Mindwipe Deluxe Class Figure (Titans Return)

Mindwipe is a Decepticon Headmaster who transforms into a robotic bat.

Titan Master Vorath can ride in the cockpit in Mindwipe's chest in bat mode. This figure has a fun and funky transformation scheme and is easily my favourite of the Decepticon Headmasters in this line. I don't have any strong connection to these particular characters but I have been intermittently watching the Japanese Headmasters anime though they don't really seem to have much in the way of personalities thus far. Still, a great update to a classic G1 toy and a super-80's-tastic robot that turns into a bat. What's not to love?

Jango Fett (Star Wars Black Series 6")

Jango Fett, the template for the Clone Army and "father" to Boba Fett. He actually did more on screen than his more famous and beloved offspring. Portrayed by New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison, Jango Fett was a bounty hunter in fearsome Mandalorian armour. This figure is most likely a direct repaint of a Boba Fett but I haven't the desire to bother confirming that just now. Articulation-wise Jango is pretty decent, he's got all the major points. His helmet is removable and doesn't look comically oversized so that's a plus. He also comes with his trusty jet-pack and his twin blasters that fit well both in his hands and in the holsters. I don't have a strong affinity for either of the Fetts but Jango was a bit of a peg warmer and he got lucky one day when pickings were slim. I don't regret the purchase and he adds some diversity to the Star Wars shelf.

Holiday Joker - B:TAS (DC Collectibles)

Hailing from the second produced episode of Batman: the Animated Series and the first to feature the Joker we have the Clown Prince of Crime in the relaxed festive garb he wore hosting "Christmas with the Joker"

This figure is the 37th released in the combined B:TAS/The New Batman Adventures line. I have been very strict with myself about only collecting the B:TAS figures and I nearly passed up this Joker but snagged him on an impulse just before I moved this past summer. It being the holiday season I thought it most appropriate to spotlight this figure now. I also finally realised that I should use a different coloured background for figures that are lighter coloured but didn't have anything really handy besides the backing card.

Darth Maul/Seventh Sister Inquisitor 3.75" 2-pack

Darth Maul (or rather his double bladed lightsaber) was the coolest part of "The Phantom Menace" despite barely speaking. The Clone Wars series did much to redeem aspects of the prequels and Darth Maul was one who was redeemed. He reappeared in season two of "Rebels" where he attempted to lure a naive Ezra Bridger toward the Dark Side and he also battled the Seventh Sister Inquisitor (voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar opposite her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus). If I recall correctly the Grand Inquisitor was the only member of that order we saw in season 1 of "Rebels" and so it was fun to see some more Inquisitors in season 2. Their spinning double bladed lightsabers that somehow worked as helicopters were awesome and goofy at the same time.

Sentinel Prime Voyager Class Figure (Titans Return)

Orange is the new Prime.

Sentinel Prime is a larger Voyager-class figure and like all the voyagers from Titans Return he's also a triple changer and clearly the forerunner to an Astrotrain figure. But he's orange and I love orange so I was actually excited to get this dude. Sentinel Prime as a name has long been associated with Optimus Prime's predecessor as leader of the Autobots, often portrayed as being somewhat less than heroic. His incarnation in "Transformers: Animated" was voiced by Townsend Coleman and modelled to look a bit like the Tick which I loved. I have that figure around somewhere but I couldn't find it while making up this post.

Sentinel Prime's Titan Master partner is called Infinitus and looks appropriately "Prime-y." His blasters are cool and the seat for Infinitus actually looks alright and doesn't detract from the design as much as some of the others. The little pop-up neck things to make his head look more proportional are silly but kind of grow on you.

Hot Rod Deluxe Class Figure (Titans Return)

Hot Rod becomes leader of the Autobots in Transformers: the Movie and is Captain (and occasional co-Captain) of the Lost Light in the IDW Comics. This Hot Rod hews closer to his G1 appearance though sticks with a classic red paint job rather than the funky 80's magenta he sported in the movie.

Darth Vader/Ahsoka Tano 3.75" 2-pack

The epic second season of the excellent "Star Wars Rebels" cartoon ended with a mind-blowing finale wherein Ahsoka Tano finally confronts Darth Vader. And if you don't know why that would be intense then maybe the rest of this post isn't for you. I take no responsibility for any spoilers. The episodes I'm talking about did come out 2016 and the even bigger spoiler is from 1980 so that's on you.

Wolfwire Deluxe Class Figure (Titans Return)

One the main Decepticon Headmasters from the Japanese anime Weirdwolf is renamed Wolfwire for trademark reasons in the Titans Return toyline. The yellow and teal colour scheme with white highlights is so 80's-tastic. Plus the translucent pink in the wolf head. *Magnifique* This is a pretty solid figure for a character I know very little about but I'm glad he made the cut.

Chromedome Deluxe Class Figure (Titans Return)

Chromedome is the other main Autobot headmaster (along with Brainstorm, Highbrow, and Hardhead) and rounded out the cast of the anime. His most recent rise to prominence was as a "mnemosurgeon" and crew member on the "Lost Light" in IDW's "Transformers: More than Meets the Eye" comic book series which I highly recommend reading. I'm not caught up on its successor series "Transformers: Lost Light" yet but Mrs. ISMOTU assures me it's still awesome. The Hasbro version of Chromedome has a head very much based on his comics appearance whereas Takara-Tomy made the Titan Master head more true to his original anime/toy appearance. This was one time where I totally prefer the Hasbro version to the Takara-Tomy version. But I'm 100% biased because I love the comics and Chromedome's role as the insecure "conjux endura" of Rewind.

Mad Hatter - B:TAS (DC Collectibles)

Jervis Tetch is obsessed with the works of Lewis Carroll and uses his mind-control technology to facilitate his crimes as the Mad Hatter. In the animated series he was voiced by Roddy McDowall. This Mad Hatter figure looks like he jumped right off the screen but his long coat basically nullifies his leg articulation. He comes with alternate hands, a crazy axe and some kind of control panel for mind control shenanigans. Also that creepy creepy grin.

Thunderstrike (Marvel Infinite Series 3.75")

The final Thor-adjacent post in this run of bonus posts brings us to Eric Masterson's post-Thor superhero identity, Thunderstrike.

Named after the mystic mallet given to him by Odin after the return of the original Thor because Odin is nothing if not fickle. As detailed previous this look just oozes 90's and unfortunately Thunderstrike's career was a short 24 issues and (22 year old spoilers) then he died. He's just the sort of second tier, relatively obscure hero that plucks at my fanboy heartstrings. What's kind of funny is that I only really learned about Eric Masterson as Thunderstrike (as opposed to his turn as Thor) from the introduction of his son Kevin all grown up as a new Thunderstrike in the MC2 universe of Spider-Girl fame. Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, creators of Eric Masterson, were also the driving force behind much of the MC2 line including A-Next, the next generation of Avengers led by Kevin Masterson's Thunderstrike. He shared his dad's penchant for ponytails but luckily not much else in terms of fashion sense. Kewl.

Thor, Eric Masterson (Marvel Infinite Series 3.75")

This Thursday seems an appropriate day to feature my only Thor figure. As I mentioned in a previous post Eric Masterson filled in for Thor during a time when Odin had banished the Thunder God for ...reasons. His Thor had a beard and added a mask to the helmet and somehow lost the sides of his shirt somehow. This was the Thor who participated in the "Infinity Gauntlet" and also some of the earliest comics I read. There were some great moments where he's trying to bluff the other heroes into thinking he's the original Thor. Good times, good comics.

Valkyrie (Marvel Infinite Series 3.75")

I'm still on a Thor kick after seeing "Thor: Ragnarok" so here's a character who was actually in the movie (sort of).

Valkyrie is best known as a member of the Defenders (a team I enjoy for sure) but I was inspired to grab this figure as part of the first roster of Secret Avengers from Ed Brubaker's and Mike Deodato's initial run back in 2010. She's sometimes a Valkyrie of legend possessing a human with an estranged husband but sometimes not. Maybe? I haven't kept up with her current continuity. This is a serviceable figure but has the scrawniness problem many female action figures suffer from. Her sword also warped pretty easily during my recent move. I tried straightening it out with a modicum of success.

Optimus Prime Deluxe Class (Transformers Robots in Disguise 2015)

If you don't know Optimus Prime, I'm not sure what rock you've been living under. This is Prime from the latest Robots in Disguise cartoon series. I like this take on Optimus where he's no longer the leader of the Autobots on Earth and has to readjust to his new more advisory role. I don't really need more Optimus Prime figures but this one caught my eye because he's a rare case of a deluxe class figure who transforms into an entire semi-truck, trailer and all.

Thunderstrike & Kronan Stone Man (MiniMates)

In honour of seeing Thor: Ragnarok on the weekend I bring you this bonus post of the first (and probably last) MiniMates 2-pack I ever bought. They are okay little figures but not really my cup of tea. I got this set because I saw it in a nerd store at a reasonable price. It is interesting how much our early experiences with pop culture can follow us a long time. My affinity for the character of Thunderstrike comes from a couple of the earliest comics I remember owning. These were from the time when Eric Masterson had become the Mighty Thor. When the original Thor returned Odin gave Masterson an enchanted mace, Thunderstrike, from which he took his new superhero name. Thunderstrike's costume design proves the the 90's didn't just affect Image Comics or the X-Men. But I love it. The Kronan race first appeared as the "Stone Men from Saturn" in Thor's very first appearance back in Journey into Mystery #83 in 1962. They were pretty generic Silver Age aliens but the character of Korg who appeared in "World War Hulk" became the most famous. Doubly so now that he appears in "Thor: Ragnarok" and steals most of the scenes he's in.

Ultraman Zero Renewal (Ultra-Act)

Ultraman Zero is the most prominent Ultra who hasn't headlined an actual TV series. The son of Ultraseven first appeared in the 2009 film "Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend the Movie." When I was first dipping my toes into tokusatsu I ended up checking out some of the more self-contained or isolated stories and that film and it's follow up "Ultraman Zero the Movie: Super Deciding Fight! The Belial Galactic Empire" inspired me to seek out some Ultra-merch. So I think this was actually my first Ultra-Act figure and he sets a high standard.

All-New All-Different Spider-Man 2099 (Marvel Legends Infinite Series)

In 2015 Spider-Man 2099 got a new series and a new costume. I haven't read any of these but I liked the design enough to pick up this figure at a good price. He doesn't have the clawed hands or web cape and appears to be a slightly different base figure than my other Spider-Men from this line. A little beefier I'd say. Still great.

Spider-Man 2099 (Marvel Legends Infinite Series)

Miguel O'Hara is Spider-Man 2099. After being dosed with a drug by the his evil corporate masters in the Alchemax corporation Miguel gave himself an experimental genetic treatment to prevent the drug's crippling addictive properties from manifesting. This gave him spider-like abilities because comics. His costume is based on a "Dia de los Muertos" ensemble and the funky skull still evokes a bit of a spidery vibe.  Spider-Man 2099 was a fun comic written by Peter David and art (mostly) by Rick Leonardi in the mid-nineties Marvel imprint that postulated the world a century in the future. I didn't really get into 2099 at the time and as a kid I was put off by this weird not-quite-right Spider-Man but upon checking out the comics as an adult I really enjoyed Spider-Man 2099. This figure is the basic Spider-Man body I've discussed previously. The web-cape is a fun addition as well as the wrist spikes and the clawed hands.

Harley Quinn - B:TAS (DC Collectibles)

Definitely the most popular character created for Batman: the Animated Series, Harley Quinn made the jump into comics and is currently starring in her own series as well as being a member of the modern Suicide Squad. Unfortunately the powers that be decided to meddle with her practically perfect design and now she barely has a costume. But I digress...

Ultra Magnus Deluxe Class Figure (Transformers Generations: Fall of Cybertron)

Ultra Magnus was introduced as the leader of the Autobots on Cybertron in Transformers the Movie. He has taken on a lot of roles and personalities over the years but is generally a no-nonsense, by-the-book, lieutenant to either Optimus or Rodimus. This figure is a straight repaint of the Fall of Cybertron Optimus Prime with a new head and a big ass sword. Starting with Transformers: Animated Ultra Magnus has been more associated with big ass hammers than big ass swords, making this an interesting choice. As a redeco he seems to get more paint in his alt-mode than Prime did. His sword and gun can combine into an even bigger-ass sword.

Overlord Body All Titan Masters Gallery

Here is perhaps the nerdiest endeavour on this blog. I've taken pictures of all my Titans Return figures with all of the different Titan Master heads on them. These galleries will be updated as more Titan Masters are acquired. The heads are in no particular order after the first which is the head that "belongs" on the body.

Optimus Prime (Transformers Generations: Fall of Cybertron)

The figure the (re-)kindled an obsession:

Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots and the most iconic Transformer. When I was living in China a few years ago and watching Transformers Prime and getting interested in Transformers again, I was in a store and saw this guy hanging on a peg and figured "hey why not?"  Well a number (large enough that I'm not comfortable publishing it to the internet) of Transformers later I've become pretty hooked on the "Generations" line and its sublines as my main Cybertronian fix. 

Misfire Body All Titan Masters Gallery

Here is perhaps the nerdiest endeavour on this blog. I've taken pictures of all my Titans Return figures with all of the different Titan Master heads on them. These galleries will be updated as more Titan Masters are acquired. The heads are in no particular order after the first which is the head that "belongs" on the body.

Windblade Body All Titan Masters Gallery

Here is perhaps the nerdiest endeavour on this blog. I've taken pictures of all my Titans Return figures with all of the different Titan Master heads on them. These galleries will be updated as more Titan Masters are acquired. The heads are in no particular order after the first which is the head that "belongs" on the body.

Ultraseven Renewal Version (Ultra-Act)

Ultraseven is the hero of the sequel to Ultraman who possibly eclipsed his predecessor in popularity. Originally Ultraseven was a separate unconnected universe from Ultraman but was brought into the same continuity with the subsequent series. He has a detachable blade/boomerang called the Eye Slugger which devastates his enemies along with his Wide Shot beam and Emerium Ray.

Twin Twist Body All Titan Masters Gallery

Here is perhaps the nerdiest endeavour on this blog. I've taken pictures of all my Titans Return figures with all of the different Titan Master heads on them. These galleries will be updated as more Titan Masters are acquired. The heads are in no particular order after the first which is the head that "belongs" on the body.

Kamen Rider Kuuga Growing Form (S.H. Figuarts)

Continuing my journey through Kamen Riders we have Kamen Rider Kuuga in his first, almost prototypical, Growing Form characterized by the white armour and orange eyes. The 90's were a lean decade for Shotaro Ishinomori's motorcycle riding henshin heroes but in the year 2000 the bug-eyed battler for justice joined the Heisei era with a blast. Kuuga was the second Kamen Rider series I watched in full after finishing Kamen Rider Black. Godai Yusuke is a bit of wanderer who returns to Japan from abroad just in time to discover an ancient magical belt that allows him to combat the newly reawakened Gurongi Tribe and thwart their attempts to subjugate the human race.

I love the Kuuga design. It is well balanced and calls back to the original Kamen Rider design while still having a distinctive look of its own. Kuuga is the first Rider to have more than 3 forms and one of the only Riders for whom I'm trying to acquire figures of every form. This is an older Figuarts much like the original Kamen Rider Black figure I featured a while back. His joints aren't as pretty and his shoulder pads are a little weird but he's still a really fun figure. Plus die cast feet!

Superior Spider-Man (Marvel Legends Infinite Series)

Otto Octavius' brain in Peter Parker's body is... the Superior Spider-Man!

In a very interesting storyline running through the Spider-Man titles a few years ago Dr. Octopus escaped his dying body by taking over Spider-Man's. With his newfound access to Parker's memories Otto decides that he can use his genius to become an even better Spider-Man. He added some extra technology to a redesigned costume. This figure sports new lenses on the mask and talons on the fingertips along with the darker colour scheme but sadly no robot arms. The articulation is typical of this basic Spider-Man body ie. awesome. The snarky, darker, edge of the Superior Spider-Man was fun while it lasted but eventually had to make way for the return of the original.

The Reaper (DC Multiverse)

The Reaper is a character who first appeared in the "Batman: Year Two" story arc by Mike W. Barr from Detective Comics #575-578 with art by Alan Davis in the first issue and a young Todd McFarlane on the latter three. The Reaper was a killer vigilante in Gotham City 20 years before Batman but he returns with a vengeance. There's some interesting ideas in this storyline but my interest in this figure is based largely on his design which clearly must've influenced the Phantasm 5 years later (though both are based on the classic Grim Reaper from folklore). The skull helmet is awesomely creepy and his leather armour is studded with spikes and other details that perhaps look better on the page than in plastic. The hands and scythes switch out quite easily and the way the cape attaches at the back leaves a nice place to store the blades in a manner similar to the comics which is pretty awesome.

Pigmon Spark Doll Sofubi

Pigmon is a friendly little monster who first appeared in "The Lawless Monster Zone" episode 8 of Ultraman though the suit first appeared as Garamon on Ultra Q. This figure came from the Ultraman X line of spark dolls but is certainly a must have for any Ultraman Ultra-fan. Pigmon usually befriends a small child or is otherwise a gentle presence in the Ultraman universe(s) though his bone-like fingers can look quite creepy as they wiggle about. Mrs. ISMOTU remarked that he looks like he belongs in a nightmarish dark reboot of the "McDonaldland" characters. His hands spin freely but there is no waist or leg articulation.

NECA Godzilla 1985

And we're back! With the King of the Monsters, the grand-daddy of all kaiju, Gojira, the ape-whale himself... GODZILLA!

NECA has released a variety of Godzilla figures each based on a different look from a different era of the films. Choosing the right Godzilla for me took some thought but I settled on the version from "The Return of Godzilla" which was released in the Western world as "Godzilla 1985."  This film renewed Godzilla's presence on screen after nearly a decade of dormancy and is considered the first of the Heisei era films even though it was still the Showa era when the movie was mad. NECA's original 1954 version was too grey and the later versions were just not the definitive Godzilla in my mind. This guy scales pretty well with the SH Monsterarts figures but at a much lower price point. I would love an "atomic breath" effect part but I can deal. Articulation is inherently limited with monster figures and I find the difference between this guy and the Monsterarts dudes I have is not that great. But zero accessories.

Hiatus...

This blog will be taking a (hopefully) brief hiatus for at least the rest of the summer because: moving. Thanks for your viewership and I hope to return to blogging in the autumn but it will definitely be at a slower pace.

Ciao for niao.

Lion-O (Thundercats Classics)

Lion-O is the leader of the Thundercats. As the prince of Thundera he is whisked off planet before it is destroyed. Their spaceship crashes on Third Earth and Lion-O must learn to wield the Sword of Omens and fulfil his destiny as the Lord of the Thundercats and protect his people from the machinations of Mumm-Ra. Thundercats Classics is the short lived follow-up to Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics. The articulation is the same and the sculpting and painting is superb. Unfortunately the future of this line is very up-in-the-air and only the first wave has been produced.

Crimson Typhoon (Pacific Rim)

Crimson Typhoon is the Chinese-piloted Jaeger from Guillermo del Toro's amazing film "Pacific Rim." The schtick with this giant robot was that it was piloted by a trio of brothers, hence the extra arm. I have a few other Pacific Rim figures and I think that Crimson Typhoon has the best articulation of the Jaegers.

Nightbeat Deluxe Class Figure (Generations Thrilling 30)

Nightbeat is obsessed with mystery and is Cybertron's greatest detective. His character was popular in the Transformers comics penned by Simon Furman. This figure is a redeco of the Thrilling 30 Bumblebee figure with a new head. I would've liked to see a new chest piece that better resembled his distinctive G1 look. When this figure was originally announced he appeared to be a redeco of the "Special Ops Jazz" mould. To differentiate him from Bumblebee I took a few shots with his doors facing down in robot mode. I stole this idea from somewhere online but for the life of me I can't remember where. (Oh wait it was David Willis, isn't it always?)

Kamen Rider Black Renewal Version (S.H. Figuarts)

Kamen Rider Black was one of the early S.H. Figuarts from back in 2009. After five more years of engineering refinement Tamashii Nations released an updated figure of Minami Kohtaro's cybernetic alter ego. And here he is: the costume is molded to look more like fabric and has a more matte finish which fans tend to say looks more "realistic" than the glossy paint of yesteryear. Gone are the die cast feet but the joints are redesigned and he comes with more hands, including a pair of motorcycle handle holding hands to go with his "Battle Hopper" motorcycle which I do NOT own and am slightly bitter about because of some unfortunate circumstances that I'm clearly not as over as I thought. ANYWAY... I do like the proportions and some of the detailing on this renewal version of Kamen Rider Black, but some of the articulation is just as fiddly as the original and I don't think the waist is particularly successful though I'm not sure how they'd fix that.

Kamen Rider Black (S.H. Figuarts)

I have a lot of S.H. Figuarts figures and I've been reluctant to blog about them because of all the accessories and extreme articulation seemed like it would take a long time and more creativity than I could muster when I started this journey.

But now I'm going to take the plunge, starting with the first Kamen Rider figure I acquired: Kamen Rider Black. Kohtaro Minami was turned into a cyborg by the evil Gorgom but like the original Kamen Rider he rebelled and fought against them. Kamen Rider Black was a back-to-basics approach to the series after a few years off the air and was the first Showa Kamen Rider series I watched.  The design is sleek and classic but definitely rooted in the eighties (though not as much as Kotaro's civvies). This is the first version released by Bandai Tamashii Nations and the proportions are a little wonky, the paint is very glossy, but he has sweet die cast metal feet and the compound eyes look great.

Commissioner Gordon - B:TAS (DC Collectibles)

Batman's staunchest ally in the GCPD is Commissioner Gordon. The bespectacled leader of the Gotham Police is dressed in some snazzy threads that would look equally at home in the 1940's as the 1990's. I love his Astroboy-esque cowlick that would defy 3-D rendering but they managed to make it work. His overcoat is some sort of rubber that allows for a decent range of movement. Accessories are limited to the now standard alt-hands, a revolver, and a bullhorn.

The Penguin - B:TAS (DC Collectibles)

Oswald Cobblepot is the character whose design is most greatly influenced by "Batman Returns." The Penguin is slightly less gross in his animated form than Danny DeVito was in the film. But it's certainly a less colourful look than his comics counterpart. I'm solidly in the "B:TAS" camp as opposed to the "New Adventures" looks but the Penguin might be the one case where I prefer the redesign. The New Adventures cast Penguin as the semi-legitimate owner of the Iceberg Lounge, got rid of the funky flipper fingers, gave him a haircut and tossed him into a tuxedo. This figure is fun though the articulation is quite limited because of his rotundity.

Joker - B:TAS (DC Collectibles)

I don't think anyone can dispute that the Joker is Batman's greatest foe. The B:TAS version is one of the best depictions of the Joker largely due to Mark Hamill's outstanding voice work. This figure has the standard articulation for the line and comes with a pearl necklace, a telescope, a bubble helmet, an ice pick, and a comb. This figure captures the madness and frantic creepiness of the animated Joker design.

Ultra Hero Best Set 01 (Bandai Sofubi)

One of my first Ultra Hero purchases was a set of the first six Ultramen: Ultraman, Zoffy, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Taro. Click on their names to jump down to their profile or click the Space Garrison to see more group shots.

 

 

Tea Trader Sour Cherry Moringa

Sour Cherry Moringa is a new tea at Tea Trader. It is a blend of rooibos, moringa leaves, and sour cherries. The flavour of the sour cherries is pleasantly tart, not overpowering. I think if they used regular cherries the resulting tea would be too sweet. The Moringa tree is native to the Himalayas and its various parts have been used in traditional culinary and medicinal applications. The moringa leaves add an herbaceous quality to the beverage and up the tanginess.

I really like this one. It's got a nice flavour, the traditional reddish rooibos colour, and a full bouquet. I don't comment on any purported health benefits of any tea ingredients and in a refreshing change of pace Tea Trader doesn't try to sell the moringa as anything magical. I respect that.

Highly recommended.

For more info follow the link: http://www.teatrader.com/

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Playmates)

"FORM VOLTRON!" Here's the bit you've all been waiting for: the Legendary class lions combined as the Defender of the Universe, Voltron. This guy is massive. It's so tall it didn't really fit in the photo box so I made due but apologize in advance for the lower quality of photos. Voltron's knees bend well but it's hard to make good use of that articulation. The elbows are pretty limited but since the lion heads swivel it's not dire. I'm very pleased to finally own a Voltron and this one is pretty darn good. Hopefully I'll stay satisfied with the Legendary Defender and not open the floodgates to find a classic version (like the exceptionally engineered and atrociously expensive Soul of Chogokin version).

Voltron Legendary Black Lion

The Black Lion forms the head and body of Voltron. Paladin Shiro escapes from the Galra after being forced to fight as a gladiator. He is the leader of the Paladins which allows him to pilot the Guardian Spirit of Sky. In the show the Black Lion has the same mouth cannon and tail blaster as the other lions but because this version transforms those details are slightly different. Shiro is also able to manifest a blade the Black Lion holds in its mouth similar to ones that came with the original Voltron toys. As this lion is bigger than the others and has electronics the only accessory it comes with is a pilot Shiro. The lights and sounds are more for Voltron than the Black Lion so we'll save those for next time. Ditto the torso mode.