May 9, 2022

How to plus-up some Vintage TMNT in Ultimates part 1

Some of the TMNT Ultimates releases have been a tad underwhelming do to them being slavishly slaves to the vintage toy. Case in point Mutagen Man with a bunch of Useless floaties...
I wonder if I could use E-6000 glue in Mutagen Man and add it in layes with the floaters as I fill him up and create the illusion that he has fluid inside... if s7 figures weren't so expensive, I could experiment on them... or using low temp hot glue sticks to make ooze drippings for Muckman...

AS I was saying: some figures stick too close to the vintage release that they miss opportunities to get plused up... like Casey and Shredder not getting an unmasked head., Splinter not getting a second "more modern" head... or Rocksteady and Bebop not getting more accessories. 

I'm going to go with the basic figures from 1989-1990, since we got the 1988 wave and I don't want to make this rant too long or too variant filled.

Let's take Miyamoto Usagi, aka Usagi Yojimbo. The vintage toy came in the armored look that is NOT the Iconic look of the wandering Samurai Rabbit. 
The vintage figure has PLENTY of accessories in the weapons department. We know that he will get spare hands and maybe a second head. Well, here's how I would plus-up this figure.
Same accessories as the vintage toy, extra hands,
Removable sode (shoulder armor) and haidate (thigh armor) that way, we can put on a cloth blue kimono and black hakama over the rabbit's body and have the iconic look. 
Adding a second head with the straw hat.

But how do you plus up Rat King?
Unlike Leatherhead, I hope Rat King gets a removable belt. I wouldn't like having Rat King wear a dead cat hanging on a dead snake.
I would like a second head more Cartoon inspired (without the toy bald spots) I would lile a buttload of rats, because Rat King needs his Rat army. Obviously extra hands, the Flute.

Let's talk Punk Frogs: Vintage line only had two:
Genghis Frog and Napoleon Bonafrog. Attila and Rasputin weren't made. Now Assuming that Super7 CAN'T MAKE THE OTHER TWO Frogs, because reasons, We COULD Plus-up the existing Punk Frogs, so if I happen to buy 2 Napoleons and 2 Genghis, I could make 4 Punk Frogs.
Let's start with Genghis:
The traditional extra hands, extra head. The second head shouldn't be the first head with a different expression, but more like the Modern turtles heads that look similar, but different enough that you can't have vintage and modern heads with the turtles.
The toy accessories (Grenades, belt, tongue gun, body board shield) 
Add a double headed Ax (a repaint of Panda Khan's), the Splinter Bow and Arrow(s), hands to use said bow and arrows.
That way, you could repaint the shirt designs and turn the second Genghis into a Rasputin...

Same thing would apply for Napoleon:
Extra hands, 2 heads. Like I mentioned with Genghis, the heads should be different that can "pass off" as a reinterpretation of the character or a new character. That way with a slight repaint Napoleon 2 can be Attila. As for extras, all we need is a flail and Attila is unofficially covered.

Now if they can make the other 2, then just adding the Toon weapons and the "modernized" heads is close to enough. 

General Traag seems hard to update... the guy literally has only 3 Accessories: Gun, Knife, Rifle. This one is REALLY HARD to Plus-up, since he has so little and can't be "turned into a different version" The only way I can think to plus him up is upgrading his Arsenal. I'm thinking giving him an oversized Sniper Rifle, a Rocket Launcher, landmines, grenades, maybe an extra head with NVG/Thermal Goggles. (Yes, it's a not so subtle nod to Konami, who made Turtles games... no, no Cardboard boxes for Traag.)

Fugitoid vexes me. None of the Fugitoid figures, OG playmates, 2k3 and 2k12 playmates, and NECA have Wowed me with their accessories.
Hell, NECA had to resort to add accessories FOR THE TURTLES in order to spice up Fugitoid.
This one is also a nice candidate for the GITD variant using white and blue GITD plastic... aside an extra head and hands, I can't think of anything to plus him up. 

Scumbug isn't easy either, but More bugs, extra head, and a spray blast effect can help. I know it sounds "a bit uninspired" but it's just that Scumbug doesn't feel like he's missing anything.

Wingnut and Screwloose... I'm hoping that Screwloose can be painted in a color acheme as close as legally possible to Robin. Otherwise, I'll have to do it myself and the results won't be pretty. He also needs articulated wings.
For Wingnut himself, we need to play the Batman parody and for starters, head and hands. (A pair of Batusi hands are MANDATORY) a can of Armaggon Repellant Spray would be nice... and it must be called Armaggon Repellant spray. He has an actual bat on his utility belt, we should get throwable bats because Batman references.
(Super7 could also release a black and grey repaint of Wingnut with a "80s nightwing inspired" repaint of Screwloose.

Panda Khan... I don't know where his rights are, but if doable, then: extra head without the bandana,extra hands, half eaten Bamboo stalk. 
No, this Panda cannot have cheese... but I will accept any cheese offerings from the Panda. Let me add a reminder for the possibility of Panda Khan making it, that I must make a Panda Cheese reference... and a Ranma 1/2 reference too!

Last but not least: Pizzaface. It's no secret that I love Pizzaface and that he's creepy as hell. The prototype head with the deformed twin is a Must!! Extra hands are an obvious start. We need an "Italian Hand"... you know which gesture I mean. More "propelling pizzas" with nasty ingredients. Hopefully since the line is for adult collectors, the missing pinky pizza can finally make it. A "third weapon/leg" would be nice. Thinking of a Pizza Peel as the leg/weapon. A Part of me would like to have the Chef Knife on his Apron as a Removable accessory. The other prefers the blade on the Ninja pizza Shield to be removable.

I think that's it without counting any variants...
This exercise was a lot tougher than I thought... I'm afraid of what's coming next for this exercise...



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