AMAMOTM - February

Well, I waited till the last minute to do this one, didn't I?  February was a hectic month for me, and I didn't get a chance to visit some new dollar stores like I wanted to.  I was still able to get some stuff for the second instalment of Army Men And Monsters Of The Month, but I'll have to take things in a different and unexpected direction this time.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about in regards to my AMAMOTM project, you can see the January entry by following the link.  I said in the rules there that the heroes have to be of the army men type, not actual army men figures.  They could be ninjas, astronauts, cowboys & indians, etc.  I just didn't think I'd get to that point by my second AMAMOTM post.  But it's all good!

Side note:  You can see numbers on the bottoms of the figures in the Cowboy Playset jug shown above.  I actually don't like having doubles of my figures, so I number all my army men toys to make them "unique".  Plus I like to take toys with me whenever I travel.  If I ever happen to take one of these guys with me somewhere, I'll know exactly which one it is.  Side note done!

The giant beasts that the Mega Monster Fighters battle have actually been around longer than the Mega Monster Fighters themselves.  There are reports of encounters with these creatures in the Old West, while some believe they've been around much, much longer.

OLD MAN DUSKLY

One of the earliest confirmed encounters with a Mega Beast was on the farm of one Old Man Duskly.  A giant, mutated chicken was terrorizing his livestock, and only the combined efforts of Duskly and his sons allowed them to destroy the fowl beast and save the farm.  Duskly and his sons then formed a posse of gunslinging heroes to take on any similar threats should they arise.  And yes, they arose.

THE WANDERING STRANGER

No one is really sure where the Wandering Stranger came from.  He just showed up in town when Old Man Duskly was assembling his posse.  The Stranger might not like to talk about his past, but he sure does know his way around these giant monsters that have been turning up.  The Stranger has put down down more beasties than anyone else in the Monster Hunters Posse, and has become an invaluable member of the group.  Too bad his lone-wolf ways often put him at odds with Old Man Duskly.

THE QUICKDRAW KID

No one in town is faster with a six-shooter than the Quickdraw Kid.  He's even been known to shoot flying bats in the dark to keep his skills sharp.  The Quickdraw Kid was the first member of the Monster Hunters Posse chosen (after Old Man Duskly's sons), and is only rivalled in monster kills by the Wandering Stranger.

ZEKE DUSKLY

The oldest of Old Man Duskly's sons, Zeke is the second-in-command of the Monster Hunters Posse.  Zeke is stern, serious, and unflinchingly loyal to his family.  Zeke is also physically the strongest member of the team, and he wields a heavy rifle that can stop a monster dead in it's tracks.

BO DUSKLY

Bo Duskley is the second of Old Man Duskly's sons.  A teller of tall tales and a notorious lover of women, Bo is always ready for an adventure.  His missions with the Monster Hunters Posse take him far and wide, which is just the way he likes it.  The way he sees it, these hunts just give him more stories to tell and more women to meet.

"LUCKY" DUSKLY

"Lucky" is the youngest of Old Man Duskly's three sons, and is still a little green around the edges.  He makes up for his lack of experience with a cocksure attitude and a willingness to jump headfirst into a fight.

BUBBA GLENN, ANDY-BOY DAGGET-CAYNE, and TWO-GUN TUCK

The rest of the Monster Hunters Posse is rounded about by Bubba Glenn, an amiable gambler and cousin of Old Man Duskly; Andy-Boy Dagget-Cayne, a bounty hunter who often uses dogs to help him track his prey; and Two-Gun Tuck, a priest-turned-gunslinger who believes that these giant monsters are the work of the Devil.

On this specific occasion, the Posse has been called in to battle the vicious LAMPREY HOPPER.

The Lamprey Hopper is a quick beast that attacks its prey with it's razor-sharp teeth and clawed pincers.  It is able to leap to incredible heights and travel great distances in a short amount of time.  Most dangerous of all, the Lamprey Hopper is able to trap its victims within its net-like torso and control their bodies with its mind.  Those under its control are fully aware of what is going on, but are unable to break the monster's control over them.  This is just as well; once the Lamprey Hopper severs its link, the victims never survive.

Unfortunately, this mission does not go as smoothly as previous ones and "Lucky" Duskly falls under the control of the Lamprey Hopper.  Even the deadly skills of the Wandering Stranger aren't enough to save his comrade from the beast's powers.

Zeke Duskly, Two-Gun Tuck, and Andy-Boy Dagget-Cayne arrive too late save Lucky.  Their firepower is enough to drive off the Lamprey Hopper, but the creature, though wounded, is able to escape. There is little time for the Posse to mourn their fallen brother and friend; they must track down the injured monster and stop it's rampage once and for all.

Elsewhere, a nearby indian village is about to come under attack by a strange metal beast.


CHIEF MANYMOONS

The leader of a peaceful tribe, Chief Manymoons and his people are unprepared for an attack by this mysterious giant metal creature.  Nevertheless, he personally leads his warriors into battle against this new foe.

SPOTTED DOG

A master hunter and marksman, Spotted Dog is one of the bravest warriors in Manymoons' tribe.  While he often attacks from afar, Spotted Dog will never hesitate to put himself in harm's way to protect his family and friends.

FLYING SUN

Flying Sun is Chief Manymoons' only sun and future chief of the tribe.  When danger strikes, Flying Sun fights by his father's side, guarding his chief and protecting the lives of his people.  An expert spear thrower, the blood of the warrior flows through Flying Sun's veins.

RED WOLF

A close friend of Flying Sun, Red Wolf is an expert in hand-to-hand combat.  As children, Red Wolf once saved Flying Sun from an enraged grizzly bear, killing the beast with nothing but a hatchet and a small dagger.  Red Wolf uses variations of these weapons to this day, and still fights bravely alongside his lifelong friend.

RUNNING HAWK, STANDING BULL, and SHADOWFOOT

Other noble braves in Manymoons' tribe are Running Hawk, Standing Bull, and Shadowfoot.  These warriors join their chief in battle against a monstrous metal foe unlike anything they have ever encountered before.

The people of Manymoons' village live in harmony with nature and have learned to coexist with the nearby towns, but that peace is shattered by the appearance of the terrible BLUE CYCLON.

First appearing as noisy, vaguely animal-like metal beast, the Blue Cyclon tears through the village,  bringing out the tribe's warriors to face it.  It tries repeatedly to run them down, but when that fails, the monster transforms into a more humanoid form.

Now even further towering above the warriors, the Blue Cyclon tries to stomp its foes beneath its wide feet, and fires terrifying blasts from its strange double-barreled weapon.

The warriors fight bravely, but are only able to slow the metal monster down.

The noble Spotted Dog is hit in the back by a blast from the Blue Cyclon's weapon.  Before the warrior succumbs to his wounds, he sees a vision of new heroes entering the battle.

The Monster Hunters Posse arrive and turn the tide of the fight.  They break off the search for the escaped Lamprey Hopper and help Manymoons' warriors take down the Blue Cyclon save the village.  After the creature is defeated, it disintegrates into a fine blue dust and blows away on the wind.

While the rest of the Monster Hunters Posse head off once again in search of the injured Lamprey Hopper, Old Man Duskly stays behind to teach Chief Manymoons and his warriors about the new monsters that are appearing in their land, and how to fight them.  Spotted Dog's young son never forgets how his father gave his life to help protect his people from the monster, and he goes on to have a family of his own.  Eventually one of his descendants becomes The Sniper of the Mega Monster Fighters!

See you next month for some more good ol' (slightly goofy) toy fun in the next instalment of AMAMOTM!

AMAMOTM - January