Marvel Vs. Capcom Minimates: Wolverine/Viewtiful Joe & Magneto/Zero

These MiniMates are based on a series of video games created by Capcom in which characters created by Marvel Comics and Capcom's own characters appear together, Series 3 based on the third version, Fate of Two Worlds. While I'm not a gamer, these two sets had some colorful characters that looked fun to me.

A MiniMate version of blue/yellow Astonishing Wolvie was definitely something I was into, and while I knew nothing of Viewtiful Joe, his fun factor was not lost on me...

Viewtiful Joe is a movie enthusiast whose girlfriend Silvia is kidnapped during a film starring Joe's favorite superhero, Captain Blue. Pulled into Movieland, where Silvia was taken by the villainous group known as Jadow, Joe receives a special V-Watch from Captain Blue, transforming him into the tokusatsu-style persona "Viewtiful Joe", where after he sets out to rescue her. Joe's got great color, a honking, bulbous Kamen Rider inspired helmet, and a mischievous grin on his masked face. The scarf/cape is an odd, bubblegum pink- but it works somehow against the red and white. He brings a smile to face  :D   And the included flight stand is perfect for a jubilant hero like Joe!

Equally hilarious is this impossibly cute Wolverine- I guess there are five or six other blue/yellow Wolverines floating around in the Super-DuperToyBox, and it's because I like that color scheme on him, whether it's classic tiger stripe, Astonishing version, or blue and gold training uniform from 1991. Don't get me wrong: I still love the old brown/yellow, and the X-Force silver/black rocks too, but the blue/yellow works so well that it's undergone the most reinterpretations. See Logan's costume history at IGN!

Perhaps even more interesting was this Magneto/Zero set, full of both personality and great accessories, including to bases, one a flight stand!

According to Wikipedia, Zero is a video game character present throughout the Mega Man franchise, first appearing in the 1993 game Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo. His Z-saber, Z-buster cannon mounted at the end of his right arm, and chunky red and white armor and anime eye treatment give Zero a classic manga feel. Finned ponytail end and Z-saber are echoed in the stylization of his helmet, which give this guy great unity throughout his design. The heft of his arm cannon and shoulder overlay restrict his articulation a little, but the oversized boots add to his stability. Zero has a ton of detail packed into his tiny 2 1/4" frame- Awesome!

Partnered with Zero in this killer 2-pack is classic Magneto, the universally loved Marvel supervillain. As the conflicted mutant, at odds with the X-Men and human race which fears them both, Magneto represents some sort archetypal antihero gone bad that's makes his psychology more interesting than your average comics scoundrel.

Magneto has a lot of great detail in his shoulder overlay and helmet, but I was equally impressed with Diamond Select having painted the inside of his cape a dark red- and understated yet thoughtful touch of artistry. Nice! Along with purple energy orbs that fit over his fists, Mags comes with a great looking hairpiece for days off his evildoer day job. He has the same great helmet as the First Class Magneto I just reviewed, the back of which sports an incised/painted M... I can't pick a favorite.

If you are into MiniMates, I'd wholeheartedly recommend these really fun 2-packs, Capcom fan or not- the colors, unique characters, and great accessories make them well worth the eight to ten bucks you'll likely find them for. So Great!

 More Later-Make It FUN!