DAM Toys GK005 - Gangsters Kingdom : Diamond 2.

 

 

 

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, but the one most responsive to change.

- Charles Darwin.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.  
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War.

A (mis) interpretation :

Chapter 3: The Turncoat Nemesis.

The Diamonds Family is an anything goes criminal organization, involving in any and every forms of illegal businesses as long as it brings profit. Traditionally the weakest of the Four Families, it has since become one of the strongest and most ambitious crime organizations under the leadership of the current K of Diamonds. Its members comprise individuals of multi-nationalities from around the world. Ambition and power is all a member need to earn respect within this family. This is a family that challenge the Hearts and the Clubs in terms of power and influence. Only the Spades Family stands in its way to total domination and ensure balance. But the delicate balance is about to change by the coming of a traitor.

Alger, the Diamond 2, is the key that changes the power pattern of the Four Families. He used to be the closest friend of Ogier, the Spade J. Alger's father was a follower of Ogier's father, the Spade K, and earned his credits during the rising of the Spades Family. His father was very loyal to Spade K, but as his position in the family rose, he eventually started to make plans for his own heir in the fear of nepotism in the family. He gave Alger hard training ever since he was a little child, so that Alger could assists Spade J to become the family successor in the coming years. Alger and Spade J became close friends to the point where Spade J looked upon Alger as his own brother. 

When Alger was 6 years old, his father began to teach him various fighting techniques as well as instilling Machiavellian philosophy required to survive and advance up the ranks within the brutal underworld. He eventually sent Alger to China under the mentorship of a powerful underworld business associate of the Spades Family. Alger became a fan of Chinese culture. He undertook further martial arts training and participated in illegal underground mixed martial arts tournaments whenever he could. Alger also observed and learnt about power and ambition. When his mentor was assassinated by another Chinese Triad leader, Alger understood that loyalty was just a word. He later had his arm tattooed in Chinese, "in natural selection, only the fittest could survive".

Alger's betrayal dated back to when he came back from China. He was 22 years old and already a formidable martial arts master, so much so that not even Spade J, himself a powerful hand to hand combatant, could match him. Upon returning to the Spades Family, Alger became Spade J's right-hand man and most trusted enforcer. However, as time flows, human hearts change too. Alger always expected Spade J to inherit the key position in the family, but the Spade Q siblings power were growing, resulting in Spade J's position in the family being threatened and eventually side-lined. In the eventual power struggle, Alger volunteered to sweep aside the obstacles, but Spade J wouldn't allow him to and chose to step back instead. This disappointed Alger. The seed of ambition in Alger's heart started to sprout. He was unwilling to be merely a shadow behind Spade J and he didn't want to take his father's path which he perceived as servitude. Alger also felt that he would never get the respect and position that he deserved in the family. He saw Ogier as lacking the will power to realise his potential to fully control the Spades Family. Alger perceived this as a terrible weakness which he could not tolerate.

If the disappointment in Spade J's decision was not the breaking point which resulted in Alger's eventual treachery, his father's death was the last straw. To consolidate their new found positions, the Spade Q siblings set a trap which led to his father's death. But Spade J prohibited Alger from exacting revenge in order to maintain the Four Families' joint interest and power balance. Alger was in complete despair and lost all confidence in the Spades Family, and in particular, Ogier himself. His ambition broke out by this point, his hatred fuelled further by his unquenchable thirst for more power. The flame of revenge in his heart eventually swallowed his humanity and any degree of loyalty evaporated. But it was not easy to get rid of the Spade Q siblings and he wasn't powerful enough yet to could carry on his own revenge. Since the Spades Family did not reserve a card for him, he chose to leave and joined a stronger gang - the Diamonds Family - much to Spade Q's disappointment. Ogier tried to reason with Alger with the hope to retain and change his mind but the two almost came to blows at the end of the meeting.

The Diamond K always appreciated Alger, but the wizened leader of the Diamonds Family also had fear in Alger's ambition. As such he only gave Alger a small card, the Diamond 2. Alger was indifferent to this. All he needed was a fair chance to earn all he needed with his fist and mind. Thanks to his extraordinary combat skills, cunningness and leadership quality, he quickly earned the trust of a few other cards in the treacherous dog eat dog organisational hierarchy of the Diamonds Family. He eventually gained their trusts and direct loyalty towards him only, becoming the first of his followers.

After several years of struggle and planning, Alger finally raised the curtain of his comprehensive and enormous revenge plan against the Spades Family, which involved systematic elimination of key members of the Spades Family, eventually resulted in the family near power and influence collapse...

The guards in the room were riddled with bullets under the firepower of Spade 4 and the others. Spade 3 entered the room to check if there were any survivors. Spade 4 checked the drugs on the table, and signalled his men to move them away. Several Spades members started to move the drugs while Spade 4 and 3 led the remaining men to the other rooms. Entering a corridor with flickering lights, they passed a pile of debris and with some muffled sound, two Spades members suddenly fell to the ground, dead. At the very moment Spade 4 turned around, a dagger flew straight to his throat. He couldn't dodge. All he could do was raising his arm in split second to block the dagger. Before Spade 4 was able to make any further move, a shadow flashed out and kicked right onto Spade 4's chest. He flew several metres away, bones broken. Hearing the noise, Spade 3 rushed to scene and slashed the shadow with his tomahawk, but was blocked by a pair of armoured arm bands with a fist knuckle. The power of the clashing almost dropped Spade 3's axe from his hands. Spade 3's combat skills was personally trained by Spade J, yet he was knocked down after a few rounds, blood came pouring out from his mouth.

"You? Bastard! You're a disgrace to the family," Spade 4 said, coughing out blood while getting up from the ground and pulled out the dagger.

The shadow gradually revealed himself. It was Alger, the Diamond 2, the traitor of the Spades Family and nemesis of Spade J, thus sparking a long term rivalry and escalating violence, shaking the Gangsters Kingdom to its core.

 

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This is my first Dam Toys' Gangsters Kingdom series figure. The Gangsters Kingdom line of figures, which comprises of "caricature" headsculpts of famous personalities and its own original storyline, a departure from Dam Toys signature line of military theme figures, have been steadily gaining momentum in terms of popularity ever since it was introduced way back in 2013. I was "deep" into ThreeA and Hot Toys, amongst others, then, which means funds were tied up. By the time I wanted to enter this line, the figures secondary market prices have sky rocketed beyond reasonable and thus I ignored it totally, until Diamond 2 dropped. As "fate" has it, this figure is a "villain" of the official storyline (written on the box, in "chapters"), and the next which I POed, is based on Danny Trejo, whose character is also a Diamond affiliated member. So this is a good entry point to this line. The figure is well made and worth it in my personal opinion. The cowboy boots are fully molded and hard, thus making the figure standing properly is a challenge but it is alright. I am not sure what head sculpt this figure is based on, although I suspect it could be Scott Adkins. I alter the official write up on the character abit and looking forward the arrival of "Machete". Now I got to be selective to get what I want on this line. After learning a lesson on collecting ThreeA, which admittedly is getting out of control, I want to exercise caution and try not to let my impulse purchase get better of me once more.