'Forgotten Heroes' - WIP - Part Three

Vampire By Night WIPs - Nina Price's wolf-form has already been washed and dry-brushed

As a result of the ‘Forgotten Heroes’ challenge rapidly approaching the end of its third week, I have increasingly been spending my hobby time assembling, priming and dry-brushing the three plastic "Wizkids" figures I intend to convert into members of the "Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D."; a disappointingly short-lived comic book series recently cancelled by "Marvel Worldwide" which featured the exploits of Director Maria Hill’s newest team of monster agents.

The simplest of these ‘conversions’ is my model of Nina Price in her lycanthrope guise. The niece of Jack Russell from the comic book “Werewolf By Night”, this hybrid actually also possesses the abilities of a vampire after sunset. However as Vampire By Night predominantly appears in the recent comic books as a white-furred Artic wolf creature I thought just painting a “Horrorclix” She-Wolf miniature appropriately would make for an easy representation of her formidable supernatural abilities.

Warwolf WIPs - Having undercoated Martin Reyna, the team leader's boots need 'picking out'

Somewhat harder to construct was my model of the S.T.A.K.E. team’s leader, Martin Reyna. But having now started to apply some basic layers to his somewhat ‘top-heavy’ frame, I think Warwolf is beginning to take shape nicely. I have already started work on the anti-hero’s standard-issue white S.H.I.E.L.D. boots and rich blue leggings, and hope soon to start washing and dry-brushing his were-wolf fur.

In addition I have also used “Citadel” Abaddon Black to undercoat his enormous cybernetic hand and the handful of grenades he’ll be wearing around his waist. I’ve also subsequently noticed that the original “Mage Knight” Feral Werewolf model has a shoulder-guard and some scraps of torn shoulder sculpted onto its torso, so these will be ‘picked out’ out in blue and white in order to suggest its part of his S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform.

Manphibian WIPs - The alien's pouches and automatic weapon have now been super-glued in place

Finally I’ve finished compiling my “Heroclix” figure of Manphibian. Having previously given the extra-terrestrial some much needed footwear courtesy of a “Games Workshop” Cadian soldier, I have since used grey-stuff to make a utilities belt for the webbed creature, and then covered my rough-work with all manner of grenades and pouches. Finally, as I wanted to illustrate the fact that the alien is actually a highly intelligent weaponsmith, I gave him an impressive-looking “Warhammer 40,000” automatic rifle.

As with Warwolf, just as soon as the superglue holding Manphibian’s pouches, belt buckle and weapon in place was dry, the model was given a rough undercoat so I could start painting in all his detail over the next few days. Disconcertingly this means the vast majority of his equipment will be S.H.I.E.L.D. white. But the monster’s scaly skin will hopefully be more readily highlighted via a combination of a “Citadel” Thrakka Green wash and some dry-brushing.