Electronics whiz, Zapper is the ubiquitous tech-savvy component of any para-military outfit. Think Emilio Estevez in MI1, or the character “Theo” from Die Hard who has to engineer the opening of the vaults and override all security systems, but also carry a loaded weapon. These individuals are virtually indispensable, they are the grunts with the gear, able to disable and capable of harm. Zapper exudes ham-radio enthusiast, but the serious boom stick he’s packing belies an otherwise meek geek image.
Like former British PM John Major, it’s difficult to determine whether he wears a moustache or just a shadow of one he used to sport. Sleeveless with what looks like an enviable crop of sandy brown hair, he’s the epitome of contrasts looking more like Walter Becker from Steely Dan than an engineer in uniform.
There’s sometimes speculation about Zapper variants; with/out painted moustache, brown/blonde hair, and it’s difficult to know whether these are in fact subtle variations, or paint deterioration over time. Personally I’ve never seen an alternate head sculpt (vis-à-vis The Cat for instance) or a total colour exchange (e.g. gold Nemesis). That said, as the eminent Dr Zaius reminded us, there are bound to be mutants, and where’s there’s one, there’s another, and another, and another. Quality control, or lack thereof invariably leads to rogue variants, though it’s difficult to discern a genuine brown-haired, invisible moustache Zapper from a regular beaten favourite.
So that’s all I have to say about “Zapper”, a whiz sapper, a scrawny geek from the 1970’s whose Kombi van was probably filled with closed-circuit TVs and citizen’s band, who became the envy of his nerd mates when he was drafted to join the elite special forces outfit, Eagle Force.
Zapper | 1981 | Mego | Eagle Force
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