulated tube that usually runs to the left forearm is absent, except for a short leftover attached to the cuff.

So, nothing exciting... except for one big thing! Yes, because if this Loghar figure were just a collection of reused components with a new useless accessory, it would really suck. Thankfully, this variant gets an all new hollow chest. We lose the ab crunch articulation, but the front plate opens up to reveal SML's true heart, which nestles inside his upper body and looks like the rotating cutting wheel of a tunnel boring machine. This nicely designed silver drilling head has copper-coloured cutting bits, disc cutters and drag picks arranged in such a way that it resembles a demonic face. As another option, the cutter head can be pushed and attached into SML's chest (the chest plate that normally accommodates it can also be disconnected from the abdomen and snapped back into place at will) or connected to the arm-cannon when the hook is detached. In the comics, after Loghar's chest plate has popped open, the drilling-machine weapon flies out and becomes longer and longer, acquiring a mechanical worm-like appearance. So, the cutter head comes with a tubular articulated attachment that is composed of 12 ball jointed pieces. The complete form of this weapon, which is characterised by several intertwined flexible metal hoses and a number of curved spikes, looks amazing and bears some resemblance to Steel-Monster Deptilion's acid thrower.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the drilling weapon and the detachable hook, SML comes with a few cool accessories. The first accessory is Bi-Harr's stolen outward-curved-bladed halberd, which is identical to the original one, except from being painted with some subtle black shades here and there rather than plain silver.

In addition, there are four pivoting laser rifles that can clip on and off the elbow and knee joints, and a second cyborg-like hand that can replace the hook on the left arm.

Last but not least, we also get an alternative head. This is a battle damaged Loghar-possessed Herrion head, basically a Terminator-style shrunk version (i.e., with retracted beak, horns and blade crest) of SML regular head with some fake flesh and hair left on it.

Overall, I think this figure is actually really well executed. He’s just got a lot of little nice things that make him look sharp to me. Sure, because of the chest cavity hosting the surprising drilling-machine head, he loses the ab crunch, but at least now we understand why we didn't get a removable armour in his previous versions. About the (many) reused parts, I applaud the folks at PoliganToys for making the trimming different enough from other figures to be notable. His artificial skin remains are great and even the colours look better. I actually do like him!

KR Review #54: Strictriss

If you think that Bi-Harr is weird, well, what to say about this guy? In a line already filled with a great deal of uncanny monsters, Strictriss^TM still manages to be a standout for a very simple reason - he's got three heads!

After Nar-Aja and Volcrotran, this 41^st action figure prototype from PoliganToys is the final addition to the small snake group in the Spektrosaur army and gets us one step closer to completing that faction.

Details

Name: Strictriss

Subtitle: constrictor warrior

Classification: lepidosauromorph reptile

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Affiliation: Spektrosaur

Rank: officer.

Background

Strictriss is shown fleetingly in the eighth KR comic issue The Cereutian menace: Part I – Downfall, where he seems to be better known to his enemies as "triple trouble", due to his distinctive three-headed appearance. The son of a snake chief officer who served Lor-Drek during the rise of the Spektrosaurs, Strictriss soon took the same position in the faction's army thanks to his ferocity in battle. Strictriss continues to serve his master in the quest for dominating Tahron, making it impossible for his foes to escape his powerful long constrictor snake-necks.

Articulation

Standard, plus two additional necks.

Description

Heads: each one is similar to a Boa constrictor's head, characterised by an arrow shape, bluish scaly skin with a cross-shaped dark mark on the back and yellow eyes. The central head has a partially open mouth, showing two rows of sharp, curved teeth of about the same size (no fangs) and a long forked tongue. The two side heads seem to project from the back of the shoulders and each displays a more open mouth with the tongue sculpted on the inside

Body: bluish skin, claw hands; the torso and the outer sides of his limbs look scaly, while the inner sides have a segmented appearance. He sports three short, thin tails emerging from under his loincloth

Wearables: a harness (whose upper straps are two steel chains, while the single lower strap is made of the sloughed dark-blotched, light-green skin of a python or an anaconda), two light-green bracelets, two light-green boots, a light-green belt and a segmented loincloth made of overlapping steel plates. Each leather boot is fastened with criss-crossed laces that partially expose a segmented steel shin guard. Similar overlapping-plate protections (even equipped with sharp, curved spikes that resemble Strictriss' teeth) are also present on the biceps and on the thighs.

Strictriss' stylised harness; the oval at the centre represents the upper side of a snake head.

Action feature

In the comics, Strictriss has the ability to extend his three necks many times their original length, in order to tie up his foes and asphyxiate them. So, the figure comes with three neck extensions: one quite short and rigid, and two very long and bendy. Although the rigid extension is meant to go with the middle head and the flexible ones with the side heads, their positions are totally interchangeable. All of the pieces are sculpted nicely and reflect the scaly/segmented texture of the limbs. The bendy necks are great and long enough (25 cm -around 10”- each!) to coil round three standard figures at once or to wrap Strictriss' own body for giving him a more intimidating look. The only downside is that the figure will fall over if the heads protrude forwards (or backwards) too much.

Weapons and accessories

Aside from the three neck extensions, Strictriss includes two accessories, which are two badass weapons. The first is a triple ball-and-chain flail, which is composed of a greenish snake-shaft partially wrapping around Strictriss' forearm and a spinning triplet of silver chain maces held in the snake's mouth. The chains are not real, but each one is cast in a nice wave-like shape, while it's difficult to judge whether the snake is supposed to be alive or artificial.

The second weapon is a manriki, which consists of a long chain (this time real) with a greenish snake-shaped, studded weight attached to each end of the chain. The two weights can be clasped by the mouths of Strictriss' side heads (which are slightly more pliable than the central head), so that the weapon can be fictionally used like a freaky mouth-held nunchaku.

Overall, Strictriss has turned out to be a really great figure. I’m glad that we did get the option to display him with regular necks, just because my shelves are a bit tight at this point and I need to use less bulky figures. The bendy necks are fantastic and a lot of fun. For a non-venomous snake warrior, his three heads couldn't be more menacing and definitely make him stand out among the Spektrosaurs.

KR Review #53: The Xonatron

Jumping back in with a Key Raiders review of a particularly fun figure - The Xonatron!

The Xonatron is officially the first large scale figure in the KR line, even if we have already seen figures of this size (or larger) with the Titanic Fighter variant of Mor-Rak and the robot configuration of CoBoN.

This Xonedar variant has never been on the top of my want list, but the guys at PoliganToys did an impressive work with the prototype of this mixed creature. Let’s take a closer look!

Details

Name: The Xonatron

Real name: no name is actually mentioned for this character in the comics; at PoliganToys he has informally been referred to as "Monster Xonedar"

Subtitle: mutated form of Xonedar

Classification: uncertain

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Affiliation: Theriom

Rank: lieutenant commander.

Background

There's not much to say about the Xonatron, except that he only appears briefly in the not-yet-printed final KR comic issue. In the story, we'll see a horde of mysterious invaders besieging the city of Ra-Hal. This new army includes three shape-shifting giants, who are unleashed by their leader upon the Therioms. During a fight, Xonedar overpowers one of them, Pleutron, by combining with him to form the Xonatron, a giant cyborg-like creature. Despite the double-edged nature of this merged life-form, Xonedar's mind manages to manipulate Pleutron into battling against the other two giants. Eventually, Xonedar frees himself just seconds before the three giants are brought down by Sei-Lha, who uses the power of her techno-armour to literally tear them apart piece by piece.

Articulation

Standard, except that the connection points at the waist, shoulders and hips are ball&socket (but the shoulders and hips are also hinged), and the neck features a double ball joint.

Description

Head: the Xonatron wears a dark-blue cyber helmet with silver details that is very reminiscent of Xonedar's mouth-shielded headgear. Besides the larger size, other differences are the absence of the dark visor and the presence of a squared opening in the mouth shield. The former exposes the deep set solid dark-purple eyes topped with thick black eyebrows, while the latter reveals the slightly open mouth (with the human-looking front teeth shown as a sign of anger), both surrounded by yellowish skin

Body: the figure is 23 cm tall (around 9'') and shows a very bulky sculpt. Wherever exposed, the skin displays a porous texture and a yellowish colour. Each hand is actually a large silver&blue 2-jaw articulated claw, very similar to one of Xonedar's signature snap-on tools

Wearables: a dark-blue armour with dark-green details, two silver wrist guards, two booster rocket-shaped silver boots, a dark-blue belt and a silver crotch piece that kinda looks like an engine. The tech armour shows tons of circuitry and panelling silver embellishments, and also has the same power reactor/lenticular sticker (whose design animates and colour shifts from red to green as it is viewed from different angles) seen with Xonedar, though there's no spinning feature here. An additional broad silver armour covering the back of the shoulders extends into two armholes and bears two hoses that stretch onto the chest plate. Each arm is equipped with a dark-blue shoulder pad that is connected to the wrist guard via a silver exoskeletal device; as a result, only the biceps and part of the forearms are left exposed. Each leg displays a dark-blue thigh/knee protector that carries, besides a number of silver details such as tubes, wires, pistons and gears, what looks like a tank tread on the front.

Xonatron's stylised armour and neck/shoulder guard; the circle at the base of the chest plate represents the power reactor.

Action feature

In the comics, the Xonatron is generated by the fusion of Xonedar and Pleutron (one of three transforming giants) during an intense fight. In the 1980s, the advertising of a line of flexible, sticky action figures called Manglors promoted that the figures could be stretched, squashed, torn apart and then reassembled to their original form. The packaging of the toys even encouraged children to mix and match the parts of the various figures. The line was very controversial, because those advertising claims were proved untrue, since it was impossible to get the many pieces to hold together. Well, I wish such a technology could exist, because it would be very suitable for uniting Xonedar and Pleutron into the Xonatron. Instead, we get a preformed Xonatron figure that has a modular action feature with many snap-on body parts: head, neck (double ball-jointed), torso, pelvis, arms and legs. Apart from some silly part-swapping, so that for example a leg replaces an arm or the head connects to the butt, at the moment there's not much to play with, unless we get more Xonatron figures to create some weird combinations. The real fun will start when the three giants figures are also available. Those and the Xonatron will provide enough body parts to create countless different creatures or to amalgamate into a crazy enormous monster.

Additionally, similarly to Xonedar, the Xonatron's wrists and calves are extensible. However, in this case the extension feature is executed not by means of snap-on pieces but by real telescoping extremities. The range is obviously quite short, but the amount of cyber detail to those extensions is huge.

Weapons and accessories

Aside from his own several rearrangeable pieces, the Xonatron includes a few accessories. First is a silver&blue blaster that resembles Xonedar's snap-on cannon, although it is handheld (thanks to a hole in either pincer's joint that can accommodate for the weapon's handle) and has no spring-loaded missile (which is a shame). The butt of the blaster bears two plugs that, I guess, will allow the gun to connect to some other weapons from the three upcoming giants.

Also, we get a number of additional body parts: an alternative head, one extra leg, a pelvis extension and two Y-connector joints. The head is a fun piece, it's just the rendering of an early Xonatron's head sketch. It has a very blocky structure and a metallic blue colour, with an upside-down triangular glossy dark-purple visor, a W-shaped yellow strip in place of the mouth, and two horn-shaped silver projections emerging from the sides and pointing outwards and slightly up. The third leg looks different from the other two and can be plugged into the socket on the backside of the crotch piece, to make a three-legged creature. This leg has a monstrous appearance, with a porous yellowish skin (plus some dark wash and few translucent white spiny appendages towards the thigh), a clawed foot (with four white claws) and a dark-green shin guard that is equipped with a spiky ray fin-shaped ornament protruding from the calf. The silver pelvis extension has the same engine-like look of the crotch piece, into the back of which it plugs similarly to the leg. This piece really has no function now, but it carries two sockets on the sides and will probably be useful to hold additional legs when we have the other figures. Finally, the techno-looking silver Y-connector joints make it possible to create double shoulders, hips and neck. Again, not very instrumental now (it's a pity they didn't include an extra neck piece to produce a double-headed chap), but they'll come handy soon.

Overall, the Xonatron could have a few improvements, like a missile-firing blaster or an additional neck piece, but the final product is definitely satisfactory. I love interchangeable systems in toys, there is something special about part-swapping and being able to have this kind of fun with a 9” figure is rare. The only thing that’s going to make this better is more pieces... shape-shifting giants, Xonatron's waiting for you!

Special thanks to Matthew "Xonatron" Doucette of Xona Games for allowing us to use the name Xonatron.