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The Psycho-Pirate is the second villain to sport the name. Roger Hayden, sharing a jail cell with the Golden Age Psycho-Pirate was told of the Medusa mask that controls emotions. Escaping from prison, Hayden found the mask and attacked JSA members Dr Fate and Hourman. During the Crisis, Harbinger recruited Hayden to fight the Anti-Monitor. Instead, he joined him. The Psycho-Pirate is the only man to remember the Crisis as it really happened. The Psycho-Pirate first appeared in Showcase #56 in June 1965.
Likeness
The figure is a mimic of the Psycho-Pirate as he appeared in the mini-series Crisis on the Infinite Earths drawn by George Perez. Unlike the Silver Age version, he sports a large cape with a collar. Psycho-Pirate’s face looks like a Perez illustration but it is not overstated.
Sculpt
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The sculpt by John G. Mathews is fine and reminiscent of all the Silver Age action figures Tim Bruckner sculpted in the past. Psycho-Pirate’s body is not overtly muscular, although he looks fit. His face looks confident as if he were about to manipulate an opponent. He also looks older and with tired features. His hands are in a grappling position. The masks are painted on the figure instead of being engraved.
Paint
There are severe problems in the paint application of all of the Crisis of the Infinite Earth Series One action figures. The China production facility botched most of the figures. Although my Psycho-Pirate was flawless, except a few paint bleeds, I have seen some where painters smudged the mask logo on the chest. The yellow paint on the belt insufficient to cover the base plastic. When purchasing this action figure, check all the details. The back of the cape was dirty. There is some polish on the Psycho-Pirate’s boots.
Scale
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The Psycho-Pirate will fit with all your Golden Age and Silver Age DC Direct action figures, such as Dr Fate, Hourman, Dr Mid-nite, and of course, other Crisis action figures. Remarkably, DC Direct reverted to a smaller six-inch scale for these figures instead of the six and a half they have been using recently. Psycho-Pirate is about the same height of the Silver Age Flash. That means he’s very small, but a fine.
Stability
Psycho-Pirate can stand on his own, but his knees are loose. I suggest using the fine Crisis on the Infinite Earths action figure stand. The peg bar is large enough to hold the figure tightly. On his own Psycho-Pirate’s balance is precarious. He leans forward and his plastic is not heavy.
Articulation
Psycho-Pirate has thirteen articulations. He has ball joints for the neck and the shoulders. One can pose his head in almost any direction which is cool as he is an emotion manipulation. The shoulders’ ball joints are stiff and don’t allow for forward and back motion easily. Psycho-Pirate has bending elbows, wrist curls, bending hips, bending knees and calves curls. The calves’ curls are a new addition to common DC Direct figures of secondary characters. Usually, only first tier characters like Superman get such articulations.
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Plastic
The plastic is heavy and tough. It’s a good stock, although it doesn’t smell very good. Psycho-Pirate’s cape is in rubber. DC Direct glued it on top of Psycho-Pirate’s chest. The ball joint arms simply plug inside the chest cavity of the shoulders. Joints hold the elbows and the knees together.
Props
Psycho-Pirate has the Medusa mask that he puts on his face. They mould the back of the mask on his face, so it will hold well when put over his face. Besides, that, Psycho-Pirate has his action figure stand which is translucent with painted colours. It’s a very pleasant action figure stand.
Packaging
The Crisis series of action figures use a distinct package with a painted background showing two planets merging within each other. The plastic bubble is like a dome and the figures are inside. Only one wire held Psycho-Pirate to the package as they encased him in plastic. On the back of the card, there’s a bio on all of the action figures of this wave. This package is one of the best ever produced by DC Direct.
 Showcase #56 |
Cost
These figures cost anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on the retailer. These figures are mostly available at comic book stores and other specialty and gift item retailers, such as music stores. Prices depend on the store’s ordered quantity. DC Direct doesn’t suggest any price so it is based on the store’s margin objectives and cost of business.
Availability
These figures are available at most comic book stores which would have ordered them six months in advance from Diamond Comics, the exclusive distributor for DC Direct products. The Psycho-Pirate is not the most popular figure from this wave, but an essential villain that DC Direct has not sold as an action figure in the past. It is very improbable that DC Direct would release a new version of this figure again, so don’t wait too long.
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