Happy Figure Friday! And just who the Hell am I!? I’m Hans Wittrock, and I’ve been friends with Figure Friday founder E.A. Henson for more years than either of us would probably care to admit! We’ve both been collecting toys and comics for an ungodly amount of time, and we talk about them often. I guess that’s why he asked if I’d be interested in taking over his Figure Friday slot! He seems to think I’m “literate” and “intelligent,” so I figured I’d give this a shot and prove him wrong!
Wait… That’s not it… Anyway, let’s talk about toys!
On the Throne
It seems like forever ago that I pre-ordered the new Marvel Legends Series Mephisto with Infernal Throne, but last week it finally showed up in all its demonic glory! To Marvel Legends collectors, Mephisto has been one of their most highly anticipated figures for over a decade, and now it’s here in a mostly spectacular form! (I’ll get to the least-ly in a minute.)
Mephisto stands at 7.5” tall to reflect the way he likes to loom over the heroes and villains in your favourite Marvel comics. He’s got pretty standard Marvel Legends articulation with 30 points, but (here’s the controversy) there’s no waist joint! Yes, folks. As powerful as Mephisto is, this figure cannot do The Twist. What hell! (See what I did there?)
Mephisto includes a 2nd head, 2 pairs of hands, 2 capes, 2 loincloths, a skull (for performing Hamlet), a very long sword, and a giant Danzig-esque throne. Why two capes and loincloths? One of each is soft goods, so Mephisto can wear them while seated. This is also why the figure can’t turn at the waist. It’s designed to separate them so they can switch loincloths. My god! How many more times can I say “loincloth” in one column!?
Now I totally understand why Hasbro went with this waist design, but this thing costs $80. For that price, I think they could’ve done better. That said, this figure has a great sculpt, cool accessories, basically comes with a playset, and has plenty of what the kids call “aura!”
A Different Kind of Demon
Perhaps you prefer your demons a little more heroic and combat-ready.
BigBadWorkShop’s Operation: Monster Force line has been a runaway hit since its first wave was released two years ago. The storyline for this Eagle Force spin-off combines elements of pulp horror, sci-fi, military fantasy, and even some real-world history to bring you a wild assortment of creative, high-quality action figures! The Red Demon is no exception! With a flawless blend of samurai, modern warfare, and urban superhero aesthetics, this spirit-possessed anti-hero is ready for all sorts of martial arts action!
The Red Demon has 31 points of articulation and scales well with G.I. Joe Classified, Marvel Legends and most other 1:12 scale figures. The head features a striking red Oni mask, complemented by a red camo pattern covering the figure’s body. He includes 2 swords, 2 kama, which can be made into a staff via a small tube-like piece, or a kusarigama via the included detachable chain, and 2 sai. All of which can be stored in his backpack simultaneously. In addition to this, he comes with 6 pieces of removable armor with a nice textured look, and 7 additional hands. The armour pieces are thin enough not to hinder the figure’s movement but don’t look or feel cheap at all! Like other Operation: Monster Force figures, The Red Demon feels much more solid than a Hasbro figure—It should for $12 more—and the joints can be tight sometimes, so you may want to warm the figure up a bit before posing. The Red Demon is $39.99 and only available at BigBadToyStore.
A Freakin’ Rabbit!?
Finally, we get to a more classic samurai (sort of) with NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Usagi Yojimbo – Miyamoto Usagi action figure. Number one in a wave of five—three guesses on the other four–, this version of Usagi is based on his appearance in IDW’s 2023 comic book miniseries Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen. I’ve honestly never read it or much Usagi Yojimbo at all (GASP!), but the character design is amazing. I had the Playmates’ TMNT version when I was a kid, and I’ve always wanted to grab one of these NECA versions, but the perfect one (for me) hadn’t quite rolled around until now!
Here we’ve got a fully armoured Usagi in vibrant colours, looking ready to kick some anthropomorphic ass! The flat primary colours and black “ink” detail lines make it look like Usagi has jumped right off the page! Miyamoto Usagi stands at about 5.5 inches, 6 inches if you count the ears. He includes 2 additional heads (one angry, one smirking), his sword, 2 additional pairs of hands, and his pet lizard Spot, who sports its own samurai armour. Usagi also includes a coin purse because sometimes you just gotta pay the guy! Hey! A ronin’s gotta eat!
Somehow, in all my years of collecting, I’ve never purchased a NECA figure before. I pick them up and look at them frequently. I’ve had some “in the plan.” I’ve searched through various Predators, Aliens, and Terminators to decide which one I should get, and yet I’ve never taken a NECA figure home until now! As happy as I am with Miyamoto Usagi, I have to say that I’m a little let down with the articulation. That said, I do understand that the character’s proportions may have something to do with that, and that NECA figures aren’t really meant for a whole lot of play. The sculpt, paint apps, and accessories are beautiful, but this thing runs $38 – $42. While I’m NOT sorry I bought this figure and very much enjoy looking at it, I find myself questioning whether the value is there.
Well, that’s it for this week! I’ll be back in two weeks to talk about my most self-destructive habit, TROOP-BUILDING! Until then, remember: rent first, food second, then toys!
