Annihilator (1989)
You wouldn’t know this was an Iron Grenadier trooper from his looks. Black and gold are usually the colors one thinks of in regards to Destro’s forces. But I’m all for a splash of color and flash from time to time. So is Destro, apparently. Some of the Iron Grenadier bling is on display here, from the gold braids on the chest to the apparent IG symbol on the belt buckle.
Helicopter backpacks are not something I’d normally think would add anything to the coolness factor of a figure. When you strap a propeller to someone’s back, things can get silly very quickly. Just ask India’s Windmill. With the Annihilators however, the inherent silliness of a flying backpack meshes well with the figure. In fact, I think that the figure actually gains something with the pack on.
As Destro’s elite troops, they are certainly impressive, especially in light of the file card bio. When these guys sign up to be Annihilators, part of their training includes becoming hard-sell telephone solicitors for Desto’s arms business. That’s pretty effective training to provide for elite troops, as I’ve dealt with some pretty ruthless cold-callers in the past–and that was just some dude trying to sell siding. Imagine what it takes to call up your average despotic ruler out of the blue and convince him that he “needs” several dozen nuclear capable surface-to-air missiles. Brutal.
I had an opportunity to get this figure at a store which was going out of business back in 1991, but I didn’t take advantage of it. The next time I went back to the store, it was gone. I liked this figure…or atleast the heli-pack. I was glad to see it again with the 2008 Specialist Matt Trakker figure.
I passed on this guy as well when he was first released. The colors just didn’t scream IG loud enough for me and he was one of several faceless characters that made their debut in 1989. A black and red revisiting might change my mind, but the overall effect of a dude with a heli-pack works better for a single character than it does as an army builder. Don’t quite know why.
When I first received this figure I loved it, but over the years some of the appeal has dwindled for me. the backpack copter is a cool concept, but the execution is lacking; how does he even keep it on his back with no visible straps? And there is no way a human head can fit in that helmet.
One of my first Destro Iron Grenadier’s trooper!
Annihilator is also a fantasic canadian thrash metal band. I have this figure, one of my favorites
Between him and TARGAT that was one air trooper too many for such a small force. I think this guy is more useable than TARGAT, though, but his colors are odd, since the same year Cobra had the orange Alley Viper, doesn’t help seperate the groups when they use the same wacky colors even.
Yeah, totally no human head fitting in that helmet. Reminds me of track viper and his box head.
This is one of Destro’s troops that I’ve never owned. I really want to pick one up.
I think the helmet is made of 2 parts like Darth Vader’s one!