Super-Articulate: Marvel Legends Spider-Man: Far From Home/Molten Man assortment
Greetings, kids, and happy Marvel Movie Day! Yes, we’re moving the column up a couple of days this week because of a) Fourth of July, and b) it’s extremely appropriate to run this on the day that Spider-Man: Far From Home opens wide. Once again, we thank the fine people at Hasbro for providing this set of figures free to us for the purposes of review. Let’s dig in; I think you’re going to like it.
Assortment Overview: Upon the initial reveals, the figure that I was most excited for was the Doppelganger. I’d been waiting for this one for quite some time, as I’ve always liked the look of the character and thought it would be another fine addition to the line. Seeing this line in person, though . . . wow. They nailed this. On with it.
Spider-Man: The basic Far From Home Spidey in the red and black suit is simply another stellar entry in Hasbro’s long history of crushing it with Spidey. I love the fact that the company created the distinct teen bucks several years ago, and they continue to deploy them in excellent fashion. As the line goes on, things like scale get more important, not less, and the smaller teen body for the movie Spider-Man just makes perfect sense. It’s got a great paint job overall, and it’s imminently poseable (it makes for an excellent Spidey crouch). This figure comes with an extra set of hands (one set of fists, one set of Thwips). This is also the one in the assortment that DOES NOT include a BAF figure, so it’s a great stand-alone buy for casual fans or young fans just getting into Legends. It would be a great desk-shelf-rider at work, too. Very nice.
Spider-Man (black/stealth suit): Possibly the least essential entry in the assortment, but it still looks great. The best part for me is the extra head with the flipped-up goggles. Again, the body type is a crucial element in what makes it good. There’s also really nice texturing and detail on the figure. Like the regular Spidey, it also comes with two sets one hands (fists and Thwips).
Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter): Julia first appeared in the original Secret Wars comic from 1984. She later became a member of the West Coast Avengers, Force Works, and Omega Flight. These days, she’s the new Madame Web. There’s been one prior ML Carpenter in her classic look (a variant in the 2006 Toy Biz MODOK wave), and it was decent. This one, however, is a huge leap forward. The hair alone is tremendous; I included a close-up shot that puts a fine point on how good Hasbro has gotten with the hair on the female figures in the past couple of years. This is a strong figure. It also comes with a “psychic web” accessory that’s attached to a swappable right hand; it looks pretty good. This is a well-done figure and a good inclusion for people that didn’t get the other one from (wow) 13 years ago.
Doppelganger Spider-Man: We knew when we saw the Six-Armed Spidey from the Kingpin assortment that this one would be on the way. That torso type obviously paved the road for it. Doppelganger is much better than that (nevertheless enjoyable) figure, as it adds a level of articulation to the extra arms that pairs well with the other details, like a solid head sculpt, and comic-accurate monstrous feet. As I said, this is the first one that I was here for in this wave, and it doesn’t disappoint me. I also like that the packaging mentions the infusion of demon-power from the Demogoblin; frankly, I think it would be cool to see a couple of other (comics) Infinity War Doppelgangers, but I know that the Spider-version is the one that’s actually hung around in continuity. I would ALSO like to see this new body type applied for an Outrider, which I think would be a great army-builder figure.
Scorpion: Holy crap, kids. This is a GREAT figure out of the package. The tail is ENORMOUS. I love that this is also a classic look that reminds me of when I first encountered the character as a kid. The articulation on the figure and the bendable nature of the tail combine to make this a figure with a lot of posing options. Great, solid color overall, and the defined lines created the ribbed look of the costume are great. This is one of my favorites in the group, which I didn’t expect at all. The second I had it out of the box, it won me over. If you don’t have a prior version of Mac Gargan, you’re doing to want this; if you DO have a prior version, you probably want this.
Hydro-Man: Now this . . . THIS is Hydro-Man. There was a Hydro-Man in the 17th wave of the Legends-adjacent Spider-Man Classics in 2006, but he’s got absolutely nothing on this. This is a classic, comic-accurate, HUGE Hydro-Man with a pair of absolutely amazing “water arms”. The size and weight of the arms make it a little more difficult to stand on its own; HOWEVER, the clever addition of the watery foot covers provides a sturdier base. You can actually see the problem-solving that went into the question of how to provide a figure that is both dynamic and impressive while being engineered to, you know, stand up. Kudos to Hasbro for demonstrating the time and care to address that while simultaneously making a great-looking figure. Also, that face! What a great, smarmy villain expression. Hydro-Man is a big win.
Movie Mysterio: I’ll register one small complaint: it would have been nice to have a Gyllenhead. Regardless, this is a terrific interpretation of both the movie version and one of the greatest crazy-looking characters in comics. The fishbowl head is just right, and the costume detail is positively ornate. It’s a really beautiful sculpt. I expect this to be a very popular figure in its own right. Solid, solid work.
Molten Man BAF: My 14 and 12-year-old sons get to weigh in for a moment. They LOVE this Build-A-Figure. Based on the movie form rather than the frequently shiny-gold, frequently burning Mark Raxton of the comics, this melted monstrosity is one of the reasons that we have the BAF format in the first place. This figure feels like the sculpting team just went crazy, and that’s a good thing. There are literally girders sticking out of it. And it’s HUGE. I’ve always embraced the BAF concept, but I really like when it’s used to give us unusual or oversized figures; this checks both boxes and does it well. Sure, I’d like to see classic Raxton at some point, but this thing is great. I’m happy that it exists, and I know a lot of people will dig it.
There you go. Thanks again to Hasbro for another win; next time, we’ll be looking at the next Marvel Legends Avengers: Endgame assortment. Tell us your thoughts, campers.
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