GEMR SELECTS THE
TOP 10 MARVEL LEGENDS FIGURES
OF ALL TIME
Just in time for Avengers: Endgame
LOS ANGELES -- Gemr, the world’s #1 destination for fans to discover, display and connect, announced today its Top 10 Marvel Legends Figures list of all time and it’s not what you’d expect. The Gemr team selected figures that stand the test of time and look great in any collection. Some of the figures are older and hard to find and some are new enough that you can still get them for close to retail price…at least until the April 26th release of Avengers: Endgame.
A quick bit of toy history though before the list. The Marvel Legends lines have been around for quite some time. When the line was started by Toybiz, they were the most articulated action figures you could buy. Their articulation had articulation, as Gemr likes to point out. From moving fingers to their articulated toes, they were works of art for their time. Then, like a hungry Blob, Hasbro consumed Toybiz and took over the line. Over the years, both companies have produced some good (and some bad) figures.
Below is the Gemr’s Top 10 list.
10. Toybiz Beast
According to Gemr, this is an old standby figure. One thing to remember when talking about it is that this figure is 10 years old, so there are going to be some things that are...lacking. The sculpt isn’t as detailed as many of the figures that are coming out now, but that’s perhaps mostly a technology thing. The fur detail doesn’t cover his entire body, and is sort of patchy instead. However, where the fuzz is lacking -- the articulation isn’t. The articulation, right down to his fingers and toes, allowed fans to pose him in so many ways as to never get bored. He could be placed into a handstand, or a perfect crouch, without breaking a sweat. And where the fur was lacking, the face wasn’t. His head sculpt is still one of the most comic accurate you can buy. Sure, he looked a little weird with his mouth open, but that doesn’t even take points off.
9. Spider Gwen (Absorbing Wave)
This was a really anticipated figure and we weren’t disappointed. Spider Gwen, or Spider-Woman in her universe, is a character all seem to really enjoy. She doesn’t come with a vast range of accessories, or any extra hands (we really wish she came with a few extra hands -- they gave so many to Ben Riley from the same line), but that doesn’t stop her from being one of our all-time favorite figures. Her sculpt and paint app are beautiful. Her articulation is on point, and it’s worth it to say she has the best non-cloth hood we’ve ever seen. She comes with two different heads, one with the mask on and hood up, and one with her mask off and hood down. Despite the hood, the masked head doesn’t lose any articulation and actually has more range of motion than the unmasked head. The biggest complaint with the figure is actually the really neutral expression of the unmasked head. It feels like she lacks the distinctive personality of Gwen so it is recommended to display her with the masked head. A must for any fan.
8. Deadpool (Juggernaut Wave)
If you’re looking for a high-quality Deadpool with pretty much every accessory ever -- this is the one you want. There are a couple of other excellent Deadpools out there (the Toybiz is another favorite), but for the value, this is the one. The modern suit looks really good, the Bucky/Cap body is perfect for Deadpool, and the masked face has a really great, slightly sassy expression. The second head, an unmasked face with a rather playful, but murderous grin, is also good. This sculpt and paint app are much better than some of the others. The articulation is fantastic as well, which means it’s not only nice to look at -- but fun to pose. Then, there are the accessories -- there are so many accessories! It comes with two swords, two pistols, a knife, a shotgun, an energy rifle, a rocket launcher (complete with removable boxing glove), and finally -- a taco. What’s even more amazing is that almost every single thing Deadpool comes with can be stored on his body! The swords sheath on his back, the rocket launcher pegs between them, the pistols have holsters, the knife goes in the boot, and the laser rifle and shotguns fit perfectly into his hands. The only thing left is the taco -- which is a crying shame. A taco holster would have been a nice addition. Alas, maybe next time.
7. MCU Gamora (Mantis Wave)
Now, Gemr was hesitant to put an MCU figure on this list, but all agreed this one needs to be here. The first Gamora was ‘meh’ at best -- maybe a wiggly hand gesture if we’re feeling generous. Thankfully for the fans, they kicked it up a notch with the Mantis Wave. Her articulation and sculpt are much better and is one of the many things that made her the standout of the wave. The accessories are really nice; you get an extended sword with nicely sculpted lines to show where it folds (much better than the last one), a folded sword, and her giant gun. These things are all fantastic -- great accessories can make a figure, after all. But for true critics, it’s the head sculpt. This Gamora has one of the closest resemblances to the on-screen character seen from Hasbro. The likeness alone makes it worth the purchase. The paint app is overall really nice, and the ombre of her hair is excellent. She looks awesome posed with the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy crew. Skip the older version -- this is the Gamora you want.
6. Dark Phoenix (Toys-R-Us exclusive two pack)
Gemr suggests ignoring the Cyclops in this two pack because he’s not all that special, but Dark Phoenix is incredible -- and why fans need to pick up this pack. Never have you seen such a dangerous looking female sculpt in a Marvel Legends figure, and it makes most fans very happy. The paint is really great, and the one non-head accessory, the translucent fire phoenix, is perfect. The three heads she comes with are what pushes this figure over the edge. Two of the heads are nice, but not enough to make this a must buy -- however, the third head makes this figure. This new sculpt is stellar. Her eyes are painted yellow, her lips black, and her hair is a beautiful translucent red which catches the light incredibly. She is really easy to pose, and her paint app steals the show. All these things add up to a must-have figure for any Legends Collection.
5. Wolverine (Juggernaut Wave)
There are a few good Wolverine figures out there, and the Toy Biz Wolverine is an old favorite -- but Gemr believes this one is better. First things first, the Juggernaut Wave Wolverine’s accessories. Fans actually get interchangeable hands! The claws in and claws out hands give so many more posing options, and boy does this figure pose nicely. They also gave him a nice ab crunch, which opens up even more dynamic poses for display. There are a few complaints about this Wolverine, but they are more minor gripes (we’re collectors, after all -- there are always gripes). It would be nice if they had given him some hair. Wolverine is a hairy, hairy man, and they didn’t paint any hair on the arms or give him any stubble. They also could have been a bit cleaner on the mask paint app. Not all of the figures have the paint issue, but some do. Even with those minor annoyances, this is still by far the best Wolverine in the line. If it came with a snarling head, it would have been perfect.
4. Archangel (Hit Monkey Wave)
This guy is actually a repaint of the SDCC Archangel they released, and no one at Gemr seemed to be bothered by that. The color is a little off from the comics, but honestly, it’s not bad. We think that the darker blue makes the metallic pink stand out better. We also think the metallic pink makes the figure ‘pop’ more. The head sculpt and paint are SO much better than anything previously released, which makes him a better fit in the line-up than the previous one (who had a bizarre face). The wings are incredibly sculpted and make him look great in any pose. They move enough that fans can set him on the ground or set him up on a peg stand for flying poses. The only comment is that they didn’t keep the metallic silver paint app of the SDCC exclusive. Though the SDCC wings flop around and fall off really easily, the color was so spot on. We get it -- they need to keep the con exclusives unique -- but that one change would have made this figure perfect.
3. ToyBiz Nightcrawler
Despite being about a decade old, this Nightcrawler holds up really, really well. As mentioned before, the articulation on the Toybiz Marvel Legends lines are insane! Nightcrawler is another figure where the articulation isn’t a detriment. He has so many joints that it’s hard to keep track of them all, and it allows for some incredible posing. Not to mention that the sculpt is really, really good for the time it was released. The musculature isn’t outrageous, and it keeps him looking slim but still ready to throw down. His hands and feet are comic accurate, and the individual finger movement makes for natural posing. Fans will want to play with it for hours. The variety of poses he can be put into is unrivaled. Then there is the head sculpt. While it isn’t the iconic Jim Lee version, it’s still amazing. He’s a little more chiseled than one might expect from Nightcrawler, but even so, all the wrinkles are perfectly crafted, and the hair is really well sculpted and painted. Even if this figure is a decade old -- hunt it down and pick it up. It’s worth every penny.
2. Toy Biz BAF Sentinel
Gemr didn’t want to include any Build a Figures, mainly because they felt like they are in a class of their own. However, this one needs to be on the list of best Marvel Legends figures. It just has to. The sculpt on this is incredible. Every opening in the armor has incredible details on the wiring inside, and the metallic paint app is perfect. The whole look is so perfectly iconic, that it warranted being on the list. The paint, overall, is kind of sloppy -- but that isn’t a drawback. Usually, haphazard paint would upset fans, but the slapdash dry brushing makes the Sentinel look as if it’s been through hell. There are lots of dings, scuffs, and roughing up, which makes it look like this guy has been through combat and came out kicking. It comes with a pair of highly posable tentacles which hold up nicely -- though they take a little force to get in the holes on its palms. And at about 15” tall, it will dominate a X-Men display and make for an ominous presence on the shelf.
1.Pizza Spidey (Hobgoblin Wave)
Fans worldwide have strong feelings about Spider-Man. Like most Marvel fans, he’s one of Gemr’s favorite characters -- so standards for a figure are pretty high. There are quite a few of the different Spidey releases, but this is by far the favorite. He is as close to a perfect Spider-Man as you can get. Everything about the sculpt is excellent, and they went with the painted on webbing instead of the sculpted version -- it can make the figure look too chunky and take away from the figure itself. Not to mention that fans get a second head sculpt -- half unmasked. This was completely necessary and a great bonus for this figure. Then the hands -- you get so many hands! He comes with three sets: fists, thwip, and wall-crawler. All those hands lead to an abundance of poses and opportunities. Most fans like to play with their figures and this one is great for that.
Pizza Spidey can actually do an unaided handstand on his wall-crawling hands, and there is the accessory that gives this iconic figure his name in collector circles. The slice of pepperoni pizza he comes with is sculpted as well as the figure, and sits really nicely in his hand. It wasn’t needed to make this the top Spidey figure -- but it definitely helps.
To celebrate the upcoming release of Avengers: Endgame, Gemr has set up a “Back Up Plan” Giveaway. Fans can enter by signing up for the Gemr platform or app and joining the Marvel club. Additional entries can be gained by adding their own Marvel collection photos to their page. Deadline to enter is April 29, 2019.
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