There are two editions: Commando Spawn 1 includes the regular-sized versions comprising four to six collectible figures (why four to six? Well read on) and a miniature version used as a token in a board game. The second edition has only one collectible figure. There is also a Commando Spawn from The Adventures of Spawn series but he is listed separately to avoid confusion.
COMMANDO SPAWN 1
Commando Spawn 1 is one of two Spawns that are the main stars of Series 2 released in February 1995; the other is another Al Simmon’s alter-ego: Pilot Spawn. Almost a decade later, Commando Spawn 2 emerged in Series 28 and the title of Commando Spawn gains a "1" to it. Depending on your belief and collecting taste, there are officially between four and six figures for collectors :)
The early Spawn figures are sculpted by Eightball Studios founded by Steve Kiwus.
Febaruary 1995 Series 2 Original: Commando Spawn
The second appearance of Spawn in the mold of Al Simmons and representative of his former career as a soldier. Released in February 1995 and “knowing that as Spawn, his powers are not infinite, on occassion he has borrowed from Army bases, guns, missile, and bazookas to use in his fight against evil. Once armed, he tapped into his training to become the ultimate fighter.” (info contained on back of card on the box)
His appearance is very much in accordance with the early issues of Spawn comics, Spawn #7 in this case.
Commando Spawn 1 is equipped with two overwhelming weapons - a missile loaded bazooka and a huge shotgun. He also carried a pistol glued to his suit, two knives that can be removed and a night scope with head set communication device (to communicate with Terry Fitzgerald). The display figure stands 15cm tall.
The variants according to black smudges on the guns
The colour of the guns in the original shipment came in both grey guns without speckles (known as plain-gun) and grey guns with speckles (known as speckled gun). It is of course a matter of QC but in the early days, McFarlane Toys has the unenviable task of implementing QC and yet having it cheaply made. You can only blame the toymakers in China to a certain extent before you indulge in the classic "you can't have your cake and eat it too" conundrum. Thus McToys go along with the variants, intentional or not. In an article in the Spawning Ground dated September 1995, Todd McFarlane wrote that "there is a Commando Spawn with an unspeckled gun, and it is the original version of the toy and thus is very rare."
Besides the 'plain-gun' and 'speckled gun' versions "there is a rare (only about 700 made) 'polka-dot gun' version, where the rifles he carries are dotted with only a few dots on each side. This is not to be confused with the common 'speckled gun' version, that has dozens of tiny (and not-so-tiny) dots of black paint." (cf End Cap December 1996) Most collectors dismissed this variant either as a hoax or that the paint difference is so minimal as to make identification impossible but well, it got the support of the editorial staff in End Cap.
Other Variants
Other differences include box that came with and without the white warning sticker; others have different number of rivets, some with two rivets and others with four rivets. Among many paint application variants, there are bullets that come in silver and red, scope that came in black and silver and skull on the belt that is white and grey.
May 1995 Series 2 Repaint: Commando Spawn
In May 1995, Commando Spawn 1 become the first repainted figure in Spawndom to get a new type of repaint scheme. Spawn 1 got a change of head and both Medieval Spawn 1 and Pilot Spawn got a change of suit colour but Commando Spawn 1?
He got his weapons repainted gold. The accessories are the ONLY way to tell v1 apart from v2.
In 1997/98, pirates delivered this knock off repaint on a Series 8's Curse of the Spawn card. The pirates however are kind enough to add a sticker on the bottom right that indicate correctly this is Commano Spawn! The image is courtesy of Joe Madeira.
August 1995 Retail Exclusive: Commando Spawn
The camouflage version was released about half a year after the original Series 2 in August 1995 as a Retail Exclusive. It also appeared in late 1998 with a DVD of Spawn animated series season 2 attached to it (verified through correspondence with McFarlane Toys).
November 1995 Retail Exclusive: Commando Spawn vs Violator
In November/December 1995 (End Cap of December 1996 similarly list it as December 1995), Target Store put into the US market (estimated by some as 12,000) 'Commando Spawn vs Violator' Collector’s Gift Sets. It features the camouflage Commando Spawn released earlier but this time accompanied by a double-size Red Violator.
The two camouflage Commando Spawns are identical. You cannot tell them apart.
Gold-Washed Version?
According to correspondence from McFarlane Toys, it is believed that a limited number of gold-washed Commando Spawn 1 was distributed to selected retailers. I have not seen them but why not, there are gold-washed Spawn 1, Medieval Spawn 1 and Pilot Spawn, why not Commando Spawn 1?
July 1995 Pressman Toys Exclusive: Spawn the Game
A 6cm silver-washed miniature version of Commando Spawn 1 is one of the six tokens (four of which are Spawn figures) found in 'Spawn the Game', a boardgame released in July 1995 by Pressman Toys.
Two of the mold-shot prototypes of the Commando Spawn 1 token.
COMMANDO SPAWN 2
Only one version.
October 2005 Series 28 Original
The much heralded Series 28 continues McFarlane Toy’s renowned quality action toy figure at affordable price and one of the best sculpted figure is surely Commando Spawn 2.
