ZARANA

Figured while I'm on a good, hot G.I.Joe kick...I'd shown off this convention figure of Zarana. I got this off eBay, as I didn't have the time or desire to go to this particular convention nor any other convention (not really my bag). I did absolutely have to get this figure, since pain-in-the-ass Hasbro couldn't just release it all normal-like at retail (grrrrrrrr).

As you can tell, I care nothing for collectible status...I open my toys...anything else is utter nonsense. Nonsense, I tells ya! Anyway, once you shuck the vintage style package, you get a truly awesome modern upgrade of the classic character. I mentioned her numerous times while jabbering about the BBTS Dreadnoks set. She's the sister of Zartan...master of disguise and leader of the Dreadnoks. Zarana is basically the second in command. She's also supposedly better at acting, but don't tell her brother! The new version is quite faithful to the vintage figure. They even kept her weird saw-gun...oh, and gave her a new rifle too with a blade on it...I think Ripper and someone else had the same gun. There was only one vintage Zarana incarnation. The old toy got reused in modern convention packs and comic packs at certain retailers...we also got a new Zarana during the Spy Troops days, but she looked totally different from her vintage self. Interesting...not bad, but not that great. This is the first new Zarana toy since then. I know alotta fans grumbled (myself included) that she was being released as a convention exclusive...so idiots like me shelled out money to buy this toy on the secondary market...hey, I had to! It's Zarana! I actually forget how much I ended up paying for her. Honest! It was probably above forty bucks, though...*shudder*! They also made a special all-black (except for her skin) figure, which made her look like a Fiend (Misfits fan). Don't know if that was intentional. I'm actually quite happy with the figure. Again, she looks stellar. Most of the old female figures had what you might consider "sex-appeal" on their card art depictions, but the figures did not. Hey, these were toys for little boys at the time...not toys for big-boy adult pervs! Well, I'm a big-boy adult perv now, and I actually find this new Zarana kinda...sexy...*ahem* for an action figure. Hey, I am a huge dork, after all! She has that classic mean look to her like she means business. Her character always seemed so bitchy and mean, anyway...so it works. I just love this figure. I just don't love that I paid waaaay too much for her. I swear, if Hasbro does some normal retail release...I'm gonna scream!