Is #ThunderThursday a thing? If not, we are totally making it a thing. Continuing our previews of the new ThunderCats ULTIMATES! series 4 figures, Lynx-O is about to arrive in our collections from the burning destruction of Thundera, but even fleeing for his life, he looks the best he ever has.
I think it is fair to say that Monkian was going to be the most-anticipated figure from this fourth wave of ULTIMATES! He completes the core team of original Mutants, and well – his figure turned out pretty awesome. That said, Lynx-O is another one of the “must have” characters for this line, and his arrival on Third Earth in the second season of the cartoon (along with Pumyra and Bengali) helped bolster the ranks of the ThunderCats. Based off of a lynx cat (duh), he brings a lot of diversity of character and design to the Cats fold, and his powers and contributions add a layer heroics unique amongst the others.
Remember, when he was introduced in season two of the original cartoon, Lynx-O was NOT a ThunderCat. Like Pumyra and Bengali, he was a Thundarian, of course, but did not belong to that class of cat that makes them true ThunderCats. His back story is harrowing, having barely escaped the destruction of Thundera, and in the process losing his sight to an explosion of hot ash just before he was able to board on of the last departing ships. When that ship finally arrives on Third Earth, Lynx-O and the others proved their might in helping to fight off the threat of Mumm-Ra and crew, and Lion-O bestows upon them the title of ThunderCats. I always found that introduction really cool, and as it expanded the heroic ranks with new and interesting characters, it is a storyline I appreciate.
Lynx-O’s other senses became greatly heightened due to the loss of his sight, and of the three new Cats, he is probably the most prominent, especially in terms of contributions. Being much older than the rest of the Cats, he brings sage wisdom to many of decisions, and he takes on a bit more of that “senior advisor” role that was fairly dedicated to the spirit of Jaga in season one. He is smaller in stature than most of the other Cats, and while he is wise and mostly soft spoken, I really like his gravely voice and typical 80s old mechanic guy look, that headband really seals it. As you can bet, the Four Horsemen did a wonderful job in bringing his look to the ULTIMATES! line.
I have to admit that Bengali was the only new ThunderCat figure my brother and I had as kids. So, as strange as it is to say, this is the first time having a Lynx-O figure for me. Even so, I think I was sleeping on this figure a bit when this series was announced. I have been so excited for Monkian and Snowman that while I was looking forward to Lynx-O, I had not given him nearly as much thought prior to his arrival. Well, every ULTIMATES! series seems to have a sleeper figure so I am happy to say that Lynx-O is that for me this time around, and while maybe not as flashy as some of the others, this figure accomplishes everything it needs to extremely well.
Like Monkian, the great production quality of series four continues with this figure. I have no outstanding issues to report as again, all of the joints are strong and smooth, the paint is clean, and most of the material choices are right on. My nitpick remains the same as well in that his hands are made of a pretty rigid plastic, so heating them ahead of arming him up with his accessories is a good idea. That is really the only thing I have to mention, and while his costume and character design might not be as flashy as some, that allows the articulation to sing, and posing him is surprisingly fun.
So, with his character design, the paint work is really the highlight because it is low key great. Lynx-O’s costume is pretty straightforward, but that can be a trap for paint work because if it is not crisp and clean, things can get rocky fast. Black against a lighter color can be especially tricky, but I am glad to say all of the transitions to the reds, oranges, and yellows is clean with no issues to report. On the other hand, Lynx-O has some pretty unique and detailed patterns on his face, beard, ears, and even his forearms, so I have been anxiously awaiting the final results. Honestly, I think Lynx-O has the best portrait paint of the entire line thus far. ThunderCats eyes are tricky, but he does not have that same look, but all of the spots and transitions of color are very, very well done. While I probably won’t employ the snarling face a much, it has a lot of personality, so it is great to have options.
Speaking of, along with that swappable head, Lynx-O also has three sets of swappable hands (one set of splayed, and two sets of grip hands, one with side to side hinge, and one with up and down). The Light Shield snaps around his forearm easily, so you can outfit him battle. That is the one “weapon” he has, as the tile from the Fountain is the other original accessory, and the tampo print on that is nicely done. The most interesting, and to me – best accessory though, is the Braille Board. This was not included in the original solicitation of the figure, but Super7 heard our calls and included it, which is great as it is an essential piece for Lynx-O. It is large and nicely detailed, you can see the braille stamps on the keys, and everything is painted well. I have the vintage Cats Lair that I integrate into my display, and I am working on how to best display Lynx-O with the board within the play set.
The new ThunderCats are almost all here! With Pumyra on the water, and Bengali at the factory, Lynx-O will not be waiting alone at the Tower of Omens for very long. I think most of us consider him to be a core character at this point, so to strike another off the list in nice style is definitely a win. Like I said, I think he is the sleeper for series 4, so if you do not have him on order, you might want to go to BBTS and reconsider right away. Check back soon, we have more ThunderCats ULTIMATES! to come.
*Thanks again to Super7 for sending Lynx-O along for an early preview.
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Source: Fwoosh
