I'm not surprised that Fantastic Four: First Steps was such a hit. From the very first teasers and trailers I knew they finally got Marvel's First Family right. The retro vibe, the shiny space age aesthetic, and the strong family dynamic in the forefront was the perfect recipe. What was surprising was how off-the-mark the previous three movies were. I saw each of them once and just felt they were each lacking the heart that makes this team so great. It's a little odd that there is a belated rush of merchandising months after the movie left theatres, but suddenly we have Titan Hero Series and Epic Hero Series. I quite enjoy these 1:18 scale Epic Hero Series figures (now called Epic World of Action). Their production planning is pretty bizarre with only a few select movies and properties getting figures. But I'm glad First Steps made the cut. Now of course I would love a few more figures, namely a powered-down Sue and a Silver Surfer (but my hopes aren't very high). Let's check out Sue Storm and the First Family Collection below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label MCU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MCU. Show all posts
Friday, September 26, 2025
Epic Hero Series - INVISIBLE WOMAN!
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Fantastic Four: First Steps - SILVER SURFER!
Shalla-Bal is a legacy character in Silver Surfer lore. She first appeared in Silver Surfer #1 back in 1968 as Norrin Radd's (the original Silver Surfer's) love interest on their homeworld of Zenn-La (where she also happens to rule as Empress). Like most unpowered (yet powerful) female love interests (ie Lois Lane, Mary Jane Watson, Carol Ferris, Pepper Potts, Betty Ross, etc), Shalla has occasionally adopted the abilities and identity of her titular male counterpart. In Shalla's case, this has almost always happened in alternate-universe scenarios or issues of What If. Over the years, she has wielded the Infinity Gauntlet and become (at least) two different Heralds of Galactus. Her specific incarnation as Silver Surfer was in the Earth-X storyline from 2000. Shalla's surprise appearance in the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer was very exciting for me, but her prescence is also a bit of a potential clue to the plot of the film (don't Google her before the movie if you don't want spoilers). Let's check out Silver Surfer below!
Saturday, June 14, 2025
MCU Infinity Saga - RESCUE!
Once again I'm playing catch-up with the toy trends and just beginning to dabble in the blind-box Blokees figures that are all the rage in the toy stores. I've been very aware of the Transformers products, but just learned of the extensive Ultraman lines and these newer Marvel Cinematic Universe waves (plus a series for Spidey and His Amazing Friends). I actually don't love the human faces made for this scale - they look a tad too cartoony for me - but luckily the only two MCU females so far (Wasp and Rescue) are completely masked. I have a major fondness for Pepper Potts in her cinematic blue Rescue armor. Back in 2019 I was bummed that she wasn't in her traditional red comic colors, but the blue has really grown on me. It's doesn't hurt that this armor has sparked a significant amount of toys, whereas the comic version got almost no recognition. Plus I think it made way for Ironheart to adopt red armor (and I can admit I like her even more than Pepper). Let's check out Rescue below!
Monday, March 17, 2025
Epic Hero Series - MANTIS!
I love a good 1:18 scale action figure line. When they are done right they can push out a lot of great characters in rapid succession without hurting your toy budget too severely. The unfortunate thing is these modern lines tend to be almost exclusively marketed to young audiences and the parents who purchase for them. Therefore they mostly focus on blockbuster movie promotions and rarely feature any female characters, so the aspects that would appeal most to me personally are usually non-existent. The Marvel Epic Hero series is a current Hasbro 1:18 line featuring evergreen comic representations and also Film and TV properties. This Mantis was the first female released in the line (back in 2023) and I had hopes that we would see many more. I thought for sure Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and Scarlet Witch would be announced soon. But two years later and we only have four females. The recent Ghost-Spider was a surprise drop this month though, so anything is possible. Let's check out Mantis below!
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Marvel Legends - MANTIS!
I have a serious backlog of toys to open. Sometimes I forget what is buried in the back of my closet until a series of random events forces me to go digging. In this case, I found the new Ghost-Spider Epic Hero Series figure at Walmart last week. That made me think of how few female characters have been in that line so far - Rogue and Storm from X-Men '97 immediately spring to mind. But also that random Mantis from the third GOTG movie. I had her somewhere. But I couldn't review her until I also unearthed her Marvel Legends figure. Truth is, I didn't enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3, so although I always love Mantis and these figures are great (I didn't hesitate to buy them), I was just unmotivated at the time. But a few years later, with almost zero memories of the movie, I can fully appreciate these toys on their own merit. I even like the blue and red "Rawhide Kid" uniforms that disappointed me so much in the theatres. Time heals all critiques I suppose. Let's check out GOTG3 Mantis below!
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Marvel Legends - MS. MARVEL!
I'm not able to go see The Marvels until next weekend, but I'm pretty excited to learn more about Kamala Khan. I have read a lot of previous Ms. Marvel comics starring Kamala and I'm quite a fan. (Although I'm not current with my reading and I gather her origins and powers have changed a bit in the last year). I watched the Ms. Marvel show on Disney+ but wasn't a huge fan. I liked Iman Vallani's performance and I liked the fangirl angle, but I think this was just a case of me being a bit too far off the target demographic audience. The attempts of the show to skew younger just alienated me - which is a shame because I consume a lot of youthful media that I relate to just fine. But something about that show was just too hyper and erratic for my old brain. I'm hoping her presence in an ensemble movie like The Marvels will develop her into more of a Kamala I can relate to (not just a "this is awesome!" character). This figure is a great likeness and the new costume is cool. Let's check out Kamala below!
Friday, November 10, 2023
Marvel Legends - CAPTAIN MARVEL!
I'm really excited ot see The Marvels in the next few days. I haven't made specific plans yet, but I'll definitely be seeing it in the theatre. While my most anticipated part is honestly going to be the further development of Monica Rambeau in the MCU, I'm also looking forward to seeing Carol grow into a more well-rounded character. I feel like our MCU exposure to Carol so far has always been in unique circumstances and also rather early on in her superhero life. I like Carol best in the comics when she's doing some classic superhero'ing (not necessarily saving the universe or learning about her powers). And I think The Marvels will give us more of the funny quippy Carol that I love. I was pretty unhappy with the unmasked Brie Larson headsculpts from the 2019 movie figures, and for a while I thought she likely had a likeness that just didn't translate well into plastic. But this figure is pretty great. The updated face scan and the Photo Real face printing is pretty impressive. Let's check out Carol below!
Friday, August 4, 2023
Quantumania - CASSIE LANG!
One more glorious step towards the Young Avengers in the MCU! The Young Avengers comic is one of my favorite superhero team books of all time. In the story, the Avengers were missing and Vision initiated this failsafe protocol where a group of backup Avengers were gathered to form a replacement team. They are all young versions of the classic characters, often with some familial pedigree. Cassie Lang, the daughter of Scott Lang, joined the team as Stature. In the MCU and Disney+, there have been 8 or 9 Young Avengers characters introduced so far in unrelated projects. So, in my mind, a Young Avengers series or film is definitely coming. Cassie Lang has made a handful of MCU appearances, but it was in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania that we first met her as a young woman in a costumed role. She never adopts a codename in the movie, but in the comics she has been: Stature, Stinger, Ant-Girl, and Giant-Girl. I kind of hope she gets a new name to add to her collection. Let's check out Cassie below!
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Quantumania - WASP!
Sometimes I think I'm the only collector in the world who doesn't like metallic paint decos on my toys. Sure, in cases like Silverhawks or or Silver Surfer, it makes sense. But for the average superhero toy, I much prefer bold non-metallic colors. This Wasp figure is a great example. With MCU movie characters, I'm a bit selective. I don't need every iteration of Black Widows' costume in my collection. And honestly, Wasp's costume isn't a groundbreaking redesign in Quantumania. Yes, the helmet is sleeker and her torso patterns are more hornet-like, but the big change for me is that her coloring went from Gold and Red to bright Yellow and Blue. I love the change and now she pops so much more in my MCU display. Her overall look is suddenly more insectile too. The metallic deco and bulkier helmet on the last figure gave a distinct robotic/mechanical vibe (and was a little less threatening because of that). While this new design is like a warning that you are about to be stung. Let's check out Wasp below.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Marvel Legends - MONICA RAMBEAU!
The thing about The Marvels that excites me most is the further development of Monica Rambeau in the MCU. Ever since we met her mother Maria (and a young Monica) in Captain Marvel (2019), I was hoping for her full inclusion into the MCU. And by 2021, I got my wish as she appeared in WandaVision on Disney+. Initially she was unpowered and I thought she might remain a military character through S.H.I.E.L.D., but by the end of the series she had gained powers and I knew she was on her way. The upcoming film The Marvels stars Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau... apparently as Photon. When Monica was introduced in 1982, she was Captain Marvel. The first female Captain Marvel actually, as Carol had only gone by Ms. Marvel and Binary by that point and Mar-vell had only died 6 months earlier, who was the only Captain Marvel before Monica. Since then, Monica has used several code names including Puslar, Spectrum, and Photon.
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Marvel Legends - KATE BISHOP!
I can't tell you how excited I am about the Young Avengers direction that the MCU most definitely seems to be heading. With the original Avengers actors slowly aging out of the franchise (their words, not mine), the Young Avengers will make a fantastic next phase. I think anyone who has read the Original Young Avengers series, and followed it with the Children's Crusade, would be as excited as I am. So far we've met Tommy and Billy in Wandavision, America Chavez in Multiverse of Madness, Kid Loki and Sylvie in Loki, Cassie in Ant-Man, Eli in Falcon and Winter Soldier, and now Kate in Hawkeye. (Plus I'm willing to bet Yelena, Ms. Marvel and Ironheart will break canon and somehow be included). I really enjoyed Hailee Steinfeld in the role of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye. I never read the various early 2010's Hawkeye series when she was either the star or supporting character, so the show was brand new material for me and I loved it. Let's check out Kate Bishop Hawkeye below!
Friday, December 2, 2022
Marvel Toybox - BLACK PANTHER!
Okay, now that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been out for a few weeks I'm ready for all the surprise Shuri as Black Panther merchandise to start hitting. If they weren't trying to keep her adoption of the Black Panther mantle a secret, we would have certainly seen a Basic Series figure and Titan Hero Series already. The fact that we saw three versions of Shuri in that purple tracksuit from their brief Boston excursion is odd. For a character that has two unique "hero" outfits, why produce her in civilian duds? This Marvel Toybox showed up on the ShopDisney site a short three days after the movie premiered and I hope is the start of a flood of new Shuri products. The Toybox line has been very impressive. This Black Panther is the ninth female Marvel figure in four short years. And for an infrequent line like this, that is an impressive number. Lately, they seem to only make MCU figures, so the the next candidate is likely She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, or Kate Bishop. Only time will tell. Let's check out Shuri below!
Friday, November 25, 2022
Marvel Legends - BLACK PANTHER!
It's been a few weeks so I feel like I can finally rant about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In short, I loved it. I have actually found myself voicing the opinion that it is my favorite MCU movie so far. Unlike a lot of superhero movies, I felt that the major conflict was believable and has a natural escalation. I was so relived that there wasn't a giant spinning vortex of undefined chaos or a monster roaring at the camera Jurassic-Park-style. It's amazing how repetitive the conflict of these movies has become. But Wakanda Forever had nuance and history. They spent a respectable amount of time on Talokan and Wakandan backstory, introducing new unique characters, and building up to a believable climax. It was my perfect blend of mushy, nerdy, and awesome. Comic readers are aware that Shuri has become the Black Panther in the past, but for the MCU retelling, they tried to keep Shuri's transformation under wraps. This toy was a late reveal to protect that secret, but she's finally here and she's terrific.
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Marvel Legends - SHE-HULK!
The new She-Hulk show on Disney+ was unexpectedly delightful. I had very low expectations from the few weird trailers and the comedy tropes from the comics that I didn't expect would translate well to the big screen. But I was wrong. It was funny, face-paced, irreverent, and the nine episodes ended way too quickly. If it doesn't get picked dup for another season I'll be very disappointed. One of the main surprises for me was how much I loved Tatiana Maslany. She embodied the quirky, down-to-Earth hero perfectly and added a level of personality I wasn't expecting. I personally have never seen any of her projects before, but I have heard great things about most of them (Orphan Black especially). I will likely start populating my watch list with her older projects. I know there was a lot of moaning about the quality of the CGI on the show, and I agree that some of the action scenes were goofy, and the early trailers were clearly a work-in-progress, but I didn't mind it. I love the show. Let's check out Jen below!
Friday, November 11, 2022
Marvel Basic Series - SHURI!
Don't worry, no real spoilers. I just saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earlier tonight and I loved it. The legacy characters that I felt didn't get a chance to shine in the first movie all got their moments, and the new characters introduced were all perfection. Best of all, I felt that the 161-minute runtime allowed for more of Wakanda to be featured as well as the Dora Milaje (both things I felt didn't get enough lingering focus in the first movie). An amusing takeaway was that I think Hasbro could easily fill another whole Marvel Legends wave with great looking characters. At there very least there could be a few more 2-packs. This Basic Series Shuri figure was one of the first pieces of merchandise released for the movie. There is a second "Battle Action" basic series figure of her in stores as well, but her arms are awkwardly re-posed. But this one with the Sunbird vehicle is a classically-posed, simply-posed figure like we used to see with every MCU film. Let's check out Shuri below!
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Titan Hero Series - SHURI!
I have my tickets to see Black Panther Friday afternoon and I'm very excited. The sheer number of significant female characters featured in this film is unparalleled in the MCU: Okoye, Aneka, Ramonda, Nakia, Ironheart, Namora, and Shuri all seem like they will have significant screentime. In all honesty, I think that Shuri in this purple tracksuit is probably the least interesting costume I've seen in the previews so far. In plastic it looks slightly costume-like, but in footage and set photos it appears to just be street wear. Regardless, I'm glad they started off the movie tie-ins with a female Titan Hero Series figure. I only hope that we see a Titan Series figure of her in her final costume from the movie. I can't imagine that we won't. But considering the delayed unveiling of the Funko Pop and Marvel Legends figures, it will probably be a late reveal (and I promise I'll act surprised). I predict we'll see her before end of year. Let's check out the Titan Hero Series Shuri below!
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Marvel Basic Series - IRONHEART!
The new trend for the Hasbro basic series MCU figures to have elaborate action features is admittedly not my favorite thing. The figures from Thor: Love and Thunder (Mighty Thor at least) were awkwardly engineered with the action features having too much influence over the sculpt. But last week I walked into Target and saw this unexpected Ironheart Battle Action figure (only Namor, Shuri, and Attuma were in the advertisements), and I was pleasantly surprised at the overall design. Her action feature does not effect her overall appearance, which is a great start. When you squeeze Ironheart's left leg inward, her two cannons move from a back-mounted downward-pointing position, to a shoulder-mounted forward-facing position. It makes a lot of sense and is a fun feature that I fully support. The Shuri from the same wave has awkwardly positioned arms and seems wholly unappealing, but Ironheart is fun, simple, and displays well. Let's check out the Wakanda Forever Battle Action Ironheart below!
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Wakanda Forever - OKOYE!
I struggled a lot with buying this Okoye figure because she is so similar to her 2018 version. Yes, she has a completely unique sculpt, but the uniform and overall presentation are the same. And while this figure is technically an improvement, the old figure is still gorgeous and was in no way in need of an update. Don't get me wrong, the character of Okoye is awesome, and this figure is flawless, but if a new character like Aneka or Namora got bumped from Legends consideration for this I would be pretty bummed. I'm assuming this figure mostly exists because her build-a-figure version back in 2018 wasn't as readily available to the masses (plus her role in Wakanda Forever seems to be expanded so she is a marketable face on the toy shelves). I'm excited to see this movie next week and dive deep into the world of Wakanda (and Talokan). From the trailers and merchandise, it also seems to be a heavily female-centric movie - so naturally I'm stoked. Let's check out Okoye below!
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Wakanda Forever - NAKIA!
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has me more excited than any MCU movie has in a long time. I think I might have been the only person on the planet that was disappointed by the first Black Panther movie. My gripe was that two things were introduced that were fascinating: The Dora Milaje (an elite army of female warriors) and Wakanda itself (the most technologically advanced nation on Earth). Both were intriguing unique concepts for the audience, but the writers chose to almost skip over them and focus the storyline on other things.. and I was left wanting. I've seen stories of power struggles more times than I can count (I find them boring, especially when you know the hero comes out on top), rather I wanted to learn details about Wakandan history, science, and infrastructure. All the new concepts made crave a documentary, but I got the expected action movie. However, Wakanda Forever looks like it will appease me and focus on a lot of new concepts and characters (including at least 6 "costumed" females).
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Marvel Legends - IRONHEART!
Riri Williams has had a lot of interesting armor configurations since her debut in 2016. Her first was a bulky suit made from pieces of Iron Man's armor that she scavenged and reverse engineered. When Pepper Potts insisted that her genius (and heroics) be acknowledged, she quickly acquired the resources to upgrade to a sleek classic-looking "Iron Man" suit (this was my favorite iteration so far). After a few years she got a redesign into a pink/magenta suit with a subtle heart motif and a clear visor. This wasn't my favorite look, but it was very original (not derivative of Tony's look) and the stories were still great. When her solo series ended, I lost track of her development. But now her upcoming appearance in Wakanda Forever has me energized to fill in the gaps. This cinematic design looks like a great blend of the two main comic looks. I love that she's starting off with a unique design, easily distinguishable from Tony and Pepper. Let's check out Ironheart below!
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