SPIDER-MAN, AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS!!!
We have been holding a Marvel Legends Top Ten vote at this site for many years at this point, and every year I struggle with my votes. It is not that I don’t know who I want, I most certainly do, but my list has looked very similar over the past several years because I have a penchant for characters who might not be in the top tier in terms of popularity. So, occasionally, I will swap out a character for a more prevailing name, just so I can tick a figure off of my list when it eventually comes to pass. I know that is a bit silly, but waiting years for Dr. Bong and his list mates can wear on you after awhile.
However, Firestar has been a constant on my list for the better part of a decade at this point, and I have never, EVER considered moving her off in lieu of a “more likely to get a figure” character. In fact, Firestar is one of the few Marvel Universe (the 1:18 scale line) figures I actually own. The Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon started a little early for me, but I grew up watching syndicated reruns of the show, and there is something about the Spidey/Iceman/Firestar dynamic that I have always enjoyed. Plus, it could be a who’s who of Marvel guest stars depending on the episode, and it is always fun to see your comic book heroes on the screen.
Angelica’s costume design still remains one of my favorite classic motifs. Sure, it is not complicated (likely for animation purposes), but that is where the beauty lies. The bright yellow base, with the red and orange fire accents illustrate her powers well, but make the costume itself eye-catching so it stands out from Spider-Man and Iceman. When I was a kid, I had no idea that she was essentially a new character for the show, but my Spider-Man lore has his longstanding friendship with Angelica and Bobby still cemented in my head for all time. I don’t know, maybe Firestar also kicked off the fact that I have a thing for red-heads. SHUT UP AND DON’T JUDGE ME!
Firestar is a long time coming, and this Fan Channel release is fairly straightforward, but does not deprive the figure of any details it needs to have. She is built on the skinnier standard female body, which suits her, I think, and the upper torso has the requisite high-popped collar. Most of this is, of course, yellow, but the flame effect orange to the red boots and glovers is accomplished well with crisp lines and smooth transitions. I have a feeling that, due to the high amount of yellow plastic used for this figure, it will be a popular one with customizers because yellow is an absolutely b!@#% to paint. This figure has the articulation scheme you would expect with this body and all of the joints are nice and tight while not feeling rubbery.
Firestar gets two portraits in this release, and both of them are quite nice. I would call one the cartoon look (with the down hair) and the other a comic look with windswept hair. I like both of them, but with the exception of some action posing for pictures, the “cartoon” head will be the permanent fixture of my display. Not only do I prefer the slightly more ornate mask, but the highlights in the hair make the look even more interesting. The resting hair does interfere with the collar a bit, and it limits the range of movement in the neck, but it is not egregious or even enough to get me to consider the other as a default. That is not to say it isn’t good, it is, but I love the personality in the most classic look. Angelica also gets two sets of hands: fists, and the default female open hands, so you should be VERY familiar with all of these at this point.
There are also some reused flame accessories for the figure that can wrap around her hands and forearms, sort of like her flame powers are just starting to rev up. These are fine, and there are SO many fire effect pieces in the Marvel Legends library by this time that if these do not suit you, you should be able to find several substitutes more to your liking. The big draw here is that, because the Amazing Friends would not be complete without her, Ms. Lion accompanies Firestar in this release. She is mostly a slug (non-articulated) save for her ball-jointed neck which gets surprisingly good range of movement. The details are nice here down to the bows in her ears, but this is obviously the comic version of Ms. Lion, not the tan cartoon look. That is okay, but I would have MUCH preferred the more accurate cartoon styling like in the MU line. I am not sure if there are rights issues associated with this, but it is it just kind of a bummer. The little figure is nice, though no doubt.
FIRESTAR! Yay! I am so beyond pleased that Angelica Jones has joined my Marvel Legends collection. As is always the case with figures like these, the wait was agonizing, but the payoff is great, so c’est la vie. I am considering picking up a second so I can make an Amazing Friends display somewhere else in the collection space (with Retro Spidey and Iceman), just to have it to look at and be happy for this particular group on its own. You can get your first, second, third or even 100th figure of Firestar at BBTS and Dorkside.
Oh, and because you are going to watch it anyway, here is the intro to SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS!
Killed me at “50s to Dead” lol
More seriously, this is impressive and a great base to work with. Very impressive 👍
i largely agree with this, and yeah, i’d see Firestar and Kitty as about the same age. I do think Cecila Reyes is a bit older – she was a practicing ED physician in her first appearance (and was fired, indicating she was at least a resident, if not an attending), which would make her at least 26 years old, if not a bit older.
Interesting estimation of Firestar’s age. I always saw her as being along with Kitty/Kate Pryde. I have sort of a scale with regard to mutants ages…
50s to dead
Xavier – 50s
Magneto – 50s-60s (de-aging and all)
Moira – 50s
Beast – Late 40s to early 50s
Banshee – 50s
Cable (old) – late 40s
Forge – early 40s
Black Tom Cassidy
Early to Mid 30s
Cyclops
Jean
Emma
Angel
Nightcrawler
Storm
Dazzler
Polaris
Betsy/Capt Britain
Jamie Madrox
Gambit
Sage
Early to late twenties
Kate Pryde
Firestar
Rogue
Kwannon/Psylocke
Bishop
Havok
Magik
Colossus
Rachel Summers
Warpath
Cannonball
Wolfsbane
BoomBoom
Moonstar
Karma
Doug Ramsey
Marrow
Cecilia Reyes
Jubilee
Synch
Husk
Tweens to Teens
Honey Badger (Gabi)
X23
Anole
Prodigy
Wind Dancer
Kid Omega
Stepford Cuckoos
Glob
Beak
basically anyone attending Xavier’s school after the 90s, lol.
I was wracking my brain trying to figure out who Firestar’s cartoon head looked like, and I finally realized it! She looks like actress Shawnee Smith (various 80’s films, and the SAW franchise). The other head kind of looks like Sally Jessy Raphael…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bd813bc481e74ce234ff9aa485124102ed0fe58ef34946891eeed915360e6a0d.jpg
Not a fan of the no waist/hips articulation Marvel has gone with. They finally have a good upper torso, why did they do away with the waist?
Yeah! Silhouette’s the one I’d be afraid would get left out, so I hope she gets worked in one way or another.
I’d suspect at least ten years since formation of the first X-team. Beast was the oldest at 17 at that time, and Cyclops is now old enough to have been married twice and have a son.
Could it be a 3-pack of 90s Firestar, Namorita and Silhouette?
I appreciate this.
Time and age are extra wonky in the books. I read somewhere recently (can’t remember where) that, allegedly, roughly 5-10 years have passed since the formation of Xavier’s first X-Men team.
Never really watched Amazing Friends, so I can only comment on the comic Firestar.
I’d submit in her early New Warriors appearances , she’s a mid-to-late teen. Split the difference and call her 16 in the first issue. I believe during the Busiek/Perez Avengers run, there was talk of her and Justice trying to both do college coursework and be Avengers, so call her 18-22 there, splitting the difference at 20. I dug into the wiki page for her, apparently during the Marvel Divas mini, she was a graduate student at NYU. Assuming she didn’t complete undergrad early, that would make her at least 22. This predates basically all of the Bendis/X-Men Gold/Hox &Pox X-Men stuff, so I’d submit at least some time has passed, in universe.
I’d say a rough approximation of her current age in the comics would be somewhere between 24-27.
I’m really happy Firestar’s arriving. Her classic look was my preference for a ML, but I’d still take a 90s New Warrior version too (maybe as part of a gift set with the other missing members? Hint hint, Hasbro?).
Whooooooa buddy. You’re not advocating for plus-sized representation.
White Widow could work, sure. She even has the collar already.
Nothing wrong with the Dark Phoenix for certain characters, but in every representation of Firestar I have seen, she is a young, athletic woman, barely on the cusp of full maturity. Even as an adult within the books, she’s got the same very trim physique. So the Gray Widow buck works really well here.
And yes, I have seen the cartoon. (Thank you, Disney+) It wasn’t my entry into the Marvel Universe, so it doesn’t hold the nostalgia for me that X-Men TAS does.
Care to clarify on ‘my’ people?
They have slowly been updating all their base bodies…. Like this new Spiderman Body….. I’ve seen them use the fuller legs on other figures….
Huh? Have you seen how fat teenagers are nowadays?….. Also…. Have you see the damn cartoon?….. Never understood you people…..
Yeah there’s literally an artwork on the back of the package. Just do that. Make a buck like that. Not hard Hasbro.
It is indeed. Nice touch.
I think that’s Firestar’s package background. You can kind of see it in the top left photo.
May I ask where the background diorama/gear from the group picture is from? Looks interesting.
Nah, she’s basically a teenager. This buck is appropriate.
eta: Also, the alt head on Ms. Lion? Nightmare-fuel.
Even without the New Warriors Firestar was on my Top 10 list since I started participating in the lists. I was hoping for a new body but I am so happy she’s coming. I was sure after Night Thrasher popped up in the line we would see her it was just a question of when and what wave. I can also live with that Iceman, who I held out for hoping they would make in a more classic style. That photo of the three of them in the Amazing Friends pose is a dream come true. That cartoon shaped so much of my early exposure to the Marvel Universe just like the Super Friends did for DC.
I would bet money that a cartoon Ms. Lion will be coming with the eventual Aunt May figure that you just KNOW is on the potential Hasbro SDCC exclusive list.
Wish they would “retire” this body already….. Legs always looked too skinny muscular….. Prob the body used for the Phoenix 2 pack or the White Outfit Black Widow would had looked better…..
Been wanting these for years…since I was a kid. Now I’m out the game and here come figs from the cartoon…ffs lol