DC Universe Classics: Jemm

I know you kids today haven't heard of Jemm, but that's because most of you are too young to remember the 1980's. Jemm was an orphan trying to keep her late father's foster house in business with revenue acquired through a successful rock band she was running in her spare time.

No, wait. That was Jem. I have no clue who the hell Jemm is.

Give me a minute.

Okay, I just skimmed the Wikipedia page, and apparently this guy's from Saturn, and his race is an offshoot of the Martians. He's been around since the 80's, and I just learned I have, in fact, read at least one story he was in. The fact I don't remember him says a lot about how memorable he is.

Let's set all that aside and take a look at the figure. The head sculpt, is pretty good, but then it was just as good when it was used on Martian Manhunter in the same wave (at least I think it's the same sculpt - I'm not 100% certain of that). They did add Jemm's gem on his forehead, and that's well executed, unlike the starfish on his cape.

I like the hands: they're very alien and make this figure somewhat distinct. The effect could have been achieved better if they'd given him double-pin joints on his elbows and knees, but this was way back in wave fifteen. If it had been even a wave later, I think we'd have gotten the extra joints.

The main accessory Jemm comes with is the left arm of Validus. Actually, let's be honest: for all intents and purposed, Jemm's an accessory that comes with Validus's arm.

You also get a pin. This one's actually pretty nice, featuring newer art. If there was anyone on Earth who cared at all about this character, this might actually be a nice addition.

Jemm's a fine figure, but it's irritating Mattel tried to pass him off as a separate figure, rather than an alternate version of Martian Manhunter. I appreciate that there were already two versions of the Manhunter, but prodding collectors into picking this up to complete Validus was a tad sketchy. At the very least, couldn't they have given him the figure stand instead of Golden Pharaoh? It's not like I need a Pharaoh figure, either (he's not even a comic character: just a toy), but he has a more interesting design than this guy.

Well, the good news is that Jemm sold so poorly, he wound up clearanced. I bought him, along with a handful of other toys, from Entertainment Earth. I paid less than nine bucks for Jemm, so I'd be able to finish Validus. That's not so bad.