NOVA FLAME HUMAN TORCH & ANNIHILUS
MARVEL MINIMATES
The Fantastic Four are an essential team to any Marvel line, really. They took a break from marketing for a little while in the mid 2010s, but prior to that, they would resurface in just about every line every so often. Minimates added them in 2005, and then updated them five years later in 2010, and then once again in 2013, getting them in just before stuff really started to slow down for the FF. There was a dedicated assortment in the main line, as well as some corresponding coverage on the TRU front. Today, I’m looking at part of the TRU side, with Nova Flame Human Torch and Annihilus.
THE FIGURES THEMSELVES
Nova Flame Human Torch and Annihilus were released in the fifteenth TRU assortment of Marvel Minimates, which was 3/4ths FF-tie-in. They hit within weeks of the 48th specialty assortment, which was the main FF coverage.
NOVA FLAME HUMAN TORCH
“Believed dead following a battle against Annihilus in the Negative Zone, Johnny Storm was recently revealed to be alive and well, and has resumed his position with the Fantastic Four.”
There was a Human Torch in Series 48, but that one was a half-step partially flamed on version. This one, on the other hand, is a fully flamed-on version, making him a direct update to the two prior Torches. He’s built on the standard post-C3 Minimate body, so he’s about 2 1/4 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation. He gets an add-on for his flames that slips behind the head and over the shoulders, and also gets a non-standard set of feet with some flame effects (shared with his Series 48 counterpart). They add flame detailing, while still keeping him very much a core ‘mate, making him more of a proper classic Human Torch. Aiding in the classic Torch set-up is the paint work, which does the scorch lines look that’s a very early comics look for him. It’s specifically patterned after the John Byrne version, allowing him to fit in with the similarly Byrne-inspired FF from Series 48. Some of the details get a little lost on the figure, since he’s transparent and all, but it works well, and it’s certainly the best take on a fully flamed on Johnny the line has gotten. Human Torch is packed with two flame effects for his hands, as well as a rather elaborate flame stand in the shape of a “4”, and a clear display stand (which debuted as a standard feature in this assortment and in Series 48).
ANNIHILUS
“The ruler of the the Negative Zone, the insectoid tyrant called Annihilus is always seeking to conquer new lands and is endlessly reincarnated through his offspring. He was recently re-elected.”
With Blastaar, another denizen of the Negative Zone, released in Series 48 (packed alongside the other Human Torch, no less), including Annihilus in this set made a lot of sense, especially given that he’d just seen a bit of a resurgence in the comics at the time, and was in fact tied in with Johnny a bit. He makes use of four add-on pieces for his collar/wings, gloves, and belt. All of these pieces were new to Annihilus, and they do an alright job of capturing his comics look. They’re a little restricting, and the collar has some trouble staying in place, but they’re generally not bad. His paint work is solid. He’s slightly metallic, which makes him suitably other worldly, and his line work is nice and clean. Annihilus is packed with a flight stand and a clear display stand, covering all of his standing needs, I suppose.
THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION
Series 48 was one of my favorite sets of Minimates (I’m a sucker for John Byrne FF), so I got that whole set as soon as possible when it was released. I put some effort into tracking these down as well, so that I could round everything out. This set’s not as essential as, say the Thing/Surfer set, since there was already a Johnny, and Annihilus isn’t exactly a core character, but it’s still a pretty respectable offering.