Wasp

So, what, this Predator is rich and uptight? A member of Big Red's clan, the Wasp Predator is a ruthless hunter whose flesh tones and skin patterns resemble those of the flying insect. He has even customized his Bio to match. Armed with wrist blades and his unique spear staff, the Wasp routinely decapitates his victims and mounts their severed heads atop his spear. When not hunting with Big Red, the Wasp takes flight in his customized Blade Fighter vehicle. His sole purpose is to hunt and exterminate every Xenomorph he finds. Wasp is our third Dead End Predator, and the second who's actually in the film! (Remember: Albino may be a cool figure, but he got cut out of the final product.) Speaking of things cut from the final product, Wasp is wearing a mask. In the film, his face is uncovered - and he has really long dreads, like Shaman, so it's not like NECA couldn't have just used that head sculpt for him. The helmet appears to come from Wasp's concept art, judging by the back of the packaging; NECA's choice to favor that look over the film is fine, because you can barely see him anyway, and it definitely makes him look cool. Below the neck, Wasp uses the same body as the other Dead Enders: the Jungle Hunter body with the modern articulation. He also gets the extra bit of shoulder armor that Albino introduced, but otherwise everything is the same - which does cause one problem with the paint. On the original costume, Wasp only had netting on his torso; his legs were bare. This figure is painted to match, but he still has the sculpted nets on his legs, because it probably would have cost too much to remold them. He does get the left bicep without the net, though - so much for me saying "everything" was the same, right? The paint is nice. All of Big Red's tribe seem to have a yellower hue than the average Pred, but it's most pronounced on Wasp. The black sections aere very dark, and perfectly match the pattern from the film. His Bio-Mask (which is most likely what the text on the back of the card was referring to when it said "his Bio" - looks like somebody accidentally dropped a word!) is a mustardy brown, with black stripes and spots on the face and dome. The rest of his armor is dark grey, and he has bright silver wrist blades. The "Blade Fighter" mentioned in the chatter is another reference to a Kenner product, but clearly he doesn't include that - but it doesn't matter, because the accessory he does include is awesome! Taken directly from the film, Wasp is carrying a spear that has an impaled Alien head on it. It's an Aliens Alien, judging by all the cranial ridges. It would be fun if the jaw could open, but it's not necessary. A bit of internal grue hangs down against the blade, and the detailing on the staff's wrappings is truly impressive. Both of Wasp's hands are molded to hold it, but he really does look best when he's just holding it in his left hand, with the butt resting on the ground. It's what he did in the movie, and it's what he's going to do in my display. You may choose to have his head-wang drooping differently, and you can. Wasp may not be a 100% screen-accurate toy, but he doesn't need to be. He needs to be a cool-looking Predator with an awesome accessory that reminds you of that Batman fan film you saw that one time, and at that, he's an unqualified success. Getting this sort of extra-cannonical release is just a lot of fun. -- 01/29/14

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