Category: MARVEL-Related

SUMMARY:

Released in Toy Biz’s 2006 “Legendary Riders” Marvel Legends series, this 6-inch Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff might be the character’s first incarnation as an action figure (at least, in a six-inch incarnation). 

Scarlet Witch’s red-and-pink costume is completely painted on except for her red cloak, which is a tightly-secured rubber attachment.  The articulation points include: 1. The head easily nods, but it can’t turn sideways in either direction. 2. Bending at the elbows, the arms potentially can rotate a full 360-degrees, but such action might damage the elbow joint.  4. The wrists and four fingers (the thumbs don’t move) have good flexibility.  5. Her torso bends and slightly turns in both directions.  6.  The legs have knee and ankle joints, but only the ankles smoothly bend.  7.  The knees and ankles bend.  8.  When positioned, the figure can stand indefinitely in display poses.  Her sky-cycle accessory accommodates the peg holes at the bottom of her wedge-heeled boots. 

Note: This figure is considered rare, as it was short-packed for that particular Marvel Legends run.

REVIEW:

The good news is that the figure comes with some fun extras, as mentioned below.  The bad news is that those same extras come with this dismal Scarlet Witch figure.  Not only is this ultra-flimsy excuse for a Marvel Legend hampered by insufficient elbow and knee joints, it’s too cheaply constructed to muster minimal articulation.  Worse still, like several female Marvel Legends of that era (i.e. Psylocke and Invisible Woman), her amateurish facial features are deplorable.  While the Scarlet Witch’s costume and her sculpted brunette mane are good enough, Toy Biz punted on devising a remotely good face.  The bottom line is that 2015’s redesigned Marvel Legends Scarlet Witch is a major upgrade.  It’s a far, far better purchase than this disappointing predecessor. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Per the “Legendary Riders” theme, an Avengers sky-cycle (with foot pegs) is included, as is a trading card.  A full-length (32 pages) reprint of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes # 8 (it’s a mini-series finale) is enclosed in a sealed plastic bag.   

PACKAGING:

Toy Biz does an excellent job promoting the figure in its nicely-manufactured box.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:              2½ Stars

SUMMARY:

Released in 2004 by Toy Biz as part of its Spider-Man action figure series, it’s a 7-inch Mac Gargan figure as the original Scorpion in all his villainous green glory. 

With a rubber stinger tail permanently attached like a backpack, the figure sports several interesting articulation points.  Specifically:  1. His head turns a complete 360-degrees. 2.  Despite other limited mobility, the arms can rotate 360-degrees and bend at both the elbows and wrists.  3. The fingers (but not the thumbs) bend remarkably well.  4. The waist rotates his upper body a full 360-degrees.  5. The relatively spry legs bend at the knees, ankles, and upper feet.  6.  With some effort, the Scorpion can be posed in a long-term standing pose, but propping him against a hard surface may prove necessary.       

REVIEW:

The superb manufacturing and paint quality of this durable figure is easily equal to, if not superior, to the ongoing Marvel Legends action figure series.  His attached rubber tail is also well-produced, though it requires more space to set up a display pose.  For fans of Mac Gargan’s classic Scorpion, this figure is definitely worth pursuing.    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

None.

PACKAGING:

Marketed as one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes, his packaging box makes it easy to identify this character.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   9 Stars

SUMMARY:

Released in either 1996 or 1998 by Toy Biz, this 5-inch Wonder Man figure is likely the first toy to represent this perennial Avenger/West Coast Avenger from Marvel Comics.  The figure was evidently an exclusive prize in a write-in contest held through the now-defunct Wizard Magazine.  Matching the character’s late 80’s to early ‘90s look (i.e. the black-and-red tank-top costume), the figure has the character’s distinct red eyes and a wavy black mullet perm.  The articulation consists of 360-degree rotation of the arms, and the ability to move the arms and legs back and forth.  With a little effort, his head turns 180-degrees left and right.  Small silver screws seen on its elbow and knee joints add some extra flexibility.  When positioned straight, the figure will stand for display poses.       

REVIEW:

This sturdy figure is a decent precursor to his subsequent appearances in the Marvel Legends 6-inch action figure series.  Let it be noted that this Toy Biz figure’s unique size stands between the small 3.75-inch Marvel figures and the standard 6-inch Marvel Legends.  His paint job is reasonably well-done, though his bodybuilder-style tank-top’s shoulder straps look too skinny.  Otherwise, this first Wonder Man figure retains some nostalgic charm.      

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Unknown.  In this figure’s back ‘W,’ there are two slots (with two holes between them), which suggests some accessory (maybe a jet pack) can be attached.  The bottom of the figure’s feet have standard peg holes, but there isn’t any indication that the figure came with a display stand.

PACKAGING:

When purchased via auction, the figure came only in a sealed transparent plastic baggie.  Otherwise, whatever packaging Toy Biz may have included is unknown.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  6 Stars

SUMMARY:

Released in Toy Biz’s 2005 “Build-A-Galactus” Marvel Legends series, this 6-inch Bullseye figure likely represents the villainous assassin’s first incarnation as a toy. 

His white utility belt and leg holster are tightly-secured rubber attachments.  Its articulation points include: 1. The head nods and can swivel a full 360-degree rotation.  2. Bending at the elbows, the arms can rotate a full 360-degrees.  3. The lower arms can also do a full 360-degree swivel.  4. The wrists and hands (minus his thumbs) have remarkable flexibility.  5. His upper body does a full 360-degree swivel and can bend slightly backwards and forwards at the torso.  6.  The legs can also swivel a full 360-degrees.  7.  The knees bend, as do the upper portion of his boots.  8.  When properly positioned, the figure can stand indefinitely in display poses.  The bottom of his feet include peg holes for display stands he will fit on, though none are included for the figure. 

Note: Bullseye’s variant figure is menacingly sneering, with his eerie white teeth visible.

REVIEW:

Depicting Daredevil’s most dangerous adversary, Toy Biz’s solid effort is complete, down to his corpulent-looking sneer. Beyond the stellar black (or dark, dark blue)-and-white paint job and a spot-on face, what’s remarkable about the figure is its flexibility.  Still, Bulleye’s elbow and knee joints are also the figure’s potential weak spots.  These joints aren’t so much flimsy, as they are the most likely parts to someday require some super-glue.  Provided Bullseye is handled with reasonable care, this Marvel Legend is a worthwhile addition to the villains’ gallery of any figure collection.     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

No weapon accessories (i.e. playing cards) are included.  Instead, a full-length (32 pages) reprint of Daredevil # 132 featuring one of the Man Without Fear’s pivotal showdowns vs. Bullseye is enclosed in a sealed plastic bag.  For the “Build-Your-Own-Galactus” figure, Bullseye comes packaged with the left leg component. 

PACKAGING:

Toy Biz does an excellent job promoting the figure in its nicely-manufactured box.

BRIAN & ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:                   7 Stars

SUMMARY:

Released in 2007 for Hasbro’s short-lived Fantastic Four spin-off line from Marvel Legends, this 6-inch Ben “The Thing” Grimm comes wearing his blue boxer (with white waistband) trunks.   

REVIEW:

Due to its bulky wide frame, this super-sturdy, bright orange Thing is heavier than an average 6-inch figure.  Its limited articulation isn’t surprising, but some of the articulation points are unique.  1.  The tortoise-like head can only turn slightly right and left.  2.  The arms have 360-degree rotations, and can extend horizontally and vertically.  However, there aren’t any elbow joints to bend.  Although his thumbs don’t bend, his individual three fingers on both hands oddly have mobility.  3. His waist rotates a full 360-degrees.  4.  His legs also rotates a full 360-degrees.  Though there aren’t any knee joints to bend, his four toes on each feet bend together.

With some effort, this Thing can manage a standing pose (recommendation: turn his legs so his feet are slightly sideways), though he will appear slightly hunched over.  As a reasonable bonus, the figure has display base peg holes in the bottom of his feet for bases it might fit on.  Though this cartoon-style Thing won’t surpass its Marvel Legend counterpart’s production quality, Hasbro’s version is still a good choice for fans seeking Ben Grimm as an action figure. Further, it’s something of a redemption, as compared to Hasbro’s awful Invisible Woman figure from this same series.        

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

It’s packaged with a head and helmet component as part of the 1-of-8 Build-a-Ronan the Accuser figure.

PACKAGING:

The packaging solidly protects the figure, but Hasbro’s Marvel decorations are hardly remarkable.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                                   6 Stars

SUMMARY:

Released in 2007 for Hasbro’s short-lived Fantastic Four spin-off line from Marvel Legends, this 6-inch Susan Storm Richards (aka “The Invisible Woman”) comes wearing a sleeveless, blue-and-white Fantastic Four outfit.   

REVIEW:

It’s an obvious disappointment, as compared to her far more appealing appearances in the Marvel Legends series (especially, a recent one wearing her Silver Age light blue Fantastic Four costume that is packaged with HERBIE the robot).  Though her painted costume and dark blonde hair are competently rendered, this Invisible Woman’s facial features are a dismal afterthought.  From either side profile, the figure looks okay.  If seen straight forward, her crummy face is readily apparent, making it the figure’s worst element.    

Its limited articulation isn’t surprising, either.  1.  The head can barely nod and turns slightly right and left.  2.  Aided by flexible elbow joints, the arms possess 360-degree rotations.  They also can extend horizontally and vertically.  3.  Her wrists and forearms individually swivel a full 360-degrees.  4. Her torso twists slightly and bends forward.  The torso also swivels the entire body below it.  5.  Her legs can split and simulate walking.  6.  The knee joints inexplicably won’t bend — with some effort, they will, but the joints look ready to snap off.  7. Her lower legs, however, can complete a full 360-degree rotation at the knee joints.  8.  The flexible ankle joints actually swivel a full 360-degrees.  The figure has large peg holes at the bottom of her feet for any display stands she might fit.  With a little effort, this Invisible Woman can be positioned into a standing pose. 

If a Marvel Legends rendition of Susan Richards isn’t readily available, then this forgettable figure might serve as a last resort.     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

It’s packaged with a chest component as part of the 1-of-8 Build-a-Ronan the Accuser figure.

PACKAGING:

The packaging solidly protects the figure, but Hasbro’s Marvel decorations are hardly remarkable.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                             3½ Stars