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RPG Evolution: The Plastic Ancestry of the Rust Monster
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 8017466" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p>Ah the rust monster! The bane of just about every fighter's existence, created from a plastic toy for the express purpose of ruining a party's equipment -- which, given the uniqueness of some magic items, is worse than a character dying. But it all started with a plastic toy. So which rust monster is the best? Let's find out!</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]123079[/ATTACH]</p><h3><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Dungeons & Dragons</strong></span></h3><p>In the beginning, there was a toy. Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, explained in Dragon Magazine #346:</p><p></p><p>The first reference to the rust monster appears in the Original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, Supplement I: Greyhawk, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2014/09/16/the-rust-monster-a-history-and-preview-from-the-dungeons-dragons-monster-manual/#60e6367a50ec" target="_blank">as summarized by David M. Ewalt</a>:</p><p></p><p>The rust monster has been a staple of D&D ever since. The 1977 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual added a few more details:</p><p></p><p>And the Third Edition elaborated further:</p><p></p><h3><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Ultra Origins</strong></span></h3><p>Like the other patchisaurs we referenced, the rust monster toy was quite likely a <a href="http://72-multiverse.blogspot.com/2014/04/rust-monster.html?_sm_au_=i4V07VWj4CZ64V4j" target="_blank">creature from Ultraman, as 1/72 Multiverse explains</a>:</p><p></p><p>Like the bulette, <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-bulette.672481/" target="_blank">modeled after a patchisaur inspired by Gabora</a>, concessions were made to the plastic molding process so that details of Kemular were lost in the transition. The appendages on his back, which look a bit like a shell, open up to reveal Kemular's brain, a key vulnerability in defeating the kaiju. With those appendages folded, <a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ultra/images/d/dc/Kemular_Concept_Art_002.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170814001116" target="_blank">the rust monster resemblance is clear</a>. Kemular's trademark tail (the tail associated with rusting metal) fires energy bolts. Kemular also burrows and spews poison gas from his mouth. As for those antennae jutting from its face?</p><p></p><p>Once again, the original inspiration for the rust monster likely had more in common with green and blue dragons than insects, and was considerably larger than the creature knights everywhere fear today.</p><p></p><p>Articles in this series:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-ultra-mysterious-history-of-d-ds-iconic-monsters.672346/" target="_blank">The Plastic Ancestry of...</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-umber-hulk.672616/" target="_blank">Bulette</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-owlbear.672928/" target="_blank">Owlbear</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-rust-monster.672809/" target="_blank">Rust Monster</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-umber-hulk.672616/" target="_blank">Umber Hulk</a></li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 8017466, member: 3285"] Ah the rust monster! The bane of just about every fighter's existence, created from a plastic toy for the express purpose of ruining a party's equipment -- which, given the uniqueness of some magic items, is worse than a character dying. But it all started with a plastic toy. So which rust monster is the best? Let's find out! [CENTER][ATTACH type="full" alt="kemular0.jpg"]123079[/ATTACH][/CENTER] [HEADING=2][SIZE=5][B]Dungeons & Dragons[/B][/SIZE][/HEADING] In the beginning, there was a toy. Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, explained in Dragon Magazine #346: The first reference to the rust monster appears in the Original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, Supplement I: Greyhawk, [URL='http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2014/09/16/the-rust-monster-a-history-and-preview-from-the-dungeons-dragons-monster-manual/#60e6367a50ec']as summarized by David M. Ewalt[/URL]: The rust monster has been a staple of D&D ever since. The 1977 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual added a few more details: And the Third Edition elaborated further: [HEADING=2][SIZE=5][B]Ultra Origins[/B][/SIZE][/HEADING] Like the other patchisaurs we referenced, the rust monster toy was quite likely a [URL='http://72-multiverse.blogspot.com/2014/04/rust-monster.html?_sm_au_=i4V07VWj4CZ64V4j']creature from Ultraman, as 1/72 Multiverse explains[/URL]: Like the bulette, [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-bulette.672481/']modeled after a patchisaur inspired by Gabora[/URL], concessions were made to the plastic molding process so that details of Kemular were lost in the transition. The appendages on his back, which look a bit like a shell, open up to reveal Kemular's brain, a key vulnerability in defeating the kaiju. With those appendages folded, [URL='https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ultra/images/d/dc/Kemular_Concept_Art_002.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170814001116']the rust monster resemblance is clear[/URL]. Kemular's trademark tail (the tail associated with rusting metal) fires energy bolts. Kemular also burrows and spews poison gas from his mouth. As for those antennae jutting from its face? Once again, the original inspiration for the rust monster likely had more in common with green and blue dragons than insects, and was considerably larger than the creature knights everywhere fear today. Articles in this series: [LIST] [*][URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-ultra-mysterious-history-of-d-ds-iconic-monsters.672346/']The Plastic Ancestry of...[/URL] [*][URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-umber-hulk.672616/']Bulette[/URL] [*][URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-owlbear.672928/']Owlbear[/URL] [*][URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-rust-monster.672809/']Rust Monster[/URL] [*][URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-plastic-ancestry-of-the-umber-hulk.672616/']Umber Hulk[/URL] [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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