Okay, shut it down (or should I say, “stop the count”?). We can all go home now. It might only be January, but Frog-Man is a lock to be the best Marvel Legends figure of all of 2021.
Yes, that lede is assumptive, and partially tongue-in-cheek, but guys, we have a Frog-Man figure. A f*&%ing FROG-MAN figure! Things might be cruddy everywhere else, but when it comes to checking white whales off of our action figure want lists, we seem to be doing just fine. I don’t ever completely rule anything out in terms of possibilities when it comes to Marvel Legends, but Eugene hasn’t been one to trend near the top of the “it’s gonna happen soon” list. This is the type of character that gets me extra hyped for ML, though, and while I am still tapping my fingers for more Inhumans, and Doctor Bong, figures like Frog-Man keep the fun moving and fill out those wonderful little corners of the Marvel Universe.
Ever since White Rabbit was released I have been keeping myself in-check with asking in my own head if maybe, possibly, Frog-Man would see the light of day. The Hasbro Marvel team is kicking the year off right, that is for sure, and getting one of the best team-ups ever makes it a good time to be a Legends collector. Frog-Man is here to not only bolster the under-represented frog sect in ML, but also those who are not made of a chiseled physique. Yes, that is the sturdy Doc Ock body making its way back into the line, and as far as I am concerned, this is a case of the student besting the master.
As you can probably guess, I love this figure. In a line that relies heavily on reuse, and this figure does fit that formula, Frog-Man is the perfect example of how to handle it with a deftness that avoids the comparisons. Sure, I KNOW he is built from Doc, but looking at the figure, there is nothing about that fact that detracts from this specific figure. All I see is a body that is accurate to what is needed for ol’ Eugene, and the rest drives it home. By “the rest” I mean the further combination of past and new parts that give the character what he needs to be faithfully realized. Even the requisite backpack pulls duty to hide the tentacle ports on the back. So, not for one second do I look at this as a Frog-Man send up of Doc Ock, this is purely Frog-Man.
The varying greens and pattern printing pop nicely, and it is amazing how eye-catching an mostly monochromatic costume can be when handled correctly. The underoos, um, undermoob belt, and flippers stand out nicely while adding to the overall effect of the costume. I mean, come on, this is Frog Man here, so a beautifully ridiculous get-up is required, and I like seeing the parts needed to that be afforded to this release. Of course, the big standout is the mask worthy of the most overindulgent team mascot costume, and I love it. It is properly oversized, but the range of movement in the neck articulation is maintained. Plus, Hasbro did not sleep on the white eyes peeping out from the black mouth, so the perfection in the ridiculousness amps up even more. The swappable hands are just icing at this point, but you know – options are always good to have within this line.
All of this culminates with the fact that Froggy is part of the Stilt-Man series, so the fact that these two characters will be locked in Marvel Legends lore forever is the chef’s kiss. Stilt-Man’s left arm, swappable fist, and gun are all included here, but you will need to get the rest of the characters from this series to complete him, but none of them are as cool as Frog-Man. I’m just sayin’.
I know there is no telling what we will see in Marvel Legends as the year moves on, but they have set an awfully high bar awfully early in the year to do better than Frog-Man. Don’t get me wrong, I love this line, and there is rarely a character that I am not excited about getting, but guys like Frog-Man is what I am most excited by at this point. Hasbro is playing with house money for the rest of the year as far as I am concerned, Frog-Man is one for the ages.
Do you need this figure? YES YOU DO! Go get him from BBTS or Dorkside.
And now he’s in the MCU 🤣