Interview with X-2

(Yes, THE X-2)

Ladies, Gentlemen and Kin Freaks of all ages! Do we have a treat for you tonight. To my left stands the person responsible for years of MUSCLE ponderings and speculations. The one, the only, THE ORIGINAL, X-2.

Let me give you a brief history of X-2 before we get into the interview....

Waaaaaay back, in the late 90's when the online M.U.S.C.L.E. Community, founded by the M.P.S. was just getting rolling, there came rumors of two figures who were not on the poster. One of the two happened to be X-2 , also known as the "Futuristic Goalie" There was one M.U.S.C.L.E head by the name of Brant Snell, who came across a strange figure that he hadn't seen before. The funny thing was, this figure had the same Y/S.N.T markings on his back, as did all legitimate M.U.S.C.L.E.s. So puzzled by his find, he put up a scan on his webpage (now defunct) for all the world to see. (see right)

This took the M.U.S.C.L.E. world by storm! The other rare M.U.S.C.L.E was original pink and was rumored to be a test shot, or limited production (it is speculated that he is no more rare than any other M.U.S.C.L.E.) . But X-2, well, he was orange! So much speculation ran afoot about this guy. Was he a test shot for the colored releases? If so, why wasn't there a flesh one made? Was Mattel planning on bringing out new molds? Also, by that time, most of the community was aware that M.U.S.C.L.E. was a US import of the Japanese Kinnikuman series, thanks to John Morey (founder of the A.K.I.A), AK of Troy, Taka Kurosaka, and many other people who's fandom began with the original Kinnikuman line. But X-2 wasn't similar to ANY of the original Kinnikuman molds. Where did he come from? So many rumors, so many guesses.

Excerpt from http://www.angelfire.com/ma/MUSCLEmen/MUSCLEclub.html

Member #3
NAME: Brant Snell (SAM THE Q)
WEB PAGE: http://members.aol.com/SAMTHEQ/index.html
AMOUNT OF MUSCLES I HAVE: Around 400
FAVORITE ONES: The "Brick Family" including the top, the triangular
Wedge
guy, and "Arch".
IF I COULD CREATE A MUSCLE: He would be slightly posable and have many
arms
(for wrestling) and look like a big squid. I would call him Octoman.
LARGEST AMOUNT OF MUSCLES EVER RECEIVED: 150
MUSCLE MEMORIES: Lots! These were the hit of seventh grade, and we
always had
our pockets full of them.
TREASURE OF MY COLLECTION: The coveted orange "Futuristic Goalie" as I
call
him. Not to be found on the poster!! I also have lots of bootleg ones
from
quarter machines, some are direct reproductions of vintage MUSCLES!!!

Well the questions remained for years, and Brant slowly went under the radars of the online community. His page even dropped off of AOL's servers, which led to even more questions. The subject seemed to go dead also, but there were always the hopefuls, scanning eBay many times daily for a glimpse of X-2 in hopes of getting their hands on one. But X-2 seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth, along with his owner, Brant Snell.

Until........

One day, members of the Kinnikuman Email Group got an email from someone, who had spotted X-2! But, the X-2 he spotted WASN'T a M.U.S.C.L.E. He was a Kinnikuman kinkeshi figure from the spin off Ramen Man line.

There were 15 figures (only 10 pictured) total and they came with a Ramen Man carrying case. You popped off his crown and WHALA! secret kinnikuman compartment. These were released in the early 90's because of the popularity of the Ramen Man spin off series.

Now we knew of his origins, but the question still remained, "Was X-2 a legitimate M.U.S.C.L.E.?" He was reported to be of the same materials as the US line. So was he a late model for the second wave of M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpts which never materialized, or was he a Ramen Man kinkeshi? The answer will be revealed later down the page.

Excerpt from http://home.attbi.com/~MUSCLETOYS/HEADCOUNT.html

Here's a M.U.S.C.L.E discovered by Brant Snell It seems to be a legit M.U.S.C.L.E, and has all of the proper trademarks on the back, (although, Kinnikuman figures have these same trademarks also.) It's also the same type of plastic that M.U.S.C.L.E.'s are molded from. One of Brant's theories, is that new sculpts were made in 1986 right before they stopped manufacturing M.U.S.C.L.E's, which would explain why this one isn't seen on the poster made by Mattel. He's also a neon orange colored M.U.S.C.L.E., a color which was produced later on as interest in the toyline was diminishing. We've also had reports from collectors that they've found this M.U.S.C.L.E. in packaging back in the 80's

!!!UPDATE!!!

Another collector sent Brant Snell a picture of this Green Kinnikuman figure! We've also learned that this guy has been seen lurking in the background of various Kinnikuman comics. Now that we know it's a legitimate Kinnikuman character, it makes us wonder if Brant's theory is correct.

Well folks, enough history for now, let's get on with the interview!

Nippon Gene: As the original X-2, owned by Brant Snell, what was it like, being the subject of so much speculation and wonderment these past few years? i mean, all eyes, ears and thoughts were trained on you solid, for the better part of a year. And even after that, you were always coming up in group discussion every month or so.

X-2: Well Gene, I have to admit, it was very intoxicating! At first it was just a novelty, but when the novelty wore off, I began to crave the limelight! It was an addiction, I HAD to have my fix!

Nippon Gene: Standing here next to you, I can see that you are not a real M.U.S.C.L.E., but instead are part of the Ramen Man line. How did you pull it off? Pretending to be the real thing for so long? Your not MUSCLE material, you are re-release kinkeshi rubber, and you're definitely not neon orange, but instead, standard kinnikuman red. What was your secret

X-2: You know Gene, I'm kind of ashamed to say it, but I snookered everyone. All toy collectors know that once a toy has reached 10 years of age, they possess a strong aura of nostalgia. MUSCLE, Transformers, Masters of the Universe, GI Joe, you name it! We all develop the aura of nostalgia after so many years. Well Gene, being that I am an original kinkeshi from Japan, my powers are strengthened. I can project up to 3 times the nostalgia factor as any ordinary M.U.S.C.L.E. And as I said, I was addicted to the fame and notoriety, so I used it to my advantage to keep the rumors alive.

Nippon Gene: But how did you do it? What was the method behind your madness?

X-2: Okay, here's how I did it. Brant didn't keep me with his regular M.U.S.C.L.E.s in the shoe box, he would keep me on the nightstand by his bed. So every night, when he would fall asleep, I would leap from the nightstand, on to his pillow, next to his head. Now mind you, this was quite a task, for someone my size, possessing absolutely NO articulation. But realizing that there was a strong pull, similar to that of gravity keeping a satellite next to a planet, with toys of the nostalgic nature, I summoned up every bit of my aura to pull myself towards him, as if I were magnetic. Then, on his pillow, I was close enough for my aura to alter his reality. As the days went by, my color became more and more Neon Orange to him, and my plasticity became more rigid, just like that of a M.U.S.C.L.E. It shames me to think I did all this for fame and fortune, but I was addicted. He never seemed to notice that every morning, when he awoke, I was on his pillow. He would just wake up, and set me back on the nightstand as if he had put me there the night before. I know, you're asking, "Well why didn't you go back tot he nightstand when you were done working your aura on him?" Well, it's because the pull I exerted on him was a pull. There was no way to repel, only to attract. So I was stuck there, every night. It was pleasant though. It's always pleasant being close to someone who thinks of you as their prized possession.

Nippon Gene: Wow, you seemed to have quite a hold on him! What caused you to slip from the limelight?

X-2: After a while, my aura began to grow weaker, from overuse. Eventually, I could no longer make the transition from nightstand to pillow. My hold on him eventually began to slip, until one day, he realized that I wasn't a true M.U.S.C.L.E. at all. I think that's when he decided to let the webpage go away. He seemed to lose all interest in me for a while, and ~shudder~ he put me in with all those common M.U.S.C.L.E.s! Not only that, but I was bagged away with the bootlegs! Imagine that, ME, the infamous X-2, the much sought after, much speculated "Futuristic Goalie", put away like a common toy! Needless to say, I was incensed. For TWO long years I was locked away in that box, surrounded by common M.U.S.C.L.E.s and deformed, degenerate bootlegs with HONG KONG stamped on their back! Well, I had all that time to think. What if I hadn't used my nostalgic aura for selfish fame and fortune, but instead had used it correctly? After all, I WAS from the Ramen Man series, and those were way more rare than the regular Kinnikuman kinkeshi. For 2 long years I suffered in my solitude, agony and regret. But I now realize that it was best for me. I vowed that if I ever got out of my prison, that I would use my aura only for good. And then, one day, Brant took me out of the shoebox, packed me up with some other toys and sent me away.

Nippon Gene: Amazing! Carry on, tell us more about the trip.

X-2: It wasn't a long trip, and I had no idea where I was going, but I had a full compliment of Battle Beasts and Laser Beasts to keep me company. It was nice. We chattered, excited about our new destination, wondering where we were headed, and what adventures awaited us. The trip was kind of rough, and a few of the guys got sick, if you know what I mean. But overall, the trip was exciting! And then today, the trip was over. We had stopped moving, and by the sounds of noisy little kids, I could tell I was at a home other than Brant's. Then the box was moving again, and I heard a deep voice. There was a sound of cutting, as someone sliced open the flaps of the box, and I looked up to find myself staring up at a big fat fellow with green eyes and slicked back hair! Well it turns out that the fat guy was Johnny, the owner of Kinniku-M.U.S.C.L.E. Wrestling, the AKIA and the AKIA Community Message Boards! Ha! The last time I had seen or heard anything about Johnny, he was known as KingStylus on the email group, and was constantly getting flamed by Chris O and Lestat for his humongous M.U.S.C.L.E. purchases on eBay. What a riot that was. Those were the days!

Nippon Gene: So how do you feel about your new surroundings? Are you upset about being shipped off by Brant?

X-2: Not at all. Actually, I'm pretty excited about it. He made sure I went to a good home. And with Johnny being the guy who does K.M.W., I'm pretty stoked about getting a chance to  wrestle against some M.U.S.C.L.E.s and show them how to really turn up the heat. I might have to bust out with my special "samurai hockey slash". Hey, I might even get t guest host! You never know. And best of all, he puts me on his shelf next to my Kinnikuman cousins! Many of whom I haven't even heard from since I left Japan all those years ago.

Nippon Gene: Sound like you're goin..........

Satan Cross: Hey pretty boy, who do you think you are, hogging all my lime light! Don't you know that I'm the only rare M.U.S.C.L.E. around here! You just wait till I get my hands on you in the ring boy! I'm gonna tear you up!

X-2: Who do I think I am? Who do you think YOU are? Busting in on my interview! I don't recall this being the "Satan Cross" interview! Hell, you're not even rare? Johnny has more of you than he has #189 or #195's. You better learn some respect chump! Don't you realize who I am? I am THE original X-2! Not just another X-2, like you are just another Satan Cross. So you better recognize and get off the mat before I bust a "samurai hockey slash" on you.

Satan Cross: Oh, you think you're a tough guy, huh? Well I'll show y....

Nippon Gene: Guys, guys, take it easy! Save the fight for another day, this isn't the time or the place (well maybe it's the place, but definitely not the time). If you guys have a beef, then take it up with the Grand Kinnikuman, and he'll schedule you guys to fight! But you're not going to screw up my interview, got it!

Satan Cross: Yeah yeah yeah, I got it Gene. I'll square my biz with the buster X-2 later. You got that X-2, you better watch your back!

Nippon Gene: Well that was an interesting twist. Looks like trouble has managed to look you up here at K.M.W. already.

X-2: No problem Gene, I can handle him, I used to spar with a Kinnikuman version of him years ago. I handled him then, and I'll handles this chump now. No biggie.

Nippon Gene: Well X-2, on behalf of M.U.S.C.L.E. fans everywhere, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us.

X-2: Glad to Gene! It's the least I can do to repay my debt to the community after all my tears of trickery. See you around!

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DISCLAIMER: Personal info about Mr. Snell, such as where he stores his M.U.S.C.L.E.s or where he kept X-2 when not being worshipped are purely speculation, and were fabricated solely for the purpose of this faux interview. This page is intended as a tribute to the lore of the infamous original X-2, of whom is now in my possession.  The X-2 above is the one, the only, original X-2! Accept no substitutes!