DC Universe Classics: Mercury

Let's take a trip back in time, shall we? All the way back to the beginning of 2011 and Wave 16 of the DC Universe Classics. Along with "popular" characters like Azreal and The Creeper, this wave included Mercury. "Who's Mercury?" you might ask. Why, he's one of the Metal Men! "And who the hell are Metal Men?" They're men... made of METAL.

Honestly, I don't know all that much more about these guys. I've read a handful of comics where they had supporting roles, but frankly I've never really understood the appeal. They seem kind of silly to me, to be honest.

I can tell you this guy's name is Mercury and he can shape-shift. Also, he's sort of the comedian of the group. So, yeah: he's a robotic Plastic Man.

All that being said, I like this figure. The sculpt is simple and elegant. Even if you have no idea who this is, you can tell at a glance he's a shape-shifter. Of course, the giant set of scissors growing out of his fingers might have something to do with that.

In case you were wondering, the scissor do open and close, though I wouldn't try to use them to cut anything. If the giant scissors aren't to your liking, Mercury does come with an alternate hand:

The character has quite a bit of articulation. In addition to all the standard joints, he's got ball-and-pin wrists and double-pin knees and elbows. Since he's a lithe figure to begin with, this gives you quite a range of posing options.

Other than the alternate hand, the only thing he comes with is a chunk of Bane, the Wave 16 Collect & Connect figure. For what it's worth, it's a good sized chunk, and the scissors are awfully cool. Even so, I can't help but feel like the accessories are a tad light for what's essentially an extremely obscure character. First off, I really think figure stands should have been standard across this line, but that issue seems moot now that DCUC's final wave is on the shelves. But Mattel certainly could have tossed in another alternate hand or two, or maybe a head with a stretched neck.

On the other hand, I'm in no condition to complain: I found this clearanced for $5.90 at the Times Square Toys R Us. I mainly bought him for the piece of Bane. I'm still missing half the line, but I'm hoping to finish him eventually.