Tea with Lena: 1:6 Ultra Corps! Figures by Lanard

There are a lot of things that factor into what review I decide to write next.  First of all, I have a very long queue of dolls that have caught my eye over the years and are just sitting on a shelf, waiting for their turn.  Second, I try to have a bit of an ear to the ground for new items or brands that are being released--even though I'll admit to not being up to speed in that arena.  I'm also always excited to hear about which dolls all of you are noticing and interested in, which certainly influences what I buy.

However, sometimes it's my assistant Lena's priorities or social life that dictate what I do each week, which is exactly what happened this time around.  While I was in the middle of a different review, Lena informed me that Ian's brother Calum was coming to visit all the way from Texas, and so of course I had to drop everything to focus my attention on that.  And I'm glad I did.  For anyone not familiar with Lena's love life, this might be a good time to catch up.

1:6 Ultra Corps! Astronaut by Lanard (discontinued).

Ian doesn't have a lot of family, so Calum is pretty important to him.  That means Lena was out-of-her-mind nervous about making a good first impression.  To make matters worse, since Ian has been spending most of his time at Lena's house lately, she was in charge of hosting the visit.

So Lena asked her sister, Sela, to come over for moral support.

So, how are you holding up, Lena?  Nervous?

I'm a little...hey, you're wearing my shirt!

You never wear it anymore.  And it looks great on me!

But anyway, how are you feeling?  When does Calum get here?

He'll be here soon, and I'm honestly starting to freak out.

And what's all this?

I figured I'd make an early dinner for all of us.

I don't know what he likes, so I thought maybe pasta?

Argh!  Pasta is so boring, though, right?  He's going to hate it.

And I'm running out of time, too.

Why don't you let me help?

You go boil some water, and I'll deal with the sauce.

Yay!  Thank you, Sela.  You're the best.

So Lena and Sela got to work making dinner.

And before long everything was ready:

Oh, wow.  This actually looks really good!

Everything's going to be fine.

What would I do without you?

Oh--one more thing.  Can you grab some extra chairs from downstairs while I find Ian?

You got it.

Ian was hiding out in the bedroom with Riker and Bruno:

Hi, Ian.  I think I heard a car.  Should we go see if Calum is here?

Sure enough, Calum knocked on the door just moments later:

Hi Cal!

Lena and Ian were very welcoming, but Calum is a bit of a grouch.

Hey, man!  Welcome to our home.

It's no' even your house, Ian.  It's hers.

Ian was a little hurt, but Lena took charge:

Haha, well, why don't we all go upstairs and have a bite to eat?

Fine.

While they're all going upstairs to get settled, I'll tell you a bit more about Calum.

Calum is from Lanard's Ultra Corps! series, and he's an astronaut:

He came with a few accessories, including a plastic space gun that was covering his grouchy face:

Maybe for the best.

I always like it when old price tags are included on packages.  Apparently Calum cost a mere $7.99 when he first came out 24 years ago:

Even now, on the secondary market, these figures aren't very expensive.  New in box, they tend to cost between $15 and $30.

The packaging is simple, with a plastic shell attached to a cardboard backdrop.  I found all of the decorations very fun to examine.  On the left side of the backdrop, it says "ultra tech warriors:"

And on the side of the shell, there's a small tactical profile for John Eagle:

That must be Calum's alias.

Apparently, he's a veteran commander of space shuttle missions.  Very impressive.

The other side of the shell advertises that there are 12 characters in the ultra tech warriors collection:

Lucky for us, the back of the box has the profiles for some of those other characters:

At the top, there's a scene-setting paragraph to help explain the concept behind these figures:

Basically, it's 2022 and global security is a big issue.  Military experts from different fields have been gathered to form the Ultra Corp and fight against terrorism and criminal organizations.  

The bad guys are called evil Marauders and their boss is named Hac Luger.  That name makes me laugh.  All I can think of is "hock a loogie" which is perhaps the kind of humor they were going for.

Anyway, let's meet some of Calum's colleagues.  First, there's the stealth pilot, Larz Lazer:

Larz sounds pretty badass.  He's a test pilot and development engineer for advanced jet technologies.  He works at a jet propulsion lab developing top secret alternate flight systems.  Way to go, Larz!

There's also Gunner O'Grady who's in the desert patrol:  

Gunner is an expert in Light Anti-tank Weapons (LAW) and was a general in Desert Storm.

Large Sarge is a swamp scout, which doesn't sound like very much fun:

Sarge was raised in the Louisiana Bayou, which I guess makes him comfortable in swamps?  He's also a diver, which Ian would appreciate.

Then we have Calum's profile again:

But look closely at the little photograph in the upper right:

He's got a ton of accessories in that picture!  I see at least three guns, some kind of backpack, and a computer.  None of those things are in the box I bought, which is sad.  I want that computer!

At the bottom of the box are some bad guy profiles, including Hock Loogie Hac Luger himself:

Hac is a computer hacker, which explains the name.  He's also a former Roller Warrior, which I had to look up.

My search for "Roller Warrior" turned up the Kansas City Roller Warriors, which is a female roller derby team.  I had no idea that roller derby was a thing, but I watched a few videos and it looks interesting.  It's like a race on roller skates, but with lots of body blocking and fun tights:

I might know what roller derby is now, but I'm still confused about why it's a critical piece of Hac Luger's bio.

I'm just messing with you, though.  While the Kansas City roller derby team is the first thing I found in my online search, the Roller Warriors are also a series of Lanard toys from 1991:

These 6.5" figures have fun-looking armor with ball-jointed ankles and working in-line roller skates.  That seems more like Hac Luger's kind of thing.

The last Marauder bio is for Crow Bar, who is Hac's evil twin brother:

Their mom must be so proud.

Crow is "a few cans shy of a six pack," which either means that he's not very smart, or that his abs aren't what they could be.

The bottom of the box has some small photos of the other six characters, which are Mountain Recon, Sniper Scout, Jungle Beret, Ninja, Combat Diver, and Arctic Patrol:

There's also some information about Lanard at the bottom, including a 2000 copyright date:

Incidentally, Lanard is the company responsible for the hilariously strange Catwalk Kitties from the early 2000s.

Lanard is still in business today, representing several brands.  I don't see any current 1:6 toys, but there are 1:18 action figures called The Corps!

More interesting to me is Lanard's line of model horses, called Royal Breeds:

I don't tend to like model horses with rooted manes and tails, since the manes are almost always way too long.  Luckily, Lanard has a few all-plastic models, too.

But I digress.

Getting back to Calum, opening his box was super-easy.  I simply pulled the shell away from the cardboard backdrop.  This left me with a molded (and slightly yellowed) plastic container:

Right away, my finger got smudges from the blue paint on the tips of Calum's boots:

Yuck.

I guess after 24 years, the paint's adherence to vinyl is not so great.

Here's everything that was in the box:

The accessories include a little watch:

It's not a traditional watch, though, but maybe some kind of gauge?  It has five dots with what looks like an artificial horizon underneath:

Here's the plastic gun that was covering Calum's face:

There's also a pair of gloves (?):

Yeah, I guess they're gloves, but they look pretty silly and are very hard to get on.

And there's a cool helmet, with a visor that opens and closes:

The right side of the helmet has a yellow stain, presumably from the transparent yellow plastic on the visor:

Here's the back of the helmet:

The helmet fits over Calum's head nicely:

He looks ready for outer space!

And then the visor can lift up for a better view of his grouchy face:

Calum's space suit is all one piece.  It's mostly white, but has a blue fabric band around the torso:

Here he is from he side, where you can see that in order to balance on his own, he has to lean forward quite a bit:

And here's the back of the suit:

There's a decal on Calum's left shoulder that says The Ultra Corps!

The legs of the suit have three velcro patches and a blue pocket:

But Calum didn't come with anything that can stick to the velcro or fit in the pocket:

There's also a holster-like loop of orange fabric on the left side of the suit, but that doesn't hold the gun very well, either:

I felt like I was missing pieces, but I'm not.

I scoured the internet for pictures of the astronaut with more accessories, and I found this on Worthpoint:

This figure has all of the accessories that we saw in that thumbnail photo from the box.

That's so cool!

And it looks like there are plenty of things that would fit in the pockets and stick to the velcro:

I believe that those photos are originally from the Erie Canal Trading Emporium.  I reached out to them but they never replied.

Anyway, based on other Lanard sets that I've seen on eBay, I think that the Ultra Corps! figures came in basic and deluxe versions, and the deluxe versions had a lot of extra accessories.  I feel bad for Calum that he's missing so many cool items.

Anyway, his suit has an orange strap that runs between his legs and connects to a strip of velcro on the blue torso band:

Then the vest-like blue band opens with velcro:

The white part of the suit also opens down the front with velcro, and--oh, my goodness:

Nothing missing from this six pack.

Calum has a nicely-muscled chest.

In order to completely remove his suit, the space boots have to come off:

These are made out of soft white vinyl that has yellowed over the years.  There's no slit in back, but the boots still slide on and off Calum's feet quite easily:

The painted toes are gross, since the paint is rubbing off, but I like the thick treads on the bottom:

Even with the boots, gone, the suit was difficult to remove.  The elasticized cuffs of the sleeve get caught on Calum's large hands:

After struggling for a bit, I tested (gently!) to see if Calum's hand would pull off.  That would've made dressing and undressing much easier.

Well, the hand pulled off pretty easily, but it wasn't supposed to:

Ouch.

I guess I'm gonna need some super glue.

I glued Calum's hand back into place so that we could get a look at his body and articulation.

Let's look at that grumpy face first:

There's a tricky balance between making an action figure look tough and making them look mean or grouchy.  I actually think Calum does okay in this regard, but he looks more severe than most of my dolls.  

I like his blue eyes, with those little laugh lines at the sides.  I think he acts tougher than he actually is:

The molded hair is nice overall, especially the eyebrows and the tousled hair around Calum's temple, but the hair in the sides of his beard--right in front of his ears--is weird.  Hair doesn't grow that way:

But the hair in back looks great:

Calum has a shiny plastic torso and limbs, with hard vinyl hands and feet.  The plastic in his torso does not match the plastic in his limbs very well:

Also, he has no kneecaps, which makes the upper half of his legs look too long.

But the contours of the torso are nice, and more realistic than the World Peacekeepers' torsos:

Here's a World Peacekeeper torso for comparison:

Calum has some molded detail on his back, too:

And a 1999 copyright just below the band of his molded underwear:

He has thirteen points of articulation (well, only twelve now, thanks to the glued hand).  That sounds good, but remember that Ian and the World Peacekeepers have a whopping 25 joints!

Calum's head can spin around, but it does not look up or down:

His shoulders are rotating hinges that can lift up and away from his body to about 90 degrees:

The arms can also spin around:

Calum's elbows and wrists are also rotating hinges.  The elbows can't quite bend to 90 degrees, but the wrist can:

Overall, the arm movement feels stiff and a bit limited.  Calum can't touch his face (especially with his broken wrist), but he can scratch the very top of his head:

In comparison, the hip flexibility is great.  Calum can do full side-to-side splits:

This is thanks to rotating hinged disc joints, which you can see pretty clearly here:

Calum can also do front-to-back splits:

His knees are simple hinges, so he can kneel on one knee:

Or on two--with a bit of a balance struggle:

He can also sit in a chair, although his feet barely touch the ground:

And he can sit on the floor:

The ankle joints are also simple hinges, so the feet can flex and extend, but can't turn from side to side:

Despite having no rotation in his knees or ankles, Calum's excellent hip movement allows for a lot of interesting action poses:

Callum is a nicely-articulated figure, and his body feels solid and sturdy in my hands.  I just wish that he had better arm mobility.

At 11.5 inches, the Ultra Corps! figures are just a hair shorter than the World Peacekeepers:

World Peacekeepers (left) and Ultra Corps! (right).

Overall, the World Peacekeepers have superior bodies, but I like the Ultra Corps! chest mold better.  Also, the Ultra Corps! bodies are heavier.

Here's another lineup with some Made to Move Ken dolls:

From left: standard Made to Move Ken, Ultra Corp!, buff Made to Move Ken.

I assumed that action figures like Ultra Corps and World Peacekeepers would be more similar to the Made to Move buff body than to the standard body, but apparently the opposite is true.  I find the buff body to be a bit too extreme, especially in the biceps area.

Despite their differences, Calum can wear the standard Made to Move Ken's outfit (except for the shoes, which are too small):

Ultra Corp! figure wearing Made to Move Ken's clothing.

And the buff Made to Move Ken's outfit (again, except for the shoes):

Ultra Corp! figure wearing buff Made to Move Ken's clothing.

He can also wear all of the World Peacekeepers' clothing (including the shoes):

Ultra Corp! figure wearing World Peacekeepers clothing.

I like how he looks in this jeans and tee shirt that I bought from HiPlay on Amazon:

This is a decent 1:6 action figure.  For $7.99 he would have been a steal.  I appreciate how heavy and substantive his body feels, and I like the detail in his face mold--especially the little wrinkles around the eyes.  The articulation from the waist down is very good, although the legs have strange proportions and no knee caps.  The upper-body articulation is less good, with stiff arms and hands that are not meant to be removed.  The large hands make dressing and undressing difficult, especially with the tight cuffs of the astronaut suit.  And the head only has simple rotational movement, although that doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.  

The astronaut outfit feels a little cheap, and all of the empty pockets and velcro patches look odd.  I feel like even the basic figure should have come with at least one item that can be used with the suit.  However, I enjoy the helmet and love that the visor actually lifts up and down.

Despite his limitations, Calum still has a lot of personality.  He's even starting to look less grouchy to me.

Let's go back and see how things are going with Lena:

Calum, this is my sister, Sela.

Hi there.

Oh, wow, eh...hi.

Why don't all of you have a seat and I'll serve up some pasta!

Sela dished out the food and drinks and then joined everyone at the table:

So, Calum, I hear that you came all of the way from Texas?

What do you do there?

I'm an astronaut at Johnson Space Center.

Oh, goodness!  Impressive.

Also, you know what?  You sound even more Scottish than Ian.

That's because this blighter took off as soon as he turned eighteen.  I stuck around.

But I want ta hear about you, Lena.  What's it about you that's made my brother into a wee fool?

Well, I'm a blogger and a model, although I don't do nude shoots anymore--thanks to Ian.

...

Ian, I dinnae understand.  I always assumed you'd go fer a smart lass.

That comment made Ian angry:

Dude, what?

But Lena interrupted:

So, when you say you're an astronaut, what does that mean, exactly?

I'm involved with space shuttle missions, basically.

Ooh, like you actually fly the rockets?

No, I'm a mission specialist.  If you must know, I do experiments on how microgravity affects human cellular physiology, including aging, which has broader impacts.

...

So, are you looking into how the increased oxidative stress of microgravity might affect telomeres?

Um...

Nobody has ever asked me that before.

My sister is really smart, Calum.

She most certainly is.

And beautiful, too.

Mm.

Oh, come on, guys!  Get a room.

Ach, sorry I misjudged your girl.

It's fine.

Maybe you should *wink* go check out that sunset beach you've been telling me about.

Sela and I'll clean up here.

What does he mean, sunset beach?

Well, there's this place that I've been meaning to show you at some point...

Now's the time, brother.

And hurry so you dinnae miss the sunset.

So, abruptly and strangely, Ian and Lena left the dinner table and headed off on their own.

Ian drove Lena to Sandy Hook beach, where the Manhattan skyline is visible on a clear day.  And, fortunately, it was a very clear day:

The two walked along the water together:

This reminds me of Culebra!

It sure does.

And look!  Are those dolphins?

We didn't see any dolphins in Culebra.

No, I know, but there could have been dolphins.  Wouldn't it be cool if we'd....

Ian cut Lena off somewhat awkwardly:

Hey, should we go sit somewhere more comfortable?  Maybe in the shade?

They found a spot that was sheltered by a large sand dune:

This is a good spot.

So, um, what did you think of Calum?

He's cool.  A bit judgy, but he's only looking out for you.

He's always been overprotective.

So you left Scotland before he did?

Yeah, I was young and restless.  He stayed behind to deal with our parents.

I think he might be a bit resentful.

Well, we should make more of an effort to get together.  I bet Sela wouldn't mind!

That's a good idea.

Let's see...

I think I'll take my hat off.

Okay, sure.  But you're acting a little strange, Ian.

Do you want to move over there?  We'll be able to see the sunset better.

He's definitely acting strange, right?

As the sun got lower in the sky, the pair headed to yet another spot on the beach:

This is better.

Look, the sun is really low over the water.  Let's go sit down and watch.

So they found an old tree to sit on:

Is this a good spot, Lena?

It's beautiful Ian, yes.

Erm...

Let me just...

Why do you keep fidgeting with your pocket?

It's nothing.  I had an itch.  From the sand.

All good.

Is your brother's visit upsetting you or something?

I hope you're okay.

No, everything's fine.  Sorry.

I actually do have something in my pocket.

Should I be worried?

Why don't we stand up for a minute.

Ian, what's going on?

Lena, I've never met anyone like you.

The moment I saw you on that beach in your black bikini, pretending not to notice me, I knew my life was about to change.

You're smart, talented, and kind.  And you make my life an adventure.

Will you marry me?

Lena was speechless at first:

...

But Ian had somehow managed to time his question perfectly with the sunset:

Oh, Ian.

Of course I'll marry you!

And the ring fit perfectly:

I'm the luckiest man in the world!

Yes, you are, haha.

And then they sealed the deal with a kiss, just as the sun started to slip behind the trees.

Bottom line?  Don't worry, I'll make sure you're all invited to the wedding.

P.S. there's now an About Lena and Ian page at the top of the blog, thanks to Becky'sTwinn's excellent suggestion. :)