#47 Marvel Legends Age of Ultron - Hulkbuster

Finally, after assembling all the pieces from seven different figures (yeah, I'm only keeping three of them), here is the completed Hulkbuster. It's impressively weighty and pretty massive. The legs feel like they're solid plastic, so it won't have any problems standing up, although its big feet would probably have done a good job of that without any help. It's even a couple of inches or so taller than the Marvel Legends Hulk figures, so it's definitely conceivable that Tony Stark could take on the Hulk in this armor. The Hulkbuster even has a good amount of paint apps, featuring paint on the back side, which is more than some Iron Man figures can boast. Unless they come up with some really cool variation in the future, I don't think I'll need another Iron Man figure after this.

#46: Marvel Legends - Valkyrie

I bought Valkyrie solely for the Hulkbuster piece she's packaged with, but when I had the figure in hand, I liked it and decided to keep it rather than sell it off. A badass Asgardian lady with a sword, what's not to like? Also, she's surprisingly tall. If that average Marvel Legends figure is about six inches tall, Valkyrie is about an inch taller than that. It's times like this that I wish I'd bought the pegasus from Mattel's MOTUC She-Ra sub-line, because I think that Valkyrie would look really cool mounted on its back.

#45: Marvel Legends - Marvel Heroes (Vision)

For whatever reason, Hasbro opted not to make Marvel Legends figures for most of the new characters appearing in Age of Ultron. Quicksilver was completely left out, but at least Scarlet Witch and Vision got new comic based figures. Maybe they will eventually get around to releasing them, but until then I figured that this Vision is close enough to fill in until a movie version gets made. Vision is labeled as "Marvel Heroes" on the packaging, because he's a swap figure with Doctor Strange. They come with different Hulkbuster parts, so I don't know why they aren't just completely separate figures. I'm guessing there is some bean counting going on that this is the better financial option for Hasbro, but from the outside it is somewhat mystifying. Vision includes no accessories, unless you count his cape. It is packaged separately, and it is removable, so maybe it does count. The cape itself makes him a bit back heavy, but fortunately it is long enough that it can be used to prop him up.

#44: Marvel Legends Age of Ultron - War Machine

The last figure from Age of Ultron to get the Marvel Legends treatment and released to retail is War Machine, part of the Hulkbuster build a figure series. It's basically a repaint of the War Machine figure from Iron Man 3. There's a different left hand, but more importantly, there is an alternate head with the faceplate up, leaving Don Cheadle's face exposed. If nothing else, at least Age of Ultron gave us figures of Iron Man and War Machine with open faceplates. He's still got the same posable cannon that can be positioned on either shoulder. Even though it's basically a repaint of a figure I already have, I figured it was worth picking up for the alternate head, and it doesn't hurt that I didn't have War Machine in the standard grey/silver color scheme.

#43: Transformers Generations Combiner Wars - Devastator

Devastator represents the best part of Transformers, taken a step further: robots that turn into vehicles, and then can combine into an even bigger robot. The first, and arguably the best, combiner is certainly being given the star treatment in the Combiner Wars theme that Transformers toys have going this year. As the centerpiece of the line, there is the new Devastator set I've been dreaming of since I was a kid, made up entirely of voyager class figures that make a toy that is dwarfed in size only by the recent Metroplex. I never had the original Devastator, so I'm really glad that they made this set. It's a very nice upgrade from the original, with much less awkward looking proportions, and a substantial boost in size. Devastator is even surprisingly well articulated. The only real issue I have is with the right foot, which doesn't have much forward support, as the scoop from Scrapper doesn't have a good way of locking in place, or at least not so far as I've noticed.

#42: Batman The Classic Series - Batgirl

When Mattel released the '66 Batman figures, the most conspicuous absence in the lineup was Batgirl. The line didn't really last long, but there were rumors that she would later be released in a 3 pack with Batman and Robin. I thought that was a really obnoxious way to release her, as anyone who would want a Batgirl figure would probably already have Batman and Robin (like me). Mattel. Ultimately, Batgirl was released solo as a Toys R Us SDCC '15 exclusive. Fortunately, she was easy enough to order online. Batgirl comes in a fancier box than the regular line, which was on standard cards. Although it's a con exclusive, it's nothing extravagant. There are no accessories, aside from the stand and backing card, which has a city scape on one side and Batgirl herself on the other. One of the highlights of the figure is the cape, which is double sided. Unfortunately, due to the way it's packaged, it is currently stuck flared out, although I hope with time it will hang at a more natural angle.

Sadly, Batgirl herself, Yvonne Craig, passed on soon after the release of this figure. I don't know if she got to see one herself, but I'd like to think she thought it was cool if she did.

#41: S.H. Figuarts Sailor Moon - Sailor Venus

Originally, I planned to get all the Sailor Scouts in the order they joined the team, but when it came time to get Sailor Mars, she was hard to find for a reasonable price, while Venus was relatively cheap. So we're skipping around a bit. The main thing that differentiates the characters visually, aside from color, is their hair and their shoes. So that means Venus gets her usual shoes (with ankle straps?), and her large mane of blonde hair. Similar to Usagi, her hair is articulated, with either end able to rotate out to make the hair more or less flared. Minako was actually out heroing before the rest of the Sailor Scouts, as Sailor V. Bandai are making un upcoming Sailor V figure, but for this release, she does include the Sailor V mask, both as a wearable option, or one that is held in her hand. She also includes the stand and various face and hand options typical of the line. Minako's main accessory is Artemis the cat. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a Venus Love Me Chain accessory, which would make for some cool attack posing.

#40: Marvel Legends Age of Ultron - Ultron

Rather than being a build a figure for the series of figures that included Age of Ultron characters, Ultron ended up being the build a figure for the Ant-Man series. Because I have been extremely lax updating this blog lately, you may or may not recall that I have Ant-Man and the Wasp. I actually bought the entire series at once, which was only the third time I was able to get something I wanted out from the stockroom at Target. So now I have some figures I don't want, which will probably end up for sale online soon. But anyway, Ultron. His characterization in the movie was a bit different than I was expecting and his face kind of weirds me out somehow, but at the end of the day he's a giant killer robot, which is always something I dig. He is appropriately taller than other Marvel Legends figures. He's mostly grey plastic, with some silver paint that is only on the front of his body, as well as some other highlights.

#39: Marvel Legends Infinite Series - Marvel's Wasp

Since the Wasp isn't properly in the Ant-Man movie, this series of Marvel Legends gets the next best thing with a comic based figure of her. Her previous Marvel Legends figure was the same costume. Given how likely Jan is to change costumes, one would think that a different costume would be appropriate in a newer figure. Oh well. Thanks to the wings on her back, the Wasp isn't the easiest figure to get standing. As it is, she's kind of hunched over. She doesn't have any accessories, unless you count her wings (which are removable) and the build a figure piece that she's packaged with.

#38: Marvel Legends Infinite Series - Ant-Man

When it comes to toys, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is no Avengers. Fortunately, there is at least a Marvel Legends version of Ant-Man. Interestingly, this is the wave that has Ultron as a build-a-figure. I suppose it's appropriate in that the comic version of Ultron was created by Hank Pym. Anyway, here's Ant-Man in his movie inaccurate helmet. I'm not sure if they were working off early concept art or what, but the helmet doesn't have an exposed mouth like that. Ah, well, whatever. Otherwise, the costume is pretty accurate.

Ant-Man comes with a couple of nice accessories: a miniaturized version of himself, his trusty steed Ant-ony, and a miniaturized Yellowjacket. Sadly, I think that's the only version of Yellowjacket that Hasbro is making. Who needs figures of the antagonists, right?