“The Phoenix Saga” is one of the most important and iconic comic book arcs in the hallowed history of the X-Men. That storyline is perpetually held in high esteem, and it was a turning point in the characterization of Jean Grey as the “child of light and darkness.” Well, it might have taken 37 years, but we now have a pretty fantastic Marvel Legends set to help commemorate a run that changed the game for the X-Men, and Toys R Us is the only place where you can get it.
Having the Marvel Mutants back in the good graces of Legends has already afforded us some very nice things, so I really hope that the trend continues. The two X-Men Infinite Series have been some of the absolute best assortments over the past year or so, and with this Toys R Us two-pack, we are now seeing exclusives make it into the market. No matter what is happening behind the scenes at Marvel and anywhere else, the X-Men have consistently shown their high appeal among fans, and when it comes to collectibles, that translates to dollar signs, so I am very happy the teams and Marvel and Hasbro are working together to bring us these characters in (arguably) the best mass-marked action figure line currently going.
Longtime lovers Scott Summers and Jean Grey have been two of the most rewarded characters from this recent new figure influx, and with the release of this new set, you could make a strong argument that they both now have their two most iconic looks done and dusted in a matter of less than a year. For Cyclops, this marks his second figure in row that gets mostly universal high marks, and along with the previously released “Jim Lee” figure, this more traditional John Byrne look is finally rendered in fantastic fashion for Marvel Legends. For Jean, this new Dark Phoenix release is probably the best figure the character has ever gotten, and with all of the included extras in the set, this pack instantly makes the previous standard green Phoenix figure 100 percent better.
It is funny, looking back on the history of Cyclops in Marvel Legends, for being one of the most prominent X-Men ever, he has kind of gotten a raw deal. He had several figures during the ToyBiz days, and while TBML (and the adjoining lines), but none of them were ever really good. That includes TBML series 10 figure in the same costume. That figure had a weird wash, the build was not really appropriate for Cyclops, and the articulation was lacking for the time, so as the years have gone by, most collectors hold the included Sentinel BAF piece is higher regard than the figure itself. Well, much like the recent Lee Cyclops making up for the older figure, this one pays the dues for a lot of years of living in mediocrity.
I know, this particular Cyclops costume, while iconic, is not the most complicated in the world, and thus, it should not be a feat in order to render it successfully in plastic. However, as we are now nearing the 20-year mark of Legends, I tend not to take anything for granted, and the good news is, I think Hasbro and Gentle Giant nailed this one. The costume is, of course, captured successfully here (via mostly reused parts), and I like the build, and I find it appropriate for Cyke. As he has the nickname “Slim,” I think a lot of people take that to instantly mean that Scott is super skinny, but he really isn’t. The Bucky Captain America base works well for him, and it keeps the character’s build consistent from each version in this modern incarnation of Legends. At the very least, when compared to the source art that would be most relevant for this set, it translates well.
The rest of the figure follows suit, and that includes everything from the new head sculpt, to the paint shading on the body. The head captures Scott well, and is appropriate not only for his character, but also for a lot of the posing options. It is, of course, all new, and falls in line with my preference for more neutral expressions in lieu of something that over emotes when only one head is included with a figure. That said, it would have been great to get an alternate “screaming” head for beam-blasting, and to recreate the famous cover of Uncanny X-Men #136, but since his lady love got the more-needed extra heads, we will do fine with what we got. I also really dig the light blue highlights on the figure as it is a good way to recreate some comic shading, and it helps to provide some variance to the wall of dark blue and yellow in this look.
All of this comes together to make for a really great Cyclops figure, and since this look is iconic and preferred to so many fans, I am pretty sure this set will make for many satisfied customers. Scott Summers has had a pretty good run in ML over the past few months, and while there are still some important and popular costumes in his wardrobe that we can still get to, but with this figure and the Lee look, the most important bases are now covered.
Which brings us to the other figure in the set: Dark Phoenix. Jean Grey is an original X-person and one of the most beloved characters in the mutant corner of the Marvel universe. Did you know she is also a mass murder, responsible for a planetary genocide that snuffed out billions of beings? Well, it’s true! And while people can debate on whether it was Jean or the Phoenix entity that killed that star, really mad moms can call for the banishment of Walter White figures from TRU while they also offer this amazingly effective murderess as an exclusive. Lulz.
Anyway, much like her man, Scott, Jean has enjoyed some recent ML entries that have helped get some of her most iconic costumes into plastic. A few years ago she snuck into the Rocket Raccoon BAF series in her Jim Lee costume. While I find that look terrible, it is also pretty essential, but unfortunately, the figure has not aged well. Last summer, Jeanie was part of the first X-Men Infinite ML series in her green Phoenix costume, and while that figure was mostly good, the final execution of the head sculpt left a lot to be desired. Well, not only does this release get us a great Dark Phoenix figure, but it has also improved our green Phoenix figure as well, so get ready to ditch that original head sculpt.
At its base, this Dark Phoenix figure is actually more varied in terms of parts from the original figure than you might think. Some of the same base body was used, but with a few subtle changes (aside from the new head(s)). First, this figure ditches the high heels in lieu of flats, and while I know that is not 100 percent comic accurate, I like my figures to be able to stand easily so I support this change. The upper torso is different, and I also like the paint job on this figure more than the green version as there is more subtle shading in the deep red, and I really appreciate the tiny tampo print of the Phoenix symbol on the sash. The red and gold of this costume is much more dynamic than the green (and for good reason in terms of characterization), so for all of the current Jean figures you might display, this one will likely be the real eye-catcher.
Now, to me, the best part of this entire set is the inclusion of not one, not two, but THREE Jean Grey heads. Over the years, I think we have been conditioned to expect more towards the minimum in terms of extra parts in exclusive sets, but this one breaks the mold beautifully. As I mentioned above, this fact not only gives you plenty of options for Dark Phoenix, but it also helps negate the less-than-spectacular head included with the standard Phoenix. Two of the heads are identical in terms of sculpt, and would call those the “powered up” heads. The “dark” version with the ombre hair and yellow pupils will be permanently affixed to my Dark Phoenix figure because the sculpt is stunning and the paint is great. So that actually gives more options to green Phoenix for me, as I find the other “powered up” (but not crazy) head, as well as the “powered down” versions better for her, and her original head better for the parts or rubbish bin. Again, the sculpt and paint on both of these heads is really, really great, but I will likely go with the “powered up” head most of the time on the shelf. That does not mean I won’t swap them out from time to time because it is great to have options. Additionally, if you are not too crazy about the Mary Jane head from the recent Spider-Man set, this calm Jean head might make a good replacement.
Finally, I don’t want to overlook the inclusion of a cool little Phoenix fire effect included with this set. It is cast in a nice translucent plastic, and affixes to Jean’s arm well. It is a nice little call out to the realization of the Phoenix entity, without having to get too crazy with the flame effects. I wish most of my collections wasn’t packed up at the moment because I am sure this new Dark Phoenix will look great on the old ToyBiz Phoenix base, but that will have to wait until I am done moving. There are also come cool flame effects out there too, so this figure is dynamic enough to be a centerpiece of a cool X-Men display.
What a great set. I mean, I could pile on more adjectives, but (to quote Robo), at the end of the day, this is a great set. It offers two very popular and essential characters in important costumes, and is executed well. I really dig the classic X-Men, so I can only hope that most of those characters will get the same treatment as Scott and Jean in this line. Heck, give me another Toys R Us boxset with the Giant Size X-Men and I will be on my way to being a happy X-Fan. Kudos to Hasbro, Gentle Giant, and Toys R Us, this is a fantastic set, so … KEEP THEM COMING!
