KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #36: Niväz

Toy prototype details

Name: Niväz^TM

Subtitle: resolute aqueous knight

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: action figure - Nº 29 in the line.

Character details

Name: Niväz (pronounced Nee-vés)

Classification: extradimensional elemental being

Sex: female

Home: Cereutis

Era: 570 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Multiversal Balancers

Rank: knight commander.

Background

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

Character summary: the creator of the Parity Ring and a fearless Multiversal Knight, always ready to act under pressure. Sharp-minded during chaos, she helped coordinate a dangerous rescue mission against the Bogthropod forces. Resourceful and determined, Niväz fought alongside her Theriom allies with courage and quick tactical instincts.

Articulation
Standard (new scheme).

Description

Head: Native American features, light-blue skin, long dark-blue hair that gradually fades into a paler blue at the tips, and a pair of solid white glowing eyes. She has some interesting facial details such as small bumps coming off the sides of the chin and engraved lines tracing along the cheekbones, going over the eyes and across the forehead as well as on the chin, which give her a somewhat moko-ed or even cybernetic appearance. She also wears an orange copper-looking helmet with a sort of samurai-inspired aesthetic; it features curved, pointed ornaments that sweep upward and backward, as well as forward (functioning as cheek guards), a blade-like ring encircling the crown, and a crest shaped like a long, pointed fin rising from the front and extending along the top, embellished at its base by a luminous white gemstone. The design of this helmet reminds me of the stylised sci-fi fantasy aesthetic of some early 1980s female action figures, like Mara from Blackstar and Shaya from Power Lords

Body: light-blue skin with constantly shifting, water-like ripple patterns that suggest her liquid nature; indeed, the "fluid" body of this figure is beautifully sculpted with intricate, seemingly flowing patterns. Also, she is barefoot and wears two orange copper bracelets on her upper arms, set high near the shoulders

Wearables: a white leotard with orange details (including the frame of a diamond-shaped white motif on the abdomen, which tapers downward and merges into the brief-style lower portion), pairs of white wrap-around wrist and shin guards (each featuring fold-over overlapping panels and a rounded upper edge that creates a curved V-shaped notch accented by a snowflake-shaped ornament near the elbow or knee), and a white cape that gradually fades into translucent icy-blue toward its jagged lower edge, creating the appearance of liquefying ice. The cape is secured by a white collar featuring a pointed, icicle-shaped centre-front extension set with a glowing orange gemstone. Although the outfit is supposed to be made of a slush-like material, the comics briefly explain the orange colouration by mentioning that certain portions are structured in a way that refract light into warm tones.

Niväz's stylised garment.

Action feature

In the comics, Niväz's body is entirely composed of living, sentient water with conscious control over its cohesion, density, shape and movement, making it highly resilient to physical damage, as bullets and blunt force either pass through or are absorbed with minimal effect. She also has limited influence over water in her immediate surroundings (such as water flowing through pipes), enabling her to generate crushing high-pressure jets, although doing so requires significant effort. More prominently, she can seamlessly shift between liquid water, favouring evasion and durability, and solid ice, enhancing her offensive and defensive capabilities as well as striking power. She achieves these phase changes by rapidly freezing or melting her body through precise control of heat transfer. However, she must avoid extreme heat, as turning into water vapor and becoming too dispersed could make her unable to reform. When she freezes, her body becomes encased in a thick layer of ice, turning her translucent white like a living ice statue, while detailed crystalline elements form on her helmet, torso and limbs. This effect is reflected in the figure through a colour-changing feature: when placed in cold water or a freezer, her skin and hair shift to a slightly translucent white with a faint blue tint; when returned to warm water, they revert to their original blue colour. The face is the only exception, since her frozen portrait is represented by a separate mask that fits tightly over the regular watery visage. Additionally, to achieve the more crystalline look for her armour, the figure includes an attachable helmet piece that mimics the pointy fin producing a snowflake-shaped halo in frost-white fading into translucent icy-blue with a seemingly glowing effect, along with five separate frost-white armour parts that clip onto her lower legs (shin and knee guards), forearms (wrist and elbow guards), and back (a guard that rests over the upper edge of the cape and wraps around her shoulders), all featuring snowflake-patterned engravings as well as branching, blade-like translucent icy-blue protrusions and jagged frost-white crystals that, from a distance, may resemble fur-like trim along the tops, collar and spaulders. There are rumours that these snap-on pieces were originally intended to be much larger, allowing the figure to fold and “transform” into a solid block of ice, but this concept was ultimately abandoned. The final additional piece (though depicted in the comics as part of Niväz's fluid form outfit) consists of a large, inverted-triangular frost-white belt (also densely decorated with elaborate carvings evoking snowflake motifs), from which hang a long, jagged front loincloth that tapers downward like an icicle and a matching long rear train that extends and narrows behind her, both gradually fading from white into translucent icy-blue toward their tips.

In her liquid form, she can hold a stable humanoid shape at will. Technically, she’s also capable of shapeshifting into other humanoid forms through water sculpting, or even becoming fully transparent and nearly invisible, but these abilities are never depicted. Alternatively, she can collapse into a pooled state, allowing her to flow rapidly and slip through narrow gaps. To replicate this effect, the figure includes a clip-on water-pool base that pops on and off the feet pretty easily (it reminds me of an old Hydro-Man figure from Toy Biz).

In her solid form, she can disperse into scattered, snow-like particles to evade attacks, reposition and then instantly reform to strike. More notably, she can increase her size (and, if needed, fully regenerate) by absorbing moisture from the air or drawing in water from nearby sources, with her strength growing proportionally to the available mass. This ability is represented by two included icy swap-out arms (from the elbows down) with oversized fists, again reminiscent of the above-mentioned Hydro-Man figure. In addition, she can conjure crystalline ice constructs (such as barriers and platforms, as well as weapons like spikes, blades and projectiles) by weaving them from threads of freezing moisture, although maintaining large or highly complex structures requires significant energy. To showcase these abilities in action, the figure includes two ice effect pieces that fit over her regular hands. Each effect begins as a watery coil wrapping around her forearm before extending into a projecting ice beam, with icicles radiating forward near the hands and backward near the target (very reminiscent of Iceman). These are moulded in translucent light-blue plastic in the more fluid sections, with white paint apps to give the more solid beams a frosted, snowy appearance. Some of the previously mentioned icy weapons are also included with the figure and I'll describe them in the next section. Finally, she can lower the surrounding temperature with her icy breath, creating localised freezing effects such as coating surfaces in frost or trapping targets in ice. To capture this power, a translucent light-blue plug-in icy breath effect piece that fits into the mouth opening of the ice face mask is included.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the pool base, face mask, ice armour parts, icy arms, and ice beam and breath effects, Niväz comes with multiple weapons for both her fluid and icy forms. First up is a splash-shaped light-blue water shield with a squeezable front surface that lets you see some bubbly liquid moving inside. It's essentially a small gel-filled sensory pad with an orange clip on the back that attaches to her wrist, and is intended for her liquid form. For her solid form, we instead get an ice rod that is fictionally capable of extending indefinitely or reshaping itself into an arborescent ice crystal. So, this weapon comes in two translucent white (with a faint blue tint) configurations: a long icicle stick, which Niväz wields with great skill in staff combat, and a mace created by shortening the ice rod and generating 12 protruding spikes arranged in quadruplets across three levels (viewed from above, these branching spikes align with the angles of a dodecagon). Finally, the set includes a snowball, a fun little accessory that fits snuggly in her hand.

Final thoughts

Overall: Niväz turned out to be a pretty solid figure. She’s not necessarily the best KR|EoF prototype of the year or anything like that, but her colour scheme really stands out, especially with the fun colour-change feature. The sculpt is excellent, and she comes packed with a very generous amount of effects and accessories. The design also feels like a thoughtful modern take on vintage characters like MOTU Frosta or ThunderCats Chilla. In sum, she scores highly and is definitely worth adding to my collection

Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ / 5

KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #15: Elibhurn

Toy prototype details

Name: Elibhurn^TM

Subtitle: fearless ligneous knight

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: action figure - Nº 11 in the line.

Character details

Name: Elibhurn

Classification: extradimensional elemental being

Sex: male

Home: Cereutis

Era: 570 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Multiversal Balancers

Rank: knight companion.

Background

First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #1 - The secret origin of chaos

Character summary: the creator of the Time Dice and a selfless fighter, who sacrificed himself in a daring act of heroism during a fierce battle in a mine controlled by the Multiversal Balancers. By trapping a multitude of Bogthropod enemies and setting himself ablaze, he saved his allies, although his brave action led to the collapse of the mineshaft. Despite the great sacrifice, this dramatic turn enabled Silef's forces to loot the precious metal essential for the Multiversal Squires' survival.

Articulation
Standard (new scheme).

Description

Head: similar to a bud with a leathery appearance and a greenish hue that has been given a brown wash. His face, kind of reminiscent of Groot, is characterised by a pair of bulbous black eyes and an overall serious but friendly expression, and is adorned with structures subtly resembling pointy ears and a goatee. However, the head is mostly concealed by a brown removable hood, finished with an off-white binding along its edge; this hood tapers off in a wizard hat-style, ending with a pointed shape reminiscent of a spider plant leaf at the back, and adding an air of mystery to the character

Body: cloaked from neck to toe. His arms are covered by long, wide off-white sleeves, while his hands show a sort of branch-like appearance, with greenish mossy backs and clawed brownish wooden fingers. Compared to the average figure, his arms are slightly longer and his hands are larger. His brownish feet, resembling more plant roots than toes, shyly poke out from under the robe he wears

Wearables: his long habit consists of several pieces, including a sleeveless soft goods robe draping to the ground and made of a coarse, rough off-white fabric (featuring a Velcro strip for easy dressing), as well as a seemingly hooded lamellar scapular designed to be worn over the robe, covering the shoulders. While the former item seamlessly blends in with the sculpted sleeves, the latter appears to be crafted from small rectangular brown leather scales laced into horizontal rows, and bordered with pearlescent white plates—it bears a resemblance to K'Ran's attire, with the addition of a pair of shoulder pads flanking the long central piece that hangs from front, reaching to the knees. Completing the ensemble is an off-white belt made of flexible plastic, designed to resemble a rope-like girdle, which secures the habit around the figure's waist (the scapular should be tied under the belt, but it can also be worn over the belt if preferred). The only issue with his outfit is that the “up” hood (added as a separate piece) and the “down” hood (sculpted on the back of the scapular) were combined into one solution. I'm totally OK with it, since the latter still works as additional folds of a larger hood.

Action feature

In the comics, Elibhurn displays sufficient strength to lift and throw massive wooden beams with ease, and possesses some degree of control over plant life, bending it to his will or accelerating its growth to attack his opponents. Additionally, he can regenerate damaged or severed body parts, as well as produce vine-like projections. To recreate this ability, the figure comes with two arm extensions, which fit onto his hands and resemble long clusters of twisted vines jutting out from his sleeves and ending in large claw-like structures.

Furthermore, by shedding his robe, he can unravel and dramatically expand his body, transforming into a large net made of a straw-like, yet highly resistant material, capable of trapping a large number of enemies. In the figure, this process happens in two separate stages. First, we can display Elibhurn as if he's starting to come apart, to simulate a mid-transformation phase. This is achieved by removing his outfit (belt, scapular and robe) and using an alternative head, a neck extension, a pair of full alternative arms and a torso covering with a pair of attachments. His undressed body shows an overall brownish woody appearance with patches of greenish moss-like wash here and there, a tree trunk-like torso and thighs, and large roots that make up his clawed feet. His alternative arms have translucent green leaves sprouting out of his shoulders, along with nets of twisted greenish-brown vines wrapping around the upper arms. The additional "harness" also looks like twisted vines running across his torso and has two attachments, each made of three large greenish-brown stalks cross-linked by smaller stems, which connect to the back. Furthermore, he "wears" double-layered, scaly brown bark-like wrist and shin guards with pointy flares at the elbows and knees, a brown belt made of carved wood, and a long green grassy/leafy loincloth. Finally, the alternative head, along with its vine cluster-like neck extension, is an unfurled version of the regular head. In this portrait, the bud scales are spread out and partially unravelled, forming a whorl of nets, which surrounds a brownish (with a greenish wash) woody skull with dark empty eye sockets emitting an eerie bright glow, and long teeth that create a menacing grin. This version appears much scarier and less friendly than the standard portrait. Next, to unleash Elibhurn's ability to ensnare his foes in his fully expanded form, there is an included greenish-brown soft rubber capture net, which looks like an arrangement of slender, woody intersecting vines and is seemingly covered with prickles. This great accessory is perfect for capturing multiple KR figures and creating dynamic action scenes. Unfortunately, in the comics, he doesn’t appear to be resistant to fire.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the many accessories that allow Elibhurn to recreate his vine-generation and body-unravelling powers, the figure comes with a cool looking double scythe. This weapon consists of a long, knotty brown wooden pole with two slightly curved silver blades bolted to its ends. In the comics, the blades, which point at opposite directions, have the ability to spread out like fans, transforming the weapon into a double adze with the blades' cutting edges perpendicular to the shaft. This functionality is replicated in the figure with two included fan blades that can replace the folded scythe blades. The great thing is that all four interchangeable blades can be wielded by Elibhurn as either swords or tessen (war fans), since the pegs that normally attach them to the wooden pole serve as convenient handles.

Lastly, two unique extras pay homage to the comic book lore: a nicely sculpted thick-billed raven that can be perched on either of Elibhurn's shoulder pads, and a beautiful black lily that is shown to grow at the location of Elibhurn's noble sacrifice.

Final thoughts

Overall: Elibhurn turned out to be a fun and solid figure to have. It’s not the best Multiversal Balancer figure ever, but it’s still pretty neat. The unique sculpt adds a lot to its appeal, and along with the detailed paintwork, it matches the comic book look well and captures the essence of the character

Rating: ☺☺☺☺ / 5

KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #11: Ramedras

Toy prototype details

Name: Ramedras^TM

Subtitle: unwavering leader after Sumyak

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: action figure - Nº 9 in the line.

Character details

Name: Ramedras

Classification: extradimensional elemental being

Sex: male

Relationships: brother of Thelioke, ancestor of Galamars

Home: Cereutis

Era: 570 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Multiversal Balancers

Rank: grand officer.

Background

First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #1 - The secret origin of chaos

Character summary: the creator of the Matter Prism and the resilient new leader of the Multiversal Knights after Sumyak’s demission. During his harrowing captivity at the hands of the Bogthropods, Ramedras’s fate hung in the balance until a daring group of heroes led by Masq-Lor orchestrated a high-stakes rescue. Freed from his confinement, Ramedras became a vital ally, revealing the grim truth about the Cereutian war's escalation caused by Gladorr and guiding the heroes toward a covert mission to confront Krenodos.

Articulation
Standard (new scheme).

Description

Head: like with Galamars, the most striking feature of this figure is the texture of his skin, which seems to consist of numerous little steel-grey blocks that are carved to represent diamonds. He wears a metallic light-blue helmet equipped with nape- and cheek-pieces as well as an interesting crown of pointed, translucent white quartz-like gems, which gradually increase in length as they converge toward the centre. This helmet evokes the style of those worn by the Multiversal Squires, but it incorporates some distinctive elements such as a half mask with orange glowing eye slits (or possibly goggles), an oval light-blue shining gemstone at the base of the quartzy crown, and two headphone-like pearlescent white side devices that project upwards in the form of angular aerodynamic fins. The helmet is removable, revealing, aside from some engraved lines on the forehead, a striking resemblance between this character and Galamars, which is particularly evident in the presence of a pair of white glowing eyes and a hairless look (although his protruding chin gives the impression of a beard-like structure)

Body: most of the figure's body shows the same diamond-patterned dull metallic skin seen on his head. The only exceptions are his bare, clawed hands and feet, along with his neck and shoulders beneath the armour, which display a kind of techno-organic appearance (i.e., a tangle of metallic muscle fibres, blood vessels and nerves) and impart a peculiar blend of human and unhuman characteristics. Additionally, his left arm wears a light-blue armband equipped with a short spike, while his legs are equipped with metallic light-blue armoured thigh guards with knife sheaths attached on the sides

Wearables: a pearl-white harness with metallic light-blue details, two white bracelets, two white shin guards, a white studded belt and a short tech-looking light-blue loincloth. The harness is characterised by a high neck and a pair of steel-grey rings encircling the armholes, which display indecipherable engravings; the back bears a structure that looks like an aerodynamic motorcyclists backpack, whereas the front presents a six-pointed star-shaped translucent red-orange gemstone (which is reminiscent of the Multiversal Balancers emblem carried by Sumyak) as well as a disc-shaped lenticular sticker that changes colour and pattern as it is viewed from different angles (it is fictionally a kind of visualiser that produces intricate Spirograph-like roulette curves). Each bracer and shin guard shows an armoured, tech-inspired aesthetic, and features a steel-grey ring encircling the cuff/top and displaying the same engravings found on the armholes. The belt sports a V-shaped buckle that looks like some sort of electronic device.

Ramedras's stylised harness; the circle at the centre of the chest piece represents the lenticular disc.

Action feature

In the comics, Ramedras's body is covered by an organic-liquid metal alloy, which grants him several abilities. These include possessing superior strength and high resistance to physical injury as well as the ability to transmute metals by touch, changing one metal into any other. The same liquid metal also constitutes his blood.

Additionally, his skin can become incandescent, allowing him to generate extreme heat, project radiation, and possess powers such as thermokinesis (i.e., the ability to manipulate the temperature in the immediate vicinity) and pyrokinesis (i.e., the ability to generate fierce flames). To be endowed with these powers, he wears armour enhancements such as a chest plate that can shoot powerful light-like and fire-like blasts to blind, burn or even incinerate his foes. In the figure, the light- or fire-blasting chest plate is recreated by replacing the above-mentioned lenticular sticker with a white glow-in-the-dark disc or a fire blast effect, respectively. When Ramedras utilises these thermogenic powers, his skin changes colouration and, similarly to other figures in the various KR lines, this colour change feature can be achieved using warm water or a hairdryer, which will result in his body (and head) turning red-orange.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the various disc-shaped armour attachments, Ramedras comes with a metallic light-blue sceptre featuring a long, straight staff with a white leather strip wrapped around the grip. The top of the pole boasts an elaborate club/mace head, while the opposite end bears a single "stag beetle mandible"-shaped silver blade that resembles the head of a pick hammer. The mace head (which, at its base, carries a plate embossed with a six-pointed star-shaped metallic red-orange symbol) actually doubles as a torch that can be lit using a separate translucent orange flame piece. It's honestly a really neat accessory. The staff can split apart, becoming two separate weapons, perfect for close-quarters combat. Ramedras can store both halves of his staff on his back using two apt clips.

Additionally, we get two silver blades that can be either stowed in the leg sheaths or plugged into the inner sides of the wrist guards and ignited with two translucent orange flame-sleeves. That's a cool little design element that pleasantly surprised me.

Finally, the package includes an outfit item reminiscent of Ramedras's attire during the SpawnCrystals' creation briefly depicted in the KR|Emergence comics. This piece consists of two metallic light-blue armoured shoulder guards, which securely attach at the back via the above-mentioned clips, and a lengthy strip of red-orange cloth with one end draped diagonally from the left spaulder across the back, wrapping the waist to form a short, diagonal-cut skirt, while the other end extends diagonally in front of the torso and passes through the right spaulder. A blocky light-blue belt, adorned with a diamond-shaped white decorative element and a dangling star-shaped quartz jewel, secures the lower part around the waist, while the long end hanging from the back of the right shoulder functions as an asymmetric cape. The item has to be worn over the harness, but the disc needs to be detached first.

Final thoughts

Overall: Ramedras is a fantastic addition to the KR|EoF line, offering a variety of options for displaying him. Even the flame for his staff is a separate piece, allowing you to pose Ramedras with or without his torch lit, which is not something we've seen action figures come with very often. His sculpt is solid, his paint application is clean, and his design is faithful to Galamars's appearance while also incorporating some great new elements. I'm looking forward to seeing other Multiversal Balancers in the line soon

Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ / 5

KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #9: Multiversal Squires

Toy prototype details

Name: Multiversal Squires^TM

Subtitle: crystalline protectors of Cereutis

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: multi-pack (army builder 3-pack) - Nº 2 in the line.

Character details

Name: unknown

Classification: extradimensional elemental being

Sex: masculine or feminine

Home: Cereutis

Era: 570 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Multiversal Balancers

Rank: esquire.

Background

First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #1 - The secret origin of chaos

Character summary: when the Multiversal Balancers saved the multiverse from a trans-universal, potentially annihilation-causing meteoroid, they fortuitously discovered the Faceted Caverns, where an ancient group of warriors, transformed into crystalline beings by nourishing themselves with precious metal from the cavern walls, had been trapped for eons. The Multiversal Knights enlisted these brave rock-like warriors as their squires, who became expertly trained in energy-manipulation combat and skilled in using various pyritizing power weapons. These elite guards defended Cereutis from the menacing Bogthropods and protected the Multiversal Balancers, remaining ever vigilant against dark forces that threatened peace on their world.

Articulation
Standard (new scheme).

Description

The set includes three figures: one female-looking and two male-looking characters.

Heads: mineral-like, differently coloured (orange and light-green for the male-like figures, light-blue for the female-like one) almost opalescent skin. The head of each figure is also characterised by the presence of a pair of white glowing eyes (except for one of the two male figures, who has a cybernetic implant for a left eye), a protruding chin that makes me think of a beard-like structure (yes, even in the female character), and a metallic purple helmet equipped with nape-, cheek- and nose-pieces as well as an interesting crown of pointed, translucent red gems, which gradually increase in length as they converge toward the centre

Bodies: most of each figure's body shows the same coloured skin seen on the head, which is supposedly made out of a mineral material (referred to as topaz at some point in the comics), so their whole body is given strong lines that make it more geometric than organic, and is speckled with a very fine glitter. Additionally, the left arm wears a purple armband equipped with a short spike

Wearables: each figure wears a metallic red armour with purple details, two narrow ribbed red bracelets, two red boots (each with three short spikes protruding from the shin guard), a red studded belt with a round buckle, and a scale armour purple loincloth. I really like the fact that their costume was given translucent coloured mineral encrustations with some glitter sprinkled inside the plastic (I'll get to that in a minute), and is angular and boxy in design. There's even a short, permanently attached blue cape, which is genuinely very, very cool - it is cast in a clear plastic (so you can kind of see through it), but it is finished in a deep blue pearlescent paint that really sells the gem/mineral effect. The armour is characterised by a high neck, a bright white glow-in-the-dark (GITD) triangle on the breastplate, and a pair of shoulder pads covered in translucent purple crystals. There are more crystals coming out of the back (in red, where the cape attaches to the armour) and boot tops (in purple, forming a pair of knee guards), and their forearms-plus-elbow guards are completely made up of the same red crystals as well.

Multiversal Squire's stylised armour.

Action feature

In the comics, the Multiversal Squires can use different kinds of energy manipulation to battle their enemies. They are able to absorb, convert, emit and deflect both mechanical and electromagnetic energy, either for defence (for example to create an invisible shield around their body or an optical effect that gives them a different appearance) or attack (for example to produce shock waves, heat flows, flashes of light and radio interference). To possess this power, they wear armour enhancements such as a chest plate that can project powerful energy blasts to stun or even disintegrate those who confront them. In each figure, the energy-blasting chest plate is recreated using the above-mentioned GITD triangle.

Additionally, when the Squires utilise their energy-controlling powers, their "skin" changes colouration. Similarly to other figures in the various KR lines, this colour change feature can be achieved using warm water or a hairdryer, which will result in the Squires' bodies (and heads) turning brass-yellow.

Weapons and accessories

The Multiversal Squires come equipped with three weapons, each fictionally capable of transmuting enemies into a substance resembling pyrite. First, there is a staff, whose metallic purple shaft is composed of two distinct sections connected by a handle: the lowermost section has an undulating design, while the uppermost one consists of two curved rods that diverge and then converge toward the head. The head features a GITD disc surrounded by a spinning ring of silver blades, while the opposite end of the pole is intersected by a red crystal shard that vaguely resembles the blade of a scythe. Next, there's a shield that complements the sceptre theme, meaning that it is bordered by the same silver blades and hosts two GITD discs on its triangle-shaped metallic purple plate. Lastly, there is a double-handle, metallic purple gun, whose barrel terminates with a large muzzle equipped, again, with a central GITD disc and encircled by a series of silver spinning blades. In each weapon, the silver blades (which rotate for real on the staff and gun) are reminiscent of the "stag beetle mandible"-shaped blades seen on Krenodos's staff.

Final thoughts

Overall: although some may view them as uninspiring characters and question their existence in the first place, I personally find the Multiversal Squires' colourful presence to be a unique and welcome addition to the KR|EoF lineup. Moreover, the three-pack format, in my opinion, adds to their charm. While not everyone may share my enthusiasm, I'm glad to have them and look forward to more interesting prototypes in the coming months

Rating: ☺☺☺ / 5

KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #1: Sumyak

Welcome back, friends! As we approach the end of the first month of the new year, let me extend a belated but heartfelt happy 2023 to all of you!!

I'm excited to kick off this year's posts with a revolutionary new line in the world of Key Raiders - the Key Raiders: Echoes of Future series (stylised as KR|Echoes of Future). This rebootquel series is unlike anything we've seen before, as it takes us on a journey through multiple timelines and realities, exploring both the backstory and the aftermath of the events from the previous storylines.

The upcoming reviews will showcase the latest prototypes developed for this series, so stay tuned for exclusive updates!

Premise

The KR|Echoes of Future storyline picks up at the point where the final KR|Emergence comic book issue The war of all against all: Part II – Rise ended. It briefly follows Khronodon^TM's journey after he vanished by using his ability to jump through time during a fight with his rival and former fellow sorcerer Ophidok^TM. Using the great power of the Antikythron^TM-like mechanism that he had created, Khronodon was determined to change the course of history by becoming a powerful warlord and conqueror. To accomplish his mission, Khronodon acquired the powers locked beyond the multiversal walls, and travelled to the past and future of Tahron, making strategic moves to secure his position as the ultimate ruler. However, as Khronodon used all his resources and technology to rule as many timelines as possible, he began to confront multiple versions of himself, each with their own agendas.

As Khronodon's quest for power became increasingly desperate, he realised that the only way to achieve his goal was to eliminate all of his alternate versions [the SpawnCrystals discovered by Al-Mih-Tek belonged to one of those variants]. In a final showdown, Khronodon destroyed all of his other selves, but in the process, he damaged his apparatus and ended up stranded in a frozen, inhospitable world, unable to return to his original time. He survived alone for decades before dying of exposure during a brutal cold wave, ultimately failing to change the course of history.

Centuries later, in a timeline where peace and equality between mammalians and reptilians dominated history, and technology developed uninterrupted, scientists discovered Khronodon's well-preserved, mummified body in a warm Antarctica. Thanks to his suit of armour, which contained part of a mysterious device and plans for its operation, the scientists concluded that the prehistoric creature had been an ancient reptilian time traveller, and successfully reverse-engineered the apparatus [their version looks like a combination of the Stargate and Contact portal devices]. Using this technology, a team of rogue reptilian army officers sent a soldier named Gladorr^TM on a new history-changing mission, with the goal of achieving what Khronodon failed to do, even if he would have to face the same challenges. The officials questioned the possibility of creating a reptilian-dominated timeline that had never existed and weighed the potential benefits and risks, including the possibility of wiping out their own existence. Despite this, they proceeded with the mission as the officers were willing to recklessly accept the consequences.

Toy prototype details

Name: Sumyak^TM

Subtitle: visionary leader of the Multiversal Knights

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: action figure - Nº 1 in the line.

Character details

Name: Sumyak

Classification: extradimensional elemental being
Sex: masculine

Home: Cereutis

Era: 570 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Multiversal Balancers

Rank: grand commander.

Background

First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #1 - The secret origin of chaos

Character summary: the Cereutian leader of the Multiversal Knights who, after an ecological collapse on Earth, created the Energy Rod to restore the planet's biological evolution, but ultimately failed to stop Silef, an ex-member of the Interspecific Commission, from starting a war with his former compeers.

Articulation

Standard (new scheme).

Description

Head: generally human looking, made of a dull dark-grey rocky material carved with various elaborate glyphs, two very small horns on his bald scalp, a pair of subtly pointed ears, and a pair of solid blue eyes

Body: his almost entirely naked body is a brand new sculpt characterised by broader torso, waste and hips pieces compared to the standard KR figure (looks like he developed a slightly prominent beer belly... he'd better cut back and slim down!) His thick, dull dark-grey rocky hide is carved with various elaborate cuneiform-like patterns, each having a specific story

Wearables: a shoulder/chest armour (with the Multiversal Balancers emblem, i.e., a hexagonal tiling consisting of six hexagons arranged vertex-to-vertex to circumscribe a six-pointed star, engraved on the front), two bracelets, a belt, and a loincloth. All these items are dark-grey with a chalky texture, except for the loincloth, which looks like a craggy covering of irregular rocky plates with a slight sheen.

Sumyak's stylised shoulder/chest armour.

Action feature

In the comics, Sumyak is a golem possessing a body made of a durable earth-like material similar to hardened (yet flexible) mud, which grants him protection against nearly all forms of physical harm and gives him a rock-like appearance. His mineral state also grants him manipulation of earth and rock, an extremely prolonged lifespan as well as the ability to transform his body at will. In combat, this ability enables him to absorb most blows with little to no ill effect other than quickly reforming himself, and to mould his arms and hands into impact weapons for battling his enemies. So, the figure comes with two wonderfully sculpted overlay pieces with a muddy, dripping look, which attach to the wrist joints to transform his lower arms into a massive fist and a spiked club.

Additionally, Sumyak can suddenly turn himself into a landslide, which allows him to move great distances and to crush his enemies. To mimic this ability, the figure includes an alternative torso that connects to the regular head, arms and lower body. This part looks very similar to the standard upper body, but has a muddier, dripping appearance and has neither any articulation nor separate armour - everything is sculpted in (almost) one piece. The cool thing is that if you push down on a lever in back, the front part comprising the chest and abdomen will pop open and a number of pebbles will fly out. This thing is no joke, it shoots the stones fast and far! To reload, it's necessary to replace the ten cobbles in his chest cavity and close the chest flap.

Weapons and accessories
Apart from the alternate lower arms and torso pieces, Sumyak comes with a halberd-like weapon in the form of a combined adze, spear and kama. This weapon was also included in the Enmity Expansion Kit for Tahron, but here it is coated with a thick, chalky dark-grey paint that makes it look like it's made of stone. I think the comic book version had an axe blade instead of an adze, but I don't mind this difference.

Update: the figure will also feature a new, one-piece rendition of the energy stone, an accessory that was not included with the stand accompanying Khronodon.

Final thoughts

Overall: when I set out to open this figure and write this review, I had high expectations for its quality and design. I am happy to say that I am not disappointed with Sumyak. The figure itself looks formidable (imagine a combination of the fierce, scarred look of Drax the Destroyer and the imposing, rugged appearance of The Thing or Korg) and displays beautifully with the extended arm pieces on. While the overall design of the alternate torso with permanently attached armour may not be the strongest aspect of the figure, the gimmick of generating a landslide more than makes up for it. I am also glad that an articulated torso is included, providing even more display options for the figure. I believe he will look even better when I have his fellow Cereutian heroes to display with him, but for the moment I am extremely satisfied with having Sumyak as the sole Multiversal Balancer in my collection

Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ / 5