The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: #1 'The Invasion Begins' from Mars Attacks ReAction by Super7

 

   What's the height limit for The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror this year? I'm going to say right around 4 1/2 inches or less. I really thought about strictly doing minifigures, but that was going to be fairly limiting and just not as much fun. Besides, the 7 inch range of action figures has kind of become the default for most horror toys, probably because that's the size of McFarlane Toys' original Movie Maniacs from 1998, and this year I wanted to avoid having the countdown filled with traditional collector focused figures. Let's take a look at today's subject from Super7's Mars Attacks ReAction line: #1 'The Invasion Begins.' Super7 only released three different figures in this series, along with various repacks and recolors (like glow-in-the dark) and each figure is named after a specific card from the original 1962 Topps trading card set. This is pretty much your standard Martian from the property and I did not want the #36 'Destroying a Dog' figure at all. I'm too much of a dog person, so unless the dog is a vicious werewolf or a zombie dog whose on the hunt, I don't want anything to happen to any dogs, including toy dogs. The Martians seem to show up fairly regularly as part of 31 Days of Toy terror so let's welcome them back on their quest to take over the Earth. Ready for an invasion? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 3 7/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel hips, swivel shoulders, and a swivel neck.

Accessories: Dome and death ray.

Year of Release: 2021

Original Retail Price: $20 dollars

The Positives:

* I know a lot of collectors like to rag on these retro styled action figures (or at least the price of them) but when Super7 does them right, they really do a great job. I really like the whole aesthetic of this guy. The head is definitely more advanced than the body, but honestly, it still just works for me and matches the vintage card art style quite well. The space suit looks accurate to the vintage design and the "Kenner" inspired sculpting matches well with the vintage art. There's not a ton of paintwork but what's here is pretty neat and clean. This guy shares the same body and legs as the 'Destroying a Dog' figure but gets different arms and a different head. The colors are nice and bright and makes the Martian invader a fitting companion for vintage Star Wars figures or the Super7 1950s Universal Monsters. 

* The portrait is excellent on the Martian. Yes, it's way more advanced than anything Kenner would have done, but it looks just like the cards. It's one of those things where I'd rather it look good than intentionally have Super7 make it less impressive. It fits well with the rest of the line, too, so it doesn't stand out or anything there. The eyes are excellent and the skull-like features really look menacing, even though this guy is under 4 inches tall and his head is smaller than your average mellowcreme pumpkin. 

* It's not often that a marvel at the sculpting on a ReAction figure enough to show off the back of the head but check out this guy's brains! They're crazy looking! The Martians' fragile craniums are definitely part of their weirdness (and a weakness) and Super7's sculptor did a great job. The base of his neck also just looks weird and skeletal, adding to the creepy alien vibe. 

* There's also a clear plastic dome that fits over the Martian's head to keep his cranium safe and allow him to breathe nitrogen no matter where he goes. It fits on well and looks good. It's nice that you can just pop it off to pose his neck, too, and then slap it right back on.

* His air tanks aren't removable but they're a separate piece from the body. They're bright red with some little paint hits on the side for the grates of some sort. These guys breathe nitrogen, so these tanks give him a steady supply of the gas.

* Since this figure is based on card #1 from the original 1962 set, Super7 gave him a pointing left hand. That way you can pose him pointing towards the flying saucers that are getting ready to take off.

* If you're at all familiar with the ReAction figures (or vintage Kenner Star wars figures), then you probably know what to expect with this guy: The classic five points of articulation. Everything moves fine and the plastic quality is really nice on the Martian. When it comes to the retro styled figures like this, Super7 has the best mixture of the retro look, good visual design, and good plastic quality.

* I think this is called an atomic ray gun. Whatever it is, it definitely is pretty deadly! It also has the feel of a vintage Kenner Star Wars accessory and it fits in the Martian's right hand quite well. I love when the ReAction figures have an accessory. It just makes them more fun. This really feels like a retro Kenner accessory.

   It's rare that a ReAction figure impresses me this much, but the Martian solider/ #1 'The Invasion Begins' is just an Epic example of this style of  retro figure and a great piece of pop culture toy art. The colors, the design, and the accuracy to the source material just really appeal to me here. I really like this guy. I know multiple companies have released their versions of Martians but this might be my favorite, at least of the ones I own. I really wish the line had a few more figures in it to grant some more bizarre options for a Kenner styled action figure display or a 1960s sci-fi collection.


 
   Looking for more Martians from Mars Attacks? I've also reviewed the Supreme Commander, the Paeec Overlord, and the Martian Trooper from Trendmasters' Topps comic book bases Mars Attacks line and the Martian Trooper and the Martian Spy Girl from Trendmasters' Mars Attacks line based on the 1996 Tim Burton film.