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Admiral Blue Beard's Avenger was an early, unreleased set from the Pyrates' toyline. Bluebeard's Avenger was planned as early as the very first wave of sets. This is evidenced by Bluebeard's Avenger actually showing up on the earliest version of the Pyrates' map that we have. It would be removed from subsequent versions, however.
However, we would get a first and proper look at Blue Beard's Avenger during the 2005 New York Toy Fair. A prototype model of the ship was shown off and displayed in her full glory for all to see.
Bluebeard's Avenger would have been the biggest ship we ever would've gotten in the Pyrates' toyline. And genuinely would've been one of the biggest sets in the series as a whole. The ship is a three mast galleon with a double layer deck. The ship could hold up to eleven cannons. Ten below deck and one above deck. The ship also featured a sort of elevator near the helm, as well as a spot off the stern where a rowboat could hang.
The ship also features two body cages like The Stormstalker come with. The sails can also retract similiar to Stormstalker's.
The prototype's description from the toyfair helps us glean even more information about this lost set.
A record of the prototype's description exists online:
This flagship of the Privateer armada is a massive warship with blasting cannons and electronic sound effects. The ship features a dual-level deck, manual rapid deploy battery of cannons, X-plode trigger technology that causes the masts to fall and the hull to breach and retracting cloth sails. This ship will come 11 figures and over 500 pieces. Retail Price $79.99
This description gives us a great insight into what this model would've contained. And boy, does it have a lot. Its no wonder this prototype was scrapped. There are so many details and features listed here.
Starting with the basic stuff. The description claims the set would have a dual level deck, I imagine similar to Dread Eye's Phantom, but much bigger. It also mentions "manual rapid deploy battery of cannons". I don't know exactly what this was supposed to mean, but if you've seen Lego's new Black Pearl set, they have a play feature where you can rotate a knob and deploy all of its cannons at once. This possibly could've been something similar.
The mention of electronic sound effects is interesting. No Pyrates sets came with sound features. We got two sets with light features, but none with sound effects. Making this quite interesting.
It also brings up something called "X-plode trigger technology", which would've supposedly caused the masts to fall and the haul to breach. It sounds like a pretty wild play feature. Maybe something similar to the exploding rocks from Lost Fortune?
Although the prototype description mentions having a whopping total of 11 figures, we don't know who any of those figures might've been. We can see a few individuals in the prototype's pictures, but most of them are reused from other sets. We can see either Braggart T. Doyle or Lockpick Cabot in the rowboat, for example. As well as someone in the crow's nest, and a few figures laying haphazardly on the deck.
The biggest stand out figure to be seen with this set is the unknown Privateer seen pictured here.
This man is basically the poster child for unreleased Pyrates content. Not only did he show up here, but also in a prototype Stormstalker and a prototype Phantom. Some speculate that originally, this was meant to be Captain Cutlass, before he was replaced with his current depiction. And then Mega Bloks tried to put him in The Avenger set as a Privateer, but that never came to fruition either.
Although he shares a similar head to characters like Bartholomew Jackson, Carl Carbunkles, Provost Parrel, and Peter Portside, it has completely unique coloration here. His hat is blue with a golden trim and his facial hair is brown. He also wears a unique coloration of the Privateer uniform. A red undershirt with a blue jacket, to match his hat. He also has a hook hand, gray pants, and black boots. The pistol he wields in this photo is also unique. Its a light brown coloration that never showed up in any other sets. I like to imagine that this guy was supposed to be a commodore of some sorts. So The Privateers would have more faction leaders.
The Avenger was a ship granted to Admiral Bluebeard by the King, for use in the pursuit of the Treasure of The Lord of The Pyrates. Bluebeard gathered a crew, partially formed of pyrates from his old crew and sailors granted to him from the royal navy, and set off for treacherous waters.
The Avenger was a ship unlike any other in pursuit of the treasure. She was a massive, floating hulk, a castle on the water. She had enough guns to repel an armada, and state of the art technology to aid in her voyage. Any that came across The Avenger knew they had but two options. Flee. Or die.
The Privateers had an immense leg up on anyone else with their beautiful galleon. Everyone knew The Avenger could not be bested in fair combat.... Its a shame that Admiral Scathe was not a fair man.
The Privateers, The Sea Marauders, and The Buccaneers formed an alliance to kill Captain Dread-Eye and steal his Letter of Marque that would lead them to the treasure. Unfortunately, this was all a trick. A plan concocted by Admiral Scathe and Captain Dread Eye to wipe out the Privateers and The Sea Marauders once and for all.
During the Battle at The Isle of No Return, Admiral Scathe betrayed his allies. He turned The Predator's Plutoweapon on The Avenger, and fired. The Plutoweapon tore straight through the hull of the great ship. In one mere blow she was crippled, burning and sinking beneath the waves. Many of her crew going down with her.
For good measure, Admiral Scathe fired the Plutoweapon on The Avenger one last time. She was blasted to pieces and sank for good. But in her final moments, she acted as a shield. Her sinking hull protecting Carl Carbunkles and the remaining Privateer crew as they fled to safety....
