There are so many great characters in the DC Universe Classics collection that it is sometimes difficult to name favorites. While this isn’t my all time favorite figure, I do love the Collect N Connect figure from Series 4 Despero.
Despero is one of those fun characters in the DC Universe that’s undergone some different transformations, my recent favorite was from the JLA/JSA crossover. Brilliant little book and a great characterization of Despero. His appearnce has changed from his first appearance way back when in Just League of America number in 1960. He’s hulked out a bit and gotten a hell of a lot more lethal.
Mattel’s Despero captures a hulked out version of Despero in a costume that did appear in the comics, but isn’t his current iconic look, which is either naked, or with pants and blue cape. Luckily the chest armor can be removed and Etrigan’s cape can be added with little effort giving you that iconic current look.
The sculpt (before I got sidetracked) is amazing, this is a great big mound of plastic and looks great on the villain shelf. There’s tons of muscles too oogle at, if you are into oogling, and the scale makes him an impressive villain for the JLA or JSA to line up against. I’m particularly fond of the head sculpt, there’s a ton of great detail in the face and he looks all alien-y and villain-y.
There’s a ton of great articulation packed into this large beast. Specially the fully functioning ab-crunch. I’m a sucker for ab-crunches and when a design studio like the Four Horsemen can make it function with a full range of motion and look good on large sized figures, then that is an automatic win for me. There’s a great range of motion and the sculpt is never interrupted by an obnoxious joint.
Despero comes with 2 accessories, a big ass laser rifle and a hand gun. The laser rifle fits onto the back of chest strap and the hand gun has a holster. Both are great attachments for the figure but don’t really fit for a character with his mental powers and physical enhancements. Both are great sculpts, but the rifle will cause you fits as it is prone to warping.
You need Despero. He’s a must have for any DC collection, he’s, in my opinion, a grade A villain for any collection and the sculpt is amazing. One of the best sculpts out there. A really beautiful and catching action figure for your collection.
You can still pick him up at:
