AMAMOTM - July

My oh my!  I'm cutting this to the last minute again!  Although with last month's instalment of Army Men and Monsters of the Month actually getting posted this month, I shouldn't complain.  I mean, I've had to do two of them this month.  So, we good?  Good.

The Rookie and The Captain are held prisoner on Mega Monster Island, along with the rest of the Mega Monster Fighters B Team.  They have been taken to a strange lab deep below the island's surface.

There, they are left with the Mega Monsters' two lead scientists, the bloated Podmus and the two-horned Nocero.  Unlike the Clonefish who lays eggs containing Plasma Spiders, or other monsters who reproduce the old fashioned way, these two monster scientists create new beasts through mutation.

With the death of the Bodyguard, the Captain takes command of the B Team.  Now he and the Rookie have been separated from the rest of their squad.  Podmus and Nocero interrogate the two Monster Fighters as to their appearance on the island.  It is obvious that the Mega Monsters were expecting the soldiers, so the two prisoners know that their interrogation is mostly for show.  There is another reason for their visit to this strange lab.

Nocero orders one of the B Team troopers to be brought in.

The trooper is forced to lay in an unusual machine while the others look on.  "You are hardly the first humans to visit our island, and you won't be the last.  Luckily for us, your primitive bodies are ideally suited for our... procedures" Podmus taunts.  With that, a switch is flicked on the machine and the trooper's screams fill the room.

The trooper writhes and twitches as his bones crack and his body seems to deflate.  His screams die down to mindless moans.

"Another fine addition to our collection of Thin Men, don't you agree Podmus? Nocero asks.
"Oh yes!" Podmus proudly replies.

The new Thin Man takes his place among the other former members of the B Team.

"Thin Men are so easy to produce, but they obey us so completely, it's hard not to love them!  Now, what to do with you?" Podmus asks the Captain.  "Another Thin Man, perhaps?"
"Oh, but Podmus, if we make so many Thin Men too quickly, we'll get tired of them!" Nocero protests.
"Ah yes, I suppose we would." Podmus agrees.  "Maybe something new!  Something special!".

The Captain remains stoic as he is led to the strange machine and locked in.

Once again a switch is flicked, and slowly but surely, screams fill the air.  The Rookie can only watch, helplessly.

When the procedure is complete, Podmus commands that the former Captain be led out of the room.

The monster scientists then turn their attention to the Rookie.  "So?  What did you think of THAT one?" Podmus asks.
"Never seen one like that, have you" Nocero says, "That one was special!".
"Do you want to become special too?"
The Rookie stares his captors in the eyes, and cooly responds, "I've seen your island.  Your numbers are many, but there are many and MORE of us in this world.  No matter how many Thin Men and other... things... you put out there, there will always be more of us ready to put them down".

Nocero tilts his shaggy head in mock contemplation, "Do you think?  Well, we'll need all the help we can get, then!".
They lead the Rookie over to the machine.

When the Rookie comes to, he is no longer on the island, but aside from that, he cannot say.  His mind is cloudy, and his body is wracked with pain.  Slowly he climbs to his feet as a familiar sound comes from the distance...

Overhead, a helicopter has spotted the Rookie and makes its decent.

The Pilot and two troopers run to the Rookie's aid as he stumbles towards them.

While the Rookie is reunited with his comrades, the Bloody Watcher and the Mega Monster scientists observe their plan unfolding from their base back on the island.

Well, this one was a bit quicker.  Was it quick?  It felt quick.  Any way, we're past the half-way point now, it'll all feel like it's downhill from here (at least, only in terms of how many episodes I have left to make.  Hopefully).

And as always, here are the links to the previous instalments of Army Men and Monsters of the Month!

AMAMOTM - January
AMAMOTM - February
AMAMOTM - March
AMAMOTM - April
AMAMOTM - May
AMAMOTM - June

The trouble with waiting till the last minute to do these things is you're kinda pressed to find new monsters.  While I didn't really have much to work with, I did end up liking this month's choices.  I said way back in the first AMAMOTM that even cheap dollar store animal toys could serve as monsters, but I still lucked out with this rather disgusting looking hippo.  What's wrong with his skin?  I mean, I get that he's supposed to look textured, but the effect just makes him look gross.  Perfect for a Mega Monster!  

The woolly rhino figure might be close to actual woolly rhino scale with the rest of the army men toys, but he was too cool to pass up.  He's even got a big white paint splotch on his right side, but instead of cheapening him, it just gives him a bit more character.  Well, maybe it does both.  I still just took it as random patterns in his fur.  And the fact that these two behemoths ended up being scientists just makes me smile...