Marvel Legends Nightcrawler - Who Did It Better? Hasbro Or Toy Biz

[JayC]

Today I do a comparison of the classic Marvel Legends Nightcrawler figure from Toy Biz and the new modern Hasbro version.
 

Check out images for both figures below in our GALLERY and be sure to share your own thoughts about which one you like better in the COMMENTS SECTION.

[michiganjfrog]

definitely Hasbro, the face sculpts do a great job of making him look younger

[woodyharrelsoncarnage]

Does anyone know what the face with the black on the forehead is supposed to represent?

[Adidion]

I believe it’s supposed to show his shadow blending ability, but I’m not 100% on that. 

[Ironspider428]

While I think this was one of the better Toy Biz figures, I definitely have to go with Hasbro on this one. Face sculpts are way better, proportions look more natural and accurate, and it fits in with the new style of Hasbro MLs, which comprise most newer collections. I generally think Hasbro has beaten most of the old TB Legends, which haven’t aged very well, in my opinion.

[DarthOdette]

Hasbro in EVERY respect 

[BludChylde]

Don't have the Hasbro one yet, but looking at the side by side pics, definitely Hasbro.

[DarthOdette]

To those, including yourself @JayC, that are wondering about the headsculpt with the black wash, it is meant to convey the art where his face is hidden in shadow.  Many artists color him this way.  Check out this image!

[Shadowdark7]

I love both figures, but articulations wise i'll give it to toybiz. But the best looking is hasbro. The headsculpt are fantastic on the hasbro figure. Hasbro also gave him his sword, which Was missing with the toybiz version.

[Adidion]

I recently sold all my X-Men Marvel Legends, but these new waves are drawing me back in😭

[Reno]

The Toy Biz version and it's not close. The articulation and quality of plastic is far superior, although the Hasbro version has better paint and a better tail.

[bashpics99]

I think its all well and good to say a brand new ToyBiz nightcrawler stacks up well against the new hasbro figure. But my personal experience in buying toybiz figures off ebay is that in most cases they have loose limbs, chipped/worn paint, etc even if they are being sold by adult collectors, so i don't usually bother getting toybiz versions of characters anymore.  Sure you can find them MIC if you're willing to pay well above $20.  Anyhow, love the new nightcrawler figure, the extra heads really make for a lot of posing options, and i also dig the cutlass and cutlass-holding hand.  

[Hordak Rules]

I don't have anything against the new one, but yes I loved the articulation in the hands and feet on the Toybiz one

[RAMCAT]

Haven't received mine yet but I'd say Hasbro's Nightcrawler all.the.way!

[Gigantor]

TB Jay Leno version was good for it's time but after awhile, it got very wobbly in the lower legs & especially in the foot joints. Hasbro version blows it away. Though the fascination with him having a sword is weird as he hardly ever fights with a sword in hand. He utilizes his teleporting powers to do a lot of hit & run. Maybe in the 2000s has he started using a cutlass more, but doubt it as he does not kill & most of the X-Men enemies are beyond a sword's ability to do them harm.

[greenlucario]

No contest, Hasbro knocked this one out of the park.  The head sculpt, especially the smiling one, is leagues beyond the ToyBiz head sculpt.  The stature is better, the tail is better, the sculpt is better.  The only thing that ToyBiz still reigns supreme on is articulation, and that's the only fault of this newer Nightcrawler, but it still has enough articulation to make it an amazing figure.  I've also owned two copies of the ToyBiz Nightcrawler, purchased years apart, and both had issues with the hips, something that I haven't had with this new one.

[greenlucario]

28 minutes ago, Gigantor said:

TB Jay Leno version was good for it's time but after awhile, it got very wobbly in the lower legs & especially in the foot joints. Hasbro version blows it away. Though the fascination with him having a sword is weird as he hardly ever fights with a sword in hand. He utilizes his teleporting powers to do a lot of hit & run. Maybe in the 2000s has he started using a cutlass more, but doubt it as he does not kill & most of the X-Men enemies are beyond a sword's ability to do them harm.

Yeah the sword thing isn't new.  In fact it's pretty retro.  His solo series showed him at least in the covers with a cutlass (see below), across most of his characterization Nightcrawler has been a "swashbuckler", and has even had writers taking inspiration from Eroll Flynn movies.  The only modern instances of him favoring a sword are Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 3, as well as Jason Aaron/Ed McGuinness run on Amazing X-Men.  I guess you could also count Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force, but that was AoA Nightcrawler, so not technically the same character.  So while uncommon among his many appearances, Nightcrawler is no stranger to swords.  

[Gigantor]

17 minutes ago, greenlucario said:

Yeah the sword thing isn't new.  In fact it's pretty retro.  His solo series showed him at least in the covers with a cutlass (see below), across most of his characterization Nightcrawler has been a "swashbuckler", and has even had writers taking inspiration from Eroll Flynn movies.  The only modern instances of him favoring a sword are Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 3, as well as Jason Aaron/Ed McGuinness run on Amazing X-Men.  I guess you could also count Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force, but that was AoA Nightcrawler, so not technically the same character.  So while uncommon among his many appearances, Nightcrawler is no stranger to swords.  

Yes, I'm aware of those comics of him holding a cutlass. I guess I'm going by the Claremont/Byrne classic run where he didn't brandish a cutlass in battle. Personally , I won't display him brandishing it in my battle pics.  It's cool that Hasbro did make it for him, but it's not really essential to the character like Cap's shield is to him.

[michiganjfrog]

im liking these comparison vids

[genjoke]

My opinion: Best body Toybiz. Best heads: Hasbro - Hasbro heads pros: expressions, Hasbro heads cons: looking too young.

[enzosaurusrex]

I'm staring at my Toybiz NightCrawler that's on my shelf right now. The ball hip hinges are distracting and when I was posing him yesterday it was hard to stand him up as the leg joints are hard to position. My Hasbro one has arrived at my sister's so I haven't gotten him yet so improvement on those two things is something I'm looking forward to when I finally have him in-hand. The Toybiz head didn't/doesn't bother me but the Hasbro ones look good too.

[Batbishop]

I  definitely prefer the new one.

[belmont13]

I have the old one and love it but this new one looks to have a better headsculpt and has gripping hands for that alone, I'll give it to Hasbro. 

[SpiderS]

I would say tha Hasbro is mostly superior to Toybiz, As mentioned it’s really short figure, which I guess it due to pizza spidey mold having really short legs and super long torso, so with all new torso it turned out short, at least short compared to other marvel legends, even Mary Jane figure had longer legs than pizza spidey. But Kurt was never a tall guy, I think he’s around 5’9 so it does work after all but it would be superior in all ways if only figure had  toe articulation. 

[EvilHayato]

This says alot about how far Hasbro has come since they first got the license. Toybiz's Nightcrawler was always one of my all time favorite figs that they made. This new version by hasbro far surpasses how much i love the figure. I never liked the giant highly articulated duck feet/snow shoes feet whichever. Both are great figs but i think i like hasbros far better overall. The extra heads and accessories i think put it over the top in quality. Just fantastic.