Brave and the Bold Metallo

When I put together my post on my favorite (non-Batman) Brave and the Bold action figures,  I really wanted to include Metallo.

From a character design perspective, he's beautiful. 'Beeautiful' in that mad Silver Age 'every color on one costume' way, but beautiful nonetheless. The Brave and the Bold Metallo represents the Pre-Crisis Roger C. Corbin, who took up the mantel (if not his fashion sense) of his brother, the first Metallo, after John Corbin's apparent death.

Visually, this 'action figure' is a force to behold. He even has a cool action feature similar to that of the Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor of the eighties...

Push in on his chest window and it spins to show cracks...

...more cracks...

...and finally, Kryptonite!

Sadly, as awesome as all of that is, I just couldn't include Metallo in my Brave and the Bold 'Best of.' His great Kryptonite Heart action feature is shadowed by his terribly thought-out (if thought-out at all) left arm which is stuck permanently in 'left turn' mode. His grasping left hand would have been fine on a normal arm, but it's obnoxiously large and just hangs out in space always into infinity. If the arm had a joint to swivel it forward it would have been fine too. Sadly, it just sits there, forever pointing East.

Finally, his body is hollow lightweight plastic akin to a Happy meal toy and just feels cheap. I've considered taking him apart and flipping the arm around so it rests on his hip but I'm worried if I take him apart (he's simply held together by a handful of screws!) his Kryptonite heart will go 'sproing!', therefore I have yet to do so. I imagine when apart I could also fill his hollow legs with some clay or something to weigh him down so he doesn't feel so light and top-heavy, but again the effort just doesn't seem worth it at the moment.

I found Metallo at the flea market and paid around a quarter for him (maybe fifty cents) but would not have purchased him at full price. He's a mediocre toy at best, due to his arm's positioning. Sort of a 'one hit wonder' toy - he can...hold...someone...? Yay, for like a minute, then boredom sets in.

He's visually wonderful, yes, and as a statue of cheap plastic he fits the bill, but that arm really detracts from him being a mere display piece.

If you are an artist, maybe you can use him as a brush holder or something at your art station.