Human-animal hybrids have been a fantasy trope for practically as long as fantasy itself has existed, inspiring many toys and shows over the years. Think ThunderCats, Silverhawks, and Tiger Sharks. So, for an independent toy company like Morphonauts, it’s an easy way to get attention with a proven concept: Combat Creatures! Take a popular animal, give it a humanoid body, gear it up with sci-fi armor and weapons, et voila. The first wave of four creatures is now up for preorder at BigBadToyStore, and at $34.99 apiece, they’re more affordable than some other licensed made-to-order figures.
Animal Magnetism
They’re not just primal designs, though. Combat Creatures feature a modular articulation system that allows for complex customization. Or, for those who don’t want to go that far, switch-out robotic heads to create drone-style army builders.
They come with a lot of backstory, but here’s the gist: Virelion, the lion character, is the soul survivor from his world of Prideonia. After passing through a portal to the world of Alpharia, he recruited Bruinskul, successful defender of Ursaria, to battle villains called the Soul Serpents (who are presumably being saved for wave two). Lunar, wolflike general of the planet Howlora was next to answer the call, though Sealoch, the shark warrior of Finterrun, has another agenda; having succumbed to the power of the Soul Serpents, he fights for evil. He’s a shark, after all. Gotta love how all their worlds have the most obvious names imaginable, so that any space travelers visiting would know exactly what to expect.
Preorders of these figures will have to hit an unspecified minimum to see production, but they look like a good bet for fans of 6.5-inch fantasy and sci-fi figures. Take a look through the official images below to see if they might be your speed.
