While most retailers and e-tailers have to wait until April for the new Marvel Legends X-Men wave, Target was able to get it out on the pegs way ahead of schedule. I was lucky enough to find the lion’s share of the wave at a local store, so I treated myself to the two figures that were my key priorities from this wave: Dazzler and Shatterstar. Today we’re going to take a closer look at Shatterstar, a figure based on a character famously created by Rob Liefeld that, for years, was the poster boy for everything that was terrible about comics in the ’90s — but more on that after the jump. So what are we waiting for? Let’s take a look at the new Marvel Legends Shatterstar!
I’ve had a difficult relationship with Shatterstar as a character. For many years, the very sight of him made me cringe. I hated him to the point where I actively campaigned against him when his name came up as a possible candidate for a Legends figure back in the ToyBiz days. I would look at that dumb headgear and just seethe. And since elements of his design were clearly ripped off from Longshot (to be fair, Liefeld always intended for him to be Longshot’s son, but in ’91-’92 that wasn’t common knowledge and the Longshot link wasn’t well known), that just made me resent him all the more. But then years later I read Peter David’s X-Factor, where Shatterstar and Longshot were both featured prominently, and I then understood and appreciated their relationship. And outside the screaming, over-the-top bombast of Liefeld comics from the ’90s, I was able to see Shatterstar as a pretty cool character. So while the modern X-Factor look may be my preferred version of Shatterstar, I was no less excited to get this version when it was announced.
The packaging for this X-wave is very similar to what we saw with last year’s wave. Each figure gets a dedicated box and design, so it’s really cool to see all their actual names on the pegs, rather than something like “Masters of the Mind” that two characters have to share. As part of the Warlock Build-a-Figure wave, Shatterstar comes with the right arm, which can be seen to his right.
The figure itself is beautiful and is a solid representation of the early days of the character. The paint apps are minimal, and much of the figure is cast in a stark white, but the paint apps that are here complement the sculpt well. I don’t have the best eye in the world when it comes to recognizing reused parts, but I do believe the chest/torso comes from Doctor Strange/Hogboblin/Green Goblin, and I can say that the overall build Hasbro went with here suits Shatterstar well and everything feels appropriate for the character. The ONLY thing that seems odd and out of place here is the trigger finger on his right hand. He doesn’t need it. Punisher needs it but didn’t get it. Maybe they can work out something.
When I think of this version of Shatterstar, he’s usually screaming, per Liefeld’s artwork, so it’s a little weird to see him with such a neutral expression. His later X-Factor years saw him depicted in a much more subdued manner, so his expression reminds me more of the modern take then the classic take. Regardless, the sculpt here is beautiful and the paint apps are solid — there’s even a wash over his headgear and his hair that adds some depth and realism that otherwise would not be there. The braids are a soft plastic that don’t hinder articulation, and his ponytail is just malleable enough to work with dynamic poising without getting in the way.
In addition to Warlock’s arm, Shatterstar comes with his two signature swords. They fit nicely in both his hands, despite the aforementioned hand with the trigger finger, and they look decent despite having zero paint apps. And only one of them is double-bladed. I seem to remember him as having two swords with two blades each, so I’m not positive what we got here is accurate to the comics, but I’m sure someone who remembers this era of the character better than I do will let us know in the comments section below.
In terms of articulation, Shatterstar sports every point of articulation that we’ve come to expect from a modern Hasbro Marvel Legends figure. Both his grey cape and brown shoulder pad are made of a softer plastic that works fairly well with his articulation scheme. The shoulder pad does get in the way some because it is so big and obtrusive, but it moves easily and you can work with it to some degree. If you pop his head off, the cape and shoulder pad can easily be removed if you’d prefer more fluid articulation and like his look better with out it. Robo does a full articulation and range of movement breakdown in his video review:
I think it’s so cool to be able to post Shatterstar together with his “parents,” Dazzler and Longshot. While these particular versions of these three characters may not exactly work all that well together, it’s awesome to have this little nuclear family unit together, even if their relationships are a little convoluted beyond the usual mother-father-son (it’s comics — we’d be disappointed if it weren’t convoluted).
Man, I cannot believe I am so excited to have a Marvel legends Shatterstar figure in my collection. Twenty years ago I would have hated this because back then the inclusion of Shatterstar — along with Cable and Deadpool, actually — in the pages of The New Mutants signaled the end of what I loved about Marvel and the Mutant books, and it served as the dawn of the “Liefeld years.” Again, I’ve made my peace with that stuff, but I’m still really surprising myself here. Hasbro continues to more than do justice to these characters, and if they can produce a Shatterstar, who is probably a B-list or C-list character, as nice as this one, then darn it — they can do any character justice.
This wave of Marvel Legends hasn’t really made all the rounds at every retailer yet, so, for the time being, having Longshot’s luck at Target is your only bet. There is a listing on Amazon, but for now only third-party sellers are offering him (at a substantial markup).