wm016 Ultimate Warrior

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=54923

The Ultimate Warrior may have had the most successful run in the history of pro wrestling relative to how long he was on top of the business. Starting out early in his career as the Dingo Warrior, Jim Hellwig went on to become one of the most popular wrestlers of the early '90s when he exploded onto the WWF scene as the Ultimate Warrior. There is no doubt that while he was a main eventer, Ultimate Warrior was THE MAN. Yet in the annals of pro wrestling history, he is more or less a joke. A giant roided up stiff with tassles, neon face paint, and an interview style that consisted of grunts, snorts, and gibberish, the Warrior was truly one of a kind. There was no denying he was completely terrible and awesome at the same time. He may have been blown up by the time his entrance was done. He may have had trouble putting on more than a 30 second match. He may have been completely batshit insane. None the less the Ultimate Warrior was the definition of '90s pro wrestling. While I tried to have his dial capture how he would be gassed after charging the ring, shaking the ring ropes, and squashing his opponent... I also wanted to make it comic accurate in terms of how dangerous Warrior was as an opponent. After all, he is one of the only pro wrestlers to actually cross the line and become a comic book superhero. Warrior is one of the few pieces in the set that could feasibly take down Hulk Hogan consistently, and rightfully so, as he had perhaps the most iconic victory over Hogan of all time at Wrestlemania VI.

And now for your viewing pleasure, easily the greatest moment in the history of the Arsenio Hall Show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbjNNrO8CeM

wm015 "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=54756

As we touched on earlier with Marty Jannetty, Shawn Michaels was one half of the Rockers before he decided to go his own way. After turning heel and becoming a singles wrestler he had a few feuds involving the Intercontinental title. The most famous feud he was involved with at this early stage in his career centered around two ladder matches with Razor Ramon for that very belt. That is the era of The Heartbreak Kid that this piece represents, and I considered giving him a special power that involved falling off elevated terrain to capture his experience in these ladder matches. In the end it became too convoluted and I decided to just go with a few clicks of Leap/Climb. Exploit Weakness is a perfect fit for the Superkick, a finisher that can come out of nowhere and penetrate any defense to KO an opponent (especially late in the match, or in this case, late in the dial). I have very little positive to say about Michaels as a worker, but he did sing his own intro song, and what a song it is. He's got the moves... that really move 'em!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w1mq6rAfMM

wm014 Typhoon

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=53502

I had Typhoon as Tugboat in the original set list, but decided to switch him to his alter ego since he's only Tugboat for his opening click. As such at 30 points he may be the cheapest piece in HeroClix to feature an activation click. Tugboat was Hulk Hogan's lovable lumbering red and white striped companion. After a year of aiding the Hulkster in feuds such as against the massive Earthquake, Tugboat saw the error of his ways and turned to the darkside. Turning heel and teaming up with Earthquake, he changed his name to Typhoon and they became the enormously fat duo of the Natural Disasters. I considered making them a duo piece but thought that would be a slight to Earthquake, who is one of the better big man wrestlers in wrestling history and deserves his own piece. Still the Natural Disasters make a formidable duo in Clix form, as you'll see their double splash finishing maneuver come into play when they're thundering your way. Typhoon on his own wasn't much, but surprisingly enough he's still alive, has a normal job and a family... so kudos to you, Tugboat. Toot toot!

http://eljebi.zonalibre.org/archives/mariner.jpg

wm013 Miss Elizabeth

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=53339

Miss Elizabeth may have been the classiest woman in the history of pro wrestling. To follow that up by saying that she was divorced twice and died of a drug overdose while dating an abusive Lex Luger, will give you an idea of what type of women are involved with pro wrestling (I'm looking at you, Cyndi). Still, Miss Elizabeth was, and always will be, the First Lady Of Pro Wrestling. She is forever associated as managing her (at the time) real life husband, Randy Savage, and was instrumental in uniting the Mega Powers (hence her Hulkamaniacs keyword). This lead to one of my earliest childhood wrestling memories, as at Summerslam in 1988 Elizabeth was the ace in the hole as the Mega Powers challenged Andre The Giant and Ted DiBiase. The odds seemed insurmountable for Hogan and Savage to me at age 6, but I was assured that Elizabeth would be their secret weapon if all seemed lost. Sure enough, in their moment of ultimate desperation, Elizabeth ripped off her skirt and distracted Andre and DiBiase (THE SECRET WEAPON), allowing the Mega Powers to secure victory.

That said, Miss Elizabeth made her career as a manager/valet without showing all that much T&A, and without having an over the top personality either. She was an anomaly as a female in the wrestling world. What made Elizabeth work so well was her undeniable chemistry with Savage, which stemmed from their legitimate love for each other. When they split up (in the storylines) it was heart wrenching to watch her try to reason with "The Macho King." And when Randy finally proposed to her (after being married in reality for the better part of a decade) after losing his retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior (note: nobody ever really retires from pro wrestling until they die), it was one of the most touching moments in WWF history.

Much like Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks, Elizabeth was a woman that seemed so beautiful, pure and vibrant, but her lust for life would eventually consume her. After two marriages in 2003 she was shacking up with Lex Luger, who was feeding her drugs by the truckload while getting arrested for beating her and crashing his Porsche while drunk. Not even two weeks after the DUI arrest Luger called 911 to try to have Elizabeth resuscitated after a cocktail of vodka, xanax and hydrocodone. It was no use, and at 42 Elizabeth left us much too soon. But let us not remember her in those dark days towards the end of her life, but instead forever in the throes of true love, with her macho man...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOqzEZ8QjbQ

wm012 El Matador

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=53277

El Matador was Tito Santana, a latino wrestler who spent his career primarily in front of white audiences but almost always as a babyface. This is unusual for any chulo and says a lot about how naturally likeable Santana was. If/when I ever design a Tito Santana dial, it will actually be much stronger than El Matador, as Santana was a successful Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion with Rick Martel (Strike Force) in the 80s. As El Matador though, his vaguely racist bull fighter gimmick of the 90s, Santana was mostly a jobber. I tried to represent his bull fighting ways in his OLE! special power, which is slightly reminiscent of Hulk Hogan's AXE BOMBER. Otherwise he brings his agility to the table in his Leap/Climb, and not a lot else. Oh well Tito, you'll always have the distinguished honor of being the only wrestler other than Hulk Hogan to appear on the first 9 Wrestlemanias... posting a 2-7 record.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V9mJl9HQbNE/Rx3oNU4dfYI/AAAAAAAABjY/gBE8qKffqgg/s320/tito+santana+3.jpg

wm011 The Bushwackers

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=53032

Formerly the ultra-violent team of the Sheepherders, Butch and Luke were a pair of evil New Zealanders who helped put barbed wire matches on the map in the US in the 80s. When brought to the WWF though they became the fun loving Bushwackers. They marched, licked, and loved their way into the hearts of children all across the USA, enlightening our generation on exactly what Aussie culture was like. While they were never a particularly successful team (and on his own Luke set the record for the shortest Royal Rumble appearance at the time at 4 seconds), the Bushwackers were popular with the fans and promoted pretty heavily. They were really more of a comedy/special attraction sort of team, which I tried to reflect in their piece. They have a couple special powers to represent their hijinx, although a pretty sad dial otherwise. For your viewing pleasure, watch as Mean Gene Okerlund becomes a Bushwacker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF2sIw3fYK0

WrestleMania updated Set List

WRESTLEMANIA
(Commons)
wm001 Hulk Hogan
wm002 Barry Horowitz
wm003 Virgil
wm004 Red Rooster
wm005 Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
wm006 Koko B. Ware
wm007 Tatanka
wm008 Max Moon
wm009 Irwin R. Schyster

wm010 Marty Jannetty
wm011 The Bushwackers

wm012 El Matador
wm013 Miss Elizabeth
wm014 Tugboat
wm015 "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels
(Uncommons)
wm016 Ultimate Warrior
wm017 123 Kid
wm018 Doink & Dink
wm019 "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
wm020 Owen Hart
wm021 Mr. Fuji
wm022 The Orient Express
wm023 Rick "The Model" Martel
wm024 Junkyard Dog
wm025 Andre The Giant
wm026 The Undertaker
wm027 "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
wm028 Jim Cornette

wm029 Nailz
wm030 "Sensational" Sherri
(Rares)
wm031 "Macho Man" Randy Savage
wm032 Sgt. Slaughter
wm033 Jake "The Snake" Roberts
wm034 Earthquake
wm035 The British Bulldogs
wm036 Captain Lou Albano
wm037 Mr. Perfect
wm038 Texas Tornado
wm039 Papa Shango
wm040 "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart
(Super Rares)
wm041 Bret "The Hitman" Hart
wm042 Yokozuna
wm043 Bob Backlund
wm044 "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
wm045 "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
wm046 The Big Bossman
wm047 Bam Bam Bigelow
wm048 Razor Ramon
wm049 Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
wm050 "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair

wm010 Marty Jannetty

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52882

The Rockers were the mildly successful team of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty. Blatantly stealing their gimmick from the great Rock N Roll Express, Michaels and Jannetty pioneered a high flying style of tag team wrestling in the WWF in the early 90s. They had a feud with the Orient Express that produced some good matches, and had one short unrecognized reign as tag team champs. What the Rockers will be most remembered for though is their shocking split on Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake's "Barber Shop" interview segment. A great example for me personally of how the drama of pro wrestling can warp childhood memories, I distinctly remember Michaels' superkicking Jannetty straight through the window when he turned heel. Rewatching the video (linked below) though shows that Michaels superkicked, then grabbed and smashed Jannetty through the window... far less dramatic, but still pretty traumatizing at the time when WWF rarely allowed blood on TV.

Jannetty was a consistent wrestler throughout his career, and although he never acheived anywhere near the star status of Shawn Michaels, he was clearly the worker of their team and held their matches together. Marty did have some success after the split, winning the Intercontinental Championship from Michaels once, and then later winning the Tag Team Championships (in a recognized reign this time) with the 123 Kid. I tried to capture Jannetty's unremarkable consistency in his dial, with a stronger second half as he actually was more successful after splitting with Michaels. Also worth noting is the Battle Fury he gains at the sight of his own blood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCljiGVZ5fE

wm009 Irwin R. Schyster

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52745

The Tax Man himself, IRS. Could there be a better natural heel gimmick? Mike Rotunda was a very sound technical wrestler who never had a particularly compelling character or ring presence previously in his career. He had bounced from all-American and Varsity type gimmicks until the WWF eventually struck gold in 1991. As Irwin R. Schyster, Rotunda easily became one of the most hated and iconic heels of the 90s. Although he never had a run with a singles title, he was a very successful tag team wrestler as a member of Money Inc, and was in some high profile singles feuds. With all that in mind I tried to make IRS's piece mirror Tatanka's in terms of point value and overall usefulness. And rightfully so, as IRS and Tatanka had a most epic feud at one point revolving around IRS' claim that Tatanka did not pay his gift tax on his Native American headdress! With his token removing special power (TAX RETURN) and righteous government fueled Willpower (NOTHING IS CERTAIN BUT DEATH & TAXES) paired with the Masters of Evil team ability, IRS will make the perfect addition to a 100 point Money Inc themed team, or an even larger Million Dollar Corporation team.

Tax Tips with Irwin R. Schyster!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcsNwwK9vfg

wm008 Max Moon

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52726

Believe it or not, Max Moon was one of the harder dials so far to design. I wanted to make sure he was one of the cheapest pieces in the set (he never beat anyone notable at all), but still make him somehow, some way, slightly useful. I am a bit ashamed to admit that as a child Max Moon was without a doubt my favorite wrestler. Partially due to the irregularity he would appear on TV, partially due to his high flying offense, and mainly due to his outlandish moonsuit (which according to Wikipedia cost the WWF a whopping $1,300) I couldn't get enough of Max Moon. The original Max Moon was the luchadore Konnan, but after he left the WWF due to the company hatred of chulos the gimmick was given to Paul Diamond. The mysterious Moon would come to the ring being billed as from Outer Space or the Future (I AM FROM OUTER SPACE AND POSSIBLY THE FUTURE), and would shoot sparklers into the crowd from his wrist rockets (MOONDUST). Possibly a distant cousin of The Vision?

http://www.worldwrestlinginsanity.com/am2/uploads/1/max_moon.jpg

wm007 Tatanka

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52583

Tatanka is my first crack at a dial that is not among the wimpy variety (15-30 points) or the high end variety (50-75 points). There really aren't too many guys that are going to fit into this mold but Tatanka is certainly one of them. The Native American warrior went undefeated for nearly 2 years (BILL GOLDBERG CAN KISS MY NATIVE AMERICAN ASS) before ultimately losing to Ludvig Borga due to some nefarious tactics. After that Tatanka was a part of a few storylines but never got the Intercontinental Title run that seemed so logical for him. He eventually turned heel and joined the Million Dollar Corporation, a keyword I totally forgot about previously but will go a long way in terms of building themed teams. There aren't many pro wrestlers that I'd consider putting much natural perplex on the dial for (that's what managers/valets are there for), but it seemed fitting for Tatanka. Tatanka's piece, much like Tatanka as a wrestler, is interesting and brings something a little different to the table. It won't win you any titles, but you may be able to go on an undefeated streak of your own with this Lumbee Warrior in your back pocket...

http://wwe.mytopix.com/img/t/tatanka-0.jpg

wm006 Koko B. Ware

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52579

When I was a wee lad, my favorite tag team was High Energy. The racial harmony of Owen Hart and Koko B. Ware together, combined with their neon pajama gear and their high flying antics represented everything that was right about the 90s. Koko was a hell of a wrestler who never achieved great success or a chance to really show his stuff in the WWF. Still, their was no denying the greatness of his ring intro with his pet bird Frankie as they flapped their wings to Morris Day and The Time's "The Bird." I had a hard time figuring out how to incorporate Frankie into Koko's dial, so I used it as a rare opportunity to give a wrestler Energy Shield Deflection. Koko doesn't bring a lot to the table, but what he lacks in stats he makes up for in heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As3-wCf297A

wm005 Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52533

There isn't a lot to say about Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. He wasn't particularly good or bad. He had a really strange interview technique where he would yell and laugh a lot. I considered giving him perplex for it but decided against it in the long run. I think his two special powers right now are just right for him. HART ATTACK represents the elevated clothesline finishing move when teaming with Bret Hart. ROCKET LAUNCHER represents his finisher with Owen Hart where he throws Owen off the top rope. If I wanted to be a stickler for details I would have given him and Owen a "New Foundation" keyword as well, since that was the name of their tag team. However, both he and Owen were in the last incarnation of the Hart Foundation when they all did a pro-Canada, anti-America gimmick, so I thought it would be best to keep things simple and stick to one Hart based keyword.

If you would like some verification of the comic accuracy of his Rocket Launcher power, or would just like to watch a good match, I present to you The New Foundation VS The Orient Express from the '92 Royal Rumble (spoiler alert: the Rocket Launcher occurs at the end of the match).

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/new%2Bf%2Borient%2Bexpress/video/x3hyfh_new-f-vs-orient_creation

wm004 Red Rooster

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52440

Terry Taylor was a fairly successful, competent wrestler in the mid-south in the 80s. He had a ton of matches against Ric Flair, most of which that I've seen were pretty good. Never all that charismatic, Taylor got by as a physically talented worker with a good look. Supposedly he was a huge kiss-ass, and Vince McMahon was so disgusted by this when he hired Taylor to work for the WWF he gave him the worst gimmick of all time as an inside joke. Hence the Red Rooster was born.

The Red Rooster sucked. So does his piece. BUT, given his non-generic keyword, he might make for good Mastermind fodder for a certain BRAIN down the line...

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m27/jmcaruso/redrooster1.jpg

wm003 Virgil

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52439

Virgil was Ted DiBiase's obedient black servant. Of course until he had to get all uppity and become a man of the people, eventually winning DiBiase's coveted Million Dollar Title. Virgil's piece, much like Virgil in real life, is fairly useless when not used with or against Money Inc characters. He is particularly effective against them for his points though (notice that his YES MASSA power does not require DiBiase to be friendly). So if you know your opponent will be fielding a Money Inc team (and lord knows they will be), get that Virgil handy!

His PARTICULARLY ENDOWED Toughness comes from an urban legend that Virgil had and enormous cock, and got his job simply by walking into openly homosexual WWF agent Pat Patterson's office (later to be one of Vince's on-screen Stooges along with Gerald Brisco), taking his dick out and putting it on his table.

His team ability as a Spider-Man wildcard comes from flip-flopping between sides from heel to face. Had he gone from face to heel, I'd probably have given him Minions of Doom.

WRESTLING SUPERSTAR is a result of this infamous picture among wrestling fans, from a convention which was supposedly in full swing when this was taken. It should also be noted that after being spotted outside a local wrestling convention by my friend (and former Always the Victim singer) Kenny, Virgil would not leave him alone for like a half hour and continuously challenged him to play a game of basketball (there was a nearby court).

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/SWJD5rBqA9I/AAAAAAAAL74/qwCEbMbzz1E/s400/virgil-wrestling-superstar.jpg

wm002 Barry Horowitz

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52438

Barry Horowitz was a loser of all losers. I've mentioned before that he was the ultimate Jobber To The Stars, but that may not be entirely accurate. Barry Horowitz was such as jobber that his gimmick BECAME him being a jobber. He would walk to the ring wearing a jacket with a giant hand print on the back, and pat himself on the back profusely while he lost match after match. It culminated in a one time fluke win over Skip (Chris Candido), hence the power HOROWITZ WINS!! (a direct Jim Ross quote). Barry became an actual featured wrestler for about a month or two before fading back into obscurity.

You'll notice he has the Fantastic Four team ability, as many characters with the League of Jobbers (Losers) keyword will. This is to represent the fact that jobbers by their nature are there to make the people around them better. It'll also be fun I think to play a jobber swarm team once I've made enough WrestleClix.

Yahoo Answers: Does anyone respect Barry Horowitz as a wrestler?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071227115134AA0a2jh

wm001 Hulk Hogan

http://www.aduckwhat.com/robert/heroclix/customs_view.cfm?figs=52437

Hulk Hogan was in many ways supposed to mirror OOTS Batman as the first piece of Justice League. He is the flagship character of this brand that everyone will want to play, and will be readily available to all. It opens the set with a statement: THIS is WrestleMania. It should be noted that very few pieces in this set will be anywhere near as powerful as Hulk, and rightfully so.

Hulk Hogan is an American icon who has taken on all comers and almost always came out victorious in the name of the USA. While a mediocre worker at best, Hulk had more charisma and ring presence in his pinkie fingernail than most wrestlers have in their entire bodies. His match structure was almost always exactly the same and I tried to duplicate this in his dial. Hulk comes out and Hulkamania runs wild all over his opponent. Why did this fool think he even had a chance against the Hulkster? But wait! A change of momentum! Often through nefarious tactics, it now looks like Hulk has no chance! All hope is lost!! He is being beaten within an inch of his life!!! BUT WAIT YET AGAIN!!! Hulk performs his patented "Hulk Up," the blueprint for all no-selling. He slowly gets to his feet. Blow after blow crashes down onto his sculpted body to no effect. His eyes lock with his opponent's, he raises one finger, and waggles it side to side most Americanly!! NO NO NO!! And from there on out his opponent stands no chance. Hulk rampages all over them, drops the leg, and wins without fail, 1, 2, 3. USA!! USA!! USA!!

I think his powers are pretty self explanatory, but for anyone not familar with the Big Boot, that is when Hulk sticks his leg up in the air and his opponent runs face first into his big boot. Hence, when an opposing character tries to run in on Hulk or is TKed at him, there is a good chance they will get knocked on their ass. His Axe Bomber power represents when he ducks under a clothesline and comes back off the ropes with one of his own.

I leave you with one of the best, and by far the craziest promo Hulk ever did, at WrestleMania 4. It starts out normal enough, but wait until he starts to talk about Donald Trump and the Trump Plaza falling into the ocean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-diHeVcn8

WrestleMania early Set List

WRESTLEMANIA
(Commons)
wm001 Hulk Hogan
wm002 Barry Horowitz
wm003 Virgil
wm004 Red Rooster
wm005 Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
wm006 Koko B. Ware
wm007 Tatanka
wm008 Max Moon
wm009 Irwin R. Schyster
wm010 Iron Sheik
wm011 The Honky Tonk Man
wm012 El Matador
wm013 Miss Elizabeth
wm014 Tugboat
wm015 "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels
(Uncommons)
wm016 Ultimate Warrior
wm017 123 Kid
wm018 Doink & Dink
wm019 "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
wm020 Owen Hart
wm021 Mr. Fuji
wm022 The Orient Express
wm023 Rick "The Model" Martel
wm024 Junkyard Dog
wm025 Andre The Giant
wm026 The Undertaker
wm027 "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
wm028 The Bushwackers
wm029 Nailz
wm030 "Sensational" Sherri
(Rares)
wm031 "Macho Man" Randy Savage
wm032 Sgt. Slaughter
wm033 Jake "The Snake" Roberts
wm034 Earthquake
wm035 The British Bulldogs
wm036 Captain Lou Albano
wm037 Mr. Perfect
wm038 Texas Tornado
wm039 Papa Shango
wm040 "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart
(Super Rares)
wm041 Bret "The Hitman" Hart
wm042 Yokozuna
wm043 Bob Backlund
wm044 "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
wm045 Rowdy Roddy Piper
wm046 The Big Bossman
wm047 Bam Bam Bigelow
wm048 Razor Ramon
wm049 Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
wm050 "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair