For those of us waiting on pins and needles in anticipation for DC Universe Classics, there was one figure that was teasing us before all of the rest were revealed.
Yep, in the frenzy leading up the yet-unnamed DCUC line, Mattel began to drop some hints of what was coming our way. Most memorable was the mysterious black outline of an upcoming character that was coming soon from Mattel. This was all done in the weeks leading up to SDCC 2007, and thinking back on it now, it was a pretty cool time. I had been personally waiting on the DC equivalent of Marvel Legends (DC has always been my #1), and Mattel was making a big step in starting to cater directly to a collector audience.
So, any DC worth his salt knew right away that the shadowy figure was obviously Red Tornado. We all knew it. Even if we were not 1000% sure it was him, it was what we were banking our DC dreams on. Really, this was the one of the few figures from the first series that could be teased for this line. See, Penguin, Etrigan, Batman or even Metamorpho could be construed as a continuation of the DC Superheroes line. However, the not-so-subtle hint at Red Tornado made it obvious, the rest of the DC Universe was coming to our toy shelves soon. The little matter of the non-gloved arms thew about a little big of confusion, but more on that later.
Vital Statistics
Figure: Red Tornado
Company: Mattel
Design: Four Horsemen Studios
Order: DC Universe Classics Series 1, Figure 5
Release: 2007 (December)
Collect & Connect Piece: LEFT LEG of Rex Mason (Metamorpho)
Accessories: Tornado Effect
Scale: 1:12
MSRP: $9.99
Variant: Modern (Not Released)
Articulation
- Ball-Joint Head
- Neck Peg
- Ball-Joint Shoulder (x2)
- Biceps Swivel (x2)
- Elbow Hinge (x2)
- Wrist Twist (x2)
- Abdominal Hinge
- Waist Twist
- Hip Hinge (x2)
- Hip Cut (x2)
- Thigh Swivel (x2)
- Knee Hinge (x2)
- Ankle Hinge (x2)
TOTAL: 22 Points of Articulation
Background Information
Red Tornado was another character that carried the Super Powers cred with him right from the get-go. That being said, he is not a preeminent A-list character, so it was not like we were getting Wonder Woman in the same series as Batman. So, the expansion of the DC Universe was a promising thing, and Red Tornado helped set the stage for characters that did not always get their day in the sun. Frankly, he was a member of the Satellite JLA, and that was a HUGE deal to me, no matter any other affiliation he had.
One of the big things about this figure is that, the teaser image, and even some early promotion had a modern, gloveless variant up as an eventual offering. It made sense, it was the current looking having his day in the sun in the Brad Meltzer JLA book. However, being the fans that we are, we wanted to make sure that our classic version of RT was readily available, so it was set to be the standard version. However, that modern variant was not released in that first series, and then it kind of became a thing of mystery. Mattel stated multiple times that they were looking for a spot to release him later on, but that figure never saw the light of day and landed in the dustbin of toy history. Thus, variants did not come to DCUC until the second series.
After Words
When I sat in that meeting room in the San Diego Convention Center and saw this series unveiled for the first time, I was completely ecstatic. Even though it wasn’t a series made up of all of my favorite character, I knew that big things were coming, and that this inaugural series was formulated pretty perfectly, and offered something for just about every DC fan. Red Tornado brought a lot of important credibility with him, especially for the toy lines and JLA rosters he has been a part of, but he really gave way those second tier characters that I was most excited for.
The early JLA display was something special and pretty weird. We had Superman from DC Superheroes and now Batman and Red Tornado joined him with DCUC series 1. It was just an exciting and promising time, but we had not really seen anything yet.
Be back next week when we head into Collect & Connect country.
Additional Links
Crimson cyclone! Huh? Lol,jk-I got alternative synonym appellation jokes! VeeBee is DC? Really, who knew?! 😉 “The DCWho’s who,” that’s who. Nyuk-nyuk. Well,I give credit where credit is due. Detective Comics’ contribution to the genre was creating it with “big blue”. Much respect!
Additionally I see the two major publishing entrainment houses as twin siblings. Big brother-or sister, no sexism here, just happens to be Dc born a few seconds before Marvel. I take no sides. I love then Both. That is, I take sides with DC. I take sides with Marvel. Its all good. To me, imho, its like saying one loves one of their limbs or children better than the rest. I’m left handed, but I don’t love righty any less because of that fact.
Which leads to the following;I am a DC fan from the beginning. When the ignorance of bliss birthed my five year old imagination, it was the Superfriends, Spider-Man and his amazing friends that became my “gateway drug”of choice into a world of worlds,a Multiverse even, that is comic books and toys. I was too young to know anything of any difference from a Marvel,a Fawcett, a Timely, or a Dc or even what they were. My illumination in the form of edutainment followed shortly in my teens. Capt.Marvel had gone missing and I loved Billy Batson and Black Adam. Now at 8-10 years old I’d already worked the contrast between DC and his lil’ brother Marv El. But my next lesson in comics was on separating the boys from the men, literally! Copyright law, intellectual properties, litigation, doing what supervillains, and no other magic words could do.SHAZAM! LOL.
Defeating and tying up and holding my Capt in limbo that is. Can’t we all just get along?
It is ALL good! Claremont, Jack Kirby and others worked for both companies and in many cases cloned?..stole..? copied?…borrowed?..enhanced?..each others characters and ideas. Tropes. Nothing as Dynamically Captivating Marvelous as a trope! Hawkeye is Green Arrow, the Sh’iar imperial guard is the Legion of superheroes, Kree Capt Marvel#1 is Capt.Marvel, lol, Ms.Marvel#1 is Wonder Woman(Diana), Nova is GL, the New Gods are the Eternals, the Vision is a mix of The Martian Manhunter and The RED TORNADO. What?! Took me a while but I got there. We all know this. I’m just saying it. The thing I like most about DCUC is being able to put the heroes and villains of the two brother/sister twin-houses posed together on my shelf.
Orion and Antman-think about it. Oliver and Clint, Cap and Guardian–two of Kirby’s, again, think about it!–Black Canary and Mockingbird(I know she hasn’t got a 6″figure…yet.) Solomon Grundy and Grey Hulk, Hawkman and Angel, Dr.Strange and Dr.Fate, Red Tornado holding it down with Vision, Storm, and Thor!
Please excuse me for the longwinded(pun) fanboy gushing logic and overblown explanatory commentary.
I was trying to be positive about the classic Reddy figure we got, and not RANT about the missing awesome variant we were promised!
LOVE the figure.
LOVE the review,VeeBee!