If you like Mekaneck, you'll love Extendar. The figure is largely a new tool, based on the same concept as Tallstar from a couple of years ago. The mighty warrior is over 9 1/2-inches tall, thanks to 6 extending pieces of plastic.
Thanks to his size, this mostly (or entirely) newly-tooled figure is a little on the wobbly side. He can balance, he does have a sweet spot, but I'd suggest making sure he's in a doll stand or leaning back a bit just because time has a way of screwing with gravity, and with so many parts there are several variables which could cause nosediving off a shelf. The detail is good, and for a figure with whom I had no real relationship I'm quite enamored with him. The face sculpt is wonderfully angled and retro, reminding me of some old, fun figures and of course Gamma X of the Outer Space Men.
The sculpting of the robotic knight is quite good, simple but not too simple. Rivets and creases on the armor look good, and while I find the abs on the armor a little silly it is largely consistent with the original toy. It's also worth noting that the gold paint on the original toy tends to tarnish and turn green with age, so keep an eye open for this guy molting in 10 years - I'm not sure if it'll happen, or what causes it, but keep those peepers peeled.
All the pieces fit well, and the five-piece shield unfolds nicely. There are all sorts of awesome circuit patterns and peace symbols on these elements, with a huge lance that's about as tall as most other action figures I own. Mattel hid the face of Extendar behind a neat face mask that's part of the armor, but you can use one of those extender pieces to get the head to pop out so you can see it.
The original line lived and died by action features, so removing them or replacing them makes for a curious collectible. Since these figures exist mostly to occupy collector shelves and not toy boxes, the changes largely work and are a clever way to ensure you don't have to worry about action features breaking over time - it just plain works. It also looks like Borg ships were put between his limbs, but again, it works! I'd say it feels like you get your money's worth here, and the piece count is incredibly high for the price point. I don't like this figure as much as Madame Razz, but character and color count for a lot and Extendar managed to pull off a cool, more or less traditional knight with a robot motif. That's the 1980s for you - wacky, weird, but ultimately fun and worthwhile.
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