I happened to get info about these figs just last year. I never really got to seeing them around until the last few days of 2010.
M.A.R.S. Heroes are a group of three kinds of figures, Aliens, MegaBot and Troopers. I managed to get and complete the Aliens. I also got one of the Troopers and didnt get the other two as they really didn't look pleasing to me. The MegaBots are a bit harder to find.
Anyhoo, I don't really know if there's any backstory about these figures but i'm thinking it's kinda like ala-Starcraft type of storyline. Oh you know, 3 races, killing each other?
Let's move on shall we?
These figures are all standing tall around 4 inches, have 13 pieces and interchangeable parts[!]. They all have simple ball joints for articulation. It's not much but it's enough.
M.A.R.S. Heroes: Aliens
First off are the Aliens and the one I would like to call "Big Blue".
Why "Big Blue"? It's not because he's any bigger than any of the others. His blue color just really stand out and he's the only one who wields a melee weapon.
See what I mean? Other than the shoulder-mounted..uh..thing he has. He has got a big "energy" type Axe. It looks simple but effective. His Axe fits both his "claws"/hands well.
As mentioned before, the have 13 pieces/parts that can be easily removed and interchangeable [weapons and shoulder mounts included of course!]. Since they're ball joints and sockets, it's not hard to put them back together.
You can create an abomination like the one above or a more normal creation! It's up to you. Anyway, I like "Big Blue" best. Not only does he remind me of the aliens from Titan AE but he is really menacing with his Energy Axe.
Next is "Agent Orange"...
Why the name? He's so goddamned orange! LOL Aside from his blaster and almost "Predator" inspired shoulder mount, he has the same articulation as the rest.
He doesn't have a melee weapon but he has a very distinct Blaster weapon that fits snugly on both his hands. Why did I say that his Blaster was very "distinct"?
His blaster looks like a Xenomorph from the ALIENS movies. I don't know why it looks like it but for me it's a pretty weird thing to do and have for a weapon.
The last Alien is "The Rookie",
Why name him "The Rookie"? It's because he's GREEN! Get it? Oh..you don't..oh well..
He's the next Alien I like after Big Blue because he dual wields! He's the only Alien fig who has dual blasters and what looks like an actual Rocket shoulder mount.
Moving on....
M.A.R.S. Heroes: Troopers
I managed to get only one of the three Trooper figures. Why? The other two had visible Humanoid heads and it felt like they wouldn't fit in among GI Joe and Marvel Universe figures I have. The one I bought seemed like it was the generic grunt, so let's name him that.
He looks more like a cyborg..maybe even a robot but he's part of the "Trooper" group. He is also the only one who has their helmet on.
Unlike the Aliens, the Troopers do not have Shoulder mounts. They do have two weapons. Unfortunately, their grip is a bit wide and the weapon handles are a bit thin. Hence they can't really hold the weapons well. One is a Blaster handgun while the other seems like a Laser weapon [which he is holding backwards OOPS!]. But I let them hold a few of the GI Joe vintage weapons I had [ones with wide handles] and they pretty much stayed put.
He looks pretty plain but he does offer a ton of customization. If I was any good at customizing, he'd be looking like Master Chief. Maybe do a few retouching or repaints on his helmet to add detail.
Since I didn't get the other two, I just bought three of the same figure instead. A squad of three is better than one [the 3rd fig is still inside its plastic prison though].
Wonder Gun powers...ACTIVATE!
OVERALL
Articulation-wise, they're limited a bit but they can be moved and posed just enough for decent action shots. Accessory-wise, they don't have much but what they have is just enough.
These Aliens are good as enemy fodder for GI Joe or Marvel Heroes if you troop build en masse. They can also be the main villains having a single Big Blue [as leader] and army build the rest. The "Grunts" are great army builders for a "Space Marine" type of army versus the Aliens. They can also be evil cyborgs versus GI Joe or Marvel Heroes.
It all boils down to your own perspective and imagination.
I'm still trying to look for any of the MegaBots and will prolly get a few more Grunts and Aliens. They're pretty much a nice addition to any 3.75/4inch collection. So it's a definite buy if you're into a little diversity and into sci-fi/futuristic figures.
Where do you buy these?!?!
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