Among the Avengers, Tony Stark is arguably the most widely known founding member. In addition to his high-profile, flamboyant lifestyle, his genius mind forged the glorious battle history of the superhero "Iron Man." The dazzling array of Iron Man armors, created for various situations, has naturally become a favorite topic among Iron Man enthusiasts. For toy collectors, the hope is to see each of these armors brought to life. Looking at the many action figure brands today, the only one that can truly fulfill this desire is the "Marvel Legends Series" released by the toy giant, Hasbro.
The Marvel Legends series, released by the internationally renowned toy brand Hasbro, is a continuation of the eponymous series from Toy Biz. Utilizing a 1:12 scale (6-inch) format, it features extensive articulation and highly accurate sculpting and coloring to recreate the famous characters of the Marvel Universe. Its reach extends across comics, animated cartoons, live-action films, video games, and more. Whether it's a righteous superhero or a nefarious supervillain, Marvel Legends captures them all, making it the product line with the broadest character roster, sure to satisfy fans with different preferences!
This review will bring you the latest wave of the Iron Man retro cardback series, featuring a total of six famous characters from the comics. Without further ado, let's dive right into today's main event!
▼ Here are the six stars of this review, presented on the American-style retro cardback packaging that veteran collectors adore. Seeing them all lined up is just so satisfying.
▼ "Iron Man Model 01 (Gold)". This is the Iron Man armor personally built by the genius entrepreneur Tony Stark. After repainting the simple iron-gray suit into a more brilliant gold, it became known as the MK III, earning Iron Man the title "The Golden Avenger."
▼ Reusing the highly acclaimed mold from last year's Avengers 60th Anniversary silver-gray Model 01, this version adds the skirt armor structure according to the original comic design, giving the overall visual a very classic feel.
▼ Unlike the previous version, this helmeted head sculpt allows you to glimpse Tony's eyes through the eye slits, which is a huge plus for its level of detail!
▼ The included Tony Stark head sculpt uses photo-real printing to capture his charming face, which has a confident yet fiery, wild look.
▼ Paired with the unmasked head sculpt, you can recreate this "ready for action" look.
▼ By utilizing all the articulation points, the figure can be put into various dynamic poses. That's Marvel Legends for you!
▼ Attaching the included flight effects to the feet creates an even more impactful visual!
▼ Do you like this Iron Man armor that combines a primitive form with a gorgeous color scheme?
▼ "She-Hulk". Her real name is Jennifer Walters. After suffering a severe injury, she had to receive an emergency blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner, who is also the Hulk. By a twist of fate, she gained the Hulk's incredible power and has since been active in the world with the dual identity of the superhero She-Hulk and a top-notch lawyer.
▼ This figure's design is based on one of her comic book outfits and uses a rarely seen tall, muscular female body mold to recreate She-Hulk's fit and athletic physique.
▼ The head sculpt captures She-Hulk's confident smile using photo-real printing, and the paint application on her hair has a nice multi-layered visual effect.
▼ Both the elbows and knees feature the new pinless joint system, which offers both great aesthetics and high posability.
▼ It also comes with a bent rifle, perfect for showcasing She-Hulk's super strength.
▼ The classic superhero landing pose with a kneeling ground-pound is, of course, no problem at all!!
▼ "Whiplash". Real name Mark Scarlotti, he is the first Whiplash to appear in the comics. He was once an employee of Tony Stark but later turned to a life of crime, becoming one of Iron Man's enemies, skilled with an energized whip. He later continued his villainous career under the alias "Blacklash."
▼ While this version of Whiplash might be unfamiliar to many fans who started with the MCU, I have to say this figure perfectly recreates his original comic book look, including the green high ponytail and the black and purple outfit.
▼ As a villain who debuted back in 1968, this design really has a vintage feel.
▼ The high-tech energy whip is made from translucent parts.
▼ I must say, the ponytail and the whip really complement each other.
▼ The dynamic sculpt of the swinging whip is quite well done, effectively conveying a sense of wild, sweeping power.
▼ "Iron Man Model 09", also known as the Neo-Classic Armor, first appeared in the comics in 1988. It was built with stronger materials to enhance its defensive capabilities and equipped with a more advanced power system, leading to improved mobility and flight performance. It accompanied Tony through many difficult situations and is a major milestone in Iron Man armor history.
▼ The figure uses a more vibrant color scheme for its plastic and comes with two pairs of different effect parts.
▼ The helmet design is one of the most iconic representations of the comic book Iron Man armor. The chest reactor is rendered with a printed effect to give it a translucent look.
▼ The included smoke-like effect parts can be attached to the palms of both hands.
▼ You can also attach the blast-type effects.
▼ You can also attach all the effects to the hands and feet to create a dynamic sense of flying or hovering in the air!
▼ "Count Nefaria". First appearing in the comics in 1965, he is an Italian nobleman and the leader of the criminal organization Maggia. He often uses his immense wealth and resources to orchestrate large-scale evil schemes, making him one of the Avengers' most troublesome nemeses.
▼ The sculpt faithfully recreates his comic book appearance, and the draping of the flowing cape looks very realistic.
▼ The head sculpt captures the Count's ferocious and evil expression.
▼ The body also uses the new pinless mold. Not seeing the joint pins is, in a word: beautiful.
▼ If you ask me, this head could be repurposed for an evil Doctor Strange and it wouldn't look out of place at all, right?
▼ "Iron Man Model 20". First appearing in a 2002 comic, this is the 20th armor built by Tony, also known as the "Tin Man Armor." This figure not only includes two pairs of interchangeable hands but also comes with a generous four translucent blue effect parts for collectors to use.
▼ The plastic for this figure uses a darker, slightly metallic gold and red, which is pretty much the standard for modern Iron Man. The design also features more complex sculpting and details.
▼ Head sculpt close-up.
▼ Of course, you can also swap it with an earlier Tony Stark head sculpt, as the joints are compatible.
▼ The ground-pound pose, which is practically a standard for modern Iron Man action figures, passes with flying colors!
▼ The effect parts can, of course, be attached to the open-palmed hands.
▼ They can also be attached to all four limbs to recreate a hovering state.
▼ Flying poses are a breeze! Marvel Legends, it's just that fun!
▼ And that concludes our review of the Marvel Legends Series Iron Man Retro Cardback wave. After seeing them all, which one is your favorite? Are there any you absolutely must have? Feel free to leave a comment and share with everyone. See you in the next review!
