Vandal Savage By Hervé St.Louis Jul 2, 2005 - 12:13:00 PM

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Vandal Savage is the immortal JSA villain introduced in Green Lantern #10, 1943. Exposed the rays of a comet, way back in the stone age, Vandal Savage is a cro-Magnon man who has lived ever since. Implicated in many of history’s conflicts, possibly under the guise of ruthless dictators, Vandal Savage wants to conquer the world. Recently, he has become mostly an opponent of the Flash and Arsenal.

Likeness

The only common thread about Vandal Savage’s looks, is that his beard and has black hair. There is not consistent uniform or costume. Often he appears with swanky clothing and a cape. Here, Vandal Savage looks like Burt Reynolds.

Sculpt

A good sculpt with trace of Nazi SS clothing, Vandal Savage appears as a middle-aged man with white temples. There is nothing spectacular about this sculpt. It’s clean but uninspired. Vandal’s left hand allows him to carry a large sword. Vandal Savage’s feet are too small to fit his body. Because he has no belts, his torso seems longer while his legs appear shorter. They are short too. Vandal’s faces make him appear from the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Paint

The paint job is poor. For some reason, DC Direct put grey shading on Vandal’s cheeks. The paint of his white temples barely covers the black underneath. There are lots of spills around the neck area. Vandal’s boots have fake polish to make them appear as leather.

Scale

Vandal Savage came in a wave with The Shade. He is in proportion with him. Next to other DC Direct action figures, such as the modern Flash and the Hard Travelling Green Arrow, Vandal looks fine. Vandal was one of the first DC Direct action figures to be larger than the Silver Age scale that followed. Therefore, he will tower most JSA action figures and Silver Age versions of the JLA, like Aquaman. Next to contemporary, Ra’s al Ghul, Vandal looks right.

Stability

Vandal Savage is stable. Although his torso is heavy, it is well supported by the strong legs and soles. As the legs have no poses, they offer optimal support. There is a peg hole on the right foot, but it is not necessary.

Articulation

Vandal Savage has nine articulations at the neck, the shoulders, the elbows, the hips, and the knees. His shoulders have ball joints. Wrist articulations would have been swell. The articulations are strong.

Plastic

Vandal Savage consists of resistant plastic that tolerates warm weather very well. He doesn’t bend. His head is made of softer rubber-like material. Bolts hold each of Vandal’s limbs. His torso is a single piece within which one inserts the ball-jointed shoulders, the legs and the head.

Props

Vandal Savage comes with a sword is made of similar plastic and has silver and gold-like paints. They have glued on his left hip and made the sword holder with hollow plastic.


Packaging

Vandal came in a yellow cardboard card with checkered patterns that other figures from 2002 had. Behind the card were images of recent figures offered in the past and some released the same month such as the Shade.

Cost

As DC Direct don’t have suggested prices, this figure cost anywhere from $11 dollars to $25 depending on the store. In Canada, this action figure was purchased for $20. In those days, many retailers charged more for DC Direct action figures, than they do today.

Availability

Although a major villain, the lack of identifiable features made this figure too generic. It really could be just about anyone. This figure was not very popular and certainly ordered mostly by die-hard fans. As DC Direct manufactured action figures to fit retailers’ orders, there must not be many around. Back then, DC Direct was not very popular, so if you love this character and find him, just buy the action figure.

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