I’m not sure what to think about Hasbro’s ML reboot. I like the majority of the figures so far, but it seems like an afterthought in the toy aisle. Only one nearby Walmart carries it. Target & TRU still have their pegs, but they’re only getting in refresh cases of series two.
Series three is just barely starting to hit the stores now. Instead of a build-a-figure, these figures come with those cool hexagon stands. I really do like these stands and how they interact with each other, but they’re not a great substitute for an extra figure. They also don’t encourage me to buy the rest of the wave, so the only figures I had to have were Doctor Doom and his white Future Foundation variant.
If you were collecting during Hasbro’s first go at Marvel Legends then you’ll probably recognize this Doctor Doom. Sculpt wise, this is the exact same figure that originally popped up in the Fantastic Four wave a few years ago. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Doom’s last Marvel Legends incarnation had a really terrific design, and I think he’s one of the best Doom figures ever made.
Doom hasn’t changed much over the years, and this figure does a great job of showing off that iconic look. The sculpting on the armor is particularly impressive to me. They did a great job of making them look like actual armor plates, and not just arms and legs painted silver. There are even seams and connector bolts where the pieces would fit together.
Sometimes Doom is left with an unfortunate miniskirt look because of the design of his tunic. But again the sculptors did a great job here by making the piece look like normal fabric and not giving it any billowy or wind-swept looks. Doom’s cape is a separate plastic piece with its own great folded fabric design. It’s also hiding the two jetpack ports on his back, which is a great little addition.
Doom’s mask and face are probably the most detailed areas on the whole figure. The mask itself has a very iconic, almost Kirby-esque feel to it. The different levels to his face are all sculpted like separate plates being held together by tons of rivets. There’s even that metal thing in his mouth.
Underneath the mask, Doom has a bald and scared up face. But even with this melted look, Doom has a fantastic cocky and sinister smirk that fits the character perfectly. Continue to page 2…
Great review! I’m planning on picking this figure up now. One thing I noticed in your pictures though was that the belt and holster seem to have more of a texture now. And the ab section seems to have different fabric folds. Am I just losing it or are those actually different?
indeed. This is not the same sculpt as the one in FF Classics years ago. Those elements are new, although our reviewer is correct that the paint is the biggest difference.
Yeah, My old one doesn’t have the sculpted texture on the belt/holster. They must have retooled those bits.
Well I got USAgent from this wave so far. Doom looked cool I admit it but I don’t have the ff. Still, may get cause as a fan of crossovers I would have him do the same as you. Mucking it up with some lanterns, tormenting Supes and Bats, yelling and Spector (if had) saying he looks like Deadpool.
Yeah you sold me on him.
no sign of w3 up here, yet. the WMs clearanced them out and Target is clogged with mostly Iron Men and a few others (Klaw, Hope, Fantomex).
That’s kinda good, as most of this wave was rushed after the rapid sales of the first two waves. 90s WCA IM was bumped from the 6″ IM line, and a few new heads and accy’s were rushed out to existing bodies for the rest of the wave.
this Doom is a pass for me. I have the FF one. maybe the white FF variant, tho?
Mystique and esp Dani are must haves for me, with Punny/Blade making good fodder. I already saw last month that the 2per IM was way cheaper than the rest of the wave at a few e-tailers.
i really was expecting to be more excited for the return of marvel legends than i find myself. doom kind of sums up my issues thusfar, “didn’t we already buy this?” fatigue? he’s a nice figure, for those who don’t already have one, but for me, that’s not a 15 dollar paint job, and i’d be buying him strictly for the paint job… pass.
and the nuts thing is, starting in wave 4, we’re finally getting more characters that don’t already exist in legends, and new bucks, but of course, we have to get that far first, don’t we? i can’t help but think that wave 4 should have been wave 1, and waves 2 and 3 should have been shuffled better to get us a complete wrecking crew… and fewer remolds. yes, new molds are more expensive, but if you’re trying to reconnect to a fanbase who largely moved on, or lure in new customers, don’t fire right up w/ repaints and characters who already have 3 or 4 releases in legends. (for example, blade only had 1 previous fig, but punisher’s on his 4th… we couldn’t have used that buck w/ some cap boots to make foolkiller maybe?)
I bet you’ll get the same answer we get whenever someone asks “Why are the shelves clogged with Lightning Jetpack Grappling Butterscotch Hero-Man*, but Lord Villainus* is only packed one per case?”
To whit: “Kids love buying the main hero figures. They’re the core of our line, so we want to keep them in circulation, especially leading up to the holiday period!” Or some such claptrap to cover the real answer: “It’s cheaper, and we get more profit out of it.”
Man, I’m getting too cynical and too experienced when I can come up with convincing-sounding toy industry PR bumf at the drop of a hat.
* “Lightning Jetpack Grappling Butterscotch Hero-Man” and “Lord Villainus” are now my intellectual property. Expect comics, toys, and video games in time for Christmas 2013! Mwa ha ha ha haaaaa!
that’s the theory they’d offer… i’d counter w/ “no kid knows the punisher, at BEST, they might like him because of the skull shirt”… they’re buying a deco, not a character.
if lord villainus had anime hair, skull shaped shield, and sword and a gun, and spikey oversized boots, he’d outsell lighting jetpack grappling butterscotch hero-man by 10 to 1… even if lord villainus was a girl.
but i would also argue that mom’s are only buying the core heroes that they saw in the avengers movie, anyone other than those characters is going to collectors. i would prove this by noting that the first two waves of legends sold out at non-gift time… i.e. not a time when moms and grandparents are buying lots of toys.
Good point on The Punisher. Mattel may counter that by saying how quickly and how many units their He-Men and Skeletors sell (but won’t divulge actual numbers), while other figures linger unacceptably on the site for up to two days and therefore won’t be reissued.
Regardless, it’s all just a bunch of hooey to cover the truth and annoy the customers.
As for Lord Villainus, wasn’t planning on Anime hair, but he’d certainly do that “Hm!” smirk all the time. His titanium horned skull mask would leave his mouth and chin free so you could see him do it. Because Lord Villainus is a jerk. Already had the sword(s), flintlock pistola (with steampunk upgrade), big offensive boots and skull motif planned, though. And a cape. Evil bossman’s gotta have a cape. But he’s definitely a guy. The evil female role is filled by Mistress Faye Taliti, the Sexy Assassin.*
* Also now my intellectual property, by the way. And with cute little hearts dotting the Is. };D
Back to the topic at hand, though: if I ever took up colelcting comic figures, it would be nice to know I could get neat characters later on in the run. The original Kenner Star Wars, once they made an action figure, they pretty much went on selling that action figure until the line folded. So even though I didn’t start collecting until late 1982, I could easily go out and get a Darth Vader and Tusken Raiders in 1983, even though they were in the first series in 1978. It would be nice if more properties could do this kind of recirculation without overdoing it and clogging pegs.
This version of Dr. Doom looks to be a good attempt at that. If you have the original version and just need the one, you could pass on it and save the money for something else. If you’re new to the hobby this month, then it’s a score. The trick is getting the production proportions right!
I really like this Doom, and am very disenchanted with Marvel Universe (every figure I buy has me questioning why I even buy them, the quality and craftsmanship is so poor for the price). I mean, it’s just weird to me that I have this enormous DCUC collection, and then this tiny shelf of uninspired 80s MU stuff. I mean, as a kid, I liked Spidey just as much as Superman. I feel like I’m letting my nostalgia down a little bit. 😉 Anyway, if they ever make a Spiderman and his Amazing Friends set in the Legends line, then I’m all the way in. Just need that gateway.
Great Review as usual!
If I could find these guys for anything below $29.99 (Damn you Newbury comics) I would love to get most of this wave
It’s official, Marvel Legends failed to Wow me… Don’t get me wrong, this Doom is pretty awesome, but it’s not awesome enough for me to go hunting for him. Now if a Jim Lee Jean Grey, a REAL Psylocke, Firestar, The Power Pack, a more Feminine Emma Frost, a Shadowcat in her plack jacket over aerobics clothing look and a 90s Jubilee were to show up I would come back to ML.
I forgot to mention that the Psylocke NEEDS to have her psi-knife… and look like Kwanon… not the weird Betsy wearing Kwanon’s clothes psi-daggerless figure that Toy Biz gave us.
Also I’d love an even bigger Man-Thing (that’s what she said!)… Man-Thing doesn’t look Giant Sized next to Swamp Thing… He feels adequate-sized around Mossman though.
I don’t see anything wrong with Man-Thing’s size, it’s Mattel that screwed up Swamp Thing and decided to do that endoskeleton thing with him. Now the Thing, I think still needs that perfect figure as well. I use the FF Classics Wieringo one, but I’d like that Thing without the action feature.
.
.
.
Thing.
why are you looking at other things? perv!
😉
I agree that most of the figures aren’t worth hunting for. I would counter, though, that part of the problem with modern toy lines is that you do, in fact, have to hunt for most of the figures. If these things are meant to appeal to more than just the hardcore collectors, why is finding them such a pain in the ass?
Great review and pics, as ever!
Comics figures (and also, by extension, comics) aren’t really my goblet of mead, so I don’t have much experience in any of these things to make an informed opinion, and can’t really get excited about them in general. But I gotta say I’m with Joe, and the look of the leather texture on his belt and holster is great! It’s like that belt has been through the wars and stood up due to fine traditional craftsmanship.
Anyone else wish they’d include an accessory where you can pop Doom’s arms off at the elbow and connect arms that are sculpted to be crossed over? If anyone has the Figuarts Piccolo or seen a review, I’m talking about something like that.
Completely underwhelmed by this figure. I mainly collect DC figures at this point, but I’ll always make an exception for a classic Kirby character. When I saw this figure at retail he just seemed too scrawny-looking or something. Obviously he’s in armor, so I realize they’re not going to sculpt muscles on him, but he just looks so damn…skinny. Where’s the imposing, John Byrne-style Doom? To me, Doom is one of those characters that are essential to your line, and HAS to be a homerun. This one didn’t get the job done, IMHO.
I got mine monday, and aside from the lack of articulation on the legs(they don’t go all the way back) I really like mine. I wish his other hand(not the gun hand) opened and closed, but as I mentioned on my blog, he has that “I should be holding a Cosmic Cube” open-handed thing going on. Love that they gave him his standard gun, but he could have come with another accessory, but oh well. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that his mask came off. Trust me, that was a true bonus, even with that smirk. Can’t find US Agent for the life of me though, even though I do have Iron Man. But to be fair, I did bu him @ a comic shop. My local wal-mart only had one Doom, and has 3 IM on the pegs, but sadly no US Agent:(
Good review as usual man:)
I don’t like unmasked Doom figures myself. When I was growing up, Doom had never been seen unmasked. Ever. They didn’t even show that little bit of burned skin around his eyes (there would sometimes be skin visible, but it didn’t look like hamburger the way it does now). There was always an air of mystery around what Doom actually looked like under the mask. Was his face burned hamburger? Was it not even really scarred, and the whole thing was a byproduct of Doom’s vanity and psychosis? Actually showing his face took away a lot of that mystique.
Random thought: would the Doctor Who Gallifreyan message cubes packaged with Idris work as Cosmic Cubes? or are they too small for 6″ scale? I’m not sure what I did with mine at the moment, but I know I left the cubes in the package for “safe keeping”, but Idris is out and sitting in the Junkyard TARDIS set.
btw, there are TWO versions of Idris: one has only one cube, while the other has FIVE cubes. I believe one of the cubes is marked with the Ouroboros of the Corsair, but not sure of the rest?
Whoah, slow your roll,Vault! Great review and pics, but you guys never finished reviewing ML wave 2! Hop to it! 🙂
You know the funny thing is Hasbro released EXACTLY the right characters to lure me back to Marvel Legends. If you had asked what characters were on the top of my wish list as far as Marvel Legends went, I would have said Klaw and the Wrecking Crew.
The problem is they just waited too damn long. Mattel got their hooks in me with the DCUC line and that in turn led to MOTUC. Now my shelves are flooded with those and all my Marvel Legends and Classics figures are in storage. Too late, Hasbro. Noble effort, but too late.
I’d say that they waited too long, and the dirty 3 3/4″ replacement line trick did not help either.
I’d probably be more into wave 3 if I could find them anywhere besides to comic shops. My shop got them in a month or so ago, and didn’t get any Moonstar, Blade, or white Dooms, and their regular Dooms sold out before I’d gotten there. I did get US Agent, and left Punisher, Mystique, and Iron Man behind (I already have too many Punishers, Mystique is a hideous and lazy figure, and I wasn’t digging that particular IM armor enough to drop the money on it).
I have a feeling that Blade, Dani Moonstar, Red Deadpool and FF Doom will be released in a revision case similar to how everyone can only find Piledriver, Madame Hydra, Big Time Spidey and Masked Daken recently.
Mystique is basically a repainted Madame Hydra, which was already making Scarlet Witch look purty. I do agree that was the worst choice of head they could have repainted, but the advantage is that you can pop her head onto any Hasbro female body to show off her mutant power of shapeshifting.
I recall someone on Fwoosh ages ago, drew up what he considered the perfect Mystique figure, with multiple heads (Raven, Jean, Storm) and a (rubber?) torso cover, to change between Mystique’s outfit and a basic X-uniform. Not sure if it was the same person who did the great Mimic custom with swappable heads and arms (featuring Colossus’ armor and Logan’s claws) and removable wings.
Hope so though I still need to finish Terrax and find a Thor. I accidently tossed my Zola legs at a toy show orvwould work on getting wave 2. Ugh mad at myself for that cause wave 2 is scarce here.
I do want a red Deadpool and the Grey. Mainly for a “You stole my look!” fight with Spector. Oh you know you wanna do that too.
Give us a Dr. Strange coached Vampire hunter Punisher and maybe I will buy one. Vampire Lord Wolverine with twilight cast severwd heads for the win.
I’d buy the white variant if I could get a full set of Future Foundation figures, but with the fact that I never saw FF Spidey and who knows about Reed, Sue, and Ben I’ll probably pass.
I would imagine a white Ben isn’t too far off, maybe a white Reed (redecos of previous Hasbro releases), but I wouldn’t hold my breath on a white Sue. they shortpacked her in their FF line, then pulled her from the mix. Same for Namor. If anything, I’d almost expect to see a 6″ white Reed/Ben 2pk (possibly with the MU 4pk HERBIE?), but not Sue.
Then again, who’d have thought Dani Moonstar would ever get a figure!?!?