The original Whiplash figure owns a unique distinction in the annals of my lifelong toy collecting: he was one of only a precious few toys to somehow avoid being lost in all the house moves, toy trades, hand-me-downs sessions and various other instances where he might have been lost forever.* But there’s more to the story than that: for whatever reason, Whiplash seemed to retain a certain level of quality that other MOTU figures didn’t. His green plastic never faded, he never got the greasy feel and shine from decaying plastic that occurred to many figures (particularly Tri-Klops), and even his rubbery tail never got ripped or torn. Moreover, I loved his monstrous look so much that Whiplash continued working long after young Poe had moved on from MOTU; he later battled the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the X-Men, among others.
The fact is, I love Whiplash. He’s one of my favorite MOTU characters, so it’s important to realize that the nostalgia factor is pretty high on this one for me. While I really liked his Millennium update (my review), I tend to think of that figure and character not so much as an “improved” Whiplash so much as a different character entirely. (more…)
