I had some complicated and long-winded thoughts about the debut of 6-inch GI Joes, but my thought on this year’s Marvel legends reveals are much simpler. Let’s waste no time and get right into it!
First off, Iron Man 2020.
36 years, friends and neighbors. I have waited 36 years for this. Somehow I knew a line like Marvel Legends would be made and I would end up getting an action figure of that absolutely bugshit variation of the traditional Iron Man design.
Iron Man 2020 popped up on the very last page of Machine Man #2 in 1984 and I fell in love. It was just so…viscerally bizarre. Like you could lick it. I thought he would be shown off at last year’s SDCC. Then NYCC. Then other conventions came and went, and still he was a no show. Sweat beaded up on my brow. I developed a tremor that meant I could no longer sign autographs for my legions of fans. I even started having delusions that I had legions of fans, instead of one old guy named Ernie that shouts at me from his apartment window. Ernie never wears pants and I’m a little terrified of him. Hell, I’m not sure Ernie exists. I signed my name to something, that’s for damn sure.
Oh god, Ernie owns my soul, doesn’t he?
Where was I…
Oh, rightrightright…Arno Stark.
Yes, I starting off strong with this figure and I am declaring Iron Man 2020 my favorite reveal of Toy Fair 2020. The symmetry there is astounding, astonishing, and some other words that begin with A. I preordered his shiny gold ass as soon as he went up on Walgreens. He’s built off the excellent 80th anniversary Iron man figure and is glorious.
Even though I started off with my personal best, there’s no downhill afterwards, just more excellent. Next up, the long long long long awaited debut of First Appearance storm. My god, we have had every flavor of Storm out there before this one.
I understand the reasoning, but I was beginning to think they’d pull out yet another version before getting to the First Appearance version. Now to get a better Banshee and Thunderbird.
Continuing the X-theme, Age of Apocalypse is digging in it’s heels. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating; at one point I would have shunned AoA stuff. I shunned the crap out of it in the 90s five inch line so I’ve built up pretty stron shunning muscles. But now, I’m actually looking forward to putting together a good selection of AoA figures. It is undeniably so ’90s it should be packaged in boxes shaped like gritted teeth, but dammit I am excited to add this stuff to my collection. Like legitimately, unironically so. We’ve seen some of it before, but the new stuff like Dark Beast and Wild Child look dead on to what they should look like. I love the idea of Hank as a sadistic nutbag. The build-a Sugar Man is pure coke-fueled insanity, and Jean Grey gets the award for best Marvel legends packaging ever. Seriously, it’s a hot chick packaged with a giant head with his tongue hanging out. That is a lawsuit waiting to happen. #Jeantoo
You can’t have an Age of Apocalypse without the guy for whom the event was named, so Apocalypse had to be an inevitability. He looks great, as expected, and I love that he comes with a calm head that should look fine on the regular Apocalypse in lieu of the angry face that it came with. AoA Apocalypse can have the manic laugh head. Or he can get the angry head. I don’t know, but options are fun.
Continuing the mutant theme—I’ll switch gears in a second—the Fox X-men figures look nice. I’m glad those who want them are getting them. I’m hoping that there’s no Build-a-Figure that will cause me to need them, because as it is now this is finally some stuff I feel I can skip. I might get the Hugh Jackman Wolverine—haven’t decided which version, possible the fully jacketed one–and I might get the Deadpool, but I don’t feel the pressing urgent and burning urinary need to really try too hard for them. Cable and Domino are ok, and the Magneto/Charles set with swappable heads is an excellent idea. I love Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, but I don’t think I need figures of them. I don’t have the gut tug for those movies like others do, but they look like great figures.
Watch me end up with them anyway if I see them on sale…
Rogue looks like a great figure. I like this costume variation a lot, so that’s nice. It just needs the white streak, which I’m sure is coming.
Black Tom and Maverick from the Strong Guy Wave are both much needed. Maverick makes me want the Team X Logan and Sabretooth more than ever. I love Strong Guy, and this is a strong wave.
Nimrod, the figure that won’t be a BAF but whose placement is unknown as of now, was a big want of mine. I’ve always liked the concept, and he’s one of those villains that looks great going up against pretty much anybody and everybody. It’s designed more after the recent Hickman stuff, but he also comes with a classic head. I don’t mind the more modern elements. I kind of wish there was more pink to him like some earlier interpretations, just because a big pink murder-robot is as comics as can be, but at least there are some elements there. Either way, Nimrod is a big deal. This was probably my second favorite reveal after Arno. I think.
Old Man Logan and Old Man Hawkeye both look great. We’ve had an Old Man Logan before, but this one is fully outlawed up with the duster and the hat and the little Hulk. Hawkeye feature a pin-free design that will cause a ripple effect among the populace. I’ve read the original Old Man Logan story and feel about it like I do most of Mark Millar’s stuff. “Eh” with a bit of “Ok.” I’ll still get these two of course, but I never felt like I needed them. I’m more interested in seeing how the pinless figure feels.
I’ll buy the new Hulk body in every color they want to make it. Literally. Every one. Purple Hulk doesn’t exist? Don’t care, I’ll buy it.
There’s a lot of symbiotes coming. I’m not overly enthused about it. I like symbiotes, but I don’t really feel the urge for symbioted versions of regular people. I don’t know if I’ll be getting them or not. Depends on how I feel when they come out. It’s pretty low on my excitement meter.
I was thinking the Gamerverse wave would be the same thing. I have no problem with video game-styled figures, but any chance to save money on a full wave is welcome.
Then they had to trot out a whole bunch of awesome. A new Leader, Mach-1 (finally more original Thunderbolts!!) Mar-Vell and Rage, with a new deco Kamala as well? I’m all in for all of them, and if I’m that far in I might as well get the entire wave. And while I’m at it, I’ll get that exclusive Starboost armor also. Son of a bitch!!
(It’s not Starburst, I have to keep reminding myself. It’s Starboost. But Starburst were delicious.)
I like that new Punisher, but I like the black bike even more. It gives me Marauder from Team America vibes. But yeah, it’s a cool Frank.
It’s going to be nice to FINALLY get a classic War Machine, this time with a really nice Rhodey head. That hair is straight out of the comics. He comes with a nice array of weapons and effects. Very cool deluxe.
And, I think, the Spider-Man retro wave is the last thing to cover. Gwen, with an alternate Mary jane head (with actual bangs), is pretty cool. Peter Parker with spidey-sense head and terrifying glasses is also cool. However, the real news is a brand new Spider-Man with redesigned articulation. Squintier spidey-eyes! Wobble joint! Actual splits! It’s so damn beautiful, and the painted on webbing (my personal preference) might actually make the Mafex Spider-Man nervous. I can’t believe how many definitive A-listers we’ve been getting lately. I’m going to be buying multiples of him as well. Damn!
Damn!!
That’s it, I think!!
