The biggest ULTIMATES! action figure from Super7 arrives in the form of the armored transformed Mon*Star and this was a fun topic to discuss with ToyBro as we look at SilverHawks ULTIMATES! Wave 1!
WWMTC: This really has to be the most exciting time for collectors because of what this figure brings to your shelf. This bad guy is huge!! What were your thoughts when you first opened him up?
TB: It’s all about the size with this guy. It’s really hard to convey just how big he is, you just have to see it in hand to understand that this guy is truly massive.
WWMTC: He towers over Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living, and the Zord from MMPR Wave 1. Do you think he is justifiably big?
TB: Absolutely, Mon*Star was HUGE in the show when he transformed so I’m quite happy with how big this figure is.
WWMTC: While some collectors prefer his standard look, this armored Mon*Star is really impressive. Did they capture his cartoon look accurately?
TB: I do have some concerns about his look but overwhelmingly I think they got it. I’m mostly hung up on the yellow rings on his head, I know they’re not exactly the same color as his face in the show, but I don’t think they should be this yellow. There is art out there of them looking like this, however.
WWMTC: Let’s talk about his two heads. One is a more plain one while the other has the laser star effect. Which head do you prefer and explain how the laser star effect works? Is it a separate piece of clear plastic?
TB: I really like them both, they achieve different looks, so it all comes down to preference here. I’ll probably stick with the standard head, but the alt head with the laser star effect is also really cool. It’s basically just missing the left eye and you slot the effect into his eye socket, works really well.
WWMTC: We have our third Sky-Shadow of the line, and this is the proper one that we know and love. Is he articulated at all? Which of the three would you now say you prefer?
TB: His wings swivel a little bit, nothing crazy though. He does, however, look the best of the bunch and is easily my favorite of the three.
WWMTC: Mon*Star also has some elbow laser effects and boosters. Which of the two is your preference for display and why?
TB: Honestly, probably none of them. This mostly comes down to the fact that they’re just kind of goofy and awkward to use in large part due to how limited his elbow range is. They’re useful for photos I’m sure, but I don’t think they’ll ever see use on my shelf.
WWMTC: He has his blaster rifle and this thing must therefore be huge to scale properly with the figure, right? What is the paint like on this weapon?
TB: Paint on mine is pretty solid, and there’s actually quite a bit on it. I’m hoping this is hinting at Sky Runner coming, but the gun itself is pretty wild. It is absolutely massive too, almost as tall as Mon*Star. He is again due to elbow range going to have some difficulties posing with it.
WWMTC: He has 5 sets of hands in total, and there are hands suitable for holding his blaster rifle, and then of course we have his humongous fists. Which of these pairs will you be using on your Mon*Star?
TB: I very well may be using the most open set of hands and plop him down in that throne. It doesn’t make for the most dynamic look but its hard to deny how cool he looks in there.
WWMTC: Tell us about his overall paint. Is he shiny or metal-looking? Does he have any shading on him?
TB: He’s more in line with the other villains so far, which is to say he’s matte. I’m not too bothered by this with him specifically, for some reason I feel like this fits him a lot better than fully matte finishes would on the Hawks themselves. And the variations on the red/orange colors throughout the torso help to break up the sculpt really well also. Granted, it would have been cool to see him fully metallic.
WWMTC: Since he is so huge, it is a worry to some that his articulation may be limited. Is this the case?
TB: In a few areas it definitely is. Head, shoulders, elbows, torso are all limited here. We once again have a diaphragm cut that does nothing but rotate. I keep harping on this but if I have one major gripe with these figures it’s the insistence on giving figures 2 swivels on the torso when 1 would do the exact same thing.
WWMTC: Time to pick your favorite version of Mon*Star now that you have both. Which one will it be, and why?
TB: It’s always this version of Mon*Star, for no other reason than how cool he looks.
WWMTC: Shall we hold open the door for the incoming lady of the line next?
TB: Absolutely, knocking out the core 4 adult Hawks finally.
