I thought I'd review the First Class Marvel Girl/Cyclops Comic 2 pack & the individually carded Cyclops & Jean Grey at the same time- I have a pile of these Marvel Universe 3 3/4" figures I've been buying the last couple months that I've yet to open & photograph. I couldn't decide which pair to buy, so I just got them both. There is also a Secret Wars Cyclops/Dark Phoenix Comic 2 pack I keep looking at, but I tried to show some restraint :D
I committed to the 90's era Scott & Jean first. This Cyclops is relatively new to the line, and I had not seen him while out & about until just recently. I read very little of the X-Men, and while this is not my favorite outfit, they did an admirable job capturing it. He loses two or three stars instantly however for the fact that his left leg popped off the peg immediately upon removal of the packaging. I believe JTrain997 had this issue with his MU Scarlet Spider, and I've had one of these with a limb issue in the past... was it World War Hulk? I forget... Of course I popped it right back on, but it popped off because it wasn't a good fit. Those holes have to be small enough to hold the ball at the end of the peg, but big enough for the initial fitting- I'd have to imagine it's a fine line, and for that, all of these should have the superior ball hinge joint where the thigh meets the pelvis. This issue seems particularly shameful in that the rest of Cyclops' body has some amazing articulation. I have never seen the freaky little ball joints at his ankles on a 3 3/4" figure in my life- Wow! And Cyclops enjoys cut joints at the upper thigh AND upper shin, in addition to his double jointed knees- pretty amazing. He also has a cut joint at the waist in addition to his upper abdominal joint, and a very expressive ball/hinge joint under his head. The rubber bandolier strap across his chest connecting to his belt and matching utility straps around his thighs are also nice details.
The 90's Jean Grey was released at the tail end of 2009 from what I understand, and her articulation is acceptable for this size of action figure. Jean has the same swivel peg/hinge combination joint my Silver Samurai Wolverine has as opposed to a bicep swivel, which works very well. Her massive mane hinders any neck movement, and she looks somewhat hunched over due to this. Her shoulder armor pieces accentuate this as well, and further hinder any head movement, while competing for space on her shoulder with her big hair. What's a girl gonna do? ...it was the 90's, right? I like the metallic blue paint and highlights in her hair... did that sound funny? :D No, seriously I really like this one -even better than 90's Cyclops. Jean came with "Top Secret" H.A.M.M.E.R. file- at one time a code could be entered at furyfiles.com to receive special instructions (Buy More Hasbro), but the web address just takes you to Hasbro's site.
A couple days later found me in Toys 'R Us while going to visit a friend, and fondling the First Class Marvel Girl/Cyclops 2 pack for, like, the tenth time, so I just bought it. I like the matching outfits, the design & colors an homage to the classic X-Men.They came with a reprint of X-Men: First Class #1, first printed in 2006. The series detailed untold stories of the original team, updated for a modern audience. I liked the art, particularly the cover. The characters & story in this issue are told from Bobby Drake's (Iceman) point of view, narrated though a letter home to his mother, as Professor X won't allow e-mail. I guess they felt the need to modernize with cell phones & personal computer references in order to appeal to the younger reader, inexperienced in life before such technology, but... whatever.
First Class Marvel Girl doesn't have the same swivel peg/hinge combination joint above the elbow that 90's Jean Grey has, but she does have a cut joint at the waist in addition to her upper abdominal joint. She's very simple yet solid, and I dig her retro-looking outfit with the face mask. 90's Jean Grey came with a base, as did the individually carded Cyclops, and was also given a translucent flame accessory- two bonuses I appreciated. Additionally, her sculpted belt buckle & paint apps make her seem more deluxe than First Class Marvel Girl, who sports a slight bit of slop on an outfit design that shows inaccuracies easily.
First Class Cyclops doesn't have the extra cut joints in his legs that 90's Cyclops has, but at least they aren't falling off! He's also notably shorter. I prefer the retro look with a covered scalp in the end, but wish he came with a stand like 90's Cyclops. I really like the Cyclops included in the comic 2 pack with Dark Phoenix, but I'm not sure I need a third set...
Group Shot!
Not too wowed by these in the stores but up close in your photos they look great!
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