NECA released its first three figures in the Defenders Of The Earth series, with mixed results.
Defenders Of The Earth is a series that was popular in the 1980’s. It starred Flash Gordon, Mandrake The magician (with Lothar as his sidekick) and The Phantom, who joined forces to fight Ming The merciless.
The first wave includes Flash, Ming and The Phantom. Each character stands a solid 7″ tall. The figures, especially Flash and The Phantom, have a far too muscular physique. The figures all come with fake bullet/raygun bursts as well as multiple hands.
Flash is based on actor Buster Crabbe. It comes with extra hands, his sword, and his laser gun. You can also use blue-tinted plugs to mimic the firing of a laser gun. Flash wears an almost classic, traditional look. However, the overly defined muscles make it a little less appealing. The design of his figure is almost caricature-like, and resembles the Masters of The Universeline. The figure pays homage well to this classic comic character.
Ming the Merciless has to be the most attractive figure in the entire line. This figure, like Flash Gordon, is similar to the serial actor Charles Middleton. Character was always portrayed as an East Asian stereotypical stereotype, and was played by a black actor. Ming’s appearance was changed by the time The Defenders Of The Earth premiered. He now had green skin, and his fingers were clawed. The physical body of Ming is too large, but the ornate cape and costume do an excellent job at distracting from the sculpt.
Included are the same faux lasers as on the Flash figure. Also, there is a sword, his Mongor Staff, and multiple hands. There’s still room for improvements, but this is a good looking figure.
The Phantom, a creation by Lee Falk, concludes the first wave. The figure is once again plagued by an overly defined and designed musculature, which appears to be covered with a costume. It also appears that the head of the figure is a bit too small, and its neck absurdly thick.
There are also duplicate hands, laser blasts and a skull ring that can be plugged into the alternate hand. The same pistol that Flash and Ming use is also included (why couldn’t they have made an Earth-based alternative pistol?) The final accessory is the small figurine of Zuffy, The Phantom Defenders Of The Earth sidekick. This figure provides an interesting contrast with this highly detailed figure.
The figures could all be more articulate. It’s actually frustrating that these figures can’t stand up on their own. The NECA stand hasn’t worked. The figures fall immediately.
What’s the verdict on this? If you are a fan of Flash Gordon, or The Phantom, these figures are pretty cool. It’s a personal choice whether you like the overly detailed sculpts. A hair dryer can loosen stiff joints, and a NECA display base with a little adhesive is all that’s needed to keep the pose in place.
Overall, it’s a mixed bag.
The Flash, Ming and Phantom figures are pretty good looking. The Phantom’s design could be improved. It’s disappointing that the figures can’t be supported without additional support.
You could not do worse than to add them to your collection.