This post marks a major milestone—10 years since I launched this blog!!
While the very first review didn’t drop until September 2015, August was when it all began with an introduction to the world of Key Raiders and a lot of excitement for what was to come.
And what better way to celebrate a decade of reviewing than with a figure I’ve been waiting on for years, one that harks back to the original Foundation line... well, sort of.
Toy prototype details
Name: UhluTM
Subtitle: honourable sentry across timelines
Line: KR|Echoes of Future
Item type: action figure - Nº 22 in the line.
Character details
Name: Uhlu
Classification: carnivoran mammal
Sex: male
Home: Tahron
Era: Foundation
Affiliation: Theriom
Rank: divisional general.
Background
First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #2 - The dark powers of dominion
Character summary: a noble-minded elite private of Theriom City, trained in advanced combat and capture techniques to defend Tahron with honour in the original timeline, and the savage yet loyal general of a feral warrior division in an altered, ravaged reality. Serving the exiled Therioms with a commanding presence, Uhlu fiercely protected their sacred forest, one of the last strongholds of the mammalian people amid the war-torn remnants of Tahron. Renowned for his strength and unwavering will, he remained a devoted champion of the Theriom’s cause, guided by a sharp tactical mind and unshakable faith in the deity Tah-Ron.
Head: similar to a cave bear, characterised by a sculpted crown of long, reddish-brown hair that cascades into a thick mane, a pair of piercing blue eyes beneath a heavy brow, and large, sharp teeth (including two elongated, razor-sharp fangs protruding from the upper jaw) that give him a ferocious edge. Encircling his face is a squarish, studded orange copper diadem, with two points rising like short canine teeth at the lower corners. Adding to his already intimidating appearance is a removable cap fashioned from a wild boar's head with its lower jaw stripped away; this cap is covered in "real" dark, grizzled fur, with long, off-white tusks on the sides, which extend downward before gradually curving upward
Body: he features the bulkier sculpt previously used for figures like Grabtrak, characterised by dense reddish-brown fur, oversized hands with sharp claws, and clawed feet. He also comes with a removable reddish-brown furry vest designed to replicate his actual torso fur; this soft, fuzzy separate piece includes a particularly pronounced hump that gives him a hunched look. I know some collectors aren't fans of soft goods on their action figures, but if that's the case for you, removing the vest still leaves him looking great; the sculpted torso hair underneath is detailed enough to maintain his wild, ferocious look, even without the extra fur
Wearables: a harness made of orange leather straps, each studded with orange copper rivets, equipped with a gunmetal grey Theriom emblem (i.e., a seven-pointed star with the two side points elongated) at the centre of the chest piece and two removable orange leather spaulders, each featuring a triplet of large, curved orange copper spikes; these spaulders are not connected to the harness, instead, each is secured to the upper arm with a matching copper-studded leather armband, also adorned with a small gunmetal grey Theriom emblem. He also wears a pair of narrow copper-studded orange leather bracelets, a thin black leather band wrapped around his left thigh, two orange leather shin guards (each featuring a pair of large, curved orange copper spikes and a small gunmetal grey Theriom emblem near the top), and a removable copper-studded orange leather belt with a round buckle, supporting a layered loincloth made of “real” dark, grizzled fur and a rugged, battle-worn copper plate adorned with off-white bones and teeth.
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| Uhlu's stylised harness; the oval at the centre of the chest piece represents a gunmetal grey version of the Theriom symbol. |
Action feature
In the comics, Uhlu possesses great physical strength and wears two metal battle gauntlets, each featuring three large razor-edged claws. So, the figure comes with a hollow left-right pair of armoured clawed gloves that clip directly over his hands, not the wrists or bracers. These gauntlets fit reasonably well, and are finished in a gunmetal grey paint that matches the Theriom emblems on his armour.
Weapons and accessories
Apart from the pair of battle gauntlets, Uhlu comes with a sceptre topped by a large clawed, forward-facing bony hand clutching a cave bear skull, and a bearded axe whose blade is crafted from an animal’s jawbone. These accessories are incredibly cool, some of the best in this line to date. Both feature orange copper hafts, with the bony parts secured by leather straps and decorated with scrimshaw-like engravings on their surfaces. The harness includes two loops on the back, allowing the figure to stow and tote around these weapons.
Additionally, Uhlu comes with a set of accessories and alternate parts to recreate his Theriom Trooper appearance from the Foundation comic books after removing his regular head, furry vest, harness, spaulders, bracelets, lower legs and belt-plus-loincloth. It's about time this figure became a reality... I've been waiting and asking for it since 2017! The set includes an alternate head sculpt resembling a brown bear with a pronounced furrowed brow and a pair of upward-protruding sharp teeth. A removable silver helmet with gold detailing fits over this head and comes equipped with a clip-on translucent orange visor and a right-side plug-in headset that combines an earphone, antenna and microphone into a single piece. He also comes with a gold armour accented with silver details, a pair of golden wrist guards that replace the default bracelets, a matching pair of golden boots that swap out the standard lower legs (I think these have a more tactical, armoured look than those seen on earlier Theriom Troopers figures), and a single piece combining a golden belt and a silver groin protector adorned with a golden Theriom emblem. All these parts are intricately sculpted with electro-mechanical details, giving the figure a distinctly cyber-like aesthetic. Complementing the outfit are grey clip-on arm and thigh armours, each marked with a diagonal blue stripe. The backplate supports a pack that features a bright central circle and four cables running to cuffs placed around the bracers and boots. Fictionally, this backpack may function as a portable reactor designed to power servomechanisms attached to his limbs. Private Uhlu is also armed with a large silver capture weapon, which is highly detailed and technological in appearance with sculpted wires, gears and side-mounted mini-cannons. At its front is an orange copper bear-trap mechanism shaped like a stylised animal snout, featuring two articulated gripping jaws lined with spiked protrusions to clamp an opponent. Finally, the package includes a futuristic silver taser-like device shaped like a half-ring or pincer. This weapon features a socket that allows one of the backpack’s cords to connect for power, and a glow-in-the-dark effect that attaches to its ends and mimics an electric arc between its two electrodes.
Final thoughts
Overall: Uhlu turned out far better than I ever expected. He's fun, well accessorised and nicely modelled after his different comic book depictions. The figure comes with some awesome-looking fur and a great selection of accessories, making it a standout addition to the series that should please long-time fans of this character. The two head sculpts are especially well done, truly perfection! I'm undecided between the alternate, savage EoF version and the Foundation version: the former has better accessories and the fur addition, while the latter has a more classic-looking head sculpt and outfit. Luckily, having both means I don’t have to choose
Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ / 5
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