This custom Marvel Legends Ultron (on the right) with a light-up feature has been in the WIP stage so long it’s embarrassing. I first started work on him back when Toy Biz still had the Marvel license and were producing X-Men Classics figures. He’s been sitting in a collection of random figures that don’t have a home on my shelves – for years – and when I picked him up I wondered why I hadn’t finished, as he was so close to being done.
Before I get ahead of myself, the Ultron on the left is an even older custom – he’s a combination of the early ML Dr. Doom and a casted torso from the ML 8 Iron Man base, a head chopped off from that same base, and the neck of a ML Deathlok. I still am very fond of this custom, but I got it in my head to make a light-up conversion of the XMC Cyke. In fact, this is the second time I’ve done this – sadly, the pics and my old customs site are in Limbo at present.
The XMC Cyke conversion uses the Ruby Armor Cyclops with a clear casted Ultron head from that ML 8 Iron Man base. My molding and casting efforts have been pretty bad – I never invested in a pressure pot – and clear casting materials are even more prone to bubbling – so this Ultron head cast has some bad bubbles on the right side in the eye and mouth.
The figure was basecoated in Tamiya Gun Metal gray, then painted over with Liquitex Glossies Silver. The red bits were done with Tamiya clear red. I had recently painted a bunch of black lines on some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Mousers, badly, I might add – and as I was holding this figure I wondered if those lines could just be drawn on. So I picked up a Pilot pen I had stolen from my wife and started drawing – SO MUCH EASIER. This is what actually got me to finish.
After all these years, the batteries are still good on the light up feature. But since it’s a translucent head, it also works great to shoot a laser pointer at any of the openings (this one is aimed at the clear neck post that acts as the button for the light in the figure).
One of the nice things about using a laser pointer as a light source is that you get a lot of light that you can bounce around to illuminate other things around the diffusion point.
Don’t expect any more customs out of me any time soon. Thanks for checking this one out!
Hey, that’s a great-looking Ultron! Glad ya finally finished him – the light-up feature is nifty and should be incorporated into any upcoming Marvel Legends version.
Nicely done!
That’s a very sweet-lookin Ultron. It’s crazy how long that’s been sitting around waiting to be completed, but hey, I do the same thing.
The light-up feature is just icing on the cake – the whole piece is really nice.
thanks guys – I should really see if I can get someone who can properly mold and cast to make a replacement head, because I did a horrible job with that.