Hasbro’s first release of Blastaar in the Marvel Legends line has been controversial. Many collectors and long-time comic readers are beside themselves as this is a modern Blastaar and not the classic. Let’s put this into perspective: we got Blastaar. Yes. He’s part of an exclusive box set that is hard to get, was only up for 30 minutes on HasbroToyShop before selling out, and may never see the light of day again, except on eBay.
Why is this such a big deal? Blastaar is, like, at best a B-List villain in the comics, a 1967 Fantastic Four villain at that. He’s a Negative Zone bad-ass deposed despot outlaw that can’t seem to get things back on track. He’s tried to take over his home world and has even ruled the negative zone, but it never quite works out for him. Like many a Marvel villain, he’s a running joke. Thinking of that, he might be a good team member of Boomerang’s Sinister Six (Superior Foes of Spider-Man).
During Annihilation and other recent cosmic wars, Blastaar received an updated look! Yeah, it’s not classic, and it does kind of have “edgy” written all over it. But it also keeps true to “Kirbyesqueness” in its design, it’s not hard to think that Jack himself didn’t come up with the design. Big shoes and knee pads and giant wrist gauntlets. I can see it. But at the heart of the controversy is the missing neck collar and shirt. Dude, this is Blastaar, he needs no shirt, and neck collars are for Toads. Blastaar is all man.
And if you really have to have the classic version, there is always Marvel Universe Blastaar…
The figure is based on the Avengers Movie Hulk. It’s a great extra large buck and it works well for Blastaar. The buck is wide shoulder to shoulder, but it lacks a certain thickness from chest to back; the figure is very flat. Otherwise, the buck works and Hasbro captured the modern look perfectly.
There is no change on the articulation scheme on Blastaar from Movie Hulk. It’s the same and it works. The neck ball joint is the only real area of weakness as the head can easily pop off. The beard is stiff and when turned too far left or right pops off. But Blastaar has no need to turn his head; he’s a straight shooter. His breakdown is as follows:
•Rocker ankles
•Hinged ankles
•Shin swivels
•Double knees
•Swivel thighs
•Ball hips
•Ball ab
•Ball shoulders
•Swivel biceps
•Double elbows
•Swivel wrists
•Hinged wrists
•Ball head
I am missing a blast effect, something that could attach to his hands, since he is Blastaar! The Negative Zone deposed despot outlaw once ruler of all Negativity that shoots blasts from his hands. Or something like that. Something to clip on, that I can put on and make him go “Pew pew!” with.
This is a great figure and will fit with your modern collection of cosmic Marvel Legends characters. When Hasbro decides to release a new set of Fantastic Four action figures, Blastaar will look cool trying to beat them up too.
