The Gentle Madness of Spawn Collection

SPAWN THE BLOODAXE

One of my favourite has definitely got to be the Spawn figure from the fourth Dark Ages lineup and which spawned 4 other versions, making it a total of 5 official figures.

This Dark Ages line is known as the Viking Age and during advanced versions were revealed during the Toyfair in New York beginning of 2002.

July 2002 Series 22 Original: Spawn the Bloodaxe

Released in July 2002 as Series 22 - Spawn the Bloodaxe from the Viking Age. McFarlane Toys has introduced a Viking Spawn in Series 5, exactly 6 years ago in July 1996 and the change in sculpture of an action figure is astonishing.

This figure comes with a storyline: Norseman Erik Bloodaxe was the leader of the Bloodaxe clan. Erik was known as a good man, an honest fighter and a man who stood his ground. He made a bitter enemy in Jorvak Skullsplitter, though, over the love of a young woman. Bloodaxe was betrayed on the field of battle by Skullsplitter, who drove his sword into the warrior’s heart. Bloodaxe awoke in the icy darkness of the Realm of the Dead. A warrior angel named Valkerie offered to help Bloodaxe escape the icy pits on a wild warhorse, but not before his striking features melded with his armour, turning him into something else entirely: Spawn the Bloodaxe. Can Bloodaxe survive the journey between worlds and return to his clan?

If I like a figure, I definitely would collect more than one and Spawn the Bloodaxe is one of the healthiest growing army in my collection.

The sculpting is handled by Olympus Studio. Image from sculptorscorner.com.

August 2002 SDCC Exclusive: Spawn the Bloodaxe

In August 2002 at the San Diego Comic Convention, a pewter-washed Spawn the Bloodaxe (it was reported that only 2,200 figures were made) was made available at only US$10 each. Chronologically it is version.2 because it was released before both the Boxset and the Repaint got into the market.

Some hoity-toity toy critics thought the figure unremarkable and one-washed colour scheme an easy way out from a complete repaint for something as prestigious as a SDCC event but resale market proves that this sells very well and collectors love the pewter-washed figure. Lesson - don’t listen to the experts.

October 2002 Series 22 Boxset Original: Spawn the Bloodaxe and Thunderhoof

Spawn the Bloodaxe with Thunderhoof is supposed to be released in conjunction with Series 22 in July 2002 as a box set but its production was delayed. The 10th box set in the Spawn Universe, this version features a different Bloodaxe model, long-legged and with full-faced helmet. He is accompanied by an elaborately costumed horse called Thunderhoof.

Incidentally, this Bloodaxe figure most resembles the Spawn in the storyline - of a face melded into his helmet and astride a warhorse. Some websites claimed that this is the first horse to appear in the Spawn series, apparently forgetting that Series 3 has a Spawn Battle Horse, mechanical looking it may be.

The best looking horse yet in Spawndom...

and sculpted by Olympus Studio. Again, image from sculptorscorner.com.

Bloodaxe version.3 stands comfortably on his own and the mold would be re-used soon.

The offical release date for this figure is September 2002 but this figure, manufactured in China and shipped out of Hong Kong reached the West Coast of the US only in October 2002 due to port strikes.

October 2002 Series 22 Repaint: Spawn the Bloodaxe

Released in conjunction with the Series 22 Deluxe Box Set, the Repaint is classified by McFarlane Toys as a R3 figure – Resculpted, Repainted and Revisited.

It featured the alternate head of two complete horns and a golden axe first seen in early 2002 during the New York Toy Fair. As with the box set, this figure was affected by the port strike and the release delayed till October 2002.