Who loves roaches?
NOT ME.
I don’t know why Mezco chose a roach as their mascot (mezcot?), but whatever the reason I have to admit that it’s a notable and immediately recognizable figure. In this case, a literal figure.
Mezco offered this Agent Edition of their mascot, Gomez, as a Toy Fair exclusive way back in February. If you ordered early enough you got actual existing stock; if you didn’t, it was a preorder. Mine was a preorder, but that’s okay because I find as I get older I have plenty of patience to wait for good toys. Better a long wait than a crappy toy.
For instance, I have no effing clue when the William Stout Collection of Masters of the Universe figures will arrive from Super 7, but I’m not sweating it because I’ve been waiting decades for them and I want them to be perfect.
But I’m not here today to talk about Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella. I’m here to talk about this bug.
You know you’re a toy addict when you look at a figure that you not only aren’t familiar with, but are actively repulsed by, and think to yourself, “Man, that’s a really good figure. I’m going to be mad at myself if I don’t get it.” There have been a few One:12s that hit me that way so far and Gomez is the latest. With his plethora of accessories, wonderful suit body, and Chuck Taylor knock-offs I knew it was a figure that I’d regret not having on my shelf if I didn’t jump on the preorder.
Was it worth it or will I be ordering a One:12 Collective Orkin Man to get rid of this guy? Read on and find out!
THE BOX
Gomez comes in a different kind of box from any other One:12 figure. Rather than the smaller square ones or the standard slipcover window boxes, this one is roughly the same size as a comic book, making it taller and narrower.
The graphics are also very comic book-y, which helps with the world Mezco is looking to build around this guy. Rather than the usual product-in-action shots, this box features a very stylized arrangement of the accessories. It’s cool that this unique figure has a special look and feel.
Inside the box are the usual stacks of trays keeping the figure and all of the parts safe and secure, as well as a limited edition comic book that gives insight into the nature of this character.
THE TOY
Mezco’s One:12 suits never cease to amaze me.
There is no way a toy manufacturer should be able to produce a suit in this scale that fits and hangs right and doesn’t get totally jacked up when you try to pose the figure. It seems like all of this would be impossible. But now we have two Jokers and this guy that show that Mezco has figured it out.
Through a combination of fabrics that are just the right texture and thickness and immaculate tailoring, Gomez has belted trousers, a button-down shirt, a tie, and a coat that look perfect. If I have one complaint it’s that the tie refuses to hang straight, but I’m just going to consider that a character design thing and accept that Gomez is a guy whose tie is never straight.
The base body is a fairly average build. Gomez isn’t a buffed-up brawler, but he also isn’t Spider-Man.
Of course he isn’t – he’s Roach-Man.
The body is loaded with the articulation we’ve come to expect from the One:12 Collective. You do have to shift the suit around to achieve certain poses due to the cut and the lack of stretch in the fabric, but I could still achieve most of the poses I wanted. The ankles – as is always the case – are the biggest limitation. Gomez’s hi-tops are one piece, so the joint under the tops of the sneakers is fairly restricted. I 100% believe that Mezco’s brilliant engineers will solve this problem one day.
The details on the sneakers is incredible. The textures resemble canvas or rubber in the appropriate spots. The paint is immaculate, with the laces, tops, and soles all applied cleanly. The grommets for the laces and for venting near the soles are silver, which is one of those amazing details that Mezco has mastered by now. The bottoms have an “M” design in the treads, as well as magnets inside to attach Gomez to his hoverboard.
While the suit may seem a bit generic at first glance, its quality and cut make for a notable action figure while the colors actually make it stand out on your One:12 shelves. I only have one other figure in these colors and he’s off brooding in a corner. And certainly isn’t wearing sneakers.
The default head is designed to look like the classic depictions of Mezco’s mascot, as seen on their products for years now. The sculpt on this more cartoony portrait is fun and dynamic. The eyes are a high gloss plastic that contrasts the face nicely. The antenna are on tiny ball joints and have a fairly wide range of posability. Painted details on the noggin have an almost airbrushed look, which to me is perfect for the mascot of a smaller, art-driven company that has succeeded through sheer talent and determination.
THE STUFF
Okay, get comfortable because Gomez came with an insane number of accessories:
Three extra heads, twelve alternate hands, a trench coat, a sniper rifle with two magazines, a boom box, a sheet of stickers, a pistol, a sword with sheath, two grenades, two blast effects, a hoverboard, a backpack, a scarf, and a stand.
The three additional heads are a skull, a realistic roach, and what I think of as the One:12 version of the Gomez mascot head. What the One:12 Collective does best is deliver realistic interpretations of our favorite characters, streamlining elements from comics, video games, and filmed media into a single, cohesive figure. So while the default head is an accurate 3D representation of Gomez and I’m happy to have it, the “modern” head is going to be my display choice.
The realistic roach head is going to be buried in a drawer and never looked at again.
NOTE: OR… maybe I buy an extra Green Lantern and stick it on that body.
The heads swap out fairly easily, but be very careful around the mandibles. I had the left side snap off of the “modern” head with barely any pressure applied. I glued ‘em right back on and they’re fine, but obviously you’d rather not break them off in the first place.
Gomez’s hoverboard is a beautiful tribute to a certain famous model from the movies. It isn’t exactly like that, but it’s certainly a descendant. The turquoise checkerboard pattern on the deck is awesomely 80s and the bottom is packed with sculpted and painted detail. The pink highlights on the repulsors really sell it for me.
The trench coat is very similar to the ones that came with Blade and the deluxe Joker, but not in a “that effing Marvel Legends trench coat AGAIN?!?” kind of way. More of a “I can’t believe how well this fits and goes on and off” kind of way.
It’s a light, leather-like material with a great texture and the right look for this scale. The belt has a wire armature inside so you can tie it without having a big, ridiculous knot or you can just pose it blowing in the wind. This piece looks great, but I don’t think I’ll be displaying it.
The scarf, on the other hand, is absolutely staying on. It’s a simple piece of shiny, red fabric with a wire armature sewn in, but it gives the figure a much-needed splash of color and dynamism. I believe this is the same scarf that comes with the samurai Wolverine figure.
Gomez’s backpack is large and utilitarian and fits perfectly over his arms. It has a Velcro closure that secures the hoverboard, as well as an elastic sheath for the sword. The flap opens up to reveal a spacious interior where a number of accessories can be stored, or, as the instructions suggest, Gomez can carry a Mez-Itz figure in a Yoda-like fashion.
For some reason the sword and sheath seem a bit odd to me. Don’t get me wrong – they’re awesome and unique and I’m more than happy to have them. But they’re not as “secret agent” as the rest of the accessories.
Yes – even the hoverboard.
They do, however, feel very much like Gomez-specific items. The sheath is attached to an adjustable bandolier-like strap with a functioning clip. I delight in every one of these tiny, ultra-realistic items from Mezco. Nothing is ever just a clip or claps for show – these little pieces are almost always functional. And sturdy.
The sword design is what makes it feel so unique to Gomez. It’s almost insectile, with a sleek, unusual shape and angular details. It fits perfectly into the sheath or Gomez’s sword-grippin’ hands.
The sniper rifle breaks down into five components and includes two magazines. It stays together fairly well, but the scope does have a tendency to get knocked off if you’re not being super-extra-careful. Gomez has a few different hands that can interact with this piece. The figure isn’t really capable of the classic face-down sniper pose, but can wield the rifle in other ways.
Mezco seems to have borrowed the concept of the Noisy Cricket from Men in Black for Gomez’s pistol. It’s an extremely snub-nosed revolver – compact, but presumably powerful.
The two blast effects have been in previous releases, but I’ll take more any day. They plug into the barrel of either firearm and add a neat effect. I don’t use these for all of my One:12s, but I like having them.
The grenades look like cocktail shakers – hence the name “Doom Cocktails”. Gomez has one hand that can hold them and really that’s all you need.
Speaking of hands, the assortment of fourteen total hand options means that the figure can interact with every bit of its arsenal as well as portray some very specific hand gestures. Since Mattel will never ever produce a Stone Cold Steve Austin figure with his “you’re number one” salute, Gomez is going to have to do.
Gomez’s boom box – which is apparently named Boom Boom and is how he receives his instructions from his boss – is a beautiful 80s throwback. I had one that looked almost exactly like this back in the day. The handle is hinged and folds down. All of the dials and details are painted precisely.
My boom box, of course, did not open up to reveal storage for a sniper rifle and other accessories. This one does. This set includes two foam inserts for the boom box, each configured to accommodate a different set of weapons. The first one has spots for each component of the sniper rifle. The other piece has spots for pieces of the rifle, the pistol, and one of the cocktail grenades.
Finally, there’s the One:12 stand and armature. The stand features that classic Gomez design and a removable foot peg. The included armature plugs into the foot peg hole and is the very best armature I’ve ever owned. I have figures that have been in flying/flipping/jumping positions for years now and these things don’t even budge. It’s amazing.
THE VERDICT
Mezco has once again triumphed. I’m not going to claim that this figure is a must-have, but it’s another landmark in action figure design and notable simply for the fact that it represents everything that Mezco has achieved as a toy company over the past nineteen years since their first line, Silent Screamers hit in 2000.
And by the way – if Mezco wanted to redo those as One:12 figures I would be all in.
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