I was rifiling through some older pics that I had loaded onto the site and came across updated Hulk pictures from ToyBiz’s Series 9 Galactus Build-a-Figure wave of action figures. And then Marvel Select went and announced Savage Hulk, which is along the same lines as this First Appearance Hulk, forcing me to write an article about this once classic and favorite action figure.
Back when I did my top 5 Hulk figures, FA Hulk did not make the list. It wasn’t because it’s a bad figure, quite the contrary, but I didn’t feel it deserved a top spot. The figure in itself is fantastic. The sculpt channels Kirby’s first appearance design, the scale is big and fits with other Hulks, and he is loaded with articulation. It’s a well engineered figure and it came out of the production line as a nice, solid figure.
The sculpt is great. It’s got the whole sleepy, lumbering monster aspect down perfectly. If there were one complaint that I throw at it, it would be the size of the head sculpt. It’s a huge noggin! It channels the Frankenstein’s monster look that Jack Kirby threw at the early pictures of the Hulk. You know, the old square-headed Boris Karloff look. It’s perfect in that regard. But the overall size is just ginormous on the final production piece, just a little smaller, a little, and it would be perfect.
The articulation on this figure is out-of-this-world awesome! Everything works and you can get some seriously wicked poses out of ol’ Hulk. I was wary about the continued use of the ball abdomen joint, but it works ridiculously well on Hulk. He may not get into super squat positions, but it’s perfect for this lumbering beast! Here’s the breakdown:
Rocker ankles
Double-hinged knees
Swivel thigh
Ball hips
Swivel waist
Ball abs
Ball shoulders
Swivel biceps
Hinged elbows
Hinged Wrists
Hinged fingers
Hinged neck
Swivel head
The paint is lovely on this figure. Yeah, I used the word “lovely.” It’s another fantastic piece of work from ToyBiz. The plastic color, the base colors, the shading, and dry brushing — really beautiful work.
As a final note, I must lodge one complaint. Hulk made his first appearance in Marvel Legends Series 1, and at the time he came with slappy hands. Since then he continues to miss a critical part of his fighting arsenal: fists. I don’t know why — or how — this little thing continues to get overlooked with Hulk. Hulk smash; Hulk needs a fist. The articulated hands that should be channeling fists just don’t hack it. Hulk need fist.
You can still pick up this awesome Hulk at:
