elhonez Posted September 13, 2014 Posted September 13, 2014 (edited) Because no one demanded it... I have obsessively cranked out 18 "mostly" EZ Power Man villain customs. Inspired by the upcoming Defenders series, an episode of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the "Flashmob," here are a bunch of cool C-listers who have menaced Luke Cage at one time or another. Since I amassed these over some period of time, I will not always recall exactly what parts I used, so bear with me. I have also somewhat stretched the definition of "EZ" to include some decals, minor X-Acto work, and Sharpie paint pens. WAVE 1: Partners in Crime Spear and the Mangler Brothers who both had axes to grind with Cage. Spear is a Doombot with chest, wrist and ankle decals, orange hands/feet, the diver from Creature of the Black Lagoon's spear gun painted yellow with a Sharpie paint pen, Deadman's collar painted orange with a Sharpie paint pen, and a white head with a decal. The Mangler is black legs + Doombot feet, maybe Blade's (?) torso and arms, fingerless gloves perhaps from the Expendables, black wristbands, BSG Simon (?) head, a belt from X-Men First Class, and an FA Beast mask. Discus and Stiletto Two more brothers, the sons of the warden who was disgraced when Cage escaped Seagate. Easily enough motivation to become super villains back in the day... Spear is a FA Ryu hair with headband painted yellow (again with the Sharpie paint pen), Skrull collar & Chun-Li loincloth painted blue, I think a Longshot head, Spectre chest, Walking Dead Maggie t-shirt arms with red bands pushed up, some Asgardian wrist guards, white legs, red boots. I added an Invisible Woman shield for a discus. Stiletto is a blonde flat top on someone's intense looking face, 2x Longshot bandoliers, trimmed with an X-Acto and painted yellow, Red Tornado arms, Cylon wristbands, a red torso & legs, a yellow pouched belt (I may have painted this), and yellow boots. Piranha Jones and Cockroach Hamilton Gangleader and enforcer, Jones has Jaws-like choppers, and Hamilton has a 6-barrelled shotgun named "Josh." It's a pretty tame name for overkill. Piranha is I think Zeddmore hair on a Blade v1 head, a blue suit over a red chest I highlighted with a yellow pain pen, using tiny masking tape to create the edges on the sleeves. Cockroach features a Logan hat/hair, a Doc Brown duster, and I think another Blade's head. I sawed up three Sin-Eater shotguns with an X-Acto & re-assembled them with crazy glue. Big Brother and Cheshire Cat Big Brother is sort of surveillance-themed, and is a big "brother," get it? Sigh. While BB is now long forgotten, his lackey Cheshire Cat went on to join the Flash Mob in recent years. Big Brother uses She-Hulk arms and legs, a Green Goblin torso and gloves, an X-Acto trimmed Borg headpiece painted pastel green with Sharpie paint pens, and a head that is probably too unreasonably happy for the character (Miles Dyson?). I also created a decal for his chest. Belt cap is from Jane Foster. Cheshire Cat was a pain... I used a black suit (Almeida?), and this very tiny hobby masking tape I discovered. Took some time but I used the tape to wrap around the figure to create lines I could then color in with a yellow paint pen. I'd have done orange if I had it to do over again. Head is 70s Blade, hat is Rolento w/ ears painted black. http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix5/cheshirecatpm2.jpghttp://cmro.travis-starnes.com/images/characters/big_brother.jpg Shades and Comanche These guys are basically low-rent Cyclops and Hawkeye. I've always liked their look. They were prisoners in Seagate along with Cage, and would later be outfitted with high tech weaponry in the employ of various criminals. Shades uses Ult X Cyclops' head, with hair Sharpie paint penned black. I believe the head is from the Terry Crews, collar is Ilia Probe paint penned white, same for the Air-Walker shoulder pad harness. I think arms Crews, some gold wristbands, Spectre chest, 2x Daredevil holsters, 2x guns (maybe Skrull or Kree), old school Iron Man belt, Angel legs. Comanche was fun - key elements: X-Force Wolverine boot cuffs, loin cloth from the Native American pirates character, Tekken Raven arms w/ perhaps Jim Lee Cyclops bands, yellow gloves, knife & holster, Dark Hawkeye bow & quiver, Akuma necklace, Zombie Cage hair painted with red stripes, and decals for chest & face. http://www.4thletter.net/gavok/5th/cage3.jpg WAVE 2: Masterminds & Solo Acts Power Master Sortof the anti-Cage. John Bushmaster gained power greater than that of Luke Cage. Blade I hair, Zeddmore head with white temples painted on (Sharpie paint pen), chest cap painted white, then gold elements painted. White legs & dark skinned arms with gold paint pen bracelets, feet & shins. http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/powermaster3.jpg Mr. Fish No one Everyone laughs at Mr. Fish!! Yeah, um, here's a dude who looks like a fish. Abomination cap, elements from Creature from the Black Lagoon, chest from the first Silver Centurion IM, arms from DD? shoulder holster from maybe Uncharted? Belt from Yellowjacket, plus a sweet custom head decal, and top-of-shoulder decals you can barely see. http://worldofblackheroes.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/mr.jpg Gideon Mace A dude with a mace for a right hand. Ex-soldier with a grudge against the whole nation. For Gideon, I used a gray flat top, an angry face (Shocker?), Silence of the Lambs Clarice jacket, either a Hawkeye or Thundercats mace, handle cut with scissors to fit in the hand-hole, a brown belt, tan legs, X-Force Wolverine boot cuffs & black feet. http://writeups.org/img/fiche/3251.jpg Senor Muerte He, uh, had a roulette wheel on his chest. Sorta Two-Face like in that if the right number lit up, it meant one or the other of his hands would be charged with a death-touch of electricity. Mega easy custom, super lame character. Hair is from Sunspot or the Eastwood box sets. Face is Terence Howard's Rhodey. Arms are Red Tornado, yellow gloves, buff red chest, red lower body, Ult X Jean Grey chest thing, fire-hand effect. http://www.4thletter.net/gavok/cage/muerte.jpg Chemistro Finally, someone we can recognize. Hulk hair, custom decal head & chest (on DD chest), recent Colossus arms/legs, Best Of Punisher belt/holster, Stilt-Man gun, red gloves & boots. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/img/c/h/Chemistro_Calvin_Carr.jpg Big Ben Donovan Rather than going classic with this guy, I chose a more modern appearance for ease of execution. He's a lawyer with a long history with Luke Cage, who also happens to be titanically large and strong. It's just Mr. Fixit with Rhodey's head, hands painted brown with a Sharpie paint pen. http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/5586/1095430-bb3.jpg Nightshade This unique villain is a super genius and mucks about with werewolves. There are some Mirror Uhura parts, I believe I used a regular Sharpie and a steady hand to color over her top, I don't recall if the head is Uhura or from BSG Dualla, black gloves, a belt from perhaps BTTF3. http://www.writeups.org/img/inset/Deadly_Nightshade_h.jpg Montenegro Because the world needed it: A climbing-themed villain. Somehow this guy made two covers of PMIF. Why did I bother? I'm still not sure... Red hair (DD maybe), Walter Peck head, Ghost Rider collar/chest, Walking Dead backpack, Tomb Raider axe, black limbs, Longshot belt, blue gloves/boots, Wonder Woman lasso, movie Hyrda gun painted yellow. http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/montenegropm1.jpg BAM. Obligatory Group Shots: Now all we need are updated versions of 70s Power Man and Iron Fist... Feedback welcome... enjoy! Edited November 30 by elhonez Quote
Kostisfire Posted September 13, 2014 Posted September 13, 2014 I know none of those guys but they all look great! It must have taken you a long time to make all these though. Quote
elhonez Posted September 13, 2014 Author Posted September 13, 2014 Thanks KF! Yeah I guess it was a pretty long process... At first I was working on a few as parts came in and time permitted. But as I got closer I stepped it up in the last month. Did these over the course of a year, while not working on them exclusively. (except maybe Nightshade, which I may have finished 3 years ago) Quote
Ronan The Accuser Posted September 13, 2014 Posted September 13, 2014 Wow, nice job! Quite a few of those look factory fresh, great execution. You nailed it with the parts you chose for each character, you obviously put a lot of thought into it and it pays off with the group shot. A ton of great c-listers i haven't heard about in forever. I love the 70's Marvel villains. Senor Muerte, Mace, Stiletto and Discus all look great. You did Chesire Cat?! Amazing. Bushmaster, Shades and Commanche bring back memories. This whole set is pure 70's Marvel win. Nice stuff. Quote
funkguerilla Posted September 13, 2014 Posted September 13, 2014 Those are amazing! Fantastic job! Is it weird how much I want that Montenegro? Quote
elhonez Posted September 13, 2014 Author Posted September 13, 2014 A ton of great c-listers i haven't heard about in forever. I love the 70's Marvel villains. Senor Muerte, Mace, Stiletto and Discus all look great. You did Chesire Cat?! Amazing. Bushmaster, Shades and Commanche bring back memories. This whole set is pure 70's Marvel win. Nice stuff. I'm happy to know others recognize some of these guys... I'm a huge sucker for all things 70s/early 80s Marvel - it's the era I came up reading comics. The bronze age was full of so many colorful, creative costumes and wacky one-off characters. I wanted to focus on tackling a bunch of characters that had real distinctive personality, but that had virtually zero chance of being included in any future releases. I will probably get around to some more uniquely Iron Fist villains at some point, though my target list there is shorter & I'll probably take a break before I get started. Those are amazing! Fantastic job! Is it weird how much I want that Montenegro? Not as weird as my irresistible compulsion to make him... Quote
MiniFiend UK Posted September 14, 2014 Posted September 14, 2014 I'm always up for some obscure characters and alot of them I aint heard of so good job. There is only 3 that I know and thats Stilleto, Discus and Chemestrio and have to say great parts choices on all three. Quote
Ronan The Accuser Posted September 14, 2014 Posted September 14, 2014 I'm happy to know others recognize some of these guys... I'm a huge sucker for all things 70s/early 80s Marvel - it's the era I came up reading comics. The bronze age was full of so many colorful, creative costumes and wacky one-off characters. I wanted to focus on tackling a bunch of characters that had real distinctive personality, but that had virtually zero chance of being included in any future releases. I will probably get around to some more uniquely Iron Fist villains at some point, though my target list there is shorter & I'll probably take a break before I get started. Yeah, based on some of your past comments and customs I figured you and I had grown up reading in the same era, 70's - early 80's. I'll always be thankful for catching that particular era of comics, i could read the current Marvel titles and then check out stuff they were referencing in the various titles they were reprinting from the 60's. Throw in DC, Atlas (Loved Atlas!) and the Charlton reprints... man, what a time to get into comics. I absolutely love the Frank Robbins reference pics you used for Spear and the Mangler, that always takes me back to Invaders and Human Fly memories. Robbins art style wasn't a fan favorite but I was always drawn to it. The PM villains turned out fantastic, I could go on and on gushing over them. Very interested to see what characters you choose for your Iron Fist assortment, some fun stuff in there too. I've always wanted to do a Hulk villains wave, the criteria is pretty much the same as your PM set... a lot of great looks that will never see a store release. I'm looking at you Night-Crawler and Space Parasite! Quote
Mystery Man Posted September 14, 2014 Posted September 14, 2014 Nice going! I especially like Chemistro! Quote
bilbofett Posted September 15, 2014 Posted September 15, 2014 Very nice! It's cool to see obcure characters mated. Quote
Nessex Posted September 15, 2014 Posted September 15, 2014 Wow! You've just introduced me to a whole bunch of characters i never knew i wanted! Quote
Shanester Posted September 15, 2014 Posted September 15, 2014 Incredible work. I love them all! Quote
stegron01 Posted September 15, 2014 Posted September 15, 2014 Wow, those look great! I too grew up on that era of comics and I really wish DST would make more from that time, on the lines of the Strange Tales boxset. I don't know all of the characters but it's great that you put reference pics next to the customs and they look like superb likenesses! Quote
elhonez Posted June 29, 2015 Author Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) Not yet, but very soon... probably after San Diego... a sequel is in the works. Like unto a thing of plastic? I plan to have a bit more fun with the reveals this time. Stay tuned. Edited June 29, 2015 by elhonez Quote
karamazov80 Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 Wow, I missed this thread before. Love those customs! I don't recognize a single one from comics I actually read, but they so perfectly represent that era. Guy with the roulette wheel on his chest and climbing guy are my favorites, but Mace Hand guy isn't far behind. I can't believe the Masters of the Universe creative team didn't steal him. Quote
luke314pi Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 I also missed this thread before. These are so much fun! Quote
elhonez Posted June 30, 2015 Author Posted June 30, 2015 Thanks!! Glad you like them... And Luke, you may have recognized your "male chest" template popping up there. Speaking of which, I notice darker inks tend to smear a bit. Any tips on a fixative I can use? Quote
luke314pi Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 Thanks!! Glad you like them... And Luke, you may have recognized your "male chest" template popping up there. Speaking of which, I notice darker inks tend to smear a bit. Any tips on a fixative I can use? I really like the Tamiya clear semi-gloss acrylic spray. But Testors clear dull coat acrylic spray (which is actually more of a semi-gloss) works fine as well. Quote
elhonez Posted July 15, 2015 Author Posted July 15, 2015 OK... I'm almost ready for the first of 12 days of random Iron Fist awesomeness. Or mediocrity, depending on your perspective. But this time, I need your help. Prior to each reveal, I want to see if you can guess the next character based on a clue or clues. If you think you've got it, post a pic of the character from a comic panel or cover from the interwebs. On the first day of Fistmas, my sensei gave to me... Hint: This first one's a layup... Quote
elhonez Posted July 15, 2015 Author Posted July 15, 2015 That is an awesome, and perhaps even prophetic, guess... But what if one were to interpret the clue more literally? Quote
elhonez Posted July 15, 2015 Author Posted July 15, 2015 Boom goes the dynamite! Picture coming tonight (California time), along with the next hint... Bonus points to whomever can name the distinct 3-segmented nunchaku he wields. (the weapon type - I don't think he named it "Clara Belle" or anything like that). Quote
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