Sunday, December 18, 2016

1/18th Scale Aliens

I'm long overdue for a special shout-out to some Twitter/Facebook friends. When word got out that I had open heart surgery this past summer, it spread into the Twitter-verse and FlagPoints Dave took it upon himself to rally the troops and collect a very nice $$ gift through PayPal. I was genuinely touched by their thoughtfulness.

**EDIT** - A very heartfelt gift... "Ba-dum tish!" Thanks, I'll be here all week!


After some consideration, I used part of the gift and decided to buy a couple figures that would fulfill a lifelong dream.
Aliens! Specifically 1/18th scaled aliens. Of course, when I use the word aliens, I specifically mean the xenomorphs from the Alien films. I have been a huge fan of those creatures since the first Alien movie back in 1979. I remember getting the 18" tall Alien for Christmas that year. I wish I still had it!

Once the small GI Joes came out in 1982, it didn't take long before I started wishing for a small scale Alien figure. I remember trying to make a custom alien out of an extra Nemesis Enforcer figure. It was horrible. 

Fast forward to maybe early 2015 and there were signs from a company called Hiya Toys that an Aliens line was moving into production. I knew, one day, I needed to get a couple of these critters.
I've only bought the two alien figures right now. I do want more and I'll eventually add to my meager collection. Been a little busy this year, you know, all that heart surgery nonsense... 
So... How are they? Holy crap, they are awesome! Just what I've wanted for 30+ years!
Both aliens that I purchased are essentially the same. Same body mold, same hands, same tubes on the back, and the same heads. These two are just different colors, with one notable change.
The Alien Lurker has a clear dome over the top of its head, very similar to the original creature from the first film. The sculpting is incredible! 
There's some amazing attention to detail with these figures. Each figure also has an impressive amount of articulation. One specific drawback, the arms are very thin a,d the elbow joints suffer for it. It's important to remember that these aren't really toys; they are designed primarily for adult collectors. I don't think they'd hold up to rough play. 
Each xenomorph comes with a few different accessories. Each comes with an egg, opened up to deliver its spawn.
There's also a facehugger ready to pounce on an unsuspecting victim.
Each alien also comes with three extra sets of hands. They seem so fragile, I haven't tried swapping out any yet.
The Alien Soldier is representative of the "bugs" from the Aliens movie from 1986. Brownish in color, they don't have the dome on the top of the head. No big deal, they're still damn cool!
Such incredible detailing! I really want more of these! Not tons, but maybe a couple more of each. Plus, there's still the Boiler and Spitter Xenomorphs. And then there's the Marines that are a part of the collection.

Plus this... $249.99... wow... Still want it... 
Here's a quick comparison shot with my first Marauder MTF figure. He's toast...

Thanks again to my Twitter/Facebook friends - you guys rock!
Dave, TZ, Rob, Page, Dan U, Chad L, Carson, Justin M, YT, & Rock