Glyaxia Outer Battalion Glyan Blue/Yellow Figure Glyos Bagged Figures Item No.: n/a Manufacturer: Onell Design Includes: 2 heads, 3-piece weapon, fun Action Feature: Take apart, swap parts and pieces Retail: $8.00 Availability: October 2011 Other: The Inverse of the Glyaxia Command Elite Glyan
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I looked at the inverse of the Glyaxia Outer Battalion Glyan Action Figure about a year ago, and I figured I should go ahead and look at him since he's part of a really neat if unfortunately small squad. Lately, Onell Design has done some pretty slick squads with cool faction symbols and an entire legion of different robots, creatures, vehicles, and equipment. The Glyaxian crew is pretty small by comparison, particularly since the debut of the Atari-like wavy symbol seen on this figure's right shoulder. I consider that a selling point, but as those of you who read this know I find bizarre justifications for buying things.

Since the Glyan's 2010 debut, there have been no fewer than a couple dozen Glyans in all sorts of colors from the indie toy makers at Onell Design. Each Glyan figure stands about 2 3/4-inches tall, and they're quite customizable. This one includes an alternate "Sincroid" head with a silver, humanoid face which seems more than a little like a nod to the classic Micronauts toys. There are also things called "Hub Sets" for about $4 which give the figure added bulk and a sort of a deep-space look with an even bulkier helmet and jetpack, although these have yet to be made in yellow or blue to match this guy. Each individual piece on the figure is a point of articulation, effectively giving him 19 joints on his tiny frame, although several of them don't really enhance movement. You can just rotate a kneecap or twist around a forearm, which gives the figure a slightly different pose but doesn't necessarily give it the range of movement you see in the arms.

The color scheme was done to match "Glyaxian" travelers from a few years ago, so if you're lucky you might have those Pheyden and Sarvos figures. This particular Glyan sports black panel lining, a white tampo, and a blue visor painted on both sides of his helmet. The design was meant to be switched around, effectively making it a two-in-one design. Clever!

The more I play with these figures, the more they feel like they're part of some bigger, unseen toy line which we just don't have yet. The Glyans have a unique personality that makes them fit in with the likes of Dino-Riders, Bone Age, and MASK drivers but only more advanced. These things cry out for mini-vehicles or some sort of playset, but other than things like the Rig or customizable vinyl blocks, there are really no traditional proper vehicle toys for them just yet. (Well, I guess there's the Rig Runner, but they aren't designed well for Glyans.) I dig this figure's bright color scheme and unique faction symbol so much I'll probably buy anything new with either element, but they don't show up on eBay a heck of a lot. As such, I'd say it's totally worth the $8 if you can score one for that, but I anticipate slightly higher prices if and when one comes up for sale. It's a lot of fun, but the truth is every Glyan is pretty much the same. New ones come out every few months, so if you aren't picky about the color I'd say just jump on whatever Onell Design has in stock right now.

Also, Matt Doughty's HQ was visited by Hurricane Sandy last week and as I think he's a nice dude, I would suggest throwing a little business his way. If you haven't yet bought a Glyan, I think you'll like them.

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