It’s funny the things we miss in life.
As an action figure collector and contributor to the Fwoosh, I make it a point to be up-to-date on all of the latest releases. I may not have the money or space to collect everything, but at least I can stay “in the know” by reading toy reviews and watching videos. That said, a lot still flies under (or over) my radar. Even when it comes to action figures, Marvel characters in particular, I have my blind spots. For example…
One of three figures released in the second series of ToyBiz’s 2004 Incredible Hulk line, Gamma-Punch Hulk somehow escaped my notice. I’m not saying I’ve never seen the figure before — I remember all too well the twerpy Bruce Banner that he was packaged with — but I never owned him and probably dismissed him on the basis of his articulation-inhibiting action feature. On the other hand, I wanted a Mecha-Hulk desperately. From what I could tell from grainy ToyFare photos, Mecha had an amazing sculpt, some intricate paint apps, and an action feature that actually made sense. I never managed to find him, but last weekend I did pick up his Gamma-spawned sibling at a yard sale. And you know what? He’s great!
For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the “Gamma punch,” its basically just an internal spring that causes the figure to snap back when the arms are drawn out to the sides. I don’t know if years of being played with have worn down the mechanism inside, but the figure can hold some arm poses fairly well without snapping back. His waist still won’t stay shifted, but I bet a well-placed mini rubber band would provide the resistance needed to hold it in place.
Hulk appears to have a dedicated sculpt — while he may share the odd piece with other figures in the line, it’s hardly noticeable. What you will notice is the fantastic expression on his face — this is one P.O.’ed green rage-monster! I daresay he’s even angrier than Face-Off Hulk, which may be heresy to some. Seriously, the “growling” version of Face-Off Hulk is yelling like you stepped on his toe, but Gamma is roaring like you stepped on his puppy. Big difference. (Sorry, imaginary Hulk puppy!)
But the goodness doesn’t end there. Gamma is built on top of his massive frame, with pecs a poppin’ and veins a’bulging. His skin is clearly stretched thin over his radiation-saturated musculature, with all of the groups clearly (if fancifully) delineated. At 7 1/2 inches tall, the figure is appreciably Hulk-y next to modern Marvel Legends.
He may be a bit short compared to more modern plastic versions of the character, but Gamma has something those guys don’t have, and it’s girth. The figure is built like a tank, with a chest that measures almost as deep as the first Marvel Select Avengers Hulk. Consider the Marvel Select is a bigger figure in a larger scale and you’ll get a sense of what I’m talking about.
Gamma also features some nice paintwork, with era-appropriate oversprays and washes. Even the little details are sharp and present, including some nice work on the chest hair and facial areas. I wish I could say the same for the Bruce Banner figure this Hulk originally came packaged with, but he wasn’t at the yard sale. (Hey, for fifty cents I’m not complaining!) From online pics it appears Banner received the same treatment, although with scaled-back articulation. That said, Bruce is clearly the accessory here — just getting him at all was a big plus, so it’s hard to quibble over the details.
All in all, Gamma-Punch Hulk is worthy. If you’re like me and passed him by the first time, you might want to give him another look. He may just surprise you.
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