Having made his big-screen debut this summer in Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Vision is set to join the ranks of Marvel’s most recognizable heroes. Sure, fans of the Avengers have known him to be an integral part of the team for decades, but, at least these days, comic characters don’t become household names until they’re fighting bad guys in one of the highest-earning movies of all time. So it’s probably not a coincidence that we’re seeing a new Vision figure released as part of the new “Hulkbuster” wave of Hasbro’s 6-inch Marvel Legends line. What is surprising is that it’s a comic-based version rather than a movie-based version, but, then again, Hasbro’s assortments have been good in their effort to appeal to both movie and comic fans. Now, Vision hasn’t been hurting for an updated figure the way, say, Dr. Strange has, so is this new version a worthy addition to the collection? Let’s take a look!
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The packaging is standard Hasbro boxed fare, and it’s immediately evident that Vision and Dr. Strange are “packaging buddies,” so to speak. The two figures share several body parts, but then so does Blizzard, so maybe these two share packaging because they’re both good guys? Sure, why not. Anyway, the only accessories he comes with are his cape and a Hulkbuster piece (lower torso), so his packaging looks kind of “empty” in the upper left portion. It’s odd.
This is an updated, more streamlined look for the character. Gone are the large collar and yellow mid-section, but, to be honest, I don’t find myself missing those design elements. The body used is, of course, the Bucky Cap/Black Panther body, but the head sculpt is new and it looks as though his hands may come from the recent “Pizza Spider-Man” figure, but I could be wrong about that. The metallic green paint pops like crazy, and even though it may look unnecessarily “techy,” I’m still fond of it. I mean, this definitely looks like “The Vision” to me, and it’s on a base body that I have come to love, so it’s going to take an awful lot to sour my opinion of this figure, and so far I’m not finding anything that comes close to doing that. Not even the cape, which many are not a fan of.
Vision’s head sculpt is appropriately stoic and dour — this is how I always picture him. Some of the sculpt details get lost in the solid red coloring, but that’s the character’s design, so I can’t really fault that. The sculpt does a nice job of capturing the character’s personality. And I am pleased with how close the color of the plastic cape comes to matching the yellow paint around his shoulders. It goes a long way to provide the illusion of the cape’s blending into the costume seamlessly.
The open-palmed hand is a feature I’m enjoying because it makes it possible to get some pretty expressive poses out of him, even if they’re of the standard “energy blast” variety. And his fist is . . . a fist. So it does everything a fist should do.
This base body is seeing a lot of reuse these days, but it never feels redundant to me when I buy a new figure that was built using it. As long as there’s a character-specific paint job and a new head, it still manages to feel fresh (enough) each time I see it. It feels like a good choice for the Vision as well, so I’m satisfied with this version of the character.
In terms of articulation, we’ve covered this base body so many times now, and I can assure you there are no surprises here. I give a quick rundown in the video above, but if you know the Bucky Cap body, then you know exactly what you’re getting. The one issue with his articulation, however, is how his cape can limit the number of poses he can be put in. It’s a very rigid plastic with no give at all, and it extends all the way to his feet, so for more dynamic posing, you may have to remove the cape altogether. I’m chiefly a vanilla poser, so I take no issue with it (and I actually like the sculpt and shape of it), but I totally get how it will drive some articulation junkies bonkers.
Now, what I am absolutely loving is that Hasbro has given us good, solid versions of the Vision and the Scarlet Witch in the same year. We’ve waited an awful long time to have good versions of both of these characters together, so I am beyond elated to be able to display these two together doing the cha-cha or whatever else I feel like having them do together. I know this pairing would probably feel more satisfying for many if this were a more classic-inspired version of the Vision, but at this point I don’t even care because I love seeing these two together on my shelf. High fives, Hasbro.
I love this base body and I am a fan of this look for the Vision, so, for me, this figure is all win. I do understand the issues some will have with it, but I guess I’m just easier to please or something. I’d recommend picking up this guy on sight, especially if your collection is currently Vision-less, which was the case for me.
This wave has been popping up at some online shops lately, but if you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, you may try your luck at Fred Meyer — that’s where I found the wave. Eventually it’ll be everywhere, so patience will probably pay off here.
Vision can be ordered here: