Most of us are probably already familiar with Onell Design's Glyos System Series of retro sci-fi action figures. They're definitely a local favorite of ours--especially the CDX-exclusive Wraith Pheyden, who keeps seeming to pop up in review pics!

Well, coming soon to reinforce your troops is the Phase Arm and Gobon Blaster!

We're fans of Onell Design around here. We first learned about these local (Massachusetts, USA) toymakers a couple years ago when we met creators, Matt and Jesse, and learned about their retro styled injection-molded PVC "Glyos" figures.

The toys are unique, but those with a trained eye can see that they incorporate design elements harkening back to classic toy lines like Takara's Microman/Henshin Cyborg and Mego's Micronauts. Sure, these figures are meant to be played with, but they're still designer toys that appeal to adult collectors due to their nostalgic styling.

Get your CDX-exclusive Wraith Pheyden here!

These figures are tough. "Injection-molded" PVC means that they can take a pounding...as evidenced by our lunacy here, here, and here (please note that we at CollectionDX do not recommend smashing your toys to prove a stupid point)! To learn more about the two flagship characters of the Glyos series, check out JoshB's review of Wave 1 Pheyden and Exellis.

Well, in the grand tradition of boys' toys, it's about time these guys got an upgrade!

First, let's talk about the Warp Zone. Term sound familiar? Those cool "Easter eggs" in 80's video games like Super Mario Bros, where you got to "warp" to a bonus level? Well, if you check out Glyos.com regularly enough, you'll see the "warp zone" image near the top, right-hand side. At the moment, it's locked...but about a week or so ago, it was "active". This link (and other Easter egg links that occasionally pop up on the site) lead to special store pages where folks can score extra-special goodies not found on the regular Onell shopping page.

Anyway, entering the warp zone a couple weeks ago would take you to a page where you could order special editions of Standard Pheyden Mk II and the new head sculpt, Sarvos, complete with bonus Exellis head!

Well, what made these editions "special" was the inclusion of two new beta-version accessories: Pheyden's Phase Arm and the Gobon Blaster! Now, what makes these accessories "beta" is that they were shot in PVC that was way too hard and, as such, needed their connectors modified by Matt before shipping. The final versions of these will be softer, like the regular figures, and easy to disassemble in order to create any weird combinations your mind can come up with!

Along with Standard Pheyden Mk II and Sarvos, I also scored Reverse Pheyden and Metran Pheyden below:

(Like the "8-bit" header? Check out the back!)

Please note that I got a little home-cooking with these guys! If you'll notice, my Sarvos and Metran Pheyden above came with two Phase Arms and Gobon Blasters! Those who've ordered from Onell before should find this as no surprise--Matt's infamous for throwing in extras...especially to friends and repeat customers.

So what's the big deal about a couple extra pieces?

Well, it's all about what you can do with those extra bits! The Phase Arm actually comprises three separate parts; the Gobon Blaster, two. Each part has different male-female connectors (pegs/holes). Typically, you can just replace a Glyos dude's hand with the tool of choice just to spice up your battles or shelf display.

But once you get a couple Phase Arms & Gobon Blasters together, start pulling the bits apart, and begin swapping, things start to get very interesting very quickly!

Cyborg cannon-arm Pheyden? Why not?

Those well-versed in the art of Glyos construction will find these combo's amateurish, at best. Please forgive me: I'm an abject beginner at kit-bashing Glyos stuff! But still, after cracking open the bagged figures last night, I immediately threw together some great-looking combos:

Granted, these combinations were featured on Glyos.com before, but I just couldn't help myself! The added bulk from the extra bits replace the almost-cute proportions of the figures with the noble stature of powerful heroes!

But the possibilities are endless with these parts! Once they get a wide release in softer material and matching colors/translucent/glow colorways, these things are going to be amazing...especially when combined with the also-upcoming Buildman.

After shooting the combinations above, I started messing around with the bits and quickly came up with these guys below:

Not bad for a rookie!

Lastly, I wouldn't feel right leaving y'all without a little glow:

The companion piece to Onell Design's Pheyden action figure,

When these first came out I was so caught up in the commotion that I reviewed Pheyden and completely forgot about Exellis. Now that these have been out for a while I can now talk a bit more about these awesome figures.

Prototype Sincroid Exellis is the companion piece to Onell Design's Pheyden action figure. They are the brainchild of Matt Doughty who just happens to live minutes from my house. I suppose that it was inevitable that we should meet, and we've managed to develop a great friendship. I try not to let that friendship cloud my impression of his figures, but i have to say that seeing this whole process come to fruition is pretty amazing.

Exellis is an articulated action figure that is meant to be played with. He's 2.75 inches tall, has 12 points of articulation, and comes in three different color variations.

Standard

Hyper

Aves

The toys come in a cool little window box that has a small sticker denoting what figure is inside. The boxes aren't even taped shut, as Matt just wants people to play with them. They are sturdy and meant to survive in a kids pocket. I have a few on my desk and I fiddle with them all the time.

One of the great things about these toys is that they are all interchangeable. You can mix and match parts form each one to create unique color schemes. You can even create new massive toys if you have many of them at your disposal.

There's even a whole crazy backstory behind these guys that they chronicle over at the Glyos Transmission Blog. You can get a good idea of what kind of creations you can come up with from some of the things they post.

They're just getting ready to release some new figures, and some new colorways of the existing figures, so go grab them while you can.

They have what a lot of the “collector” toys are missing these days, and that is FUN. You can actually play with them.

I have to be up front with you here – this is going to be a biased review. I’ve become good friends with Matt and his crew and I’ve watched these toys come alive through them. It has been an amazing experience, to see someone’s dreams come true.

Pheyden is from a small company in Acton Massachusetts called Onell Design. He is the creation of local artist / toymaker Matt Doughty. Matt has been drawing Pheyden and other characters since he was a kid. He created a comic called Gears Edge, and Pheyden is one of the characters from it.

I won’t admit to knowing a lot about the character. The back of the package describes Pheyden as:

Space Traveler Pheyden – Hailing from the fabled edge of space in the mysterious Glyos System, Space Traveler Pheyden journeys through endless dimensions securing the order of the infinite universe and patching holes in the fabric of time.

What that means, I have no idea.

Each Pheydon comes in a nice window box that is unique to this character. Pheydon comes in three colors – Standard (Blue), Gears Edge (Sepia) and Phase (Green). You can see each figure through the window on front so there is no surprise as to what you are getting. There is also a small sticker on the bottom of the box denoting which figure is inside. The sticker is a nod to the small stickers affixed to vintage Japanese toy boxes to show that the toys were officially licensed. Pheyden rests in a form-fit clear plastic tray, and incuded in the box is a trading card and a small fold out booklet (another nod to vintage Japanese toys, this time the fold out catalogs that came with old Takara toys).

The figure itself is really cool, but I can understand how the aesthetics aren’t for everyone. This is very much an action figure, not some high-end collectable to be locked behind glass. In this age of super-expensive limited run designer vinyls that don’t actually do anything, it is refreshing to handle an artist-created toy that I can fiddle with that wont break the bank. There are no egos or names here – just a cool little figure.

Pheyden is 2.75” tall and has 12 points of articulation. Each joint is a swivel joint that you can actually pop out with a little effort. The idea here was to make it so that any part of any figure in the line can be exchanged with any other figure in the line. Right now there are only two figures out, but in the future this will become a great asset. Other toys designed by Onell share similar connection points (Saucernauts, for example).

What I like about these toys

I like the fact that these are just fun to hold and play around with. I keep a few next to the desk and find myself fiddling with them all the time. The joints are tight and they stay tight. I like the designs a lot, and I specifically love the translucent green one. I like that I don’t have to be afraid to hand these to my kids and worry about them breaking them. I can’t stress it enough – these things are STURDY.

What I don’t like.

I really like the end result of the toy, but there are a few things I would have done differently. For one – I would have liked to have seen 2 closed fists, or an extra one included with the set. I would have also liked for them to have included some sort of weapon. Matt has told me that the hand was designed to hold any standard Star Wars weapon, but still, I’ve seen the weapons these guys make, and they are pretty awesome. Finally, the only other thing that is missing is holes in the feet. All your great action figures have holes in the feet to attach to action figure stands. Why not Phaedon?

You’ve spent $10 on stupider things.

Like I said, I am a little biased, but I think you should check these out. They have what a lot of the “collector” toys are missing these days, and that is FUN. You can actually play with them.

Pheyden (and the other Onell Design figures) are available at http://www.onelldesign.com