I picked up these Hasbro Captain America action figures awhile back during a
buy-two-get-on-free deal at Toys 'R Us. In spite of the quality control issues associated with this series, I was happy with the
Paratrooper Dive Capt. America I got back in July. After seeing that
GREAT movie, I could no longer ignore the Super Combat Capt. America from this series, featuring the outfit he wore battling Red Skull & Hydra!
I also couldn't ignore this very cool Heroic Age Capt. America! This version of America's First Avenger is Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers' old sidekick who had seemingly been killed in the war. To make a long story short, Bucky's frozen body had been picked up by the Soviets and programmed as an assassin named Winter Soldier. When Steve Rogers former lover Sharon Carter is rescued from the Winter Soldier, she tells him the assassin looked a lot like Bucky, long thought dead by everyone. Captain America seeks him out and confronts him with the truth, and Bucky's amnesia is wiped away. When Rogers takes a leave of absence later, Bucky is chosen to carry on the mantle of Captain America!
I gave the kids at Hasbro a lot of grief over the stupid action accessories included with their 3 3/4" Thor movie figures for good reason- they were pretty stupid! While I'd have preferred a standard shield, I like the button on the front of this which engages the blades- additionally, the functional arm grip on back folds in to expose a peg that can be mounted to the adjoining hole in back of the figure.
You can also put Cap's gun IN it's holster, and his knife IN his sheath, all of which seems mildly oversized at this scale, but still nice. He holds his pistol well, finger in the trigger guard and all! The metallic paint makes this figure seem really deluxe, too. I'd seen a two-pack from this series with a Heroic Age Captain that had flat paint and it did not compare to this. The joints were relatively tight on this, which I prefer, and the articulation of the figure is perfectly serviceable. Cap has a ball-jointed head, swivel-hinge shoulders & elbows, & an upper abdominal joint for side to side movement. His hips are ball-jointed, he has cut/swivel joints in his upper thighs & wrists, some nice hinged ankles with a wide range, and double hinged knees that were mildly cranky.
I would recommend this figure- just choose carefully concerning the paint, watch out for the slop associated with this manufacturer/line. Very cool!
I chose Crossbones over the Red Skull due to his large size & gruesome looks- while I knew nothing of him, the mask was irresistible to me! Brock Rumlow appeared at the end of the 80's, a henchman of Red Skull who was eventually involved in the assassination of Captain America. One of the most powerful hand-to-hand combatants in the world, Crossbones can hold is own against Captain America aptly, and can kill lesser superheroes and villains easily. Trained by Taskmaster while on the run for murder, the young criminal was eventually enlisted as mercenary for Red Skull.
Crossbones comes equipped with some really cool accessories/weapons. The twin hand-helds are great, and an assault rifle is also included. The left hand has a better, more useful trigger finger than the right, however. His flak jacket is made of a thick, rubbery material different than the base figure, most abdominal joint posing is mostly hindered by it. Makes him look extra big though. Crossbones has standard articulation for this line, but nothing unusual. I would have liked a ball-joint on the head. I wish he could aim that rifle like a sniper, but there's only so much they can do with a 3 3/4" figure, and that flak jacket is kinda thick... The sculpt on this guy is amazingly good.
As stated above, I couldn't ignore the Super Combat Capt. America from this series featuring the outfit he wore in the motion picture after seeing the film! I admired what they did with the costume in this movie, simultaneously updating it, while adding a certain retro feel to it- whoever designed that did an outstanding job, and Hasbro nailed it here as far as I'm concerned. The textures & clothing folds are all so intricate on these, like the Thor movie figures Hasbro also produced. The removable combat helmet was a nice touch, and his pistol fits in the leg holster, albeit tightly. The shield was warped by the packaging as all these accessories are made of a softer plastic so they won't snap. He's a beautiful little action figure though, and a lot of fun!
I had a fun time playing around with these & photographing them! I'm seriously considering some Hydra soldiers and a Red Skull from this series :)
More Later- Make It FUN!
