Bandai’s S.H. Figuarts Avengers: Age of Ultron Iron Mark 45 was released this month and it is a great action figure. The sculpt and articulation on this figure are some of the best out on the market, and for the S.H. Figuarts collector this is a must-have figure.
The figure stands slightly above the 6-inch mark. In fact, he is on an even keel with Marvel Legends Black Panther’s (the generic buck) height. Depending on your collecting preference, he’s either a perfect fit for your Marvel Legends collection or he is too small. If you are trying to pair Iron Man with your S.H. Figuarts collection, you should be gold; the figure will also fit with Figma’s Avengers Captain America and Thor. Standing next to the Figma figures, the Mark 45 is too small and is too small standing next to most Marvel Legends Iron Man figures. Even the head is on the small side for fitting in with Marvel Legends.
S.H. Figuarts is more of the 5.5-inch to true 6-inch line, and the Mark 45 has no problems fitting in with Bandai’s premier action figure line.
The sculpt on this figure is just amazing. I know I thought that Figma’s Mark VII was the greatest 6-inch Iron Man ever, and I still stand by that purely on sculpt and scale, but the Mark 45 is an amazing figure. This figure literally looks like it jumped from the screen to desktop without almost zero faults. There is a ton of detail on this armor that makes you appreciate the engineering that went into the design.
The sculpt and articulation integrate perfectly with each other and this figure looks great in both vanilla poses and action poses. The sculpting is a huge improvement over their earlier Mark 6. The Mark 6 figure comes across as clunky and doesn’t transition well from one limb to the next. The Mark 45 is much more fluid in its transitions. I don’t know if it is the suit design or if Bandai is just improving, but the Mark 45 is a beautiful figure.
The one complaint that has to be pointed out is the foot size. While the feet are nice and stable, they are tiny. Even for 5.5-inch action figures, these are some tiny feet. It’s the one major area that needs improvement. My guess is that enlarging the feet would give the figure a little more height as well.
The articulation is amazing on this figure and there are no new special joints that I can list for you that haven’t been listed before. The Mark 45 can be posed in just about any position, and the range of motion is really good. Bandai followed their formula with previous Iron Man figures and made the abdomen pieces fit in a way that makes them move with each bend. As with S.H. Figuarts Hulk, this figure is a of hand candy.
Once again, the paint apps are stellar. I’ve yet to see a bad paint app on Bandai’s Iron Man figures. And that is an accomplishment considering the high gloss finish of the paint. These paint apps really pop on a shelf and they are great to look at, although they can make the rest of your collection look dull. So watch out what you pair it with.
The accessories are the usual S.H. Figuarts: tons of of hands and some repulsor effects. It’s great to have all these extras, but Bandai really needs to include the zip-loc baggie like Figma does to store them in.
You can still pick up Iron Man at:
Thanks! I think this helps, but I’m definitely looking forward to a more direct comparison of them. I’m not sure whether to get Mark 45 Figuarts, but it seems like Hasbro will skip it like they did the Mark 7. Seems like it will be pretty short next to the Mark 43 and Mark 7 but beggers can’t be choosers…
I watched your Iron Man Mark XLV video like a week ago (I have this weird thing about watching video reviews for figures I already own) and I dug it. Good lighting and camera. Maybe just add the elbow pad thing for the Cap figure into the description section of your review?
I haven’t had the knee pads fall off on mine, but one of the elbow pads actually did. They’re made that way for some reason. I just applied a little super glue and I was good to go.
Damn in hindsight I wish I had mentioned that in my video review of the figure.
You mean Revoltech or Figuarts MK6, yes? Or the Figma MK7?
Thank you for the request! I can take a pic with Age of Ultron Captain America and figma MK7, it iwll be next week at the earliest. But, you can probably get an idea of his size as I took pictures of these figure next to Black Panther in their reviews.
This is a nice figure. Much better than the crappy Figma MKVI. I’d rather have the Series 1 ML than that Figma again. The Figma does have a nice paint job though.
And here I thought it was just me. Lol?I use Ziploc for almost everything! Primarily figure storage.
Indeed,”great minds think alike.”
Just wish I’d thought of it when I first started years ago.
It wasn’t until I had to move that I had my baggie epiphany.?
Excellent critique Mr.Wolf!
Well balanced,analytical etc.
Top drawer!?
My pile of loot box arrived from bbts last Wed. It’s waiting on a shelf for me to do my “excited kid on Christmas day” routine soon as I get a day to myself.
Thanks for the peek inside the box,Pabs.
My concerns are still greatly outnumbered by my excitement!
Legends are my primary. I’ve been cobbling together the Hulkbuster wave from store to store and only have two more to go;Rhodes and Stark?
So,it’s an expected curiosity that his Mk45 is smaller scale. The whole reason I bought it was that this is the only toy of the Mk45(can’t afford HotToys)it’s NOT an option!)too expensive and too big.) ain’t that the way? One isnt big enough,the other is Too big!?lol–
SHF scale tends to be on the smaller side and why I’ve been apprehensive about purchasing marvel(non-anime)
Pablo have you got a foot fetish?
Looks like you often have issues with a figures feet!?
People do have different size feet you know. My brother and I are the same height. He wears a 10. I wear a 12.
Although,IMHO,Toybiz did respect the scale of an average size man in a heavy powered suit of armour very well.
My figure might never leave the window box and just sit in my armoury display..
Maybe…
Thanks,Mr.Wolf.
Can you please post some comparison pictures next to a movie Marvel Legends (like Mark 43 preferred) and maybe figma Mark 7? You talk about scale issues, but we don’t actually get to see it. There’s no ML Mark 45 so I was curious to see scaling – how close or not. Thanks!
…I have wood.
Is that normal?
This is the best figure in the age of ultron line I think. Caps torso looks like a tube and his knee and elbow pads fall off. Hulk does not look like movie hulk at all. Thor has creepy eyes and a bad head seam and bad cape. Iron man mark xlv has an immaculate paint job and articulation. If only they’d do Hawkeye and black widow.
I like that Figma includes the bag with their name on it. I like revoltechs clear orange accessory box they include. Wish figuarts came with something, or a company pot out some pencil box style case for figure accessories.
Funny you should mention zip-loc baggies – I have a box of them standing by for all new purchases. Everyone gets their own labeled bag of stuff. Haven’t acquired any Figmas yet, so I didn’t know they included one.