Squigiman

I retweeted at @zachwoliner. Hoping for a win! Figures sure aren't getting any cheaper, and I've really had to cut back lately. Fingers crossed! -Zach

Hey, So, a full/updated Jim Lee blue/gold team is finally almost upon us, once the new Jean comes out in the 3-pack. This also takes care of the 90's cartoon team, with the ponytail head, outside of a Morph. We're now also on the way to getting a full 90's X-Factor, as well. Still, the Giant-Size team remains incomplete. Additionally, even with the new Dazzler in the retro line, we are one player shy of a full team for the old arcade game. We can get one step closer with one and complete the other with a first appearance Storm. I know she's been long in demand in the fan community. Hasbro has been doing awesome, especially with females, and they can obviously hit this one out of the park. The only question is when? Maybe sneak her into the "Deadpool" wave where Strong Guy is the BAF? I mean, it's been about 12 years since the ToyFare fan poll ( http://www.oafe.net/blog/2007/09/marvel-legends-fans-choice-poll/ ), and I would even take the figure as presented back then, though I imagine they could make improvements, still. We got Silver Samurai and a better Magneto. Ororo needs her turn to be fulfilled, at last. (Not to mention the Canadian twins, but that's for another post, about filling out the ranks of Alpha Flight). -Zach

Really, even as the original team, and with Kirby designs/art involved? I thought first appearances are kind of something people dig quite a bit. -Zach

Hey, I know that Hasbro has even redone ones that they have made, including ones in the not-too-distant past (Jean Grey jumps to mind, but also someone like Emma Frost. I guess Scott's lovers have a pattern.), so I was wondering what people thought about this. I mean, I doubt we'd ever get a box set do-over of a box set, but I surely can't be the only one who was pretty let down by the final product of the TRU Original X-Men box set, right? I mean, I wanted this team forever, basically since a comic-based, all-encompassing, 6" scale Marvel figure line was started. When they finally came out, they based them more on the recent Immonen art for the time-displaced team in the Bendis All-New run, rather than the original Kirby style that those were, in turn, based on. Even so, why they went with raised lines on each head, like tiny mohawks, to represent the drawn seams on the costumes, I have no idea. I think the seams should have been completely ignored. Not only that, the simply using paint to delineate between blue and yellow parts of the costume, separated by straight vertical lines, left much to be desired. Toss in Beast's lack of wrist articulation, Angel's wonky facial painting and odd single wing combo thing across his back, and Iceman lacking the snowy look and galoshes, and the ball was pretty well dropped. I guess Jean came out the best, with the least wrong with her, but still, there is room for improvement all around. Even if released as single carded figures, even across multiple waves, I would be so happy to see the team that started it all for Marvel's mighty mutants get another shot at plastic glory. How about you? Is it something you'd want? Do you think Hasbro could see it being worth doing? -Zach

Yeah, I guess it's a sort of double-edged sword. Of course, it sucked when I ended up getting into DCUC because there was simply barely any ML to collect at the time (though I do regret passing up some TRU 2-packs like Widow/Winter Soldier, when I thought the RETAIL PRICES were too much to shell out at the time (*SIGH*)), but now, there are new figures coming out almost every week, it seems. I'd rather have more than less, for sure, but it does get to be too much, and if you don't see a wave in stores, its space on pegs/shelves is already quickly replaced by the next one, and then you're forced to rely on the secondary market for what you missed out on. Of course, with no TRU, it's also much easier to miss out, too, unless you go the online only route, which often means the added expense of shipping costs, not to mention taking away the fun of finding what you want in the wild, and/or being able to look over a given figure or multiple options in a store, checking for paint issues or whatever. I don't know what the ideal situation is, right now. Maybe for me to have more disposable income. -Zach

I certainly would like one in ML scale of the classic, most well-known look. I did end up eventually buying the Select one, when it had a good sale price online, but even though he is a robot, so you can cheat the scale a little, I would prefer a proper ML one. -Zach

Yeah, count me in with the rest not keen on Guido being stuck with a Deadpool wave, as was the long-awaited Sauron. Of course, it could just mean mutant-heavy, with at least one Wade, so there are possibilities, as others have already mentioned. I'd definitely take more people who finish up the original X-Force team or a villain or two, like Black Tom or Lady Deathstrike, who DEFINITELY should be high on the list for potential do-overs. Hasbro's female re-dos have always knocked it out of the park with likenesses, and though maybe not TB Scarlet Witch bad, Yuriko was certainly not great looking. -Zach

Dark Beast needs to be more than a simple repaint of classic 90's blue Beast. He's got the metal pants, which would ideally get sculpted lines, rather than how bland it comes across when just smooth and painted. Also, he's got the extra braids of hair. He doesn't need to be massive like the 90's Toy Biz Mutant Monsters one, but I would certainly like him to get the attention he deserves, beyond a repaint. -Zach

Still waiting on Slapstick, after all of these years. -Zach

Just took this. I had to put Peter and Gwen and Ben and May. Obviously, civilians, especially an old lady and a dead old man, are not the most likely on their own. Otherwise, Banshee and Thunderbird help finish off the Giant-Size team. Then, AoA Jean and Scott, because it's AoA. -Zach

It would certainly be a nice way to finally get The Warriors Three. Of course, the most likely time would be to tie in with the next film, and they were already very unceremoniously killed off in the last one. Of course, I am talking about the comic versions, so it only matters so much. Either way, it's been nice, in recent years, for the Asgardian representation to have finally gone beyond Thor and Loki. I still need to grab that along-awaited classic version of the trickster. -Zach

I can't necessarily think of a whole wave, but seeing the X-Men villains come up, I would certainly see it as an opportunity to finally get a classic Mastermind, finishing the original Brotherhood (alongside a much needed Toad do-over). On the more recent side of that team, I'd like to finally get a comic-accurate Avalanche, as well, as the X-Men line's one didn't quite match up just right. -Zach

I don't think so. Much as with movie and comic-based figures, you typically need to mix and match, so you know that you're appealing to at least one part of the collecting community or another. If you go all-in in a single wave, you may alienate people who don't care about the game, for example. Like, if the whole wave was PS4 Spidey-based, including the BAF, and it didn't do as well as usual, they might be discouraged from doing any more figures from it, right off the bat. -Zach

Hey, Just wondering, with the recently announced wave/s for the AoA, based on my personal all-time favorite comic storyline, what people view as the must-have characters to be made. Pretty cool to be getting the spot on Weapon X, though I truly hope he doesn't only have the stub with claws always popped, as that was a one-off thing, from what I remember. Otherwise, so psyched for both X-Man and Morph. I remember getting the Most Wanted X-Man, back in the 5" days, but he never felt quite right, especially in the hairdo execution, so getting him in Legends is a long-awaited correction. It would be nice if he didn't only have an always powered on eye, so an alternate head would work, but it's not the worst case scenario. Otherwise, Morph is great, too. A very toyetic design. Hopefully, it might also mean we can get his cartoon counterpart, soon, to truly finish that lineup, maybe even with a calm Beast head as one of the alternates, but that could also work with the regular Beast figure. Anyway, beside that, I feel the titular baddie is the prime BAF candidate, and you've got to have his heroic counterpart, Magneto, which would be a very easy do-over, as his costume is pretty much the same, with just a different head/helmet, with the long hair with braids, and maybe a helmet that's darkened, like the Onslaught one from Kitty Pryde, as he was sometimes depicted with his face hidden. Otherwise, with him should come his partner (were they married?), Rogue, as she co-led the X-Men. Cyclops, while mostly more toward the villainous side in that arc, had a cool design and would make for a good toy, as well. Of course, with Weapon X, we should get HIS partner, Jean. Gambit looked cool and led his own team in that reality, so I could see him getting a spot, and though we're just getting a main reality redo, Sinister would be nice, giving us a Horseman, to serve Big A. If we get two waves, at least, I would hope to add to the proper AoA X-Men lineups, with Iceman and his cool, spiky look, with the pointed chin, but would also like to fill out the rest, with Storm, Quicksilver, Banshee, Dazzler, Exodus, Wild Child, etc. What do you think? For reference, I am also including an image all of the characters that were covered in one form or another, back in the 5" days of Toy Biz. -Zach

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Damn! That Black Widow does look great. I am guessing the TRU 2-pack for the body, but where is that head from? -Zach

Just got this in the mail from my HTS pre-order, though I have yet to open it. A little less excited after seeing these pics, as the new Evans headsculpt was a major factor, but it doesn't look so hot in the final product. Still probably Hasbro's best effort, so far, but not so great next to the other one (is it Figuarts, maybe?). Either way, Crossbones is at least another of the previously neglected MCU villains, seemingly finally getting their due, so there's that, at least. -Zach

Hey Everyone, How's it going? I just signed up, specifically for this contest. So many good ML figures coming to us, this year. Kind of hard to keep up with. I still haven't even seen Mysterio or Cable in person. Hoping I can get everything I want and still pay my bills. Ha ha! Hoping this post counts towards the contest. Looking forward to being part of the community. -Zach