At Comic Con 2007, Mattel showed us the newest six pack for their DC Superheroes: Justice League Unlimited line. It was Gorilla Grodd! However this pack would also include another brand new figure. The “Red Hood.” To be honest, I’m not sure which figure I wanted the most. Sure, I have a ton of Jokers, but The Red Hood? Other than a DC Direct figure, there has never been one. One the other hand, Grodd is a large figure that fits in nicely with Darkseid and Doomsday. Regardless, it was nice to see both figures being made.

In this six pack, there is a villain for each hero. Batman / the Red Hood, Flash / Grodd, and Superman / Lex Luthor. Though most fans don’t need another Batman or Superman, it’s nice that they put a hero with the villain.

CHARACTER HISTORY:
I won’t do a character history on the heroes; pretty much you all know who they are. The same goes for Lex Luthor; instead, I’ll focus the history on the two new figures. That of Grodd and Red Hood. Also, these histories are for the animated universe.

GORILLA GRODD:
A scientific genius and dangerous renegade from Gorilla City, a hidden civilization of highly-evolved talking apes. In addition to his natural physical strength, Grodd's powerful mind force can move solid objects and control weaker minds.

After appearing to have lost his mind, Grodd made a shocking return as the leader of the Secret Society. He vows to destroy the Justice League, as he believes the weak of the world should be crushed and the greater "gods" such as himself should rule as the master race.

Grodd formed the Legion of Doom as a co-operation among super villains. The premise of the alliance was that if a villain were opposed by the JLU, they would be able to call upon the aid of the Legion of Doom. The Legion of Doom would then take 25% of the profit from the theft. Grodd latest recruit was none other than Lex Luthor. He managed to sway Luthor to join by offering the last known piece of Brainiac in return when the time came.

Grodds ultimate plan was still to take over the world. He implemented magic and technology, the Heart of Nanda Parbat, an amplifier built by Lex Luthor, Gorilla City's shield generator and his own genetic reconfiguration matrix. With all items in place, Grodd planned to send out a carrier wave that would rewrite the DNA of every human into an ape. Grodds plan was defeated by Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Lex Luthor was less than pleased with Grodd and shot him unconscious. Luthor assumed leadership of the Legion.

Luthor attempted to extract information about the Brainiac piece by interfacing with Grodds mind. At the same time, Dr. Fate was following a psychic trail in Flash's mind. With Grodd as the conduit, Luthor and Flash traded minds. Grodd patiently waited for the Legion to discover Flash was in Luthor's body. Later, when Luthor rigged the Legion headquarters to fly into space, Grodd was freed by Tala to reassume control. With the Eye of Agamotto, Luthor was able to resist and repel Grodds thought waves back onto Grodd. Luthor ejected Grodd into space.

RED HOOD:
The Red Hood never actually appeared in the animated universe. But the story goes that the man later known as the Joker was a master criminal going by the alias of the Red Hood. His costume consisted of a large domed red helmet and a red cape. While attempting to rob a chemical plant, his men were dispatched and then he was suddenly surrounded on a catwalk by Batman and Robin. Left with no alternatives, he dove into a catch basin for the chemicals and swam to freedom, surviving because of a special breathing apparatus built into the helmet. The toxins in the vat permanently and grotesquely disfigured him, turning his hair green, his skin white and his lips red. Upon discovering this, he went insane and became the Joker.

The Joker Releases Joker Gas into the Room!

PACKAGING:
I really like the purple and black packaging for the Justice League line. I think it looks classy.

ARTICULATION:
The three heroes, Batman, Flash and Superman all have nine point of articulation: Neck (1); Shoulders (2); Elbows (2); Hips (2); Knees (2). The villains however, aren’t that lucky. Red Hood and Lex Luthor both only have five points: Neck (1); Shoulders (2); Hips (2). Gorilla Grodd has seven: Neck (1); Shoulders (2); Elbows (2); Hips (2).

I’m on the fence about the articulation. For display purposes, I find that the limited articulation is better, yet I also feel that if the main heroes can have nine points why can’t the villains?

SCULPT:
Recently I felt a few of the figures don’t really match their animated counter parts, Lex Luthor for example., even Wonder Woman. Gorilla Grodd and Red Hood though, both look just as they did in the series. The Joker actually has green hair and red lips. Another thing with The Red Hood, with the hood on, he won’t stand up by himself, so you might need to use some tricks to get him to stand.

OVERALL:
All in all this is a must have for any collector. Grodd has been a fan favorite since the show aired, and Red Hood is an extra nice bonus. So what, you get another Batman & Superman. Sell em in a yard sell, give them to your friends, or just pack them away. Regardless, this pack is worth the buy for Grodd and the Red Hood alone.

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