Marvel Legends Disney+ Infinity Ultron Wave

I've had this Marvel Legends Disney+ Wave on ice since the end of last year, having preordered it right after solicitation in 2022. Moon Knight and Mr. Knight figures were certainly of interest to me, Moon Knight being features in issue #22 of Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man, one of the first comics I remember from childhood. I later read several issues of the Marvel NOW! Moon Knight, which influenced the more deeply explored multiple personalities aspects of the Disney+ character. I enjoyed the supernatural aspects of the Disney+ show but longed for some street-level crime fighting found in the earlier Moon Knight interpretations. These are two beautifully sculpted figures...

I may like the Hawkeye and Kate Bishop figures more than I did the Disney+ show, but I like Jeremy Renner's portrayal of the character and was entertained. I should read the Kate Bishop Hawkeye books Marvel has released; they receive high praise.

Hawkeye with some other versions of MCU Clint Barton, Avengers Endgame Hawkeye and Ronin. I stupidly sold off my original Avengers Hawkeye years ago, and regret it...

I'm' not sure how much I remember of Sharon Carter's role in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but this is a solid figure- her knife accessory is lazy, unpainted, and flimsy, but the nightstick has some detail. The layered hoodie under trench coat outfit was well executed.

Below, Sharon Carter with the other plain clothed MCU figure in my collection, Jessica Jones...

I am a big fan of She-Hulk, due in large part to John Byrne's Sensational She-Hulk and liked many aspects of the recent Disney+ show based on that interpretation. This may have been the most anticipated figure of the wave for me, and she is pretty fantastic. A more useful set of alternate hands and an extra/angry head would have been nice, but She-Hulk is a beautiful figure.

Below, She-Hulk with my Marvel Legends Infinity Gauntlet Smart Hulk BAF...

Below, Disney + She-Hulk with my Marvel Legends She-Hulk...

I still haven't seen the Disney+ Ms. Marvel Show, so my enthusiasm for getting this figure was probably less than the others, but she did turn out good, and really looks like a kid...

Below, Disney+ Ms. Marvel with my Marvel Legends MCU Captain Marvel ...

...and Disney+ Ms. Marvel with my Marvel Legends comic-based Ms. Marvel...

I thought this Infinity Ultron BAF would be larger, but the main disappointment was his bent, rubbery lance- I hate Hasbro's use of soft rubber for weapons/accessories- these are adult collectibles for crying out loud! Otherwise, I really like the sculpt/paint deco on this deluxe Ultron.

Below, Infinity Ultron with my other Marvel What If ...? BAF, The Watcher ...!

Below, Infinity Ultron BAF with my Iron Man 3 Ultron, and Marvel Legends Classic Ultron from 2021. Infinity Ultron sure has nice deco, but that Classic Ultron is the Ultron from my Bronze-Age childhood ...!

This was a spectacular wave of MCU Marvel Legends, the two characters I cared a little less about still commendable offerings. I still haven't seen Ms. Marvel, but the rest of the shows represented in this wave were entertaining overall. I don't often plunk down for an entire wave of Marvel Legends, especially after recent price hikes, but this group was exceptional. 

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

Marvel Legends Avengers Endgame Black Widow, Hawkeye, & Ronin

I've had this Avenger Endgame Hawkeye/Black Widow 2-pk for a year now, but only ordered this Endgame Ronin from Amazon recently. I'd intended to buy him for awhile, but could see after several months that he would be available for awhile, and that his price would come down. Those factors combined with some points I'd earned saved me about 60%. I admire Marvel Studios' interpretation of the character, heavily inspired by the comics version. The detailed sculpt is fantastic, with a lot of great texture throughout.

The hood is removable for one option, and the Clint Barton head from the Hawkeye/Black Widow 2-pk fits on this figure- a fantastic bonus. Ronin came with two swords that sheathe onto his back, and an additional "throwing stars" left hand.

The Endgame Hawkeye/Black Widow 2-pk really excited me when it came out- yes, the outfits don't match the movie outfits, but they make quite the visually appealing pair nonetheless. I love the detailed sculpts with matching Avengers insignia on the breast, and the outstanding facial portraits of actors Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner.

Hasbro including extra heads of other characters is a neat idea- the Ant-Man head looks fantastic on the Hawkeye body, and I was surprised how much I like the Nebula head on the Black Widow body. The pistol included in this set is the same included with the Guardians of the Galaxy Nebula, which had a slightly different head than this one, which spots a panel of copper/orange on the left side of her head.

Below, Nebula with my Capt. Marvel Starforce Edition Menerva...

Black Widow came with the same collapsible staff the the Infinity War Black Widow included...

Below, Endgame Black Widow and Hawkeye with Endgame Pepper Potts Rescue, 

Mark LXXXV Iron Man, Smart Hulk BAF, War Machine, and Infinity War Thor...

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!
More Later- Make It FUN!

Marvel Legends Retro Series Wasp, Vision, Hawkeye

I've had the Marvel Legends Retro Series Vision on card for a year, picking up Wasp and Hawkeye more recently to round out a classic Avengers team for my collection. We all know this variant of Wasp was teased as a variant in 2006, then not produced- while I have no personal connection to that unreleased figure, nor the obscure costume, I do like the way she fits into what I have going on. Check out the video:

Below: Wasp, Vision, and Hawkeye with Hulk from the 80th Anniversary Hulk/1st Appearance Wolverine 2-pack, and the 80th Anniversary Classic Capt. America, Thor, and Iron Man. While the Retro Series figures don't have quite the sheen the 80th Anniversary figures enjoy, they fit in well enough with them. As plain as Hawkeye's deco is, I was surprised by how much I liked him- his sculpted armor scaling goes well with Capt. America's. And I'd been waiting for the right moment to crack that Vision open- love that classic styling!

More Later- Make It FUN!

Hasbro Avengers Black Widow & Hawkeye

On the same outing I found the Hasbro Avengers Nick Fury and comic series Hawkeye, I found the movie series Black Widow & Hawkeye. I've passed on these more than three times for sure in my attempt to quit 3 3/4" Hasbro figures, but finally caved in due to their great decos and character likenesses. Hasbro did well on the 3 3/4" Thor movie figures, and does it again with these. 

Scarlett Johansson played Black Widow in the 2012 summer blockbuster, whom Hasbro deftly replicated in 3 3/4" scale, as much as could be hoped for in a mass produced figure like this at any rate, even in her body and posture if you ask me. Like her pouty lips and pretty, wide-set eyes, the arch of her back, the hair, tight little torso, and even her derriere really evoke the physicality of the actress. And while the paint apps are few on her black boy suit, they are cleanly executed. Thin piping from her backside runs up over her shoulders, stopping at an impossibly small shoulder badge, then back down her front to her crisp little "black widow" hourglass buckle. Nice.

We are again denied any waist/torso articulation, yet receive incredible leg articulation, including hinged hips, swivel thighs, double-jointed knees, and very useful hinge-swivel ankles. She gets the same hinge swivel elbows & shoulders as the others but enjoys the added benefit of swivel wrists. Her ball-jointed head doesn't do much beyond side to side, but she's not hunched over or looking down and she looks like an actual person.

Black Widow hold her right pistol really well, trigger finger neatly in place through the guard, but struggles with her left hand which seems to be sculpted better to hold a dagger or the like. Again we are  treated to holsters which snugly store her twin Glock pistols, hanging from a separate belt of rubber- very cool. According to the Internet Movie Firearms Database, Natasha Romanov carried two Glock 26 in The Avengers.

A gimmicky action accessory is included with her as with the others, but I'm not crazy about it- while the spring loaded "grapple" fires dependably, the bizarre red "pincher" at the base is both clumsy and in my case malfunctioning. Whoopdeedoo. I know some of you other guys would prefer a base like myself, but this is marketing to children using an "extra" in the form of an action feature.  Opposite of my several run-in with this girl, she's more often tough to find. I resent paying ten bucks for her, but she was fun to photograph.

 In the photo below, it's plain to see how much better Widow's buck is compared to the more generalized and often unnaturally distorted results in Hasbro's female physique in the past. Avengers Black Widow with Marvel Universe Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey, and Ms. Marvel:

 As Scarlett Johansson was successfully captured in Black Widow, actor Jeremy Renner gets a great likeness, his big nose, small frown, and wide-set shades seem to do the job. While Renner is certainly athletic, the arms look mildly too bulky- not bad, just bulky.

The sculpt and deco are great on this, particularly in the layering of body armor throughout the torso and minutiae down his legs to his combat boots. The outer layer is actually a very dark navy blue, with black straps, quiver, boots and vents at the ribs and behind the black knee pads. Small silver buckles and badges, and purple base layer surrounding his vest zipper finish off an impressive deco.

Hawkeye gets the simplified articulation of many of the other Hasbro Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man line released in 2012. I've said before that it hasn't stopped me from liking their sculpts, it is mildly annoying that they raised the price while cutting the articulation.  Hasbro raised the bar in this scale with their Marvel Universe line, but took it to a whole new level with their Marvel movie figures with much more dynamic sculpts. This looks great!

Hawkeye gets two bows- he hold them securely, but can't simulate a firing pose with his limited articulation. One is a standard, realistically proportioned compound bow, and the other a cannon that fires spring-loaded projectiles. The missiles don't snap into lock that's released by any trigger however, requiring the operator to pull back the missile and release, like a bow & arrow I suppose, but clumsy. That's a shame.

  

He is quite like his 6" Hasbro Avenger's doppelganger, the Marvel Legends-styled Hawkeye...

 Hasbro Avengers 6" Captain America and Hawkeye with 3 3/4" Captain America and Hawkeye... 

Avengers movie series Hawkeye, Avengers comic series Hawkeye, and Marvel Universe Dark Hawkeye...

Hawkeye and Black Widow make a great pair here. While there seems to be a mixed bag throughout the Avengers line, the sculpts are still really good. Better articulation could have improved these to some degree, and I'd originally decided to boycott them on principle, but they looks so good that I couldn't deny them.

More Later- Make It FUN!