2005-11-23 - Figuring Out the Avengers

For a long time, it was tough being an Avengers fan if you were a toy collector. I remember as a kid in the ‘70s, buying all of the “World’s Greatest Super-Heroes” figures from Mego, and the best I could put together was a measly three-person Avengers team of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor. (My nine-year-old mind didn’t really register Hulk as an Avenger back then.) Where was the Vision? Where was Hawkeye? At least give me a Wasp or Scarlet Witch. Nope. Nothin’.

Things fared a little better in the 1990s, when Toy Biz went on a massive merchandising rampage with the Marvel license, with toy lines based on Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, the X-Men, and just about every other Marvel character you could think of. However, as far as the Avengers went, it was still a mixed bag, as even though the figures were all meant to correspond to a 5-inch scale, the wide variety of sculptors and designs made for a pretty haphazard team. For every great figure you had like the Falcon or Iron Man, there was a truly awful one like Moon Knight or Wonder Man.

However, it’s sweet, sweet nectar for today’s Avengers fan, as Toy Biz has in the last several years introduced its “Marvel Legends” line, a truly outstanding collection of action figures that combines superior, faithfully comic-book-derived sculpting and design with absolutely ingenious engineering in its articulation, all in an extremely accurate scale. While many of my favorite Avengers still await the Marvel Legends treatment, the previous 11 assortments of the line (and a few offshoots) have provided what can be called with little hyperbole (and you’ll forgive the phrase) the “ultimate” Avengers action-figure set.

What do you need to put one together for yourself? Sit down and start taking notes, gentle readers, and I’ll walk you through it.

In my book, you can’t have an Avengers squad without the Living Legend of World War II, Captain America.

In the very first assortment of Marvel Legends, the Cap figure was produced, and produced quite well. Sculpted by Toy Biz’s ace Phil Ramirez, the Captain America features 32 points of articulation, including such then-new innovations as a joint at the arch of the foot for a more realistic running pose. And the key to any good Cap figure is the shield, and this one doesn’t disappoint, with a folding clip to attach it to Cap’s wrist, and, even cooler, elastic straps so that the good captain can wear the shield on his back as we’ve all seen in so many comics over the years.

The ML line has had plenty of Iron Man figures (along with plenty of Wolverines and Ghost Riders – the three characters most popular with kids in focus groups), but for purposes of our discussion we’ll go with the modern version of Shellhead from Series 8.

Sculpted by Dave Cortez, this “Modern Iron Man” has a staggering 44 points of articulation, and includes a removable faceplate for a peek at Tony Stark’s likeness beneath the helmet. This one also came with a very cool display base, which featured Iron Man standing over a melted heap of defeated Ultrons.

Thor hadn’t received the kindest treatment from Toy Biz in his two previous figural incarnations, but they made up for it and then some with this awesome figure of the God of Thunder from ML Series 3, sculpted by Dave Cortez.

While the costume isn’t a perfect translation, with the two armor plates below the belt absent, it’s hard to complain about what is otherwise a spot-on representation of the Son of Odin, right down to the Kirby-style “T” inscribed on the belt. As for Mjolnir, it’s a little too big, and lacks the famous inscription on the head, but you can’t have everything, and with 31 points of articulation, it’s a real keeper.

There are a lot of good Hulk figures from Toy Biz to choose from, and since he never really had a sizable Avengers stint to begin with, I’ve elected to just go with my favorite: the Smart Hulk from Series 1 of the Hulk Classics line, sculpted by Phil Ramirez.

Based on the controversial Peter David run in which Bruce Banner’s various split personalities are successfully integrated, this figure of the “Intelligent Hulk” features his reading glasses (which he wore out of habit) and a giant blaster rifle, taken from his stint as the leader of the international vigilante organization known as the Pantheon. For those of you who prefer a more traditional Greenskin, there’s also the Gamma Punch Hulk figure from Hulk Classics Series 2, which featured not only an old-school savage purple-trousered Hulk, but also the first-ever figure of his alter ego, the human Bruce Banner. Both of these were also sculpted by the versatile Ramirez.

There’s not a bigger Hank Pym fan on the planet than myself, and I’m pleased to report that the Pyms are well represented in this line, thanks to the clever reuse of figures from an earlier Toy Biz product, the AVENGERS FIRST APPEARANCE BOX SET. The same Ant-Man and Wasp mini-figures are reproduced here, but with a superior paint job.

The Ant-Man’s helmet is even removable. These figures were included with the Goliath figure offered as a rare chase figure in ML Series 4.

The Goliath figure is slightly off-model from its comic-book origins, due the body of the figure being a reuse from the earlier Giant-Man figure, resulting in Goliath sporting the incorrect antennae and circular chest symbol, and not having his goggles, but you know what? It’s a Goliath figure. I’m not gonna complain that much. And since the original Giant-Man figure was oversized in comparison to that series’ 5-inch scale, it still works with the current 6-inch scale. (All of these were sculpted by Digger, of Art Asylum fame, by the way…)

I’ve gotta admit, Toy Biz has been very good to me in terms of capturing my favorite Avengers in plastic, as evidenced by the most excellent Hawkeye figure from ML Series 7. Sculpted by Sam Greenwell, the Avenging Archer is captured perfectly, looking fit but not overly muscular, and wearing his most recognizable uniform from the mid-to-late ‘70s.

And in case you’re not convinced the guys at Toy Biz are hardcore Marvel fans, check out the arrows that he comes with: straight out of the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, there’s the bola arrow, the putty arrow, the concussion arrow, and even an arrow with Ant-Man riding it from their classic encounter with the Taskmaster. My only slight quibble is that I would have liked to have seen Hawkeye riding his customary Avengers jetcycle, but it’s hard to complain about the substitute: the Black Knight’s atomic steed, as used by Clint during his THUNDERBOLTS tenure. I waited a long, long time for a really great Hawkeye figure, and man, did Toy Biz deliver.

The Vision has never received much attention when it came to merchandising, so I was pleased to see his inclusion in ML Series 7 as well.

The sculpt by Phil Ramirez is great, although he seems a little too slim to me, compared to the bulkier synthezoid I remember first seeing as drawn by guys like Tuska and Perez. Still, the design and paintjob is top-notch, and there’s even a variant figure available of Vizh in his low-density mode – a really cool transparent effect.

There was an action figure of the Vision’s on-again, off-again love interest the Scarlet Witch planned for November’s ML Series 11, but production problems sidelined the release, although Toy Biz promises she’ll return in a future assortment. In the meantime, the Scarlet Witch figure from Toy Biz’s short-lived 1996 “AVENGERS” line, which was accidentally produced at too large a scale, turns out to be an adequate if not up-to-par substitute for the time being.

Considering the long-held belief by most toy companies that female action figures don’t sell, it’s always a pleasant surprise to see one in the lineup, and the Black Widow, produced in ML Series 8, was no exception.

Natasha Romanov was sculpted by Dave Cortez, and the designers wisely decided to use her longest-running and most popular uniform, the dark blue bodysuit from the “Champions” era. The Widow was also one of the first characters to utilize Toy Biz’s new female bodystyle, which made for a much more appealing look while still providing a remarkable 40 points of articulation. The venom blasters look pretty sharp, too.

Speaking of sharp, check out the talons on our next Avenger, the Black Panther.

Toy Biz elected to go with T’Challa’s more recent costume from his Priest-penned solo series, with the gold trim and claws, and it looks pretty sweet. Also, the cape is removable, with a smartly engineered gold clasp at the neck that hides its function remarkably well. The Dave Cortez-sculpted figure as a walloping 42 points of articulation, including four individually poseable fingers on each hand. Wow.

Sharing a torso and leg sculpt with the Panther is everybody’s favorite reluctant Avenger, Simon Williams himself, Wonder Man, from the upcoming ML Series 11. From the metallic bracelets to the red ionic eyes to the belt-jets, Toy Biz gets everything right here, in another A+ sculpt by Cortez.

In keeping with the assortment’s “Legendary Riders” theme, Simon comes packaged with a ludicrous looking hoverbike shaped like, well, like a big red “W.” Yeesh. Why not just use this opportunity for an Avengers jetcycle? However, Toy Biz more than makes up for the “Wonderbike” misstep with the inclusion of a minifigure of Yellowjacket, attached to a clear plastic stand that plugs into Simon’s back. Nice.

If Wonder Man’s around, the bouncing Beast can’t be far behind. Hank McCoy made his way into the lineup in ML Series 4, with this excellent sculpt by Dave Cortez that features 40 points of articulation, including a very sharp-looking opening jaw.

While the Beast looks a little too feral and angry in terms of his Avengers run, where he was primarily used as comic relief, the figure’s mass and sheer size, especially when crouched in his usual apelike position, capture the character quite well.

Another of my favorite Avengers, the sensational She-Hulk, hasn’t received a Marvel Legends figure yet, but recently was featured in Toy Biz’s direct-market only “Marvel Select” line, in an excellent figure sculpted by Phil Ramirez, inspired by the cover of the second issue of her recent comic.

While it doesn’t fit in perfectly with the ML line, it’s close enough in my book, and since Jen Walters is supposed to tower over just about everyone, the scale looks right to me. I’d prefer a John Byrne- or John Buscema-inspired figure, but I have no doubt it’ll come in time.

After tenures as both an Invader and a Defender, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner managed to pull off the “Marvel super-team” hat trick in the late’80s when he was invited to join the Avengers. Unfortunately, Toy Biz bewilderingly elected to produce the action figure from ML Series 2 in his atrocious costume from his 1970s solo series, and not the green trunks that just about everyone associates the character with.

Still, it is a good-looking figure, as sculpted by Phil Ramirez.

One of the Avengers recruits that was never used up to its potential was the Sandman’s induction during Larry Hama’s run. I really liked the idea, as it capped off what had been a long-running development in the former villain’s character. While later, short-sighted writers chose to undo it and make him a bad guy again, well, it’s my Avengers shelf, and I say the Sandman stays.

Also the work of Phil Ramirez, this super-detailed Sandman figure (look at the fine sandy grain on the surface) appeared in Series 12 of Toy Biz’s SPIDER-MAN CLASSICS line. I particularly like the sand-axe and sand-mace accessories he comes with.

Now, I’m a stickler for accuracy, and since Reed and Sue Richards and Ben Grimm were all at one point Avengers, despite having relatively brief tours of duty (the Thing’s official membership lasting little more than a day or two, if I recall.), they’ve gotta be included here. I elected to go with the versions that appeared in the FANTASTIC FOUR BOX SET, all of which were sculpted by Phil Ramirez, since they’re sporting the more recent dark-blue-and-white uniforms, which matches up roughly with the time period of their membership on the team.

Jim Rhodes’ membership in the Avengers was spent primarily as Iron Man, during one of Tony Stark’s less sober periods, and although his stint as War Machine came much later, once an Avenger, always an Avenger, and besides, his figure from ML Series 9 is just too cool not to include.

Sculpted by Steve Kiwus and Dave Cortez, not only is the War Machine armor bristling with weaponry, the figure includes snap-on accessories to simulate a barrage of missiles, bullets, smoke and flames bursting from War Machine’s cannons, repulsors and bootjets. A very cool feature not done before or since.

More recent issues of NEW AVENGERS have seen the arrival of Spider-Man on a full-time Avenger, although he’d been inducted on a reserve basis back in Larry Hama’s run (even if not enough attention was ever paid to what should have been a serious, status-quo-changing event for both the AVENGERS and SPIDER-MAN books). For inclusion in my Avengers team, out of the scores of Spidey figures produced by Toy Biz in recent years, I’ve chosen the Web Cannon Spider-Man from SPIDER-MAN CLASSICS Series 12, an Alex Ross-inspired figure that also bears a good resemblance to artist Dave Finch’s portrayal of the webslinger in the pages of NEW AVENGERS.

The other New Avenger to already boast a Marvel Legends figure is Wolverine, who made his appearance back in ML Series 3, as sculpted by Phil Ramirez.

Now that you’ve got all these Avengers, you probably need someone for them to face off against on the shelf. Well, while many of the Avengers’ classic villains like Baron Zemo, Kang and the Grim Reaper have yet to see the inside of a store shelf. Toy Biz has been kind enough to offer a few of the Avengers’ most frequent opponents for purchase, such as Dr. Doom, the Red Skull and Ultron, although I’ll be the first to admit that the Ultron figure was rather disappointing, with Toy Biz’ designers electing to create their own overly detailed robot body for the character, rather than going with John Buscema’s classically understated and streamlined design for Ultron-11.

Not only that, they never seem to be able to get that trademark gaping Ultron maw right. They should take lessons from Randy Bowen, who totally nailed it in a recent mini-bust release.

However, credit where it’s due: two Avengers baddies were recently captured to perfection. First up was the Absorbing Man, in this outstanding Phil Ramirez-sculpted piece from Series 2 of the Hulk Classics line, a tragically underordered figure that not many collectors were able to find.

The rivets on Crusher Creel’s steel arm were an especially nice touch. The crème de le crème of Avengers villains in plastic has to be the upcoming Taskmaster from Marvel Legends Series 11, an astoundingly accurate figure of the resident “goon-supplier” of the Marvel Universe, which includes his shield, sword, pistol, billy club and quiver, which fits smoothly and surreptitiously beneath his white cape.

If only the figure included a longbow, some arrows and a scabbard for the sword, it would be absolutely perfect, but it’s hard to nitpick a figure this nice. The Taskmaster comes with a superfluous reissue of Hawkeye’s atomic steed, but if you put him on Wolverine’s motorcycle from the same assortment, well he just looks too cool for school.

There you have it. Not bad for only three years’ worth of production, eh? What does the future hold for the Avengers in plastic? Well, while there are rumors of a YOUNG AVENGERS box set and a new figure of Loki for next year, and who knows what else 2006 may bring? Now I just need a Quinjet…

Scott Tipton is patiently waiting for Toy Biz to produce a Hercules figure, allowing him to complete the “Champions” action figure set he’s wanted since he was 10. He realizes how sad that is. Feel free to ask him any questions about the Avengers, by e-mailing them here.

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