Behold, true believers, a brave new era in the customizational history of Darth Parallax! Many had associated the toymaker previously with G-Virus monsters, Scream killers, and average-quality DC heroes, but now comes DCU 1, an assortment of the DC Universe's most popular, famous, and powerful heroes and villains. Some figures in the assortment had been seen before in far inferior states, whilst others are brand new. Enjoy this glimpse into the future, and smile at the fact that finally, FINALLY, a good assortment of DC heroes has been produced...

Aquaman had always been shortchanged. "Yeah, he's the orange guy who can talk to fish." "Oh, he's not worthy to be in the JLA." Well, with his bold new attitude and appearance, one might consider taking back those remarks! Aquaman, king of the seas, was crafted from a Daredevil body and a GI Joe Extreme Deluxe Ballistic head. The hair, beard, fins, and shoulder pad came from sculpey. The arm bands are rubber bands cut to length and glued on. The hook came from a Total Justice Aquaman with sculpey added to provide a smooth transition from arm to hook. The belt was a rubber band with a piece of index card for the buckle. For the metallics, Testors paint markers were used.

Batman, on the other hand, has always been regarded as one of the best and most powerful heroes of all time. Gifted with incredible detective skills, a frame capable of beating up any thug or ruffian, and a state-of-the-art utility belt, he is the defender of Gotham and one of the more surprising figures in the assortment. Some might remember this guy from a few months back, eh? The one with the fishnet cape and the cheap cardboard belt? Heh. Completely redecoed, Batman came from a Daredevil body, a Val Kilmer Batman head, the arm-blades of some Legends of Batman figure, and a handmade cloth cape complete with individual scallops. The belt was created from a rubber band with cut cardboard for the buckle and q-tip segments for the pellets. The bat symbol was a computer printout.

Orion is the son of the dreaded Darkseid and a powerful ally of the Justice League of America. Originally to be this assortment's perview figure, Orion was moved to to become a member of the actual assortment in replacement of Wonder Woman, who has been pushed back to a later group. He was crafted from an X-Men Avalanche head and a GI Joe Extreme Inferno body. The wristbands and boot cuffs are sculpey, the ears are cut plastic, and the battle blade is from a Jurassic Park spin-off hunter figure's rifle. The Inferno body was chosen for his armor, which will remind toy collectors everywhere of Mother Box, Orion's pacifier, and his war-torn appearance, all too fitting for the so-called Dog of War.

Does this guy even need a write-up? Superman, the world's greatest hero and the inspiration to all others, was based upon his appearance in Alex Ross and Paul Dini's masterpiece, "Peace on Earth". His body was, believe it or not, a Solar Silver Surfer figure extensively resculpted. Almost all of the visible upper body, arms, and hips were sculpted-over and bulked up to make him look far more powerful than his original base. His head is from an X-Men Gladiator figure minus the mohawk and pointy ears. The haircut was also sculpey, as were the boot cuffs. The belt is from a rubber band, the buckle is a hole-punched piece of index card, the cape is handmade from cloth, and the S is a computer printout. To achieve a semi-hovering effect, he comes with the balancing stand of a Japanese Alien model kit. He's without a doubt the manufacturer's favorite from the assortment.

There were actually many villains pondered when it came to DCU 1, ranging from Prometheus to Bizarro to Joker. Near the end of the assortment's manufacture, however, the bat-villain Killer Croc was chosen to threaten the well-being of humanity. He was created from a Knight Force Ninjas Croc that was completely dissected to remove his action mechanism. He was then repainted to match his appearance on the WB animated series. The blood effect was achieved when a can of crimson spraypaint was aimed directly into his mouth from half an inch away and activated.

And here they are, these, the heroes of the DC Universe! If you think this assortment is great though, just wait and look into the future... DCU 2 will be coming soon to no store near you!