Vacillator

"One who hesitates (usually out of fear)."

- Definition of 'vacillator'


One of the five infamous Phlebiac Brothers (Violator, Vindicator, Vaporizer, and Vandalizer are his four siblings), employed by the nefarious arch-fiend, Malebolgia, and a villain character in the Spawn comic book universe. While the quintet, based in the eighth-sphere of Hell, are effective when they work together as a team, the Phlebiacs are just as likely to plot against one another in order to further their own schemes or to gain favor in the eyes of their Master. Vacillator's day-to-day activities largely consist of tormenting damned human souls, but, on occasion, he, or one of his brothers, is given the important task of traveling to the mortal plane and grooming a specially-selected man or woman (who have generally made some kind of pact with the Dark Lord in exchange for their eternal servitude) to become a general in Malebolgia's unholy army, the prestigious rank of Hellspawn. In practice, this "training" amounts to near-constant harassment (physical beatings, psychological games, the murder/torture of loved ones, etc.). The intent of this program is to confuse, terrify, and enrage the pupil into performing actions that will march them, step-by-step, down a black path that terminates in unredeemable damnation, a state perfectly suited to the profession of Hellspawn. While his namesake would seem to imply that Vacillator is a demon who is cowardly and/or indecisive, his actual behavior does not appear to reflect this (perhaps, the Phlebiac's creator, Todd McFarlane, was just looking for interesting names that started with the letter 'v'). The full extent of Vacillator's powers are unknown, but they likely include superhuman strength, teleportation, shape-shifting, and various other magical feats. In Capcom's Spawn: In The Demon's Hand video game, the Phlebiacs each favor a particular element for offensive purposes; Vacillator uses ice-based attacks.



Materials:

Newsprint, Kleenex, white/hot glue, wire twist ties, nail polish, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions*:

(* The maximum height/width of this figure can vary considerably depending on how the joints are positioned. The numbers given are for Vacillator standing straight, at his maximum height, arms at his sides, and with the jaw fully open.)
16.0 cm/6.3 in. x 5.7 cm/2.2 in. (highest point x widest point)

Articulation:

Twenty points: Jaw, neck, shoulders (2), elbows (4), wrists (2), mid-torso, waist, hips (2), knees (4), and ankles (2).

Time:

One week; July 6-12, 2008.