Reader Review - Toy Biz Marvel Legends Series 15

With all the clamor of people finding the first Hasbro Marvel legends wave (and arguing if it was worth it) collectors could use a reminder that the final Toy Biz series is still on the pegs. And that it’s the best ever produced.

Captain Marvel

He’s a Kree soldier who’s stuck in the Negative Zone rescued only by his nega bands and his close friendship with Rick Jones. He’s also the reason DC has to call their book Shazam!

Marvel’s based on the Bullseye body which for all its useful articulation seems a little lean. The included comic has him at Captain America’s build, not nearly this small. The paint makes up for it. The lines are clean and sharp, even without many sculpt lines as a guide. I particularly like the eyes. They may not be comic accurate but the white eyes are piercing and shine out of the dark blue mask.

Mar-Vell died of cancer in a controversial graphic novel but his legacy carries on with his son Genis. He’s the variant and the lean sculpt is more appropriate here. But it’s the translucent plastic that puts him over the top. He looks as eerie and cosmic as his computer colored comic. I know less about him than his father but the fact that Peter David wrote his comic makes me feel like I should.

Moon Knight

He’s the coolest third string character Marvel has. Everybody loves him and no one can tell you what he does. That’s what happens when you cross Batman and a ninja.

Moon Knight looks to be heavily based on the Bullseye body which suits him better than Captain Marvel. The biggest addition here is the cape which sweeps around him in a classic 70’s way. It also limits his poses. Capes have always been a problem for Marvel Legends and the Face Off Mandarin proves it has only gotten worse. Maybe Hasbro will have better luck.

He also comes included with a pair of Daredevil’s nunchuks, which slip behind him through a loop on his belt. Simple but effective. I’m not as crazy about the gun metal paint job on the body and the silver variant isn’t much better. Would it have been too much to ask for an all white version? The wash on the cape proves it would have looked great.

Beta Ray Bill

When Walt Simonson took over the Thor comic, he posed a question; if those who were worthy could hold the hammer of Thor, who else was worthy?

Here’s the answer finally realized as a Marvel Legend. Bill had already been made in the 90’s Silver Surfer line. That was a great in-scale sculpt but lacked the poseability of this version. The articulation is standard for the line, which means it does everything you want. He’s solid but mine broke at the waist while writing this review. I’ll considering it a fluke and let it slide.

The plastic is softer than the other figures and the color is lighter than I expected. There’s lots of detail but you won’t see it unless you get in close. The cape flares out thanks to a solid post in his back. It’s a different look that makes Bill dynamic in certain poses and awkward in others. It does however look just like the cape in the included comic.

Bill has no variant but there is a running change. Bill’s skin got darker as the run wore on but it’s not a true variant.

Wasp

We’ve been waiting a long time for the Wasp and she doesn’t disappoint. The sculpt is the smoothest look of any female character in the line, even though she shares it with Spider-Woman. When these were shown at Toy Fair, both Wasp and Spider-Woman were shown with no articulation. Clearly they were starting from scratch. The body is the best female done for the line, but it’s not without its flaws. Since Spider-Woman shares those flaws, we’ll discuss them there.

The wings are gigantic. I’m not sure if they’re supposed to be this big but the veiny sculpt and the translucent beige plastic makes the figure more insect-like and helps her stand out on the shelf.

The variant is more iconic, as iconic as a character who changes her costume every issue can look. The red costume has a late 70’s George Perez look and more importantly, the bob haircut that’s a hallmark of the character. It’s the same head sculpt but the makeup job is so different it’s hard to tell. This is the one I display on my Avengers shelf.

Spider-Woman

Spider-Woman was created, like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel, once Marvel realized they needed copyrights on the names. But this character was no simple knock off of Spider-Man. Her origin threw in Hydra, the High Evolutionary and San Francisco. Lately she’s been seen in the New Avengers, which I believe just broke up.

Jessica Drew uses the same body as Wasp but here it’s a little stiff. Possibly it’s the waist piece looks like a diaper or the underarm webbing that keeps her arms from sitting at her sides but she just doesn’t look quite as natural. Like most women figures, her hair limits the articulation of her head. And do we really need a waist and mid torso swivel when she has no swivel wrists?

Her variant is another new character; the Julia Carpenter version. This character was introduced in Secret Wars as an inspiration for Spider-Man’s black costume but she managed to become an Avenger herself. The variant is a great idea (as it was when Marvel Select did it) but it doesn’t quite work. The mask is clearly designed for Jessica and the sculpt lines and lens rims are obvious and distracting.

ThorBuster Iron Man

Iron Man. Again. Although his figure line in the 90’s ran a little over a year, Tony Stark is a huge hit in Marvel Legends. Toy Biz has given us eight different armors over 15 series, and that’s not including variants. We’ve only seen four Wolverines!

This figure is based on an Alan Davis design that lasted one and a half issues and one fight but it still catches the eye. Personally, I think Tony’s got armor to defeat every one of his friends. Somewhere there’s a Mrs. Arbogast buster.

He’s massive but still contains all the articulation you’d expect. The paint is light with most of his parts cast in gold or red. There are a few highlights on the hands and thighs and of course the faceplate, which reveals Tony Stark underneath. Ah, Tony. It’s 2007 and he’s still trying to bring the pencil moustache back.

The variant is actually the best figure in the series. Tony based the armor on the Destroyer so it’s a natural choice. This figure is all amounts of awesome. The dark grey makes him seem larger than Iron Man. As a variant, he’s not entirely comic accurate (check out the Bowen Designs bust for comparison) but the fact that he appears at all is a real gift to fans. If only he was easier to find.

MODOK

It’s not just a big ugly giant head. It’s a Jack Kirby big ugly giant head! The Build A Figures this year have gotten much smaller so you may be wondering if he’s worth collecting the entire series.

He’s worth it. This is the most solid BAF we’ve ever gotten. Once you assemble him, he feels better constructed than half the regular figures in the line. And for a guy that doesn’t move around much he’s pretty articulated. I count 34 points, including individual fingers. Posing him means he can go from creepy to extra creepy.

The paint job is great as well. With BAFs I’m constantly impressed the pieces from different figures line up so seamlessly. The paint is also great. Little details like the gloss on the bottom lip really sell the look. One note though: be careful with the flame base. If you attach it, it will NEVER come out.

Action figure lines usually don’t get finales. Fortunately, this one did. The MODOK Series is the crowning achievement for Toy Biz with inspired character selection, innovative articulation, and compelling variants. Hasbro has a lot to live up to.

Review and Images by Jon Clarke