Gray Thunder (Spawn 17) - Action Figure Reviews

Overall score: 8.6 / 10

- Solid figure

- Very easy to stand

- Good variety of guns and cannons

- Everyone loves robotic animals!

Playability: 8.9 / 10

- Fits right in with those barnyard animals

- Kids will eat this up – but shouldn’t because it’s a choking hazard

- Projectile weapon can be lost

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Gray Thunder (Spawn 17)

by McFarlane Toys

Kids love animals – real, imaginary and plastic. When I was younger I had a barnyard playset with chickens, cows, sheep and a horse that could pull a wagon. But that was years ago – before McFarlane Toys started filling animals with implants. (I think CY-Gor was one of the first.) They devoted one whole series to "enhanced" animals titled Techno Spawn.

A typical example of the Techno Spawn line, Gray Thunder a half rhinoceros, half machine hybrid. It stands about 6" when on all fours. The sculpt is very good. Just

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about every conceivable kind of implant has been included and looks much like the Borg tried their hand at assimilating animals. As expected the paint job is very good, even if it’s unimaginative. He’s mostly gray (Surprise, surprise!) and brown, with various metallic accents. Gray Thunder is most notable for his three massive guns mounted on its back: a gattling gun for air targets, a short-range

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three-barrelled gun for close combat and swivelling long gun. The long gun comes equipped with a spring-loaded projectile (called a "long range cruise missile" on the package) that makes pretty good distance. Be warned: the distance achieved also puts it in danger of being lost. Articulation is perfectly suited for a rhino, with an emphasis on the legs. Each leg has three point of articulation. It’s a simple matter to put him into a running stance. The head turns at the neck. (The only change I would have made, would have been a balljoint socket for the neck to allow even more poseability.)

As for playability, Gray Thunder is almost good to go right out of the package. The only assembly required is to snap on the gattling gun and one shoulder pad. Each are easy to take off, which means they can be lost as well. A drop of Superglue will solve that problem. Kids will like him because he’s a robotic rhino – something not seen every day – and makes a great addition to that barnyard set. Those damn chickens will never know what hit them! Overall, it’s pretty tough, the limbs are not easily snapped off. Because of some of the small parts there is choking hazard warning on the package. And since it lacks the gore and blood found in the regular Spawn and Movie Maniacs lines it also sports a label saying "Ages 5 and older" instead of the usual 13+. (The multiple guns may make parents flinch but they can be broken or cut off easily enough.)

Number of days it took for me to find the "long range cruise missile" after an intense battle with members of GI Joe: 16. (I accidentally sucked it up with the vacuum cleaner.)

- Omni