Wow, I didn’t realize how busy I had been the past few months until I saw this monster lounging under my hobby table several days ago! I bought this bad boy during our Singapore trip way back last February and here I am today, writing an entry about it on a rainy August morning. It took me six long months to make this post, so let’s make this intro short and jump straight to things! Ladies and gentleman, I give you the True Heroes Land-Air-Sea-Elite-Rangers (L.A.S.E.R.) Storm!
Since you’re reading this post, I think it’s safe to assume that you’re already familiar with the True Heroes line of toys. And chances are, the True Heroes products that you’ve come to know are the modern military ones that are far more grounded in reality compared to the one I’m covering today. I was very surprised to discover this futuristic sub-line too and I was really eager to incorporate and integrate these True Heroes L.A.S.E.R. toys into my ever-expanding Joe-verse. They fit in seamlessly with my Joes and that’s what I like best about these 1:18 toys.
The Storm is one big bird and I’m not kidding! It’s 21 inches long, 13 inches wide (with the wings tucked behind), about 8 inches tall (depending on how wide the claws are set), and it has a wingspan of about 25.5 inches! It's form resembles a giant hawk and it looks great beside the G.I. Joe Pit Mobile Headquarters. It's also full of raw potential, having minimal paint apps and decals. Customizers would surely have a field day pimping this baby up!
The main draw of this beast is that it can actually carry quite a number of figs. A 1:18 aircraft with troop-carrying capacity is really a rarity these days. The cockpit cover and the top part of the body can both be removed to reveal a very spacious interior. It's full of sculpted details inside and that's a plus.
Despite it's massive build, the Storm only has three seats inside, one for the pilot and two for the gunners. The stations look pretty comfy, they're not cramped and they can undoubtedly accommodate even the larger Joe figures like Resolute Roadblock, among others.
With the three seats occupied, the gaping empty space in the middle of the Storm becomes more evident. It would have been neat if the space was used to incorporate additional seats but alas, it's just an empty space and that's what we have to deal with.
But fret not, that empty space can still be utilized by a few figures. It's wide enough to seat three additional figs facing different directions. It's possible to put in more figs by filling the space up with standing figures instead of sitting ones but standing inside a flying aircraft is not only impractical, it's also unsafe. So no, I'm not filling that empty space up with standing passengers.
The Storm is a bit short on firepower, though. The only guns it carries are two yellow laser cannons and a chin-mounted Gatling gun. The Gatling gun can swivel about 30 degrees to each side and it also has light and sound effects.
The claws primarily function as the Storm's landing gear but they also perform another job. They can be used to grab and carry huge equipment and other stuff and it's specifically designed to transport the Rockslide. It was difficult to figure out how to put these two troop-carriers together because neither of the damn things came with an instruction manual. The inner side of the Storm's claws are hollow and there are no clear spots for the Rockslide's tabs to attach to. Apparently, the claws must be pulled outward to be able to squeeze the Rocklide in there. The tabs just sit on the grooves created by the angles of the claws' bends. What's great is that once the Rockslide's attached to the Storm's claws, it stays there remarkably well. By the way, the wings and the claws of the Storm all have ratchet joints.
The Storm comes with four figures to make this set ready for action. There are two good guys and two bad guys but they're all ugly and that's all you need to know about them. Oh, that and the fact that they only move at the big five (neck, shoulders, hips).
So, there you have it, the L.A.S.E.R. Storm. It's a pretty nice vehicle. It's really huge, it can carry a number of figures, and it has a lot of custom potential. I prefer mine to stay how it is and it's not bad as is. It's a great addition to my G.I. Joe fleet and I can't wait to have it displayed beside my Pit Mobile Headquarters. Now, all I need is a house that I can call my own, with one huge toy room in it.
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