One of the most eagerly anticipated waves of Marvel Legends takes the spotlight in this week’s Figure Friday column. Will this year’s wave of Retro Spider-Man figures live up to the hype? Let’s take a look at Spider-Armor MK 1 and Shocker to find out!
The Spider-Armor MK 1 has always been one of the more memorable versions of the Spider Suit over the years. A popular alternate costume in video games. A go- to toy design when you need a fresh alternative to the traditional Spider-Man suit. It’s surprising that this is the first time this suit has been given the Legends treatment.
Hasbro went the extra mile with the detail work on the sculpt. The entire black suit has texture. A striking contrast to the flat reflective panels of the armor. It’s amazing how effective a two-color palette can be. The silver armor really pops on the matte black suit. I’m not sure if this is a new silver to the Legends line, but it really captures the light beautifully. With such a simple design, the paintwork needs to be on point and I’m happy to report that the figure I was able to pick up is pretty clean.
This figure would be the early leader in the clubhouse for Figure of the Year contenders, but some bad articulation decisions hold him back. Without a hinge he can only look up and down so far, significantly impacting the range of motion. That’s something that you just can’t do on a Spider-Man figure. I’m sure Hasbro has a good reason for that decision, but when you take the time to design such a beautifully sculpted pinless figure, it feels like a big oversight to leave out the hinge. Hasbro also failed to include butterfly joints and a bootcut this time around. I’m sure this was in an effort to preserve as much of the character’s design as possible. Once you start adding cuts for articulation, that gridded armor would start to look shifted.
In terms of accessories, you get thwips and fists for hands and some spider webs. We’ve been begging for web effects for a long time. This is a nice attempt, but I think we’d all prefer some nice bendy webs instead.
At the end of the day, the good outweighs the bad with the Spider-Armor MK 1. It photographs beautifully and will be an eye catcher in your display. I had no intention of buying this figure when it was announced, but it has pleasantly exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend you check the MK 1 out for yourself.
While this isn’t the first time Shocker has appeared in the Legends line, this is an all new sculpt. The quilted pattern has been sculpted in to the figure this time around as opposed to it being painted on in the previous offering. Some people may have preferred the lines be painted in (myself included), but it’s an easy fix with a Sakura Pigma Micron Pen.
The mustard yellow and maroon suit are complimented by the silver in the gauntlets, belt and boots. The paint work is really nicely done, especially the detail in the eyes. The whited-out eyes with the slightest black accent really bring Shocker to life.
I like what they’ve done with the wrist gauntlets. Most hands get swapped at the wrist. To use that on this figure would alter the design of the signature Shocker gauntlets. Hasbro’s solution to place the cut mid forearm works very well. With the inclusion of both fists and open hands, you can get Shocker in a nice variety of poses. It is a bit disappointing that we get the standard magic effect. We’re way past the point of that effect needing to be retired. It’s passable in this case, but it feels like they phoned it in a bit as opposed to designing something fresh.
He may not be in everyone’s fantasy Sinister Six lineup, but Shocker is a very worthy addition to your Spider Man Villains display.
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If you enjoyed the figure photography this week, you can check out the full photo shoot over on my YouTube channel. You can also join me there most Saturday nights for The Night Owls Livestream where my friends and I discuss the weekly happenings in figures and pop culture!
