It no longer matters how you felt before. Your thoughts no longer count. Everything before this moment is irrelevant. Well, that’s how I feel anyway. The moment that long awaited parcel arrives on your porch, the world stops for a teensy second or two. And with that moment a wave of emotions crush you. Your mind takes you back to the very first time you saw a hint at ThunderCats in this shape. It takes you through the emotional journey of its cancellation and heroic resurrection. It takes you past the delays and past the negativity you had to deal with along the way. It takes you to that moment when you realized that this is a very real thing. ThunderCats is here and it’s going to continue rocking your world, one way or another.
Of course, living on the other side of the world doesn’t really help much when it comes to the delays shipping causes. It’s part of the game. This is the way. And it is worth it. It makes receiving new product extra sweet. A little indulging, if you may.
Today is a double whammy. Super7 has gone all out in giving us the most perfect combo. You don’t have a BigMac without fries, right? That’s the story of Mandora and her Electro-Charger. They are the KnightRider to the, ok, I’ll stop. You know what I’m saying here. A match made in, uhm, outer space. Personally I believe that releasing Mandora and her space bike at the same time, and not part of a wave of 4, was the right choice. Price wise I am sure others would concur. It’s not that it’s not worth the price. Trust me, it is. It’s just a better call to release these two together who happen to go together like chalk and cheese. This was the best decision by far.
Now back when Wave 5 was advertised, there was ever so much of a hint of the background that was eventually used for Mandora’s solicitations. It is possible that she was meant to be in that wave, and that the delays of Wave 5 at the time had something to do with her or her bike. Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter. They followed a few months later and delighted many a fan of the show. Both would have their first ever debut in plastic. And what a debut it is.
Mandora is not just another female figure, she is the bad-ass gal we’ve grown up with, the no-nonsense go-getter who will write you a ticket for the tiniest indiscretion… The law is the law. So first thoughts? Of course, she looks like she stepped out of the toon. There’s no denying her posture and color scheme. Even her different head sculpts speak Mandora. The various hand poses do too. Not to mention the stunning selection of accessories. Who knew a boomerang could be so sexy, stylish and wickedly cool at the same time. That effect piece, mid-air rotating flash, which elongates at the one end of it is beyond impressive. I love effects. And that one really just works brilliantly.
I am pleased that Super7 fixed the color of the weapon-holder on her thigh. To be honest, I actually didn’t even see that it was the wrong color. I instantly picked up on it when I first saw her in the packaging a few weeks back. Upon further research I learnt that this was in fact how it was meant to be. In the past the voices would drown out those still excited about new reveals with comments on how this and that was wrong. Look don’t misunderstand me, if something can be fixed, why not? I don’t even recall seeing anyone saying that it was wrong either. I am pleased and excited that it was caught and rectified. This shows a lot about the care Super7 has for the line.
So here’s my thoughts on the glued down shoulder-pad-vest thingie. Mandora has two distinctive looks in the show. And in the episode she meets our heroes, she sparkles on her bike with a mostly black outfit. If you look underneath the glued down pad, you may notice that the body underneath it resembles it. Now was it glued down because it wouldn’t sit properly? Is the body underneath designed in such a way that we may get a variant of her down the line. Go look a bit more closely at the “mostly black” Mandora. There are other differences too. Small, but they’re there. The bottom line is, while I would’ve liked this to be an option, I am not even a bit upset about it. This is how I bet 99% of us would be displaying Mandora anyway. This is her more popular costume. And that is what getting a character in this line is all about. It should reflect what we are most familiar with.
Once the first photos of her in hand hit the mobile screens and pc monitors around the globe, there was a bit of concern that her skin may be way too plastic and milk-like. April from TMNT U! has that glossy plastic that perhaps could’ve done with a bit of paint or a darker tone of plastic. Because ThunderCats has several human-like characters, it has always been a worry to some. You really don’t have to. She looks really good. There seems to be the smallest bit of shading on her face. But I understand why it looks like that. The chin reflects light a lot more because of its shape, and that in itself may be what has had people concerned. Her arm that is flesh colored on the other hand, really looks good. There’s no need to cancel your preorders boys and girls.
Mandora’s badge and cuffs are probably some of the best tiny accessories I’ve ever seen. Back to TMNT U!, April had a communicator with Donnie’s face on it. It was a fun homage to the toon and he actually looked like those old popsicle’s right? But Mandora’s badge takes it to another level. This is the smallest detail I have ever seen on an action figure. And it is fantastic. However they did it, they have to be commended for it. Now I was wondering how the criminals would be cuffed, and was curious to see if they would be open-able. Then I realized the hands of the figures pull out, so it’s quite easy to cuff them. If cuffing them isn’t embarrassing enough, Mandora has to “un-hand” them… I’m sure she said somewhere in the toon “unhand me”. She got her revenge in toy form!
The head portraits are all fun. I like that she has windswept hair, as well as different visors. The one with the growling head is a true Super7 action-style pose. I prefer the one she comes with, or the wind swept hair, I will still decide. She looks fantastic nonetheless. Pursed lips. And a nose that you can see underneath the shiny helmet. I secretly wished that we’d see her with a face. Like I wished Super7 did with that other TMNT hockey-mask guy… It is not to be.
Then we get to her vehicle. Now this is going to blow you away. Yes, it does seat two figures. And I wonder if one can squeeze Snarf in there too like in that one episode. Wilykit fits in snug behind Lion-O. Snarf may be a bit on the wide side… But wait, I’m getting away from the point I’m trying to make. If you’re impressed with her bike seating two, can you imagine how the 6 seated figures will appear in the ThunderTank. If this is anything to go by, that is going to be a big treat.
I’ll throw this in here before I get to the good stuff. My biggest wish: having had the tail light and head lights actually light up. I’m sure somebody somewhere will customize theirs. That would’ve really pushed it over the edge, but I also understand why they can’t do things like that. Electronics in a toy changes the whole ballgame. We’ve had that discussion before about Lion-O’s LJN counterpart and our communal wish for light up eyes. This bike is, still, very welcome on my shelf.
The clear stand is also most welcome, because I can pose here mid-flight and add some charm to my display. Who will be riding behind her? Time will tell. I hope we get lots more criminals from Super7 for her to arrest.
The aerial is something you have to plug in, as that, and the soap gun, and the two magnetized panels, come packaged in a lower tray beneath the main one. I have to say that you shouldn’t be concerned in the slightest about the packaging and that your pricey bike may get damaged. The tray is so well put together with the least obscuring of the bike itself so MIB collectors will be happy too.
The magnetized panels I mentioned just now is a brilliant addition. I was wondering how these would be. But magnetizing them? Clever! The storage compartments in the back and front is a great place to store the unused one. And the gun. And her other extras if you wish. Just watch out for the back one as stuff can fall through the wheels.
Talking about the wheels, they work, they rotate, they have a great groove on them, and they detract and push back without too much hassle. The wheels are actually made out of some soft rubber, so they feel legit. Don’t fret if you can’t get the back wheel out. For those with thick fingers like me, the back wheel can be pushed out by lifting up the back flap / storage door. This was done very cleverly. Kudos to the design team on taking something from the show and turning it from 2D to 3D. Who would ever have thought that we would get an actual Mandora figure?!?!?!
Something to point out – the exhaust pipes are all darkened up at the edges to make it look like this bike has seen some use. Wow, I never would have thought of that. You can see that Super7 is having a lot of fun now with this line. And sure these have been in production for a while now, but whatever they discussed around the table back in the day must have been an amusing conversation.
The body of the bike has a nice sheen to it. It feels and looks the way you’d expect it to. It balances with the wheels out, with the little flip stand beneath it and the actual stand. I am surprised at how light the bike is. Yet it feels so sturdy. I am confident that Super7 can give us way more vehicles in this scale. Give us the … and the … and the ….! Yes I know these fields are blank. But there are so many out there and I don’t want to wish one before the other. I am sure we can get to them all. They have proven to be craftsmen who can deliver. I simply cannot wait to see what they’re going to come up with next.
I will end with these two words: Cats Lair. Please can we have a Cats Lair.
This product was provided by Super7 for review purposes.