M.U.S.C.L.E. Figure #102 (Mapman)
by Professor Terry
Like MMMM #44, here is another figure that does not have very many variations. If you want to build a collection of Mapman figures, then you have only M.U.S.C.L.E. and Deka! That is why I had a custom figure painted for me (thanks again to LRG member Ersico). Mapman is a figure I like because the world map seems to be tattooed all over his body. Plus the cape gives the impression he could just fly around the world and that makes him look cool.
Like many others, as a child collecting M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, I gave names to all the figures not knowing that they actually had names. This is one of the cases where I actually was close to correct, because I had named him, “Super Mapman”. Every M.U.S.C.L.E. figure that had a cape (and there were quite a few) had the prefix “Super” attached to my made up name. It made it really easy to come up with names for characters that were practically identical except one had a cape. Maybe there is something to that? Looking at my color poster now, oddly, I see only eight with capes.
The other interesting point I see with Mapman is that he is part of the Kinkeshi Part #7 which has four figures: (1) #2; (2) #100; (3) #101; and (4) #102. Yet the Purple #2 is considered a Class A and the other three Purple figures are not. From my collecting experience, all four Purple figures in this lot have been somewhat difficult to locate and I have noticed multiple requests for Purple #100 & 102 (Mapman). This doesn’t necessarily make these Class A figures but I would argue either all four Purple figures in this Part are Class A or NONE are Class A – including Purple #2. It’s an interesting thought and Soupie’s work in separating M.U.S.C.L.E. figures into Kinkeshi parts deserves an absolute ton of credit.
The other unusual Mapman you may see in the collection pic is the yellow, shiny, M.U.S.C.L.E.-type at the front. This figure comes from a 1999 re-issue of Kinnikuman figures & is part of a set of 15 figures released that I know of, all M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpts but in the Kinkeshi colors – when I came across the lot in Japan, I knew they were worth buying. I really like finding things that are different, plus the price was only $25. Like MMMM #44, I wish there were more Mapman figures out there and you never know, I may come across some one day.
