Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Drax & Star-Lord

Recently selling a chunk of my Marvel Legends action figures on my eBay store reignited my interest on some newer figures I'd put off buying, including this Drax & Star-Lord from the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Series. I've also only recently seen the movie, pushing me further into it's merchandising campaign. The deco and sculpts on the Marvel Legends have come a long way, particularly in these movie series figures, Drax and Star-Lord both great examples of the line's improvement. While I have my nitpicks with them, they are beautifully sculpted and have great articulation. 

The Chris Pratt head is a good likeness, but the masked head put me over the edge regarding Star-Lord. His blasters have a spiffy paint job, but I'm not crazy about the pegs on the outside of his hips upon which they fasten. The jacket and fully painted shirt logo within pack in some admirable detail.

I'm on the fence about Drax's screaming head sculpt, but it is well done, and true to the nature of this volatile character. I love the boot sheathed daggers, but they are loose in his hands, particularly the right where his grip had been stretched after holding the bazooka. Speaking of which, this was not his weapon in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. These complaints aside, Drax is a great figure with some spectacular sculpting and great articulation.

I was pleased with these two action figures, an even better value at a 20% discount below retail at Amazon. I've picked up other Marvel Legends figures since getting these two- be sure to head over to my Super-DuperToyBox Instagram to see more action figure pictures while waiting for me to post on other Marvel Legends here!  Pictured below, Marvel Legends Star-Lord with the Jada Nano Metalfigs Series Star-Lord, and Drax with the 2017 Hot Wheels diecast Milano spaceship...

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A Clash of Titans- Drax Vs. Thanos!

As promised at the end of my last post on the ToyBiz Drax (above), a Clash of Titans featuring Drax Vs. my Marvel Select Thanos- probably one of my favorite action figures! I had way too much fun shooting these pics, but hey- toys are for playing with!  :D

And now from my Life and Death of Captain Marvel trade paperback, originally appearing in Captain Marvel Vol.1, issue #28 (Sept. 1973), Chapter IV: A Clash of Titans! Drax, whose sole purpose is to destroy the Mad Titan, stands in the way of Thanos' possession of the Cosmic Cube. No longer content to merely swat him down, the Dark One locks the Destroyer's mind into a time-mind sync-warp, pushing him to the furthest reaches of his id to find the mad prison of... insanity! I'm not a fan of how they recolored a lot of these earlier Marvel stories, but it's a bizarre sequence with some trippy artwork...

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ToyBiz Drax the Destroyer

ToyBiz went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1988, going on to be one of the more profitable toy companies in the world, in spite of being surrounded by giants like Mattel, Hasbro, and Tyco. Low overhead and creative licencing in the form of a percentage of its equity for an  exclusive, royalty-free license to Marvel's characters gave Toy Biz a remarkably low employee-to-sales ratio, generating nearly $2 million in annual revenues for each employee in the mid-1990s.  Marvel's bank debt due to over-expansion and the near collapse of the comics industry in the mid nineties driven by consumer's over speculation and a compromised cost threshold changed the game(fundinguniverse.com). Some cool toys were made by ToyBiz, including the Marvel Famous Covers and Marvel Legends, as were a great deal of cheap toys like those deluxe 10" Marvel Universe & X-Men figures I love (I can't help it!).  Drax here falls into the latter category.

I found this gem at V-Stock the other day, along with a few other carded Silver Surfer figures- he was the cheapest, and somewhat a novel find in his classic form. Hasbro just released a modern Drax as part of the new Legends line, also included in the 3 3/4" Marvel Universe Guardians of the Galaxy boxed set I just reviewed, but I'd never seen the classic Marvel version in action figure form. I don't think ToyBiz could have exaggerated his features anymore- he looks pretty ridiculous, and I like that about him. The deco Drax looks very cheap and flat- no great paint apps or anything, which is totally in character with his absurd sculpt.  

Drax has some pretty good shoulder articulation, but none in the wrists. His neck and waist art swivel joints, which helps, but the legs are somewhat limited due to his buttocks and the heel-up, lunging position of his left foot (which does look cool). His cape is made of a softer plastic, and pops off and on easily.

The sculpt on Drax's face is great! He looks so pissed off -made me laugh out loud  :D   The combination of this figure's garish coloring, gnarly visage, and oversized hands embody the urgency and rage of this character, his sole purpose to destroy the Mad Titan Thanos. First appearing in Iron Man #55 (1973), Drax is basically a Marvel's answer to a "Space Hulk", and had a recurring role in the first volume of Captain Marvel. He was created by Mike Friedrich and Jim Starlin, the latter author known for his sprawling cosmic operas such as Infinity Gauntlet and Warlock and the Infinity Watch. I wouldn't call this toy a work of fine art, but it did make me smile!

Drax came with a pretty terrible accessory, as bad as any included with the recent Thor Movie figures. The instructions said to place the "Cosmic Flame Skull" into the clip atop the staff, which snapped. It was likely due to aged plastic, but no one could tell me that design was going to survive repeated firings by pressing the bottom of the staff against a hard surface. It was also supposed to light the disc when fired, mine loaded with fifteen year old batteries,so...  looking at the mechanism, I'd be really surprised if that worked. That said, it made for this cool photo using a small flashlight...

I'll be the first to admit it takes little to amuse me, and Cosmic Blasters Drax was certainly my kind of cheap thrill- Hilarious!  :D

*Next Up:  A Clash of Titans- Drax Vs. Thanos!

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Marvel Universe Guardians of The Galaxy 3 3/4" Boxed Set

This Marvel Universe Guardians of The Galaxy boxed set by Hasbro held little interest for me when I first saw it, having read nothing about the characters, but when I saw marked down from $20 to $9 on clearance, I went for it. I have a couple other Marvel Universe boxed sets, and consider them a solid value at $20 considering what the individually packaged 3 3/4" Hasbro figures go for now. Having just read the Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy hardback, this seemed like a great time to show this set off.

The colorful & odd band of characters within are Starlord, Rocket Racoon, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot. It would have been cool to have Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, Gamora, & Mantis (which I would gladly have paid another twenty for), but Hasbro was trying to hit a price point here, and let's face it: seeing any of this team in plastic form is really an anomaly.

I was disappointed when saw Drax initially, unfamiliar with his new rendering in the Marvel Universe- I already have Absorbing Man, who's got the same body. But I love the green skin and red tattoos, and he really does look like the new Drax. The longknives that sheath into the back of his belt also make him unique, and he hold them securely in his tiny hands.

Drax the Destroyer's bio in the Marvel Universe Book of The Dead & Inactive 1, 1982



Drax had a recurring role in the early Captain Marvel comic, the original incarnation I am most familiar with. Mentor and the Titan god Chronos captured Arthur Douglas' spirit and placed it in a powerful new body, rechristening him "Drax the Destroyer," his sole purpose to destroy Thanos, which he eventually did in the Annihilation story arc. From my understanding, Thanos returns the favor in The Thanos Imperative- few stay dead for long in the world of comics folks  :D

Originally, Drax's powers include super strength, tremendous resilience, flight, and the ability to project concussive blasts of cosmic energy from his hands. He could also travel at high speeds in outer space without air, food, or water. Drax also possessed the ability to sense the presence of Thanos across vast distances. After his resurrection Drax lost some of his strength, resilience, flight, and energy blasts. His intellect has returned to its original level (lost temporarily when daughter Moondragon mentally forced his life essence from his artificial body) and he has taken a liking to using knives in battle. (Wikipedia)

Starlord (Peter Quill) is the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and former NASA astronaut. An alien entity called the Master of the Sun visited the space station that Quill worked on, and offered the mantle of Star-Lord (an interplanetary policeman) to a worthy candidate. Quill volunteered, but was rejected in favor of a colleague he once treated badly. Quill is outraged, and NASA orders his return to Earth and discharge for his conduct. Instead, he steals a scoutship, returns to the space station, and takes his colleague's place as Star-Lord. (Wikipedia) Dubious beginnings for this "hero"!

Starlord has the same body used for the Marvel Universe Ghost Rider, but has a new belt & head that both look great. The head is on a ball joint that works surprisingly well, and is one of the most detailed, complex molds I've seen on such a tiny action figure- really amazing! He holds his submachine pistols securely, their bulky size looking powerful in his hands. He's a wild looking, stormtrooper type character that has a lot of eye appeal- very cool!

Inspired by the classic Beatles song "Rocky Raccoon", Rocket Racoon first appeared in the magazine-sized black-and-white showcase comic book Marvel Preview #7 in 1976. Rocket Raccoon acts as the "Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant", an area of outer space sealed off from the rest of the cosmos by the so-called Galacian Wall. Rocket is captain of the starship Rack 'n' Ruin, and he and his first mate Wal Russ (a talking walrus) come from the planet Halfworld, in the Keystone Quadrant, an abandoned colony for the mentally ill where the animal companions were genetically manipulated to grant them human level intelligence and bipedal body construction for many to become caretakers of the inmates. Rocket was Halfworld's chief law officer who protected the colony against various threats. (Wikipedia)

Rocket Raccoon returned in the Annihilation: Conquest, depicted as a gifted military tactician who is also fearless, loyal, and insightful- attributes that help him take charge of the Guardians of the Galaxy when Starlord is unavailable. It is also heavily implied that he has a case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Rocket's trademark rocket skates are absent. Rocket later joins the new Guardians of the Galaxy at the behest of his friend Starlord, suggesting that the team adopt that moniker after hearing it mentioned by Major Victory. (Wikipedia)

Rocket has an articulated tail, and an expressive ball-jointed head. He comes with an oversized gun that he doesn't hold particularly well, but he's such a fun little character in his Guardians outfit. This set includes his pal Groot, too, extraterrestrial plant Monarch of Planet X. The last remaining member of his race, Groot nearly died buying his team some time to escape in Annihilation: Conquest. However, he survived as a sprig offshoot kept by Rocket, and was nurtured back to health by Mantis in Guardians of The Galaxy: Legacy.

Hilariously, whenever Groot is saying his trademark "I am Groot!" he has actually been saying any number of things. The hardened nature of Groot's larynx that causes people oblivious to the subtle nuances of his speech to misinterpret him as merely repeating his name.

Groot's lineage, coming from an ancient and ennobled sap-line and being the scion of an elite royal house, Groot has received the finest education from the most gifted of tutors. He is highly intelligent and has a tremendous grasp of quasi-dimensional super-positional engineering. He returns to his full form later, accompanying the Guardians in battle against Thanos after after the mad Titan awoke from death. (Wikipedia)

I passed on this set many times for months, but after reading Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy, I'm glad I waited and got it at such a reduced price. With only two full sized figures in the set, it seemed light in comparison to the Fantastic Four boxed set, but I'm a little more familiar with the Guardians now, and it's certainly a unique set.

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