Tuesday, November 22, 2016

#746 M.A.S.K. - FIREFLY with JULIO LOPEZ/ STREAMER (1986)


In the second series, M.A.S.K. issued 8 more vehicles, more or less the same number than in the first wave, including new types of vehicles, which were chosen probably for being as different from the ones in the first wave as possible.


An so we got a dune buggy. This type of car was somehow popular in the 80s, with some dirt races and circuits in the U.S. and other countries. I remember watching some races on TV. I haven't seen them for years, wo I guess, they are not celebrated anymore. Buggys are today almost forgotten, probably because of security issues, since they seem to be very dangerous cars.


Despite that, I love the Firefly, a Buggy that transforms into a jet. The buggy itself has every detail: from the side mirrors to the exhaust pipes, the front spoiler, the not-round steering wheel... it looks awesome.


The jet is somehow more strange, but it still looks like some flying thing with huge turbines behind, long wings and several small guns.





Behind the pilot seat, there is a compartment that hosts a bomb. In flight modus, it can be dropped off by pushing one lever on the top of the vehicle. Anything that is designed to be dropped off gets lost easily, so it was a great luck to find one of these. Now I can show this vehicle 100% complete (well, almost, one of the wing guns has a broken tip).

The figure that comes with the vehicle is Julio Lopez, a new character with hispanic roots. Most toylines, after the initial success tried to present characters from ethnic minorities or other nationalities, and M.A.S.K. is a ood example. This is a great chance to enter foreign markets, mostly in Europe or South America.

Taken from a German M.A.S.K. Comic Book

The mask is Streamer, and, as most masks in the series, is not "mortal". This one pretends to release super-tack glue.
 


FACTS and FIGURES:
  • Name: FIREFLY with JULIO LOPEZ/ STREAMER
  • Toy Line: M.A.S.K. (Wave 2)
  • Year: 1986
  • Company: Kenner (U.S.A.)
  • Size of the vehicle: Around 6'' or 15 cm
  • Size of the figures: 2½’’ or 6,5 cm

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