Say what you will about this figure, but all signs point to this being 100% legit.
There are many factors that point to this being real and absolutely zero concrete proof (other than skepticism) that point to this being fake.
THE ORIGIN STORY
A few years ago a member posted about receiving the figure in question...
Following his initial post, everyone straight up grilled him with an onslaught of questions.
Some questions made sense and were helpful, while others were absurd and downright annoying/rude to the poor guy.
Still, he stuck around the forums and answered all questions with what I still consider a very plausible story, without wavering or sounding sketchy at any point.
If he came on here boasting about this miraculous find and then subsequently started asking about pricing or threw it up on ebay for 20 grand I'd be a bit more skeptical.
THE NATURE OF PROTOTYPESI'm not sure how many people on this forum were actually around or actively collecting during the initial Hasbro run, but those that were know that this figure was VERY close to production.
I would routinely call my local shops and hobby stores about upcoming assortments and they were always pretty cool about letting me know what was about to release.
From my experience, Brutus was on the call sheet almost right up until these figures hit the pegs.
Most store owners that I spoke to were not aware that this figure was unfortunately never going to see the light of day.
I remember being super disappointed that he wasn't included in the first few cases that I came across and downright baffled that Tatanka was there instead.
It took a few months for me to throw in the towel and realize that he was never going to be released.
That being said... This figure was not some far-off concept that didn't make the cutting room floor (pun intended).
The mold already existed so there was no need to cast a new one or deal with resin prototypes.
The only thing that really needed to be tested were the paint applications.To think that the one featured in the promo shot for the purple card series was the only version of Mega Maniacs Brutus would be short sighted.Â
The Brutus featured above is most likely a different version that was used to shoot for this trade book promo shot.
There could have been any number of pre-production versions of Mega Maniacs Brutus to test various paints, colors, patterns, placement, etc.
You cannot base the authenticity of the Brutus in question off of this promo shot alone.
FLESH COLORED LEG MOLD
Now that we've discussed the nature of prototypes, it's time to get into the actual figure.
This is quite possibly the biggest indicator that this is not simply a custom or repainted Brutus #2.
The figure in question features legs that are cast using flesh colored plastic.
A custom or repainted Brutus #2 would have been white.
While is is possible to remold and cast the legs from a pre-existing Brutus #2, it is an extremely difficult process to perfect to this degree.
THE PAINT APPLICATIONS
The paint used appears to be consistent with other Hasbros (possibly a little more flaky) and has natural wear that corroborates with the original owner's story of having played with it since he was young.
I would venture to guess that this figure has both spray applications as well as hand painted applications.
I would really love to see the application on the boots more clearly.
If it is a spray application and not hand painted, this would confirm that this was VERY close to being a production version. Â
The wear and aging on this figure is way too natural for this to have been someone's cheap attempt to look "old".
THE PACKAGINGThis part is what really drives home that this is an authentic Mega Maniacs Brutus.
If we are to believe thatÂ
@Patriot_Dan_C purple card proof sheet is legit, then you have to also believe that the card accompanying this prototype is legit as well.
I overlayed and adjusted the picture of the Brutus in question's package over the shot that @patriot_Dan_CÂ provided and it is indeed a 1-for-1 match.
Not even one pixel off.
I have worked in design production for over a decade.
This would be nearly impossible to achieve unless you had a source to match it with.
Unless there are multiple versions of @patriot_Dan_C's proof floating around for all to sample, I'd say it would be a pretty crazy coincidence that the customizer was able to faithfully reproduce this card backer on his own down to the way that Brutus' feathered mullet was silhouetted out.
The backing of the card also features a name swap snafu, where Brutus and Scott Steiner are mixed up.
If this was a custom and they went through every other painstaking detail and forgot this, then I'd have to call them an ironic genius.
The line art demonstrating the "real wrestling action" is also updated for Mega Maniacs Brutus and looks congruent with the line art from the rest of the line.
WHY WOULD THEY MAKE A CARD BACKER FOR A FIGURE THAT WASN'T RELEASED?Many people have questioned why this card would exist.
It's pretty simple. If Hasbro wanted to showcase their wears to prospective retailers, then they would at times mockup look-see samples.
Sometimes they would be spot on production versions, other times it may be a thrown together mockup to make a deadline or a trade show.
This Brutus most likely came from a set that was used at trade-shows to entice retailers to carry the purple card series.
THE VERDICTThere are just way too many factors that point to this being authentic.
I find it hard to believe that a customizer would purposely make an aged prototype, sit on it for an additional 3-4 years and then try to sell it again.
The backstory, flesh colored leg mold, and cardbacker are very convincing evidence.
It's pretty disheartening that people are so quick to shoot everything down and get downright negative/nasty whenever something involving a proto comes to light.
Do some legwork and let things unfold before you start bashing.
You never know what you might miss when you keep your eyes closed.