Super7 ThunderCats Ultimates

This online seller is the one who put up the pics, here is Safari Joe and Mule:

https://ecuacollections.com/preventa-ultimates-thundercats-wave-12-safari-joe

Cruncher:

https://ecuacollections.com/preventa-ultimates-thundercats-wave-12-cruncher

Nayda:

https://ecuacollections.com/preventa-ultimates-thundercats-wave-12-nayda

Overall another really good lookng wave of figures.   Nice to see Nayda to go along with Willa and Cruncher to continue filling out the ranks of the Berserkers.   

However the star of this wave has to be Safari Joe.   I know there is some concern about his look and the historical connotations surrounding that, but he is a highly desired character to get a figure in Ultimates.   I also like that they included Mule with him rather than trying to make him a separate release.   Not great about the price increase because of it, but that is to be expected.

Wow, a whole wave of just supporting characters? I like the idea of universe building, but most of these are Google-worth obscure for me. I doubt I'll order any, though since I have Willa, I might cave on Nayda. I have no other Berserkers, and am not interested in Safari Joe.

These are good character choices, I think.  Third string to be sure, but mostly all pretty memorable (sorry, Mule).  It's also interesting to see that they're continuing the strategy of basing the size of a wave on total cost rather than a specific number of units; it seems an oversized figure and a 1-1/2 pack edged out a 4th character for this wave.

Still, I'm just watching from the sidelines on this line now.  Until we see a season 1 Hammerhand, my Thundercats shelves are full.  Have to save some space for the Silverhawk and Tigershark characters on my list, right?

Wave 12 is a little underwhelming in that it is 3 figures instead of 4 and includes Nayda which is just Willa with a different hairstyle and skirt, and has Safari Joe which is by far my least favorite Thundercats character.

In fact, Safari Joe will be the first non-repaint release that I skip in this line.   I just have no need for a dude in his Boy Scout Troop Leader outfit on my Thundercats shelf.   For the same reason I couldn't bring myself to order Stargazer in Silverhawks I can't do it with this guy -  these figures occupy a fantasy/sci fi display and dudes wearing outfits I could see in line at Safeway doesn't work for me for that.   S

That being said I think Cruncher turned out amazing and I may order two of him.    I love what they did with that sculpt.

Just happy for more news and news and new Thundercats to look forward too.

So, if I'm doing the math conversion right - and assuming Nayda is a normal $55 figure, then Cruncher should be about $75 and Safari Joe should be $65?   It's weird because the "precio antigua" number that is lined out for both Joe and Nayda is $100 in whatever currency the site is using but then Nayda is down to $75.     I guess we'll see the American prices soon enough.

Wave 12 figures look decent as far as looks, but I guess they are just renders.  I can't say this selection is anything I've been eagerly awaiting.  I will still get them as they will fill my Thundercats more and I don't really have much in terms of collectibles I'm looking to pick up this year.

I would have preferred that they worked on finishing the Lunataks.  Now that we have two berserkers hopefully the Lunataks and Berserkers can finish before the line finishes.

I feel like this is the line coming towards the end.  There aren't a ton of major characters left, but there are some cool ones I'd like to still see if possible.  I wonder how well this wave will sell with no big name characters.  I know some fans have been waiting for Safari Joe, so maybe some interest will be there. 

Who knows what will happen.  It's possible with the deluxe line by reusing molds will help sustain the line longer.

So -  I think there are some things they can do.   Obviously refreshing "main" characters in the Deluxe line at retail is one way to keep people interested.   

Another way is to do more of the de-aged cats...   I know at least Panthro and Cheetara were de-aged too in addition to Lion-O

Another way to go would be to expand with modifications to main characters...  I don't know how much leeway they have  -  or how interested fans might be -  but they could borrow ideas from the later version of the property while still using the aesthetic from the original toon  and release Panthro with a cybernetic arm, or Cheetara with a halter top and pants... that last bit seems less likely though.

What an unexpected wave, but I dig it.  Fingers crossed we can finish the Lunataks and the Berzerkers.

Yeah,  I agree, I'm not a fan of unfinished teams so the other Berserkers and Lunataks are needed.

Two more Berserkers -   though I hope they don't try to replicate their stupid toy gimmicks - I don't need a spinning top or a figure that converts to a motorcycle thing... just make them look like this:

And it's just two more Lunataks too...   Red Eye and Tug Mug.    If they can find some heroic figures to mix in with them that's like two waves -  right.   

Battle Armor Panthro? (Kid Panthro?), Tuska Warrior, Red Eye, Top Spinner  -   Wave 13?

Kid Cheetara, Mumm Rana? , Tug Mug, Ram Bam     -  Wave 14

I don't know... the pickings are in fact getting a little slim if they don't find ways to refresh the core cast.  

@panthercult Have they done any toy gimmicks to match the original figures in Ultimates yet?   I don't remember seeing anything, but I am not sure.

As for the line feeling like is coming to an end as @quietclaws mentioned.   I think the new deluxe offering at retail is a sign that they are going to be able supplement the funding of the made to order Ultimates as long as they can keep selling redo figures at retail (and supposedly larger production runs).   So I think we'll see more waves for a couple more years (hopefully).   And hopefully the main characters can get done in deluxe, which will hopefully leave more spots open for lesser known/never done characters in the Ultimates line.

Posted by: @canprime

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@panthercult Have they done any toy gimmicks to match the original figures in Ultimates yet?   I don't remember seeing anything, but I am not sure.

I don't think Super7 has,  but I also don't think they have run into a ton of characters that came with gimmicks. 

I know Mattel didn't do gimmicks in  MOTU Classics.   Like Dragstor had a sculpted on tire as a nod to his original toy, but it didn't move and wasn't functional.   Similarly, Rotar and Twistoid came with swappable bottom halfs that looked like their spinnable top gimmick but didn't actually spin.   Mekanek and Rattlor had swappable long neck pieces you could put in instead of a built in "action feature"   

So, I would hope they would do it like that and have a sculpted nod to the action feature without trying to replicate the actual action features.

I don't know how the specific licensing would work out, but there have been a few comic book series set after the end of the show which featured some of the TCats and their villains in different looks...Lion-O spent years in the Book of Omens and comes out with a black costume, the Kittens grew up to be young adults, things like that. Maybe they could introduce some of the comic book looks to the line to keep it going with OG characters while they pump out the rest of the supporting. 

As it is, this wave doesn't interest me much. I have Hammerhand, but I don't care to have the rest of the Berserkers. The Lunataks, however, I very much want to complete. I think I'll be skipping this wave, though. 

Also, I got notice from BBTS that Snarfer is about to hit my PoL, so I guess the others should be imminent as well. Snarfer was the last "hero" character I needed, I couldn't let Snarf go without having his nephew tag along. If we can finish off the Lunataks, my personal Thundercats will be 100% complete. 

So it looks like Super7 has opened pre-orders for Wave 12 on their site -  not yet on BBTS -  and as usual they have an exclusive head pack available if you pre-order the entire wave from them.

I usually think the head packs are a complete waste as they are typically mildly different expressions for the characters that I would not use anyway.   And for Cruncher and Safari Joe that's still the case.   Cruncher has a sneering/smirking head -  different from the closed mouth or gritted teeth heads packed with the figure.   Shiner has an open mouthed smile.   

But the extra head for Nayda is wild.    It appears to be a Mumm-Ra possessed Nayda head?   I don't specifically remember Nayda being possessed by Mumm-Ra,  but ... idk.   Anyway, the head is freaky and different and is the first time I've actually wanted something from one of these head packs because it is actually unique. 

I don't want it bad enough to give Super7 my money a year and a half early though.   So I may just have to admire it from afar.   Still it's an interesting inclusion.

OK... a little digging revealed that the head is a reference to The Mask of Gorgon episode where Nayda is temporarily possessed.      

I really like Willa. That might force me to cave on Nayda. Will likely pass on the other two. Seems these later waves aren't getting as many orders from retailers like Amazon. Gone are the days of waiting for a deep clearance sale on these guys. Fortunately, I don't really remember Safari Joe, and I'm not collecting Berserkers.

So, pre-orders opened on BBTS and i ordered Nayda and Cruncher.

The more I look at Cruncher the more I'm hoping there will be some available to buy less expensively later -  though I won't bank on it.    The oversized torso and thighs just seem well suited to repurpose for bulky characters as customs.    If I could find some appropriate lower legs and the right head I was thinking he might make a good DCUC Mammoth -  since Mattel never did Deliver on that  -  or even just other beefy oversized custom characters for a MOTUC or Thundercats or TigerSharks(?) display.    I could make him a new Tigersharks character... Megadon maybe...   hmmm.    We'll see

Did anyone notice that in the promo shots on line for this wave, for Cruncher there’s a pic where he is fighting Lion-o and it appears to be the new Lion-o mold but his skin tone is darker and much more accurate than it was on the deluxe version? Maybe when the light up eyes one comes out he’ll have that better colouring.