Raijin Snakeman

I haven't done nearly enough thinking about Snakeman since I joined the Mechs. Well some fanfic that I've been reading lately has resparked my interest. I've taken a shot at designing a personalized version of Snakeman, not just to make the character more my own, but also to try optimizing the design. I think it's a start so far, but I'll likely refine this later once I get some input on it.

This design is supposed to be more functional than before. Many of the elements relate to Snakeman's ability to dive underground sometimes used in the Mechanical Maniacs epilogues. I think he may have done that it SAR too, I'm not sure. Otherwise I think Lennon came up with that skill. The Transmetal version of Snakeman has big, pointy shoulder guards sticking up at 45° angles which I'd imagine would get in the way of burrowing. Originally I was just going to ditch shoulder guards all together, but then I figured I could turn them into drills and actually make them helpful. I'm not too fond of it though and if I make a V2 I think that's the first idea I'd scrap.

Other than that, yes, he has busters on the back of his feet. Those are for when Snakeman wants to release Search Snakes discreetly. Since the snakes are completely ground-based anyway, having their launch ports cose to the ground and pointed down isn't as silly as it looks. When he just wants to produce a spy or two, he'll drop them out his legs. If he wants to use them as missiles to fire directly at an opponent, then he'll use the arm cannon.

The tail changes length in the different angle shots because it can. Another ability this Snakeman has is a prehensile tail of variable length. The tail isn't exactly retractable, more like it can be built onto at the base within his back the same way his Search Snakes are produced in his buster barrels. And like a good lizard, if the tail is cut off at any point, he can just grow it back. It doesn't expand very fast though.

And yeah, the snake head looks up now. That was also for the burrowing ability, as the uncoloured sketch shows. When the snake jaw closes up it makes a more aerodynamic form. And yeah, that's supposed to be my hair on his head. I said I was personalizing him.