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Green Mamba

Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S.
by yo go re

When my world gets kind of hazy, there's one question drives me crazy: when my little snake gets drunk, does (s)he see me?

The Gorgon sisters command the terrifying Gorgon Horde. They follow orders with no remorse and live only to serve the three sisters, especially Stheno. The Green Mamba Gorgons are sly and vicious. They silently glide through the marsh and swamplands and spring upon their victims with deadly efficiency. Their venom travels through the victim so rapidly that salvation is nearly impossible. Within seconds, the helpless warrior can no longer breathe.

There are two real species of green mambas, Eastern and Western. Well, Jameson's mamba is green(ish), too, but the eastern green mamba and the western green mamba have it right there in their names. Their venom really is as deadly as the bio claims, but what it fails to mention is that they live in trees! Cute little tree-snakes!

In a way, we've already reviewed this figure. She uses all the same molds as the Black Racer figure, including the open-mouthed "hissing" head. Obviously the colors are different, but this is just a repaint of that figure. So since we've already covered all the pertinent information once, let's rehash the high points!

Her armor comprises a breastplate, bracers, and the snake-mouth headdress her fellow Hordies have worn. The armor is entirely bronze, with no other colors applied. While the Black Racer and Coral Gorgon helmets were bony grey, making them look anatomical, this one is the same bronze as the rest of her gear. So is it a sculpture, did she get it bronzed like baby shoes, or does one of the Gorgons have the ability to turn living creatures to bronze? Make up your own story, and then tell us about it.

The armor contrasts nicely with her green skin. Unlike the paint-saving Black Racer, the Green Mamba isn't just one solid color: she's mostly a greenish-yellow hue, as you'd expect, but the yellow gastrosteges (the "tummy scales," for those playing along at home) are only found on the western green mamba, not the eastern. However, both versions of the real snake are solid green on top - the toy has grey sections outlined by black on all of her tail segments. Where'd those come from? They make her look more like an emerald tree boa, which lives in South America but is one of the most common wallpapers to come up if you just search for "green snake." So maybe this member of the Gorgon Horde wasn't always meant to be a mamba?

The figure moves well, with a balljointed head, swivel/hinged shoulders, elbows and wrists, a balljointed waist, and eight more balljoints down the length of the tail! The interior structures are ABS plastic, but the outer skin is PVC, allowing it to flex as it moves, or to even rotate around the inner core so you can pose the tail various ways without ending up with the belly pointed at the sky. Some fans have come up with ways to lengthen the snake tails, thanks to the balljointed construction, but even if you don't go that route, she's still a lot of fun.

Greenzo comes with the same Gorgon shield as her sisters-in-arms, but she gets a new weapon! Two of them, in fact. Well, two of the same new weapon. It's a bearded axe with a spike on the back. It's more of a viking thing than a Greek thing, but then, this snake appears to be based on a continent the Greeks didn't even know existed, so what's wrong with a little cross-cultural influence?

More than just another snake, the Green Mamba Gorgon is a fun figure with a striking visual.

-- 07/29/16


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