There are two editions of this Spawn. Both editions have two versions.
CURSE OF THE SPAWN 1
There are two official versions of this figure.
What is Curse of the Spawn? Well, the back of the card states that "...Spawn exists in many forms throughout history. Curse of the Spawn has transformed his body into a defense system with working bone wings and huge battle weapons to ward off enemies. Having turned on his creator, Malebolgia, Curse of the Spawn seeks to bring peace to an evergrowing violent world manipulated by Malebolgia, leader of the Darklands."
June 1997 Series 8 Original: Curse of the Spawn
I was left unimpressed the first time I noticed this figure and it was heavily discounted too, at only S$9.99 at Toys R Us. By the time I decided to get it in 2003, I paid S$10 for it :)
I know this guy's face is so ugly that you want to put him in a pig's basket and drown him but check out those legs...well, at least he stands upright without support!
Incidentally, the spinoff comic series Curse of the Spawn (image is that of #1) written by Alan McElroy (also screenwriter for Spawn the Movie) and illustrated by Dwayne Turner was introduced in September 1996, nine months before Series 8 was launched. The comic version features a new anti-hero, Daniel Llanso who appeared from issues #1 to #4.
In the Endcap of May 1997, the figure was mentioned: "the series includes a Curse of the Spawn figure. Stepping straight from the first few issues of that best-selling title is Daniel Llanso as the Spawn of the future. He comes ready to fight the Anti-Pope and his minions with his giant battle weapons and his flexing bone-wings."
For a lengthy period, card collectors "thought" that there are variants according to the gap of the chest bones but we display collectors know otherwise. The chest bones are loose and can be slided horizontally. The pictures above are from the same figure! So don't be fooled by those so-called rare variants that some sellers are claiming.
An articulated customised figure by 'speedlee'. Check out his work at speedlee's blog.
November 1997 Series 8 Repaint: Curse of the Spawn
November 1997, a few months after the original grey, a repaint in red was released.
It was a straight-forward repaint, the grey replaced by maroon.
The bone-wings on the back of the figure are as advertised in the End Cap of May 1997, flexible.
The repaint also becomes the model of choice for the TPB cover of The Best of Curse of the Spawn in August 2005.
CURSE OF THE SPAWN 2
There are only two official versions:
April 1999 Series 13 Original: Curse of the Spawn II
Series 13 is the re-introduction of Series 8. Released in April 1999, it ironically appeared one month after the comic series of the same name ended its run in March 1999 at #29. This series makes more sense than its predecessor with a supporting cast that is straight from the comic books. It is such a waste that “COTS” ended its run, I always thought it would be one of the most ideal platform to launch more Spawn figures other than Al Simmons.
“We learn from the past. We live in the present. We fear the future.” What goes into COTS II? Apparently “shards of harden bone, tissue of rotting semi-organic flesh and the stench of death”. Disgusted? It was meant to be! The face is still as ugly as ever but compared to COTS I of Series 8, it was definitely a vast improvement. The body is grey with red sores and the bones are tan...oddly the head is also tan, probably a bonehead...he got bats streaming up from his right and he retained the claw feet of COTS I.
This commission of Curse of the Spawn 2 was sculpted by Gabriel Marquez. This original prototype has Daniel Llanso's Spawn sporting a cape. Check out his website: Gwin Sculpture Works.
The Customs
The silver-washed figure (left picture) was "manufactured" as a Toxic Studio Exclusive. Until McFarlane Toys denounced it as fake, a lot of collectors thought that this was a real licensed exclusive despite the amateurish slip of paper pasted on the bubble. The image was formerly posted at blackaris2001.org before it was taken down. And the one on the right picture is a fake of a fake, the guy selling it claimed that it is one of the Toxic Studio’s custom figure!
April 2003 Reborn Series 1: Curse of the Spawn II
Exactly four years later in April 2003, Curse of the Spawn 2 was reborn. It was one of the three Spawn resculpts that were introduced under the experimental Reborn Series.
The reborn COTS 2 has a more vibrant colour scheme, the sores are redder and angrier on his tan body, the tan-coloured bones give way to metallic grey and his black jaw resembles that of a pariah dog.
There are more than just cosmetic changes, the right hand was resculpted.
And while the original has a pair of wings
it was replaced by a fabric cape for the reborn.
Peek inside the cape and you would notice that reborn still keep the two holes of the original. More bats are introduced too.
Like Alien Spawn 1, this Spawn too has a surplus of angry scabs that just would not heal.
