KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #37: Cyber-Dreanogs

Toy prototype details

Name: Cyber-Dreanogs^TM

Subtitle: lethal mechatronic annihilators

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: multi-pack (2-pack) - Nº 7 in the line.

Character details

Name: unknown

Classification: robot (containing biological components in the head section)

Home: Cereutis

Era: 25 years after Foundation

Affiliation: Bogthropod

Rank: frontline drone.

Background

First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #3 - The unforeseen fall of destiny

Character summary: some time after the Therioms destroyed the factory responsible for the mass production of the deadly Rexodon Troopers, the Spektrosaurs discovered and seized another hidden Rexodon facility where more Troopers were being developed. When Nar-Aja took command of the Spektrosaur faction following Lor-Drek's death, she used these machines to rebuild her decimated army by grafting the heads of her fallen warriors onto robotic bodies, granting them a second chance to fight. In gratitude for Masq-Lor's help during the final battle against the Rexodons, Nar-Aja donated the secret factory to the Therioms, who eventually reprogrammed the Troopers and transformed them into battlefield avatars remotely operated by their own soldiers. During Gladorr's assault on Theriom City, his battalion of newly forged Cyber-Dreanogs revealed a terrifying ability: latching onto the mechanical avatars like metallic parasites, they could override their systems and seize complete control of those war machines. In moments, the Therioms watched in horror as their own forces turned against them, becoming weapons in the hands of their enemies.

Introduction

The unforeseen fall of destiny comic book introduces a new mechatronic evolution of the Dreanogs. Unlike their original techno-organic forms, these entities can separate into a number of components and attach themselves to multiple "hosts". In the story, the hosts are robotic, although the process could potentially be adapted to living beings as well. Once bonded, each Dreanog corrupts its host's mind and systems, compelling it to serve the forces of evil. When a Dreanog hovers and disassembles, its upper portion transforms into a helmet/visor assembly equipped with seven cables (or neuro-tendrils) connected to other components of its body; these include a mechanical spine derived from its tail, two chest/back/shoulder guards formed from the collar region, as well as two wrist guards and two shin guards derived from the arms and legs, respectively. Meanwhile, the central body portion reconfigures into a cuirass. Upon attachment to a host, the mechanical spine, the pauldron pieces and the cuirass fuse together to form a unified suit of armour, while the wrist and shin guards expand into heavily armoured gauntlets and boots; all these components remain linked to the back of the helmet through the neuro-tendrils, allowing the Dreanog to exert control over both the armour and its host as a single integrated entity. So, the package includes two figures, referred to as the Assimilation Unit and the Corrupted Host, which will be described separately.

Assimilation Unit

Articulation
The Cyber-Dreanog Assimilation Unit's articulation scheme differs from the standard one significantly and is the following:

• head (swivel)
• shoulder (ball hinged, x4)
• elbow (ball hinged, x2)
• wrist (swivel + hinged -for left wrist front-to-back movement and right wrist side-to-side movement-, x2)
• waste (swivel)
• hip (ball hinged, x2)
• knee (swivel, x2)
• ankle (double hinged -for both front-to-back and rocking movements-, x2)
• tail (swivel)

Description

The Cyber-Dreanog figure is relatively small in size and features a spheroidal robotic body with articulation closely mirroring that of its organic counterpart. The torso is encased within a technological shell, predominantly flat red with metallic accents. Dominating the centre of the chest is a large, circular dark-red glowing structure reminiscent of a compound version of HAL 9000's iconic eye, lending the machine a menacing presence, while the back is equipped with a pair of rocket boosters. Mounted atop the torso is a metallic red, swivelling head shaped like a flying saucer, distinguished by two short horizontal horns and a triradiate, Y-shaped frontal aperture. The figure is completed by two pairs of robotic limbs and a mechanical tail extending from the torso casing. The limbs are slender in their proximal sections, which are seemingly composed of multiple silver articulated segments, while the forearms and lower legs are disproportionately large and bulbous, encased in red armour plating characterised by a honeycomb-like texture and ending in clawed hands and feet. In addition to its primary arms, the figure possesses a smaller secondary pair of silver arms projecting from the lower centre of the torso, each terminating in a two-jawed claw.

Corrupted Host

Articulation
Standard (new scheme), with the addition of hinged opposing groups of fingers.

Description

Head: the lower portion of the head is metallic black, showing several mechanical and electrical components. Its shape resembles the skull of an Ankylosaurus, featuring a broad profile and jaws that taper into a distinctive beak-like snout. Covering the upper section is a flying saucer-shaped metallic red helmet/visor derived from the upper portion of an Assimilation Unit, equipped with the same frontal aperture and pair of short horizontal horns; below these, two additional horns extend backward and downward from the rear of the head

Body: arms and legs are constructed from black metallic components and covered in intricate machinery and circuitry patterns, resembling an electro-hydraulic endoskeleton and featuring an array of exposed tubes, wires, pistons and articulated mechanical joints. These technological details are also present beneath the removable armour, revealing a torso built around the same tech-mech framework used for the Destructomorph Troopers, which incorporates the same dials, sliders, buttons and knobs, along with the distinctive rectangular lenticular sticker positioned at the centre of the chest creating the illusion of coursing sound waves

Wearables: a red armour accented with metallised details, derived from the torso portion of the Assimilation Unit, whose chest plate is distinguished by the same large, circular dark-red glowing structure; the armour is further enhanced by a silver, back-mounted mechanical spine, a small secondary pair of silver arms projecting from the abdominal section (each terminating in a two-jawed claw), and a pair of metallic red pauldrons, each featuring an integrated air intake on the chest section and a rocket booster mounted on the back. The forearms and lower legs are encased in oversized, blocky red robotic gauntlets and boots, featuring spiked cuffs and tops; each boot flares outward at its midpoint, revealing paired air outlets on both sides. Each extremity is equipped with eight digits arranged into two distinct groups of five and three elongated, razor-sharp claws; this configuration gives the hands and feet the appearance of grapple rakes, and the each foot claw is further enhanced with integrated wheels and tracked treads elements. Six silver flexible cables extend from the rear of the helmet, connecting to the pauldrons, gauntlets and boots (they are designed not to impede articulation and they can also be detached if desired). Completing the outfit are a red belt and a golden-yellow crotch piece, both richly detailed with cybernetic motifs.

Cyber-Dreanog Corrupted Host's helmet.

Cyber-Dreanog Corrupted Host's armour.

Action feature

An eye-changing feature is present in both figures described above. Behind the head/helmet frontal opening sits a rotating drum housing three distinct single-eye units, which can be selected by turning the dome-like upper section. The first eye resembles a dark-green compound eye, at the centre of which is a tubular mouth lined with ten small, sharp whitish teeth; the second takes the form of a human-like, bloodshot eyeball with a red iris and a black pupil; the third consists of a circular silver panel centred around a diamond-shaped, glowing white structure reminiscent of a cluster of LEDs, at the core of which lies an inverted-triangular blue lens seemingly capable of projecting a laser beam.

Weapons and accessories

The set comes with a distinctive cornucopia-shaped, metallic red cannon with the texture and appearance of a crustacean shell, topped at the muzzle by a small trilobite-like ornament. In the comics, this weapon seemingly forms out of thin air after the Assimilation Unit merges with its host, and fires powerful, concentrated blasts of solid energy that manifest as ring-shaped, pink glowing shockwaves capable of striking or killing opponents (an aptly designed pluggable blast effect is also included).

Additionally, the front armour piece of the Corrupted Host figure can be swapped out for an alternate chest plate. While identical in overall shape, this version features, apart from a few smaller battle scars, two large holes, one on the left side of the chest and the other on the right side of the abdomen, revealing the tech-mech framework beneath, complete with gears, hydraulics and part of the chest display.

Final thoughts

Overall: the Cyber-Dreanogs Assimilation Unit and Corrupted Host are excellent figures, and this is absolutely a set you'll want to army-build, just as you would with the standard Dreanogs. Strong sculpts, a fun and functional action feature, and the consistently solid articulation from this line make the Cyber-Dreanogs a fantastic addition to the KR|EoF roster. The Corrupted Host, in particular, stands out as one of the most exciting prototypes so far, while accessories like the horn-shaped cannon and alternate chest plate add even more value to an already excellent set

Rating: ☺☺☺☺ / 5