It’s Top Ten season at the Fwoosh and it comes at a particularly exciting time for Marvel Legends, as Hasbro has really been hitting their stride in terms of quality, character selection, and sheer volume.
Everybody’s got their list of their most-wanted figures, overall. But I thought it would be fun to break it down by category. Who’s the most “needed” Avengers figure? Or X-Men figure? Here’s what I came out with. See how much you agree with, and how much sets your hair on fire.
Most Needed: New Costume/Design — Storm
What I’m talking about here are characters that we already have a figure of (or figures), but who we really need to have a version of in a new costume. For this category, it really isn’t close. Despite HasCon’s reveal of an upcoming “punk” Storm, a classic, first appearance/Giant Size X-Men/Cockrum Storm remains a necessity. This figure is probably the most glaring void in all of our Marvel Legends collections. After more than a decade, how has this figure never happened?
Most Needed: Redo — Thor
Which character most needs to be re-done in a costume/version that we already have? There’s a lot more competition in this category, especially since Hasbro’s sculpting is really outpacing most of the ToyBiz figures of the early ‘00s. We surely need new versions of A-listers like Mk V Iron Man, classic Hulk, furry Beast, as well as second tier characters like Falcon, Gambit, and Vision. The list goes on to include pretty much every figure made before 2012. But I say thee verily that it’s Thor who rises to the top of my list. Neither of the two previous attempts at a classic Thor measure up anywhere near today’s standards. It’s pretty exciting to think about what Hasbro’s current team could bring to this figure. Let’s do it. If you’re stumped for a wave to include him in, why not a two-pack with a brand new, classic comic Loki?
Most Needed: Never Made Character — Crystal
Pretty simple: which character that has never gotten the ML treatment is most needed? Over the years, this list gets shorter and shorter. Pretty much every A-, B-, and C-level character has gotten a figure at some point.
I think Crystal is the most prominent character in the ol’ Marvel Universe that has gone figure-less. A key member of the Inhumans, former member of the Fantastic Four and Avengers, with deep ties to the X-world, she’s a pretty important character to still be missing. Many of you know that her dog Lockjaw is my single most wanted figure, but I think she wins this category regardless of my personal bias.
Most Needed: Avenger — Black Knight
Up until a few months ago, I would have given this category to Monica Rambeau. After all, we technically have a Black Knight figure, even if it doesn’t represent his iconic costume, and isn’t really well articulated. But now the time has come for a solid new, classic Dane Whitman. Could it be possible to sneak him into the Legendary Riders line, with a pegasus? Because that would be rad.
Most Needed: X-Character — Toad
I bet this will be my most controversial pic. X-fans are rabid and everybody’s got their teams, eras, and storylines which they most want to see figures from.
As far as I’m concerned, Toad is a top-tier X-villain who has never had a proper ML. His series 1 figure was already dated when it was new in 2002. Time to get hoppin’ on this guy.
Most Needed: Fantastic Four — Thing
We’re all very happy to see Hasbro finally putting out a good, quality FF via Walgreens. Ben is the only one left to be formally announced or seen, so it seems like no-brainer that he should top this category. And always remember what your Aunt Petunia used to say: “Under 7 inches tall, and no teeth or boots.”
Most Needed: Villain — Molecule Man
OK, maybe this pick will actually be the one I take the most heat on. There are so many villains out there we still need, or need new/better versions of. That old Mandarin figure is a travesty. I already mentioned the absence of a classic Loki. Classic Ultron has been elusive, but sue me — I think the Marvel Select figure is an excellent stand-in.
This was a tough one for me, but in the end, I feel it should be a character that hasn’t gotten a figure yet. Some may argue whether Molecule Man qualifies as a villain, but the Beyonder thought he did, so that’s good enough for me. He’s got a long history threaded through the Marvel Universe, fills out the “Secret Wars” cast, and has played visible roles in contemporary storylines as well. I would give him priority over the host of other baddies that I’d also like to see, including Attuma, Psycho Man, Puppet Master, and so many others.
Most Needed: Fan favorite — Squirrel Girl
Fan favorite is just what the name implies, and there are as many favorites as there are fans. Everyone from Howard the Duck to Bob, Agent of Hydra could fall into this category, so coming to a consensus would be impossible. That said, I’m betting Squirrel Girl would bring joy to a plurality of collectors.
Most Needed: Silver Age — Mimic
Oh, the Silver Age. Home to all the characters those of us over 40 are most partial to. We’ve actually got a pretty good representation of the 1960s Marvel Universe, and though there are some peeps notable by their absence, I think Mimic has been pretty unfairly overlooked in the figure realm.
Most Needed: 1990s — X-Man
Oh, the ’90s. Home to all the characters those of us over 40 love to ridicule. But seriously, thousands of Marvel fans came of age in the 1990s, and Hasbro has recently staked out more Legends real estate from this era, with all its pouch belts and pony tails.
X-Man seems to be a fundamental missing piece to the world of the ’90s. He got a 5-inch figure back when he was still relevant in the comics. He’s been forgotten since then, as far as toys go, but I think there are enough collectors with ’90s nostalgia to warrant giving him a Legend now.
Most Needed: Marvel Knights — Colleen Wing
Call them “street level” heroes, “Marvel Knights,” or what have you, but you know the group I’m talking about. It’s a small group that’s been very well covered recently with great new figures of Daredevil, Moon Knight, Iron Fist, Misty Knight, and others. A Colleen Wing figure would provide a nice capstone to the group.
Whaddaya think? Discuss in the comments where you can make your case for or against my pics. What categories did I miss and who tops them?
