A happy new year to all of you!! Hopefully it will be better than the past one.
The upcoming reviews will be about recently
developed prototypes that belong to the latest Key Raiders wave, which came as a huge surprise to me! Like Origin,
Enmity and Dimness, this is a prequel series, which will be
titled Key Raiders: Emergence (stylised as KR|Emergence) and will concern a universe
characterised by a science&sorcery vibe, recounting events happening 3 years before the adventures of the KR|Foundation series:
Associated SpawnCrystal
Articulation
Standard, except that the wrists and the tail are ball jointed.
|
Timeline (intervals in years) |
Era |
|
↓ |
Origin |
|
500 |
|
|
|
Enmity |
|
15 |
|
|
|
Dimness |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Emergence |
|
3 |
|
|
|
Foundation |
|
15 |
|
|
↓ |
Horizon |
This series also presents the opportunity to show already known characters in new versions based on early concepts, and will help clear up many unsettled points that lead to Masq-Lor's and his siblings' endeavours.
KR|Emergence is also the first series that doesn't feature any one of the four magic helmets. Instead, it is centred around six mythical relics named SpawnCrystals. The SpawnCrystals originated when, after the intervention of the Multiversal Balancers, the core of a trans-universal, potentially annihilation-causing meteoroid was separated into pieces of fundamental substances with geometrically regular shapes by mighty Cereutian knights. Although their true nature and primordial origins were unknown, the crystals were thought to be sentient, powerful entities. Besides being named after, and representing, a different characteristic of physical or mental reality, each SpawnCrystal shared a mystical rapport with multiversal nature, and possessed wondrous powers and abilities not fully understood even by their creators; when tapping into them, these properties would range from teleportation to energy manipulation to healing power. Possessing the essence of any single SpawnCrystal would grant the user the ability to exert great control over the aspect of reality the crystal represented. The crystals could also form metaphysical connections between Cereutis and other worlds. Eventually, six of these SpawnCrystals were used by the Multiversal Balancers at different times after the impact of a fragment of the original meteoroid had devastated the Earth environment, mainly through a lingering impact winter that produced an ecological collapse and a subsequent mass extinction event. By reprogramming and sending the crystals to the land that was later named Tahron, the Multiversal Balancers aimed at creating a mass transformation process that would restore the original potential of the entire planet's biological evolution. The six SpawnCrystals, which were interconnected via invisible mystical bonds through all of Tahron, became the sources of the land's overall stability, and helped, along with planetary alignments, to regulate the weather, ecology, and other characteristics of the environment, including politics and magic. During the Emergence era, KhronodonTM, a dangerous reptilian sorcerer and mad scientist serving Bi-Harr, succeeded in combining dark magic with abominable science to drain the mystical energy from any objects that were connected in some way to the SpawnCrystals, allowing the Rexodons to use it in their war of conquest. The essence extracted from such objects could be converted into solid, coloured shards shaped roughly like holed sagittate leaves, which looked exactly like the crystals used in the AntikythronTM.
So, let's start with the first prototype review of this new series!
Toy prototype details
Name: Lor-DrekTM (Emergence Edition), aka Mecha Lor-Drek
Subtitle: dreadful leader
Line: KR|Emergence
Item type: action figure - Nº 1 in the line.
Character details
Name: Lor-Drek
Classification: reptile of uncertain group
Sex: male
Home: Tahron
Era: 3 years before Foundation
Affiliation: Unnamed Clan
Rank: marshal.
Background
First appearance: KR|Emergence #1 - The cradle of evil
Brief bio: the last member of a race of magical dragon-like reptiles, 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 and his son Khon-Uhr. After various defeats, Lor-Drek questioned Bi-Harr's leadership and gradually developed the desire to raise an army of his own. Unwilling to share power with anyone, he left the Reptonoid forces to lead his newly formed faction, bringing Tahron into a three-way conflict. For a long time, the so-called Unnamed Clan, which also included former Theriom members such as Ir-Ash, Noctylius and even a very young Rhadiel, acted in the shadows, until Lor-Drek, seeking new resources to win his conquering war, challenged his one-time ally's autonomy in Rokang Tar. For his goal, he used advanced electro-mechanical parts made of a hard, metallic material that resembled the alloy composing the Key and the prodigious helmets, which were grafted onto his body by the technomage OphidokTM. Although Lor-Drek's hi-tech powered armour made him more than a match for his opponent, Bi-Harr succeeded in defeating him, and the attack resulted in Lor-Drek's near death. Chained in a dark prison of Rokang Tar and mercilessly stripped of his hardsuit, he was then freed by the loyal sorcerer Sphenorat, and soon he could resume his quest to dominate Tahron with his horde now named Spektrosaur.
Toy prototype details
Name: Lor-DrekTM (Emergence Edition), aka Mecha Lor-Drek
Subtitle: dreadful leader
Line: KR|Emergence
Item type: action figure - Nº 1 in the line.
Character details
Name: Lor-Drek
Classification: reptile of uncertain group
Sex: male
Home: Tahron
Era: 3 years before Foundation
Affiliation: Unnamed Clan
Rank: marshal.
Background
First appearance: KR|Emergence #1 - The cradle of evil
Brief bio: the last member of a race of magical dragon-like reptiles, 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 and his son Khon-Uhr. After various defeats, Lor-Drek questioned Bi-Harr's leadership and gradually developed the desire to raise an army of his own. Unwilling to share power with anyone, he left the Reptonoid forces to lead his newly formed faction, bringing Tahron into a three-way conflict. For a long time, the so-called Unnamed Clan, which also included former Theriom members such as Ir-Ash, Noctylius and even a very young Rhadiel, acted in the shadows, until Lor-Drek, seeking new resources to win his conquering war, challenged his one-time ally's autonomy in Rokang Tar. For his goal, he used advanced electro-mechanical parts made of a hard, metallic material that resembled the alloy composing the Key and the prodigious helmets, which were grafted onto his body by the technomage OphidokTM. Although Lor-Drek's hi-tech powered armour made him more than a match for his opponent, Bi-Harr succeeded in defeating him, and the attack resulted in Lor-Drek's near death. Chained in a dark prison of Rokang Tar and mercilessly stripped of his hardsuit, he was then freed by the loyal sorcerer Sphenorat, and soon he could resume his quest to dominate Tahron with his horde now named Spektrosaur.
Associated SpawnCrystal
Name: Space Pearl
Shape: sphere
Colour: rose (i.e., a warm pink or light crimson colour)
Corresponding element: metal
Powers and capabilities: enhancing agility and speed
Creator: Multiversal Balancer TheliokeTM
History: due to an unexpected, violent burst of energy released during the process of its creation, Thelioke died right after the Space Pearl was formed. Her heartbroken brother RamedrasTM compressed the crystal into an oval red shining gemstone, which was cached for tens of millions of years and eventually fused onto Galamars' forehead. The power of the crystal was transferred to Galamars' mercury-like blood, allowing him to travel from Cereutis to Earth and protect Wen Kai xi from Denortos' evil clutches. Using a mysterious alloy partly derived from his vital fluid, Galamars could also forge the legendary key to unlock the two portals beyond which Bi-Harr's mental powers were trapped, as well as the four prodigious helmets conceived for its chosen protectors. The remainder of his drawn blood was transformed into a box-shaped metallic piece of Cereutian technology and stored away in his foundry for future use, but it was immediately stolen by Denortos during the final battle between the Therioms and the Reptonoids, and given to the technomage Ophidok. When the reptilian army split into two factions, Ophidok stashed the box away in a library beneath Artelon, and he eventually used it to build Lor-Drek's artificial wings and powered suit. Having failed to extract the Space Pearl essence from Bi-Harr's halberd, the evil sorcerer and scientist Khronodon eventually succeeded in utilising the items removed from Lor-Drek's body to produce the rose shards.
History: due to an unexpected, violent burst of energy released during the process of its creation, Thelioke died right after the Space Pearl was formed. Her heartbroken brother RamedrasTM compressed the crystal into an oval red shining gemstone, which was cached for tens of millions of years and eventually fused onto Galamars' forehead. The power of the crystal was transferred to Galamars' mercury-like blood, allowing him to travel from Cereutis to Earth and protect Wen Kai xi from Denortos' evil clutches. Using a mysterious alloy partly derived from his vital fluid, Galamars could also forge the legendary key to unlock the two portals beyond which Bi-Harr's mental powers were trapped, as well as the four prodigious helmets conceived for its chosen protectors. The remainder of his drawn blood was transformed into a box-shaped metallic piece of Cereutian technology and stored away in his foundry for future use, but it was immediately stolen by Denortos during the final battle between the Therioms and the Reptonoids, and given to the technomage Ophidok. When the reptilian army split into two factions, Ophidok stashed the box away in a library beneath Artelon, and he eventually used it to build Lor-Drek's artificial wings and powered suit. Having failed to extract the Space Pearl essence from Bi-Harr's halberd, the evil sorcerer and scientist Khronodon eventually succeeded in utilising the items removed from Lor-Drek's body to produce the rose shards.
Standard, except that the wrists and the tail are ball jointed.
Description
Final thoughts (due to time restraints, I'm forced to make this section shorter from now onward)
Overall: Lor-Drek is the first revisited character in the new KR|Emergence line. I really like him, much more than I thought I would - the mecha design originally didn't grab me, but knowing his backstory and having him in my hands to play with has made me a quick convert. His appearance and slightly larger size makes him particularly interesting to not just KR collectors - he looks awesome next to his reptilian fellows fighting Bi-Harr, but he'll also fit in with other sci-fi themed figures, and that's exactly the kind of toy I like to own
Rating: ☺☺☺☺ / 5
In this incarnation, Lor-Drek is portrayed as a sort of Mechagodzillesque robot modelled after one of his foot soldiers, thanks to a bulky, angular powered exoskeleton seemingly consisting of multiple silver-coloured separate elements (which have a dark sheen and are worn like plate armour) and designed to provide the character with greater agility and faster reflexes.
Head: similar to a robotic common iguana, characterised by evil-looking yellow-orange glowing eyes, sharp teeth along the edges of the jaws and a side-crested headgear topped with a spike
Body: there is an impressive amount of intricate decorative features all around the numerous components of the segmented exosuit that protects his body, including a few small bronze details on the cuirass (whose design recalls Foundation Lor-Drek's outfit), gauntlets (whose wrist guards are shaped to resemble Lor-Drek's head slightly), boots (with knee guards) and crotch shell; I especially like the little gaps here and there that reveal metallic black tech-mech details beneath the armour. While his limbs display large spiky ridges that run down the sides, his hands are clenched in fists and his feet bear sharp claw tips, the back unit features elements that are reduced in size compared to his troopers' natural form, such as three smaller dorsal fins as well as a shorter tail.
Body: there is an impressive amount of intricate decorative features all around the numerous components of the segmented exosuit that protects his body, including a few small bronze details on the cuirass (whose design recalls Foundation Lor-Drek's outfit), gauntlets (whose wrist guards are shaped to resemble Lor-Drek's head slightly), boots (with knee guards) and crotch shell; I especially like the little gaps here and there that reveal metallic black tech-mech details beneath the armour. While his limbs display large spiky ridges that run down the sides, his hands are clenched in fists and his feet bear sharp claw tips, the back unit features elements that are reduced in size compared to his troopers' natural form, such as three smaller dorsal fins as well as a shorter tail.
Action feature
In the comics, Lor-Drek's wings are supplemented with a jet-powered artificial wing system, granting him supersonic speed during flight. Additionally, by wrapping his wings around his torso, head and limbs, his entire body becomes cybernetically-enhanced with a metallic powered armour (represented by this figure), which upgrades him to a much speedier warrior that becomes progressively more agile during his fights against his foes. Other features include self-repair capabilities as well as advanced sensory systems and scanners, such as a pair of electronic eyes which replicate vision, but at a superior level. His mechanical parts contain a vast array of inbuilt tools and weapons, including grappling hooks/lines and laser guns, and the hands can be configured into various weapon forms. Perhaps his most frequently-used weapon is a pair of sonic-plasma blasters, which can be employed at different settings either to stun his foes or to deliver concentrated blasts of ionising sound that are potent enough to shatter rock or deform steel. His mecha-armour also has an internal cybernetic brain that is connected to Lor-Drek's own, giving him genius-level intelligence and the ability to interface with external computer systems. So, the figure comes with a pair of tech-mech silver wings and an armour, which are meant to replace Foundation Lor-Drek's respective parts for recreating his augmented version in the Emergence series (the armour is identical to his Origin cuirass, but has an Unnamed Clan insignia -i.e., a light-green snake emerging from an upright, spirally coiled conic dark-green shell- emblazoned on the chest plate), as well as a set of silver interchangeable weapon attachments that can swap with his mecha-fists, namely a large blade that resembles Lor-Drek's halberd (the one with the S-shaped blade, which previously belonged to Kai-Xi and was then stolen by Bi-Harr), an open hand featuring a grappling hook (fictionally shooting from its back) together with a finger-mounted laser gun, and the two above-mentioned pentagonal, clawed sonic-plasma blasters. And just for fun, the figure's head can be exchanged with Foundation Lor-Dreks's for a great unmasked look!
In the comics, Lor-Drek's wings are supplemented with a jet-powered artificial wing system, granting him supersonic speed during flight. Additionally, by wrapping his wings around his torso, head and limbs, his entire body becomes cybernetically-enhanced with a metallic powered armour (represented by this figure), which upgrades him to a much speedier warrior that becomes progressively more agile during his fights against his foes. Other features include self-repair capabilities as well as advanced sensory systems and scanners, such as a pair of electronic eyes which replicate vision, but at a superior level. His mechanical parts contain a vast array of inbuilt tools and weapons, including grappling hooks/lines and laser guns, and the hands can be configured into various weapon forms. Perhaps his most frequently-used weapon is a pair of sonic-plasma blasters, which can be employed at different settings either to stun his foes or to deliver concentrated blasts of ionising sound that are potent enough to shatter rock or deform steel. His mecha-armour also has an internal cybernetic brain that is connected to Lor-Drek's own, giving him genius-level intelligence and the ability to interface with external computer systems. So, the figure comes with a pair of tech-mech silver wings and an armour, which are meant to replace Foundation Lor-Drek's respective parts for recreating his augmented version in the Emergence series (the armour is identical to his Origin cuirass, but has an Unnamed Clan insignia -i.e., a light-green snake emerging from an upright, spirally coiled conic dark-green shell- emblazoned on the chest plate), as well as a set of silver interchangeable weapon attachments that can swap with his mecha-fists, namely a large blade that resembles Lor-Drek's halberd (the one with the S-shaped blade, which previously belonged to Kai-Xi and was then stolen by Bi-Harr), an open hand featuring a grappling hook (fictionally shooting from its back) together with a finger-mounted laser gun, and the two above-mentioned pentagonal, clawed sonic-plasma blasters. And just for fun, the figure's head can be exchanged with Foundation Lor-Dreks's for a great unmasked look!
 |
| Lor-Drek's stylised armour; the circle at the centre of the chest piece represents the Unnamed Clan symbol. |
Weapons and accessories
Apart from his set of snap-on weaponry, wings and armour, Lor-Drek comes with three rose shards symbolising the essence of the Space Pearl.
Apart from his set of snap-on weaponry, wings and armour, Lor-Drek comes with three rose shards symbolising the essence of the Space Pearl.
Additionally, the package includes a head and a non-removable sheathed sword, which allow us to create a King Li-Khon figure resembling his appearance in the Emergence series. The head is predominantly ursine (even though he's a primivod, a fictional anthropomorphic marsupial) and is characterised by a thick whitish fur that covers most of the face, including the subtly pointy ears. It also displays a dark-brown bony cranial crest, a pair of blue eyes with purplish under-eye bags, a large dark nose, and a slightly open mouth that has a purplish upper lip and exposes a number of sharp yellowish teeth. He also wears a permanently attached silver crown decorated with eight prongs all the way around; each prong is shaped in a similar fashion to a fleur-de-lis (⚜) and bears a red gemstone at its centre. Together with King Tah-Ron's body, Enmity Li-Khon's robe+necklace piece and the included sheathed sword (it's the same piece that came with Enmity Li-Khon, but with the hilt in a light-blue colour instead of red), the old, even-tempered aspect of this head helps render a variant of Li-Khon that recalls the way he looks during his last days as a king, before the monarchy is abolished by an institutional referendum and Tahron becomes a republic.
Final thoughts (due to time restraints, I'm forced to make this section shorter from now onward)
Overall: Lor-Drek is the first revisited character in the new KR|Emergence line. I really like him, much more than I thought I would - the mecha design originally didn't grab me, but knowing his backstory and having him in my hands to play with has made me a quick convert. His appearance and slightly larger size makes him particularly interesting to not just KR collectors - he looks awesome next to his reptilian fellows fighting Bi-Harr, but he'll also fit in with other sci-fi themed figures, and that's exactly the kind of toy I like to own
Rating: ☺☺☺☺ / 5
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