The Avengers: Once an Invader
Hasbro continues their controversial line of 5" action
figures with a new line based on the exciting Once an
Invader storyline! First wave includes:
Captain America
Blazing Skull
Spitfire
Union Jack
Dave Harris
[email protected]
www.freewebs.com/customsbydave
Recipes:
Captain America: I’d wanted to make Cap because I’d
been playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Originally,
I’d intended to make Ultimate Cap, because he was the
default in the videogame. But I’d been reading
Avengers for a while recently, plus the Winter Soldier
storyline, and thought, “Hell, this guy’s way better!
I mean chainmail, buccaneer boots, head wings. Plus,
he’s got pouches!” I was reading comics in the 90s,
so I’m all about pouches and straps. Plus, Ken’s Cap
custom is awesome, so I thought; I’ll just totally rip
it off! Cap uses the chest from and glove bits from
Jack O’Lantern, a stomach and legs from Hercules
Iolas, arms and hands from Havok, head from Black
Bolt, and wings and shield from Captain America. The
belt is a great piece from some cheap police figures I
found in Menorca! A most fortuitous find! I love how
he turned out, though I’m not sure whether I should
paint the shield. Erm, cheers for the inspiration
Ken!
Union Jack: I thought, being English, I can’t make a
figure of Captain America without a British
equivalent. Again, Ken had made a great Union Jack,
so I swooped in to steal, I mean, take inspiration
from it! I chose Union Jack from “Once an Invader”
because I’d only seen the character in that story and
Midnight Sons Unlimited, and I preferred the more
modern look. Pouches and straps you see. Union Jack
was made from a Prowler head and torso, Hercules Iolas
arms, Hercules hands, Impulse wrist thingies and Peter
Parker legs. The straps, pouches, gun and boots are
from cheap military figures, and the knife is
Playmobil! My future mother in law gave me, like,
five little knives! Awesome. The kneepads are
Citadel miniature shields. I like how he turned out,
but I’m not too happy with the paint, it looks a bit
sloppy. Plus, I didn’t paint the flag on the back, I
had enough trouble painting around all the crap on the
front! Once more, cheers Ken!
Spitfire: I hadn’t intended to do a Once an Invader
theme, I just decided on a whim, when I realised how
soon the deadline was! I wasn’t keen on this outfit,
but it grew on me. Still it looks more dated than her
classic look I feel. I am pleased to say that Jackie
just came together from pieces I already had lying
around – the legs are from Viper, the torso, arms,
head and top of the jacket from one of those classics
Rogue figures, the hands came from Jill Valentine,
front two pouches are from cheap military figures and
the lower part of the coat, the gun and the holster
are Chap Mei. I like how she turned out, considering
I just made it up as I went along. My main criticism
is the head. I hate that anime styled head, it
doesn’t fit in with anything, but I thought, I’ve got
a couple to use up, and you won’t be able to see the
eyes so it’ll be ok. It’s too round. And big. It’s
okay for younger characters I guess. Also, I cut the
jacket badly on one side, but I think the holster
helps conceal it. She does have a holster on each
side of this costume, but they’re smaller, and if I’d
made them in scale, I can’t imagine they would have
been functional!
Blazing Skull: Unsurprisingly, massive Ghost Rider
fan that I am, I had intended to make Blazing Skull
for some time, but I was going to use the classic
design, which features in Midnight Sons Unlimited, the
only other place I’ve seen the character. The body is
Dormammu, the head is Ghost Rider and the hands are
from Peter Parker. He’s my least favourite of the
four. I don’t like the chest symbol, and he looks too
short and stocky. And not kerrazy enough. Plus, the
chainmail on the gloves doesn’t really work, because
it stops at the hands so I don’t obliterate the
fingers. He’ll do. I suppose. Sigh. I see that
Adam has beaten me to it with his Blazing Skull!
Drat! Thanks for reading!