Imaginext Lex Luthor Mech Suit

I passed on this guy in the clearance aisle, like four times, in the last couple months- when I discovered it to be under fifteen bucks, which didn't really seem like that much of a discount (typical of Wal-Mart). Still, I like the design, and I wanted another villain worthy of my Imaginext Superman. For seven bucks I could have picked up a variant Imaginext Lex and black/silver Superman I didn't care about, and no chunky mecha that fires a missile either, so here we are   :D

This is a fun toy! The power suit has limited articulation, but it's there: hinge swivel shoulders, independent leg swivel legs, a gripping claw, and missile launcher mounted to the left wrist. It can't stand on it's head or one leg, but there are parts for a small child to build motor skills with, and that's what these are for- playing with.

The Lex Luthor included has some great surface texture, and mischievous smirk- great detailing! His body doesn't fit well into the mech suit well with his hands down, but his swivel wrists and hinge-swivel shoulders help him grip the windshield nicely. And Fisher-Price gave Lex a swivel neck, unlike some of the Imaginext figures, which lends some expression to even the simplest action figure. 

In the 6" mechanical suit, Lex towers over my New 52 Superman! It's claw can easily grip other Imaginext figures at arms length, but the projectile fires somewhat meekly- probably as a result of safety standards, though I have other Imaginext toys that fire with higher velocity. The toy's deco is simple but nice overall- I like the yellow-green tinted windshield and rocket, but not the decal within the suit's navel. Though again- there's a lot of play value here, the "vehicle" in the set being a big robot with moving parts, and it's a cute toy. Fischer-Price released an even larger Superman Exo-Skeleton mecha that lights up and makes sounds for about $25.00, which seemed a little steep for my tolerance- the Black Manta Sub and Wonder Woman Invisible Jet, and a couple Batcopter sets I've seen for fifteen bucks that seem like a better value. So far, I've resisted the temptation! 

Ultimately, we get the best of both with this Imaginext set- Lex in his bandoliered jump suit, like my 8" Mattel Retro-Action Lex, and in his power suit look, like the DC Direct "Crisis" Lex and the Mattel Lex.

Group Shot! DC Direct Crisis on Infinite Earths Battle Armor Lex, Mattel Retro-Action Lex, Imaginext Lex Luthor Mechanical Suit, Mattel Kryptonite Chaos Lex, and Mattel DC Super Friends Kryptonite Blaster Lex Luthor...

More Later- Make It FUN!