Tag Archives: X-Men

#3580: Ultimate X-Spanse

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

ULTIMATE X-SPANSE

X-MEN X TRANSFORMERS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0059: The X-Men’s primary mode of transportation, the Blackbird, was introduced by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum in X-Men #94, the first regular issue of X-Men following its major re-work in Giant-Size X-Men #1.

I’m still in a very X-Men mood.  Can’t imagine why that might be….certainly nothing to do with the launch of X-Men ’97 this week, right?  In an effort to keep things a little more diverse, however, I’m not *just* looking at strictly Marvel stuff, right?  No, I’m also going to look at a Transformer.  For variety.  So, um, here’s “Ultimate X-Spanse.”

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Ultimate X-Spanse was released under Hasbro’s Transformers: Collaborative banner.  He hit in early 2021, as a shared exclusive between Hasbro Pulse and Target.  As with a number of other exclusives, he was also offered up in limited quantities later through other Fan Channel outlets.  In his robot mode, he’s roughly 8 inches tall and he has 21 workable points of articulation.  X-Spanse uses the Leader Class Studio Series Jetfire as a starting point, largely for the purposes of his alt-mode.  The robot mode, on the other hand, is fairly unique.  Rather than dial in on one particular X-Man, X-Spanse’s design incorporates a number of different ones, for something more general purpose.  To my eyes, he still reads the heaviest as a Cyclops, but I’m more prone to seeing specifically the Cyclops elements, I feel.  I really like the flip-up visor on the head; it’s a lot of fun.  Beyond that, it’s a nifty design in general, and it certainly feels very X-Men-y.  X-Spanse is packed with three different effects pieces, all loosely patterned on Psylocke’s psychic weaponry.  One’s just a “blade” attachment, and another mimics Wolverine’s claws.  There’s also a version of her “psychic butterfly,” but it doesn’t actually go on his face at all, which makes its presence…odd.  Lastly, we get a small Wolverine and Sabretooth.  No Cyclops feels like a missed opportunity, right?

As with most of the Collaborative releases, the alt mode to this guy is an important selling point.  He turns into the Blackbird…or at least some approximation of it.  While the packaging plays up the ’90s angle, the actual vehicle looks more like the real world vehicle the Blackbird was based upon.  This is in part thanks to the re-used Jetfire pieces, since he was based on a real vehicle as well.  The transformation process is a bit tricky, and in full vehicle mode, the wings have a tendency to flap out of place very easily.  Still, it’s pretty cool.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I wanted one of these when he was new, but he was exclusive, and I had some other stuff going on in 2021.  I had the opportunity to get one later when he got the Fan Channel release, but the moment had passed, and I didn’t jump on it then either.  But, then a used one came into All Time, and it felt like the moment was now unavoidable, so now I have one.  He’s fun.  I don’t feel like I really missed anything by waiting, but I do like finally having one, and he ties into my general X-Men excitement nicely.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3579: Cyclops

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

CYCLOPS

MARVEL LEGENDS (TOY BIZ)

Fun FiQ Fact #0058: On two separate occasions during Toy Biz’s run with Marvel, they released Cyclops’ classic ’70s costume and second X-Factor costume on the same mold, with ’70s as the variant to X-Factor the first time, and X-Factor as the variant the second time.

When Toy Biz’s Marvel Legends was running, I was, much like a lot of the fanbase, very invested in the line.  I was particularly invested in the X-Men, and strove to get as complete a line-up as possible.  You can’t have a good X-line-up without Cyclops, but Scott wasn’t given the official Legends treatment until the tenth assortment of the line (he did get a Classics figure, which wasn’t a bad offering on its own, but that’s still *technically* different).  And it was…well, it wasn’t great you guys.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cyclops was released in the Sentinel Series of Toy Biz’s Marvel Legends.  It was the tenth series of the line, and the second assortment to sport a Build-A-Figure.  As noted above, there were two versions of Cyclops available: a standard release in his Cockrum/Byrne costume, and a variant with his second X-Factor uniform.  The figure stands 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation.  At his core, Cyclops is using a mold previously used for the line’s versions of Namor and Nick Fury.  I believe its original origins are in one of Toy Biz’s wrestling lines, but I don’t know enough about those to know for certain.  The torso, pelvis, arms, and upper legs are re-used, while the head, hands/gloves, and lower legs are new.  The end result is, simply put, a mess.  The torso is really stiff, and clearly not sculpted to be wearing a shirt.  The pelvis and legs make for an awkward working in of the articulation, and again don’t really match the suit he’s supposed to be wearing.  There’s not a proper belt, which looks weird for the standard release, but there’s still *sort of* a belt, which looks weird for the variant.  The new hands extend the arms, and are really huge, while the new boots are similarly huge, but are also squat, generally shortening the figure, resulting in a monkey-arm situation.  The head sculpt is the best work, and that’s really relative more than anything.  I do like the visor sculpt, but the face looks a bit odd, and the head’s really big, I guess to compensate for the rather buff body.  The paint is what differentiates these two, but the application isn’t terribly different in approach.  The bulk of the suit coloring on both is heavy on the drybrushing and accenting, which feels more right for the standard, but not so much for the variant.  The lighter colors on both wind up a bit muddied, with special note going to the mix of pure white and light grey on the variant.  The striping on the variant is a bit thin for the design, made more notable by the larger size of the body.  Both figures give him very pink lips, which makes it look like he’s wearing lipstick.  Both releases were packed without accessories for Cyclops, instead just giving a piece to the Sentinel.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I was excited for this figure when it was released, but wound up really disappointed by the final product.  So disappointed that I dragged my heels on even getting one.  I actually got the variant first.  My dad found him and the variant blue Angel from the same set, and gave them both to me for Christmas the year the came out.  I only added the standard to my collection very recently, when one was traded into All Time.  Neither of them is a particularly good figure, and that’s only been made more apparent by Hasbro giving us far better versions of both looks.  But, they’re a curious entry in the history of the line.

#3578: Cyclops

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

CYCLOPS

X-MEN ’97 EPIC HEROES (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0057: Cyclops’ Jim Lee re-designed costume has appeared in figure form 19 times, before the arrival of the X-Men ’97 tie-ins.

Do you guys know what day it is?  It’s X-Men ’97 day!  After a 27 year hiatus, X-Men: The Animated Series is back in the form of X-Men ’97, which makes its debut to Disney+ today.  I might be just the slightest bit excited about this.  No biggie.  There’s a whole plethora of tie-in merch hitting for the show, so I figured the launch day might be a good one to review one of those.  And, you know me: I’m a sucker for a Cyclops figure.  So, I’m definitely gonna review one of those!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cyclops is part of the first series of Hasbro’s X-Men ’97 Epic Heroes line, which is both a tie-in for the show, and also falls under their new “Epic Heroes” banner, which is what they’re classifying all their basic price-point 1/18 scale lines under.  Cyclops was also re-released alongside the rest of Series 1, plus the vehicle pack-in Storm, and a thus far exclusive Gambit, in a five-pack for Target, which hit towards the end of last year.  The figure stands just shy of 4 inches tall and he has 15 points of articulation.  In terms of mobility, he’s about on par with the end of the Universe/Legends run.  It’s not a terrible set-up, and he’s honestly able to pull off most of the poses you’d need to get out of him.  Plus, he doesn’t feel as fiddly as some of the Universe figures, and he’s certainly more stable on his feet than the Universe ’90s Cyclops figure.  The sculpt on this figure is all-new, and it’s not bad.  It does appear that, in spite of him being specifically called out as a ’97 figure, he’s a little more in line with his design from the original show.  This is especially evident in the head, notably the way the hair sits.  Of course, it still works very much as an evergreen take on the character, which is far from a bad thing.  The actual detailing is all pretty sharp, and the proportions are nicely balanced.  Cyclops’ color work is decent enough.  Paint, especially the yellow sections, is a little sloppy.  I’m also not sure why they’ve neglected to paint his shorts yellow, but I assume there’s probably some sort of cost-saving element involved.  It’s a frustrating omission, but not the end of the world.  Cyclops is packed with an optic blast effect piece, which slips over his head.  It’s super goofy, but I unabashedly love it.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

Last year, when these started to be sighted at retail, and their listings dropped on Amazon with no real info, I jumped on them, because, well, it’s ’90s X-Men, and how can I not.  Obviously, I’m not the main target audience for the line, which is part of the reason why I haven’t reviewed any of the four figures I’ve picked up until now.  But, like I said above, I can’t resist a good Cyclops, and, basic though he may be, this is a good Cyclops.  And now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna watch a new episode of X-Men: The Animated Series for the first time in two decades.

#3573: Cyclops

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

CYCLOPS

ONE:12 COLLECTIVE (MEZCO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0051:  I have reviewed a total of 43 Cyclops figures here on the site, going back to the very first week of reviews.

My love of Cyclops is, of course, no secret.  It’s honestly only grown over the years, and more and more, he’s becoming one of those characters that I just want to own as many versions of as possible.  This means, in part, going back and picking up certain Cyclops figures I opted to skip the first time around.  When Mezco released their two versions of the character, I was obviously in for the Jim Lee-inspired one, but there was a variant that I passed on…at the time.  But, this isn’t that time, so, well, here we are.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cyclops was released in the fall of 2019, as part of Mezco’s One:12 Collective.  The standard version was the Jim Lee costume, which hit first, followed shortly by the PX-exclusive, which is the one I’m looking at today.  This one is based on Cyclops’ classic ’70s era costume.  The figure stands 6 inches tall and he has over 30 points of articulation.

Like the standard version, this Cyclops sported multiple heads.  He’s got the standard calm expression, as well as one with gritted teeth (which is more reserved than the outright scream that the standard release got), both of which are sporting the full cowl.  He’s also got a fully unmasked head, which is also on the calmer side.  They’re all consistent with the “likeness” seen on the standard release, which is a respectable enough look for Scott.  I’m still partial to the Legends heads, but these work.  All three of the heads work with the light-up feature in the neck, which is the same assembly as the regular.  It’s not super bright, but it’s better than nothing, I suppose.

This figure is built on the same base body as the regular release.  It’s pretty standard fare, and still fits well for the character.  He’s using the same wrist bands and boots as the modern style figure, as well as a slightly darker, but otherwise unmodified version of the underlying bodysuit.  He’s also got a unique belt piece, and a pair of shorts over the bodysuit.  The wrist bands and boots aren’t accurate to the design they were going for, but the belt has at least been similarly modernized, so it feels more like a stylistic choice than an actual mess-up.  I really like the fact that they gave him back the shorts, as it was the one major thing missing from the other release.

Cyclops’ accessories set-up was pretty good.  He gets the two extra heads, plus five extra visors to swap out between the two masked ones, which includes two extra standards, two “smoking eye,” and two different extremes of blasts.  There’s a pair of sunglasses meant for the unmasked head as well.  He also gets three pairs of hands, in fists, open gesture, and a flat/visor operating pose combo, as well as a display stand that matches the other release.  He does *not* get the bomber jacket, which is fine, since this design shouldn’t have that anyway.  At least there’s the extra head.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I opted not to get this one new, in part because he was more expensive than the already rather expensive standard version.  I came to regret that choice later, but I didn’t pay it too much mind.  Well, All Time got in a collection of epic proportions last week, and it included a metric ton of 1/6 and 1/12 figures.  This guy didn’t appear to be amongst the Mezcos at first glance, but we dug him out during the second batch, and I just couldn’t say no.  Both Mezco Cyclopses exist in an odd space for me, because I don’t find myself enjoying them as much as the comparatively cheaper Legends versions of the same looks.  But, I do still like them, because they’re Cyclops figures, and I just have a tendency to like those.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  They’re still processing that epically proportioned collection this guy came from, and it will be hitting their their eBay storefront for the next few weeks at the very least, so definitely check that out.

#3541: Mr Sinister

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

MR SINISTER

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

Fun FiQ Fact #0020:  Toy Biz’s original Mr Sinister mold had three different color variations, as they desperately attempted to keep up with the character’s comic design changes.

Remember when I was talking about how I screwed up on my ID-ing of the Mr Sinister figures from Toy Biz?  It was a week ago, so it shouldn’t be too distant in your memories.  Well, there’s the three color variants, and I’ve looked at the original, and the late run repaint, but there’s one more, right in the middle, and I haven’t looked at him.  I don’t like the dangling anticipation, so check it out!  The last one!  Now with beard!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Mr Sinister was released in the 1993 repaint series of Toy Biz’s X-Men line.  Last week’s Sinister was the way the repaint was shown off on the card back, but was actually released later, while this figure wasn’t pictured at all, yet was still the figure that shipped with the rest of the repaint series.  Like the other two Sinister figures, this one is 5 inches tall and he has 8 points of articulation.  It’s exactly the same sculpt as before.  He’s still stiff, but he still works for the character.  The color differences between this guy and the very first release are exceedingly minimal.  In fact, the two are identical apart from the outlined lips and the presence of the beard.  That’s it.  That’s the whole change-up.  Not even a minor palette swap.  I mean, I guess it could be worse?  It was enough to get me to buy it, so somebody won.  I don’t know who.  I mean, Toy Biz went out of business years ago, and I bought all of my Sinisters second hand, so not them.  Was it me?  Did I win?

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

It’s crazy that I didn’t have this guy on hand to do both repaints in one review last week, right?  Like, what are the odds that I’d find this repaint right after reviewing the other one?  Well, pretty low, because this one has been sitting in the backroom at All Time Toys since I got the other one.  They came in at the same time, and I got so distracted by the more obvious repaint, that I missed that I didn’t have this one.  Look, I try, you guys, but the Sinisters just confuse me.  They’re my Toy Biz blindspot!  Well, now I have all three, so no one can stop me now!

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3536: Mr Sinister

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

MR SINISTER

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

Fun FiQ Fact #0015: Creator Chris Claremont intended for Mr Sinister to be dark take on the “Shazam” concept, revealed to be the projection of Nate, a fellow orphan from Scott’s childhood.

Every so often here, my solid knowledge of toy-related things fails me. Okay, maybe not fails, but lapses. And then I say something definitively, and it’s totally not definitive because it’s actually wrong. Me? Wrong? Believe it or not, it happens. What’s even crazier is that in this instance, it’s about Toy Biz Marvel, which is especially in my wheelhouse. In my review of Mr. Sinister, I referred to him as the repaint, noting that the only difference between the two releases was that the “repaint” lacked the goatee of the original. Turns out I was lying like some kind of lying person. The one I reviewed was in fact the original release. This one? Repaint. Maybe not *the* repaint, but certainly *a* repaint.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Mr Sinister was released in the 1993 Repaint Series of Toy Biz’s X-Men line…maybe. Here’s the thing about this guy: he’s got a somewhat confusing history. The prototype shots for the repaint series showed the figure seen here, but when the assortment hit retail, the Sinister that showed up was the same as the standard, but with his goatee added. About three years later, the figure that matched the prototype randomly started showing up mixed in with KB Toys’ close out stock of earlier assessments. Did they just, like, forget to pack the new one in and send him out later? Who knows? Certainly not me. I just review figures and get things wrong. The figure stands 5 inches tall and has 8 points of articulation. He’s using the same sculpt as the initial release, which, apart from its stiffness, is a pretty good sculpt.  The main change-up to the figure is the cape, which is now a totally red piece.  Beyond that, it’s minor changes, with the neckline becoming a v-neck, and the blue taking on more of an indigo hue than its original release.  His forehead diamond is also a little larger, and, on mine, there’s a red spot on his chin, which looks a little bit like his smaller soul patch look, even if it’s not supposed to.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Keeping track of all of the Sinister variations is definitely a bit tricky.  I got the first one, and since then I’ve been trying to get the other two variants, because I’m weird like that.  I was honestly not even expecting to get this one when I did; a collection came into All Time, and I just assumed the Sinister would be the one I already had, since it’s the most common by far.  But it wasn’t and now I’ve got 2 out of 3!  Noice!

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3531: Jean Grey

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

JEAN GREY

X-MEN CLASSICS (TOY BIZ)

Fun FiQ Fact #0010: Jean Grey’s Jim Lee costume has received 11 action figures since its debut.

As a kid, my introduction to the X-Men was the animated series, which drove my desire for the whole cast of characters in action figure form.  The toyline running concurrently with the show was actually comics-based, but still generally managed to get a lot of looks that were close enough to work.  There were, however, some omissions, as well as some…odd ways of doing figures.  Despite being a main character on the show, Jean’s only figure in the line proper for most of its run was a single Phoenix figure, which wasn’t her main get-up on the series.  That look got some action figure love, sure, but Toy Biz’s takes always felt a bit monkey’s paw-like; you’d get her, but at some sort of trade off.  My search for a good one ran for a good number of years.  The closest I got was in 2000, and it was a figure that I was honestly pretty thrilled to get, even though she’s maybe not the most thrilling figure at the end of it all.  Still, here she is!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Jean Grey is part of Toy Biz’s X-Men Classics line, which they launched in 2000 to run some old molds in new packaging between the toys for X-Men: The Movie and X-Men: Evolution.  While most of the figures were minor tweaks to existing releases, the Battle Blasters figures all got more substantial tweaks, in order to make them less Age of Apocalypse-inspired and more standard.  The figure stands 5 inches tall and has 5 points of articulation.  Her mold is almost identical to the original “Secret Weapon Force” release, which was just the Jean mold that Toy Biz had on hand at the time, I guess.  It does at the very least fill in the etched lines for the boots and gloves from the mold’s original use as Mystique.  For all of the re-uses the body saw during Toy Biz’s run, I do believe this is the only time they got rid of those.  It definitely helps with the overall look.  The mold’s not bad; the body is basic, and the head, while definitely more dialed into the AoA version of the character, isn’t horrible.  The main change-up, obviously, is the paint, which now puts her in her Jim Lee costume…or at least something close to it.  There are some sculpted details that don’t line up; the hair’s too short, and she lacks the shoulder pads and leg pouches.  That’s kind of expected, and it’s certainly closer than the other repaint they did for this costume.  The only thing that really stands out to me as “off” is the hands being yellow, but even that was a back and forth thing, with it only more recently being decided that she didn’t wear gloves with the costume.  This Jean release got the exact same accessory as her original “Secret Weapon” release: the Catapult Tank Blaster.  It’s a big green and black thing, and it’s hella goofy.  But, hey, at least I got two of them, right?

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I vividly recall finding this figure in a Toys R Us, early December, still in post-X-Men: The Movie bliss, and being absolutely thrilled.  Then less so, because it was early December, which was typically a time of no toy purchases, what with the inevitable onslaught of figures I’d be getting as Christmas gifts.  My parents, however, recognized the significance of the figure, and allowed me to break their usual rule, so that I could finally have the Jean Grey I’d been waiting so long for.  She’s not much to write home about; she’s just the Secret Weapon Force Jean with a new deco, and that one wasn’t anything special either.  But, I was always very happy with her, and she’s still pretty nifty, even if there are better Jim Lee style Jeans these days.

#3507: Magneto

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

MAGNETO

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

As the “mind’s eye” take on the characters for a very large portion of the fanbase, X-Men: The Animated Series holds a pretty special place for the X-franchise as a whole.  The show got 5 seasons in its original run, but there’s always room for more, right?  Right.  We got our first continuation in comic form, which was honestly pretty fun.  However, three decades after the fact, we’re getting a proper follow-up, X-Men ’97, which will see a return to the show’s universe to animation, as well as the return of most of the original show’s cast.  With the show’s original release set for the end of 2023 (before it got delayed to next year), there’s already plenty of merchandising out there, including a whole set of Marvel Legends.  Today, I’m taking a look at the updated version of Magneto!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Magneto is part of the six-figure line-up for the X-Men ’97 tie-in assortment of Marvel Legends.  Though they’re not directly referencing any older figures, this set is nevertheless using the retro card layout for their packaging.  Magneto is based on his appearance in the new show, which looks to be more or less the same as his appearance in the original.  That makes him a pretty standard classic Magneto, which is honestly pretty cool, since we haven’t gotten a standard release classic Magneto in Legends since the Toy Biz days.  The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation. The last four Legends Magnetos have all been built on the Spider-UK body, which remains a solid choice for the character. This one is definitely a derivative of that one, using modified versions of the arms and legs (which are now pinless at the elbows and knees), plus the Magneto-specific forearms and boots from the Family Matters set. It’s all topped off with a new head, torso, and cape, all courtesy of sculptor Dennis Chan. The Family Matters set-up wasn’t bad, but the new pieces clean it up just a touch, and the new head/helmet combo is just so nice. Easily the best classic Magneto sculpt at this scale. Magneto’s color work is decent enough. The 97 figures aren’t doing cel-shading like the Animated figures did, but they’re certainly still keeping the general coloring vibe going, so they can all still fit together. This guy definitely leans into his animation colors, and does so rather nicely. I quite like the shading around the eyes. Magneto is packed with two sets of hands, in open gesture and fists. It feels a little light. An alternate head, sans helmet would have been really cool, as would some effects pieces of some sort.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I was pretty happy with the Family Matters Magneto, so I wasn’t much looking for a new classic Magneto.  That said, there were a few minor things on the last one that I was up for seeing some improvement on, most notably the head/helmet.  This new one really hit the spot, and he’s just overall a nice improvement on every front to the last one.  He’s a definite upgrade.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3501: Blackbird Jet – Mobile Air Command

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

BLACKBIRD JET — MOBILE AIR COMMAND

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

“The Blackbird Jet is a hypersonic transportation vehicle for X-Men. The jet is equipped to fly long-duration, high-altitude reconnaissance as well as attack missions. With a myriad of weapon delivery systems and electronic counter-measures, the Blackbird is markedly superior to any adversary.”

To close out this month’s look into the non-figure components of Toy Biz’s X-Men line, I’m looking at what is quite probably the centerpiece of those non-figure components: the Blackbird.  First introduced when the team returned with its all-new, all-different line-up in 1975, its become a fixture of the franchise, with multiple iterations in the comics, and some sort of presence in every notable media adaptation of the team.  It’s use as a major set-piece in the ’90s cartoon also netted it a release in the accompanying line of toys, which is what I’m taking a look at today.

THE VEHICLE ITSELF

The Blackbird Jet was added to Toy Biz’s X-Men line in 1995, alongside Series 4 and 5 of the main line.  While most components of the line were comics-based items that happened to have the same general looks as the cartoon incarnations, the Blackbird goes for a more directly cartoon-based look, albeit adapted a little bit to the constraints of the line’s scale and price-point.  The vehicle measures 15 1/2 inches long and has a 12 1/2 inch wing span.  The Blackbird’s sculpt was a unique one, and a pretty good one at that.  It very much takes the show design to heart, and translates it into a pretty good three-dimensional recreation.  It’s a bit scaled down from where it should be for a 5-inch line, since it would need to be able to fit the whole team, at least two side-by-side.  Instead, the cockpit is a one-seater, and the rest is scaled to match.  Like the rest of this line’s vehicles, its set-up to work with the pre-size-creep figures, so you’re not able to fit later figures into it.  But, it works well with the figures it was designed to be contemporary with.  It its default set-up, the Blackbird looks like the exterior of the one from the show.  The cockpit raises, so you can get a pilot in place, and the mid section also flips open for a passenger.  There’s also missiles to be launched from the back as well.  However, as the box so proudly proclaims, the Blackbird also transforms into three “Action Stages.”  The cockpit separates to become the “Command Center Explorer,” the tail and wings become a glider with ejector seat, and the fuselage slides out into a full-on command center, with a whole view screen set-up on the interior of the top half, which swings up out of the way.  The internal details are largely handled via decals, which include some pretty fun little touches.  The internal decals on my copy have certainly seen some better days, but it’s still very cool.  Aside from the decals (which also add a pair of X-logos to the wings, for some extra X-branding not present in the source material), everything else is molded in proper color.  The metallic blue works very well, and I’ve always dug the translucent red for the canopy. In terms of extras, the original release of this vehicle only included the two missiles, but there was also a later release, which packed in an unmasked Wolverine figure.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

My original Blackbird was, I believe, an Easter gift from my parents.  I recall getting it alongside Phoenix.  It’s notably one of the last things I remember being given at my parents’ old house, before we moved to the one they currently live in.  When they were in the process of buying their current house, there were a few visits to inspect various things, which I went along for, and the Blackbird (almost always piloted by my Series 1 Cyclops, until I got Wolverine II, so that I would have a Wolverine that actually fit in the thing) came with me, so that I had something to entertain myself.  It would go on to be one of my go-to vehicles for a great many figures (rivaled only by my Power of the Force Millennium Falcon in that regard), lasting for a very long lime.  It took quite a beating over the years, and I eventually lost all by the main chunk of the fuselage and tail.  When I got back into 5-inch collecting in college, I wound up getting a replacement, which is the one seen here.  It’s such an amazingly fun piece, and I’m glad to have one, even if it’s not my original.  But, I suppose replacing the Blackbird is kind of appropriate, since the X-Men have done it a great many times.

As a sort of a post-script here, for my birthday this year, my parents helped me reclaim at least one part of my original that I didn’t expect to find again: the original blueprints!  As I’ve touched on here before, my Grandfather was something of a hoarder, and that included squirreling away tons of paperwork from everything imaginable.  Evidently, at some point I left my Blackbird’s blueprints at his house, and he’d filed them away with other papers he’d kept.  While working to clear out the house over the summer, my Dad stumbled upon them, and my Mom had them framed for me, which is pretty sweet!

#3496: Cyclops Light Force Arena

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

CYCLOPS LIGHT FORCE ARENA

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

“Using the Laser Light Force that only he possesses, Cyclops trains in the Danger Room to hone his mutant ability. The Light Force Arena’s many obstacles test Cyclops’ optic blasts to the limit! Only with constant practice can Cyclops keep his skills razor-sharp enough to cope with the threat of the Evil Mutants!”

Hey, remember back last week when I looked at that X-Men playset?  Wanna see me do it again?  Well, whether you want me to or not, that’s the angle I’m going with here.  Last week gave Wolverine a place to hang, so how about doing the same for Cyclops this week?  Oh yeah!

THE PLAYSET ITSELF

The Cyclops Laser Light Arena was released in 1991 alongside Series 1 of Toy Biz’s X-Men line.  It was the second of the two small-scale Danger Room playsets that accompanied the main line’s launch, serving as a companion piece to Wolverine’s Combat Cave.  The Laser Light Arena is the same basic dimensions as the Combat Cave, being about 7 inches tall, 7 inches wide, and 4 1/2 inches deep.  It’s smaller nature doesn’t *quite* live up to the “Arena” name, but we gave the other one a pass on “Cave” so this one can get a bit of a pass too.  Like the Combat Cave, this one required assembly right out of the box.  Once popped together, you get a set-up that’s not terribly different from the Cave’s assembly; three walls and three gimmicks, plus a spot to plug in a figure.  In this case, it’s designed to work specifically with the Series 1 Cyclops, right down to having spots shaped like the soles of his boots.  There’s also a spot that’s designed to directly work with the button that triggered his light-up feature; shame my figure lacks that these days.  Depending on how the “stand” is configured when you push down the button that would go under the spot where his light-up lever *should* be, you get one of three outcomes.  Furthest counterclockwise splits open the “metal box,” the next over flips back the Magneto standee, and the last one knocks over the stone wall.  Since it’s tied into the light up feature, it all looks like it’s being done by Cyclops’ optic blasts.  They actually all work pretty well, and there’s a good feeling of interactiveness to it.  The color scheme isn’t too far removed from the Combat Cave, albeit with the predominant color being yellow in place of red.  It works fine enough.  There’s more stickers to be had, as well, to keep things a little more interesting.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As with the Combat Cave, I missed this one’s original retail run.  I do remember seeing it in the little product catalogue, and I was slightly more interested in this one, it being Cyclops-themed and all.  I remember being slightly bummed about not getting this one at the same time as the Combat Cave.  I wound up getting this one a couple of years later, from Collector’s World, a small comic shop near where my family vacations, which has sadly gone out of business since.  I think this one’s actually a bit more fun than the Combat Cave, and it’s features work a little bit better.  But, they do both make nice display pieces.