Power Rangers Lightning Collection Lost Galaxy Magna Defender Gallery

"Magna Power!"

Once a guardian of the Lights of Orion, the original Magna Defender, was a fierce & noble warrior. He fought a bitter war against the monstrous Scorpious, losing his son Zika in the conflict. Consumed by revenge, the Defender resorted to vicious tactics to combat his enemies. But to undo these terrible deeds & save Terra-Venture, he sacrificed his own life, resurrecting Mike Corbett in the process. Brother to Leo Corbett the Red Galaxy Ranger, Mike's body had been a vessel for the spirit of the Defender. Now given a second chance, Mike is worthy enough to inherit a legacy of power. Taking up the Magna Sword and commanding the Torrozord into battle, Mike becomes the next Magna Defender! Fighting alongside his brother and the other Galaxy Rangers, the legend of the Magna Defender lives on!

Packaging
In creating this line, Hasbro was keen to make sure they appealed to collectors and fans of the franchise from throughout it's various eras. Given the aim to make this appeal to an older crowd, the packaging seems to have taken a page out of the Star Wars Black Series book. In similar collector style boxes, the Lightning collection figure's look a bit brighter thanks to a primarily white color scheme. But they also really pop thanks in no small part to some wonderful box art, lovingly crafted by artist Tom Whalen aka @strongstufftom on twitter. His artwork is breathtaking, and makes these figure's feel like just a bit more of a passion project from the folks at Hasbro. The artwork takes up a majority of the packaging, while the back of the box is relegated to a single stock photo of the figure. But that's not what we're here for anyway.

Orders of LC Wave 2 figures via Hasbro Pulse have also been including a sheet of collectible cards featuring the fool profile artwork by Tom Whalen! It was a big surprise when I opened my box with Magna Defender in it to find these.

Main Figure
Wow. Who thought we'd be here even 6 months ago? When the Lightning Collection line started I think many of us (myself included) had assumed Hasbro would do just as Bandai had done before, and focus heavily on MMPR. While the series' presence can definitely be felt in the line (Pink, Green, White, Dragon Shield Red & Black, Zedd, Putty) I don't think most people assumed that Lost Galaxy would make a debut in Wave 2! I was happy to be proven wrong when this figure was revealed at SDCC. The Magna Defender has wound up being one of my most anticipated figures in the line. And he does not disappoint!

Despite his bulk and a hefty cape, the Magna Defender is easily one of the most stable figures in the line, right up there with the Beast Morphers Gold Ranger. Like every figure in the line, the Defender has a pretty uniform articulation pattern, with a few minor changes. So far I think Defender may have the best ankles in the line. Totally free of outward obstruction, he can strike a dynamic stance, even if forward movement is blocked somewhat by the shin armor. Like other rangers, Defender gets double jointed knees though they feel very very tight, and despite the bulk of the legs you do get some decent back bends out of them. And if you look really closely at the armor pads on the suit, you can see a textured marbled surface that gives this suit an extra dimension of realistic detail. The hips may leave a bit to be desired thanks mostly to the thigh armor as it will impact the waist itself. You'll lose a small bit of movement in that area but thankfully the figure doesn't feel any less dynamic.

Around the waist, pegged into the right hip, Defender has a gray belt strap. There's a peg hole on the left side of it to plug the Magna Sword scabbard into. This flexible belt gives you plenty of wiggle room to work the sword around any pose you put the figure in. Above the waist is a very strong clicking ratchet joint for an ab crunch, probably the best and most stable ab joint in the line. Belying it's bulky form, the Magna Defender's chest armor is also on a pretty free ball joint allowing it to rotate independently of the lower body. It really is so much better than I'd expected. The arms are the real pleasant surprise though. Each shoulder pad is on a hinge to move up, but the pads themselves are made of a super light rubbery plastic so no danger of breaking them. The shoulder joints work just like the rest of the line with up/down ratchets and forward back butterfly style joints. The shoulder ratchets however are extremely tight on mine. Add in the bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, and wrist swivels and what you get is a pair of solid expressive arms perfect for heroic poses whether holding the included Magna Sword, Blaster, or not.

The head is also quite nice. Magna Defender's helmet is a pretty unique design in the franchise, and it really pops in a display of LC's and Figuarts. As you can see in the gallery, I threw together a shot of all the "6th" rangers I have and he fits right in while being a total stand out. The sculpt and paint work on the toys helmet are near perfect. And while you may lose a bit of back and forth neck movement because of the torso bulk, I think it can pull off just about anything. The Defender's cape is probably the biggest question people have for this release. It's a very nice soft rubbery plastic, even softer than the figure's shoulder pads, so it can angle out of the way quite nicely. It also helps stabilize Defender in a number of poses, though he needs stabilization because of the cape for said poses. I would have preferred a cloth cape more akin to the material from Star Wars Black Series. But as is this one is just fine. It can un-peg from the Defender's shoulders, but is glued into place via a couple plastic tabs in the upper back, so removing it will require you to do a bit of surgery on the figure. Overall though I'm ridiculously pleased with how this one turned out. Hasbro continues to outdo themselves.

Below you'll also see I've included a number of special cameos in the gallery as well. One thing I purchased just for this gallery was the vintage Lost Galaxy Magna Rotator. This is a bizarre vehicle for sure, but it's history is more bizarre. In Lost Galaxy there were several original vehicles used in show by the rangers that didn't exist in Gingaman. The Jet Jammers & Astro Cycles. The Magna Defender didn't actually get a show exclusive vehicle, but the toyline gave him several. The Magna Rotator is a toy made only for the Defender, and is actually a repaint/remold of a toy from B-Robo Kabutack! That's right, the Metal Hero series that aired the year prior to Gingaman. Bandai America imported the Denden Roller mold from Kabutack, removed the eyes and characteristic features of it, and turned it into a one wheeled tank vehicle. While it's not large enough to properly accommodate the LC Magna Defender, it's fun as a display piece. And as you can see in this silly video of mine, it's very fun.

Likewise I also had some vintage Gingaman goodies on hand for this gallery! First up is the DX Go Taurus, the Power Rangers toy equivalent being the Defender Torrozord. Though I've never applied the labels to it, it's an exquisite sample. The LC Magna Defender is right at home riding on the back of the Taurus, and when compared to the included Heavy Knight figure (Mega Defender) you can see the design would lend itself very well to Hasbro's LC design aesthetics. I also managed to finally track down the Gingaman Dai Kessen set. Mainly a set of armor for DX Gingai Oh, the included Black Knight figure came with a cloth cape as well the Knight Axe. Sized for both the Go Taurus and one for Black Knight. While you can't use the cloth cape with LC Magna Defender without forcefully removing the plastic cape first, it could likely be done. The Knight Axe is thankfully the perfect size for the figure to wield so I'm thrilled about that. And we've also got a special cameo by the Ginga Beast vinyls! These were never released in the US either so I thought they'd be a fun bonus for this gallery.

And not to be too long winded, but one a couple final quirky bonus. By pure chance I happened to be messing with one of my vintage Beetleborgs figures on the side of this shoot, and I noticed something. Mega Spectra Titanium Silver Beetleborg bears some decent similarities in general design to the Magna Defender/Black Knight. Looking into things further, I assumed this particular Beetleborg power up took some inspiration from the Black Knight design, but I found it's the reverse. The episode which debuted the Beetleborgs Mega Spectra forms aired in the US nearly two weeks prior to the premier of Gingaman in Japan. So these two designs, black caped knights with green/gold accents and all, happened to organically form independent of one another it seems. Come on Hasbro, you snatched up the other Saban IP's in the deal, give us Lightning Collection style Beetleborgs so I can finally have nice articulated versions of their power ups! You'll see Lightning Collection Goldar below as well, which I had to show off since these two shared a voice actor. And there's also the star of Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack, Robotack himself! Robotack began airing in Japan in March 1998 just a few weeks after Gingaman, so you can sort of recreate a Super Hero Time 1998 edition.

If you can't tell, I love this Magna Defender figure and the endless display possibilities.

Accessories

1 - Magna Sword. The signature weapon of the Magna Defender. Encased in a sheath that you cant hip mount via the Defender's belt, the sword is removable and looks great. A couple minor paint apps are missing on the hilt and grip, but honestly nothing too major. The Defender is a big bulky armored figure and I was afraid the sword might look puny compared to his body. Instead it looks perfect in his hands.

1 - Magna Blaster. The Magna Defender's signature weapon in blaster form. I'm curious as to why Hasbro opted to give us this accessory on top of the sword & sheath version, rather than just engineering a movable handle. Oh well, I'll take extra stuff if that's what they want to give us!

1 - Blasting Effect Part. As with most all LC figures, Magna Defender includes a character specific effect, in this case it's a small blaster shot that can peg onto the end of the Magna Blaster. It's also compatible with any other weapon in the line with a similarly sized peg.

2 - additional hands. I do feel like the variety could have been a bit better here, but with these figure limited to just two additional hands I know they try to keep it to the essentials.

Unlike every other figure in this line thus far (save Zedd & Putty) the Magna Defender does *not* include a civilian head. I've seen a fair number of people pretty upset about this given how consistent the inclusion of the accessory has been in the line. Hasbro's statement on the matter however is simply that this figure represents the first Magna Defender as we know him in Lost Galaxy, rather than Mike Corbett. This could perhaps hint at another release of the mold later as Mike, though I'm unsure of that. Wouldn't it be interesting if Hasbro instead chose to do an LC figure of the Magna Defender's Mega Defender form and included the head with that? I'd love something like that. As is, this figure comes with plenty of accessories and is wonderfully engineered, so I can live without the extra head in this case. I suspect his big thick cape also probably ate up the tooling costs that would have gone to a civilian head.

Final Thoughts
The Magna Defender is a design I've always loved. It's also one of those rare instances where I love both the American & Japanese versions of the character. Hyuga & Mike are obviously similar characters as the older brother types to their respective series' reds, and both inherit their power from a hero who's passed on. Whether you've always wanted a Lost Galaxy Magna Defender or Black Knight from Gingaman, this is *the* toy for you. The Lightning Collection line continues to be absolutely wonderful and I hope Hasbro takes notice of the figure opportunities presented to them. I'd love to see a Mega Defender figure down the line. And the prospect of being able to put Mike next to his brother Leo when the Lost Galaxy Red/Psycho Red two-pack comes out, is getting me all kinds of excited right now. I'm loving this toyline.

Part 2

Den-O: Does a Magna Defender Gallery
Den-O: Goes into a paragraph long diversion about Metal Hero lore :P

I joke, but it does show the passion shining through with this one. Magna Defender is just slightly too old to hit me with proper nostalgia, but I still appreciate the design from being a kid. His origin is so strong, not to mention how Mike goes out in the end, it sticks with you.

I'm frantically looking for one in stores, I can't wait to get one!

Shame he doesn't come with the Knight's Axe, but hey, the sword is enough~

Right up there with Zedd, Goldar and White Ranger as one of the best figures in the line for sure.

Found mine at Walgreens.

I can't wait to get one. The toy looks good.

I'll be on the look out, then~

I must say I am very happy with this line and the range of figure so far. I know there are people that really want to complete entire teams right away, but I like the slow build and trust Hasbro to deliver in much the same way they have with Legends as of late.

I feel like as long as it doesn't take years and convention exclusives to get full teams, I'm much happier with this more random, grab-bag approach to waves. Means more people are likely to find something they want, and if you're just going for one or two teams you don't have to spend all your money on an entire wave when it comes out.