Amazon Warrior

Wait, this doesn't look like Wonder Woman! The Amazons were a society of warrior women in the central Eurasia region. The all-woman nation were warriors and artisans. Training for war from a young age, they were experts with swords, bows, spears, knives, and various forms of hand-to-hand combat. These legendary women worshipped Ares, the God of War, and participated in many legendary battles in his name, including the Trojan and Gorgon Wars. Amazons were first described by the Greek historian Herodotus. He called them "Androktones" ("killers of men") and said they called themselves "Oiorpata." In the Illiad, they were "Antianeirai" ("those who fight like men"). No one really knows where the name "Amazon" comes from, though the ancient Greeks had a folk etymology that it came from a- + mazos (ἀ- μαζός, "without breast"), which is where we get the myth that they cut off one breast. This toy, being based on the standard female V-HACKS body, has two breasts, and that's fine: so did the classical Amazons. If you go back and look at Greek art, Amazons are invariably depicted with both breasts (though they may have one covered). This warrior wears the same breastplate we've seen on the Gorgons, plus bracers and greaves, and she has sandals molded on her feet. While the male warriors' armor has a built-in skirt, this was designed for snake-ladies with no legs - therefore, the Amazon's war-skirt is a separate piece, meaning you can decide how much you want her to be wearing. She has a removable helmet, and since it's the same that the guys have worn, that means her hair has to fit inside it. To that end, she has a short, close-cut 'do that is still pretty snug inside the helmet. She's also all done up in red war paint, which is painted very crisply on the figure. There's a stripe over her eyes, and patterns all over her limbs. The two-piece armor means that she doesn't have to sacrifice her chest joint the way the guys have. The articulation includes a balljointed head and neck; swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows and wrists; a balljointed torso; balljointed hips; double-hinge knees; and swivel/hinge ankles. Being able to twist her torso around really does give the Amazon Warrior an advantage in battle poses, and we're still glad the women's ankles are rocker style, unlike the men's, so she can have her feet flat on the ground at all times. You need a solid base for slaying monsters! Beyond the breastplate and the helmet and the bracers and greaves and even her new skirt, the Amazon has a few appropriate accessories. There's a shield, painted black and gold with a version of a famous Amazonian image, plus two swords with silver blades and gold hilts, and a big spear. Her skirt has a loop on the back where one of the swords can be stored when she's not using it. The Amazons are generally considered mythical, but Herodotus identified them as neighbors of the Alan tribe - the Alans (nomads who by that point had spent 400 years wandering their way from Iran to the northern side of the Black Sea, around modern-day Ukraine/Russia) were Sarmatians, and Sarmatian territory bordered Scythia. Archaeological excavations have found that about a quarter of Scythian warrior graves contain women dressed in full battle gear, which (since the Greeks didn't have any direct contact with them) may have given rise to the tales of a society filled with nothing but females, like an old-world game of telephone. Real or not, this is a fun figure, and makes us look forward to more lady HACKS. -- 11/04/16

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