KR|Origin Review #7: Lor-Drek (Origin Edition)

After a quite long absence from the Origin lineup, Lor-Drek^TM is finally here!

This time, in the form of the sixth action figure prototype of the KR|Origin series, the hideous dragon warrior is showing a surprising new winged nature.

Details

Name: Lor-Drek (Origin Edition)

Subtitle: dreadful deputy

Classification: reptile of uncertain group

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Reptonoid

Rank: vice-marshal.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #2 - Battle for Tahron: Part I – The journey begins

Brief bio: the last member of a race of magical dragon-like reptiles possessed by an ambivalent nature, Lor-Drek was enticed through manipulation to follow Bi-Harr's endeavours to rule Tahron, eventually becoming a prominent officer of the Reptonoid army. Together, they fought in many epic battles during the war against the mammalian enemies and killed several Theriom leaders, including King Tah-Ron^TM and his son Khon-Uhr^TM. Unwilling to share power with Bi-Harr, Lor-Drek gradually developed the desire to become a marshal himself, ultimately swearing to lead his own faction and dominate Tahron.

Articulation

Standard, plus a hinged lower jaw, a ball jointed extra neck piece, a pair of ball hinged wings and a tail that features a swivel at its base.

Description

Head: similar to regular Lor-Drek's dragon/Spinosaurus head, characterised by evil large dark eyes (with vertical glow-in-the-dark yellow pupils) that are surrounded by ochre (i.e., light brownish-yellow) feathers, a long and narrow scaly snout, a large dark-green feather mohawk, long pointy ears (each covered in hair-like ochre feathers and ending in a rather long, curved whitish horn), large sharp teeth along the edges of the jaws and a faintly forked tongue sculpted on the inside of the mouth. A long bendy neck extension (which bears ochre scales on the underside and dark-green feathers on the upper side) connects the head to the body

Body: ochre scaly skin, claw hands and feet; unlike his regular counterpart, his limbs display large dark-green ridges that run down the sides. On the back, a dark-green neural spine sail and a pair of large bat-like wings (without tears and holes) project through openings in the armour. Also, a long, thick bandy tail emerges from the bottom edge of the armour and extends downwards; this tail ends with a large tuft of ochre feathers at the tip. Both the wings and the tail bear ochre scales on the underside and dark-green quills on the upper side

Wearables: a silver armour with brown details (the chest plate displays the Reptonoid symbol, i.e., a reptile red eye, at its centre), two silver gauntlets, a brown leather armband around the right biceps (where the ridge presents a trough), a pair of silver thong sandals with shin guards, a silver belt and a brown scaly loincloth. Both the gauntlets and the belt buckle (which holds a long strip of dark-green fabric) are shaped to resemble Lor-Drek's head slightly.

Lor-Drek's stylised armour; the circle at the centre of the chest piece represents the Reptonoid symbol.

Action feature

This figure's appearance is a mash-up of two alternative forms that Lor-Drek is able to acquire in the comics of the Origin series. To obtain the anthropomorphic form, which is the most frequent, it's necessary to detach the head (together with the neck extension) and the tail, and replace them with the head and tail from the regular figure.

The second form is a diabolical feathered serpent, into which Lor-Drek occasionally transforms in order to combine the ability to reach the sky and to creep on the ground against his foes. This configuration can be obtained by connecting the previously detached neck&head and tail components to an additional elongated legless central body piece, which is rubbery but not as bendable as the other two. This piece also looks ochre and scaly on the underside, and dark-green and feathery on the upper side. Moreover, it carries two sockets on the back, into which the figure's feathered wings can be plugged. It's a pity that the two forms cannot be displayed in their completeness side by side (unless we add the torn wings from the regular figure, which are inconsistent with the Origin era), but after all, since they are two alternative appearances of the same character, it kind of makes sense.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from his snaky feathered alternative body, Lor-Drek comes with a great weapon - a three-bladed spinning sabre. This sword has a wooden hilt (shaped like a short side-viewed snake with the mouth wide open) and a broad silver machete blade, to the middle of which a Y-shaped rotating system of three additional curved silver blades is mounted. There is even what looks like a tiny silvery electrical cable that connects the machete blade to the hilt.

Overall, while certainly I wasn't clamouring for the feathered wings (I’m not much of a quill guy, I prefer scales), this is a really well sculpted figure that does a great job of bringing a new version of a significant character onto my KR shelf. I also like the fact that the feathered head can be used on the figure without the neck, allowing for even more display options.