Marvel Cinematic Universe Yondu
Marvel Select 7" scale
Recipe
WWE Create-a-Superstar Undertaker Set
WWE Create-a-Superstar Special Ops Set
Diamond Select Comic Book Punisher
Paints - Revell Aquacolor / Tamiya
The character of Yondu didn't grab me in the first movie, but his recent involvement in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel had me itching for a figure in 7" scale to line up on my Marvel Select display.
It was while trawling eBay for another part that I realised that some Undertaker WWE figures did bear a resemblance to Michael Rooker. Remembering I had a shaved Undertaker head in my parts box (left over from the Ronan custom) I dug it out and painted it blue to see how it would look.
The Yondutaker is not the perfect likeness for Yondu, but he is close. I needed to add the fin and went with the smaller one he sports in the original movie and in the first half of GOTG2. This is quite simply a piece of rubberised plastic that was once an offcut of a figure coat. I cut a groove in the head so the fin sits into the scalp rather than being glued on top.
The head is the first figure I've tried shading and washing with the skin tone and I am pleased with the effect. The eyes were painted red and the beard drybrushed with a touch of white.
It took me a while to come up with a body for Yondu. The original plan was to use the Diamond Select Starlord coat on top of a Winter Soldier body. The coat turned out to be too slim and the Winter Soldier (MCU) was not a cheap figure to carve up for a custom.
Again the bits box came to the rescue. First up I had a coat from the Diamond Select Punisher lying around. This was painted brown, then washed in red and black to create a colour tone, but to dirty it up. I used a piece of thin rubber to cut out a Raveger badge for one lapel. I then trimmed a plastic tie wrap (that holds the figure in place) to make the three small darts on the other lapel. These were painted gold and then washed to add grime/dirt.
For the body I turned to my old favourite - the Special Ops WWE create a wrestler. The same figure that has donated parts for my Daredevil and more recently Vulture. With the strap and panneling, its a decent match for Yondu's outfit. I added a small scarf with an offcut of rubber coat. And then the cream scarf is a piece of paper that is scumpled round the neck then hardened with superglue. This was painted cream, dirtied with brown and then drybrushed white.
The body was done in a similar style to the coat but with more black in the wash to create a contrast. The boots were just left black, but I drybrushed brown up the sides for dirt splashes.
Yondu scales well with other Select 7" figures, and I can't wait to see him with the official GOTG2 releases from Diamond. He still needs his arrow, which I am on the look out for. I also want to tweak his hand at some stage to hold the orb from the first movie which came with the original Legend figure of Starlord.
