U PHOENIX (Ultimates)

This 2004 representation of the X-Man Rachel Summers is pretty good both from a playability and sculpt standpoint. But in 2007, a new version of Miss Summers was released in the Days Of Future Past action pack that looked even better, replacing the painted firebird effect with translucent plastic:

…representing her past life in the future as the mutant-tracking Hound.

(…It’s a long story.)

Unfortunately, Hound is appropriately named. She’s a dog. Her dial is probably the worst for her cost range in the whole game unless you can somehow ensure she lands on — and stays on — the two good clicks in the middle of her 10-click dial. With a DV that never tops 16, that’s a tall order.

Faced with this piece I was never gonna play with a sculpt that was even better than the good sculpt on a figure that I would play, I decided to make a change:

• Removed Hound sculpt from Hound base. (In my case, the separation was already done, somehow! When I acquired Hound in a sale, she’d detached from the flight stand.)
• Painted black costume red (with yellow details).

Completed late-2009.

NEXT WEEK: Finally learn the process behind one of the very first mods I showed off on this site, nearly a year ago…!