Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
For a great selection of superhero action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, RPMDiecast.com, CornerStoreComics.com, DollsAmerica.com, ClarkToys.com, ToyWiz.com, BriansToys.com, PastGenerationToys.com, MonkeyDepot.com, Urban-Collector.com, AmokTime.com, YesAnimation.com, SuperheroToys.com, and MonsterIslandToys.com.
For a great selection of film, TV and pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
While the hit Nickelodeon show continues to please fans at home, Hasbro is releasing more action figures in its Wolverine and the X-Men 3 ¾ inch line. Aimed at the younger audience, these figures generally score high marks on looks and show accuracy, while somewhat less on poseability and sturdiness. Let’s take a look at Nightcrawler, one of the most popular X-Men and recent new release.
Packaging for the Wolverine and the X-Men figures is a standard bubble and card. Hasbro has had plenty of practice perfecting this model, and so Wolverine’s buddies and foes all come in dynamic and colorful packaging sure to grab your attention in the toy aisle. The figure stands posed in a plastic bubble that has a shape all its own, with sculpted angles and even battle damage. The card behind it features a huge image of the titular mutant at the top, with backgrounds in blue and white.
The back of the card shows the Nightcrawler figure in photoshopped glory along with a brief bio (from the show). To the left is a trio of other available figures in the line.
First appearing in Giant Size X-Men #1 in 1975, Nightcrawler has been a staple of X-Men stories in comics, television, and films. Ostracized for his demonic appearance, the mutant Kurt Wagner was saved in the nick of time from a mob of villagers in Germany by Professor Xavier. Taken back to America, Kurt became an X-Man, putting his powers of teleportation, adhesion, and extreme dexterity to good use. With dark hued skin, three-fingered hands and feet, pointed ears, and long barbed tail, Nightcrawler has always fought to overcome the fear and mistrust of close-minded mutant haters.
Nightcrawler’s appearance and character in Wolverine and the X-Men is fairly traditional. A swashbuckler at heart, Kurt even manages to find a life at sea protecting mutants on their way to the island Genosha, and has a cool swordfight with Spiral. This version wears a skin-tight uniform very similar to the one from the comics, leaving only his head and tail exposed. Hasbro tried to give him additional articulation, with some degree of success.
Standing a little on the short side (as appropriate), Nightcrawler has a pretty good sculpt in relation to the other Wolverine and the X-Men figures. There’s good muscle detail all over, and not too much to make him look beefy. The X-Men uniform is nicely broken up at seams with deep lines, and a raised “X” symbol adorns Nightcrawler’s chest. The figure’s face is nicely sculpted as well.
As with the other figures in the line, paint work is bright and bold. Nightcrawler’s uniform features a torso in red, sides and limbs in black, and hands and feet in white. Red accents adorn his forearms and calves, while the “X” symbol is bright yellow. As always, the mutant hero has dark blue skin, black hair, and bright (yellow) eyes. His tail, too, is blue. A relatively inexpensive mass market figure, Nightcrawler does suffer from some paint bleeding across seams. Check to see which one looks best in the package before purchasing.
Nightcrawler is supposed to be very flexible and agile, so how does that translate into a 3 ¾ inch figure? Well, that’s a matter of opinion. The blue mutant has nine points of articulation, just shy of the mighty Beast with a record ten. Nightcrawler has joints at the neck, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. The lower legs work very well, and look great with Nightcrawler’s stance balancing on the balls of his feet. Unfortunately, the hip joints are limited ball in socket, and have a restricted range of motion (mainly to the sides). Not having elbow joints definitely hurts the figure’s poseability as well, especially with his one included accessory: a silver and black cutlass.
Nightcrawler is a very good looking figure that almost lives up to its potential out of the package. Poseability is a bit limited, but with careful and patient adjustments you can get some mileage out of him. Beware of bad paint jobs, and know that some of the Wolverine and the X-Men figures have loose joints; fix these with a bit of nail polish. All that being said, it’s great to have a 3 ¾ inch Nightcrawler, and X-Men fans should be happy with this one until the Marvel Universe series gives us more mutants. Good hunting!
Review and Photos by Scott Rubin