Wave 13 ThunderCats ULTIMATES! Review

It’s only been 3 months since Wave 14 started shipping out, which makes receiving the mighty Wave 13 so close in succession a nice interlude while we await the arrival of Wave 15 ULTIMATES! Not that we don’t have lots of other ThunderCats releases happening at the same time. But this feels like the perfect time for it to arrive.

Sure, we have received waves out of order in the past. And seeing as Wave 13 consists of a vehicle and a figure, it makes sense that there could have been some delays. Taking into account that Wave 13 was the last preorder we’ve had in a while, with the others, including 14 and the upcoming 15, being presales, we’re adjusting nicely into the new sales model that Super7 has presented.

I’ll leave this here – there was no Super Pack with this wave at all. When you consider that SilverHawks’ CopperKidd and his vehicle had a Super Pack, one would’ve hoped to get one for this wave. Alas! It was not meant to be. I’m not sure what it exactly could’ve entailed, so it’s ok that this wave gave it a skip. Super Packs are currently a sensitive topic for consumers, but I’ll delve into that when we get to the next wave. Which is just 2 months away. But for now, here comes Wave 13 at full horse, uhm, vulture-power!!!

Vultureman makes his triumphant return in toy form, as, uhm, his toy version. Yes, we finally have another figure to add to our LJN-inspired collection. Now we just need Slithe and Jackalman, and we’ll have the four core mutants. I’m still hoping for Ratar-O, seeing as he is so different from his toon counterpart. But for now, I’m really happy to get ol’ Vultie. He looks great! I found myself constantly staring at him while doing the actual YouTube review. There’s just something about the colors that pop so well. And of course, the vintage look is just something that floods you with memories from days gone by when you once owned one of the LJN-released ThunderCats.

Vultureman’s toy recolor doesn’t come with many extras. There’s the forked weapon, which is from his vintage toy, but never appeared in the toon (until ThunderCats Roar). There’s an extra set of hands. An alt head, which I have to say, is my preferred one! It is pure perfection! Then there’s the little sword, or knife if you will, that slides into the belt across his chest. Now if you can remember, the vintage toy had that on the buck, so it wasn’t something loose, but here we actually have a physical weapon that we can remove, and it fits in his hand, which I have to be honest I thought it wouldn’t because the hole looks too big. But boy oh boy, the fact that he has that weapon loose is just excellent in my book.

Articulation wise there is nothing new here. If you know the toon version of Vultureman, you’ll know what to expect here. He feels a lot tighter here somehow. I’m very happy with that.

Paint on him is nice and crisp too, and the colors just work so well. I understand why the toy creators went with these more eye-catching colors than that from the cartoon. Put him next to the toon version and you’ll always pick this toy one.

We’ve already had two toy recolors released as DX figures, so I’m wondering if this is our last ULTIMATES! toy recolor (besides Panthro that came with the toy recolor ThunderTank). Who knows? I don’t mind either. As long as we get more.

That brings me to the big item of the wave. The Skycutter. This one has a very special place in my heart. All thanks to Kyle Wlodyga, the designer that worked on this vehicle back in the day. Now I’ve loved interacting with the Super7 team since they acquired the license – not only to acknowledge them for the great work that they do, but to also get to know the friendly folk who are responsible for designing them. Without going in too much detail, a quick DM here and there had me grabbing my DVD copy of the toon because I remembered exactly where I had seen what I was asked: where do the mutants use the blades of the Skycutter? We already know the vintage toy had it. But since this was toon focused, it also had to line up with what the show was about. A quick video recording of the snippet from The Fireballs of Plun-Darr later, and my work was done. It’s a real privilege to be asked as a fan of the IP for insight into the toon. And today I have that very same vehicle in my hands. Wow, life is great!!!

This vehicle is a beast. Yes, it really is big. When compared to Mandora’s Electro-Charger, it is actually bigger because of the wingspan, despite it’s petite nature. I mean, come on, you’d think the thin wings and narrow body would make it much smaller than what it really is, right? But man it’s big!!! I’m still surprised at how huge it is. It doesn’t feel flimsy at all, either. The plastic feels strong and sturdy, even the detailed handles has me at ease that I won’t be scouring eBay for replacement parts as LJN-collectors usually do with these types of vehicles.

The wings click into place, either up, or down, and holds them there for your display selection. I thought there might be one in the middle, but it does appear you can just keep it in between the two “clicks” for a more leveled appearance. The wings, which are proper and heavy, houses wheels on the edges, which flip down, and also move! So yes, you can let it drive on the ground too. The spinning razors are on the edge of each wing, and has a hidden lever flat with the bottom of the wing, which locks into place to have the blade stay outside of the wing, and still spin. It locks back in when you push it down. The blades are shiny silver, and while not sharp, they look as dangerous as they did when they cut down the trees in that episode.

I love that Super7 considered the figures when they created the Skycutter. The seat is removable. You have two options – one with a back and one without. This allows for figures like Slithe to sit comfortably atop the Skycutter, with his tail behind him. What’s more, when you lift up the seat(s), you find the engine detailed in the body. That’s a nice hidden treasure I have to say. It could’ve been just plain plastic, but Super7 thought out of the box. Well done!

There are also pieces that act as foot rests for the figures. This is great, because it does look odd if the feet just hang off the side. Not all would reach, depending on the bulky bodies that some have like Ratar-O and Slithe, but it’s a nice considerate gesture that makes the vehicle feel “real”. Even the control panel at the front mirrors all the others we’ve seen Super7 do. From the ThunderTank to the Electro-Charger. The golden thread is there. I like that.

The flame / blast effect that plugs into the front is also a nice to have. It plugs in snug, and improves the overall look because it takes it from static vehicle to beast machine!!! YEAH!

There is of course the stand that plays a very important part here. It’s worth taking note that the vehicle cannot stand by itself because of the weight of the wings, and their distance from the ground. So the stand helps in fixing that. The stand comes in two parts – one being the plain base, while the other has a piece that plugs on top of it so that you can raise it as if in flight mode. Neither interferes with the look of the vehicle.

Now I know, the price is a touchy subject for some. Granted, it is pricey. But remember, these are limited releases, and I doubt we’ll see this again. Not even a toy recolor would seem worth it, seeing as it is already similar to that vehicle. I can’t say I expect lights and sounds with this one. When you take into account that the material for producing toys have increased in price over the last two years, it makes sense why the price is higher than with the Electro-Charger. Everything is more expensive. So there’s that to consider. And seeing as we’re not toy makers ourselves, I do believe that Super7 takes a lot into account when they price an item. In my eyes, it’s worth it.

So will we see another vehicle? According to Brian Flynn, not very soon. There are still the Nose Diver and Fist Pounder to consider for the Mutants. And the Lunatacker, Ice Runner, and SkyTomb for the Lunataks. And many other options for the good guys as well. Feliner anybody? I am just very happy that we’ve gotten this, which does help bring some balance to my display. I should’ve gotten two, really, but I am hopeful we’ll see some others in the future.

This is a great wave to have, and I get if it is something you’ll skip because of the price of the vehicle, or the fact that you don’t collect toy recolors. But it certainly is worth having in my collection. I always want more ThunderCats.

Filling out the line

The Skycutter finally gives the Mutants a vehicle of their own. Pair it with Slithe, Monkian, or any of these other current Super7 ThunderCats Ultimates to round out the shelf — scroll the cards and click any figure to see it on Entertainment Earth.

Deluxe: Snarf (Toy)

Snarf

Wizz-Ra

Deluxe: Lion-O (Toy)

Zaxx

Mumm-Ra (Old Man)

Jagara

Deluxe: Lion-O

King Lion-O

WilyKat

Nayda

Mumm-Ra (Dream Master)

Browse the full ThunderCats catalog at Entertainment Earth →

Hunting the vintage versions?

The original 1986 LJN ThunderCats line is where the Skycutter and Vultureman first showed up. Loose figures and boxed examples still surface on eBay regularly.

Vintage 1986 LJN Vultureman Search active eBay listings →

Vintage 1986 LJN Mutant Skycutter Search active eBay listings →

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