“Ahh. At last Loki doth wear that which please him. Regalia fitting — the god of mischief.” — Loki Laufeyson
Ten waves after the Marvel Legends debut of Thor, ToyBiz finally got around to releasing the Thunder God’s errant stepbrother Loki. The figure was… less than iconic. While some collectors were satisfied with a more modern incarnation of the Trickster God, fans of the character’s classic look were left wanting. In 2008 Hasbro gave us their own version of Loki. While he wasn’t sporting the tights and gold chain mail of Kirby and Buscema, he was at least recognizable.
Loki came to us in the Walmart exclusive 6-inch Thor line. The three figures that made up the line were movie series Thor, a rerelease of Hasbro Marvel Legends Lord of Asgard Thor, and Loki. Loki was built on the Incredible Hulk Legends Doc Samson body, but there were lots of new pieces used in the process. The head, arms, lower legs/boots, and the rubber skirt overlay were all tooled exclusively for this figure. It would have been nice if they fixed his hips, but come on, this is Hasbro we’re talking about. If your packaging doesn’t say “Black Series” you get leftovers and you’ll like it.
Anyway, the figure did get a new head in the form of one seriously pissed Loki. I mean, who $#*& in this guy’s cornflakes? Looking at this picture, one thing becomes clear — I need to dust my toys more often. Sorry, folks, ever since the stock market crashed, the Anthill cleaning staff has been reduced to one guy, and he’s apparently too busy writing about toys to bother cleaning them.
Loki ends up with a long neck courtesy of the reused Doc Samson body. The fur wrap may have been added to downplay the extra length, but it only helps from certain angles. That said, this fur is a perfect fit for the recently released Wolverine Legends Sabertooth, adding some needed flair to that figure’s dull new costume. Why Hasbro didn’t include it there is beyond me. Guess this and the Emma Frost cape mold are keeping each other warm in a drawer somewhere…
So let’s look at the skirt piece. Look past the legs and their lack of any sort of thigh rotation. Ignore their shameful and archaic lack of articulation. Tamp down the bubbling rage you feel towards Hasbro for not throwing these legs into a volcano after the Doc Samson debacle. Look at the skirt. And it looks good, actually — details like the ornate belt and metal hoops are surprisingly crisp, while the folds in the “cloth” appear proportionate and natural.
So the articulation breaks down to a ball-jointed head, ball shoulders, pegged biceps, double-jointed elbows, and swivel/hinge wrists. The figure has a nice mid-torso ball joint, pin-hinged legs, double knees, and hinged feet. If Hasbro had gone the extra mile and cut swivels in the figure’s upper thighs, he’d be killer and not just filler.
The paintwork on Loki is minimal, but what’s there looks good. The figure was molded in green, which is dull but serviceable. If Hasbro had given the figure a little overspray to emphasize the sculpt work, it would have gone a long way. It seems that’s Loki’s curse — he’s almost great, but Hasbro’s cheapskate mentality and general laziness keep the figure from getting there.
The paint apps on the face are fantastic. The subtle highlights, the precision applications, and the iridescent paint used for the eyes are all things worth pointing out. So is the fact that the greens don’t match between the knees and ankles. So close!
As far as accessories go, Loki doesn’t have any. That’s right! No sword, no spear. he figure comes with nothing but the nagging sense of frustration that someone somewhere in the decision-making process just didn’t care. It keeps me from feeling as positive as I want to about this figure. Yeah, I like him — Hasbro just makes me hate to admit it in print. That’s ToyBiz Loki’s sword, by the way; it’s the part of that figure I’m willing to display.
At the end of the day, I’m glad to have this figure. Is he perfect? Of course not — I don’t know if such a concept even applies to something so subjective. Yes, there is room for improvement, but this figure is such an improvement over the original it seems wrong to complain. And yet … those legs! No wonder Loki is such a jerk — who could blame him?
Jason R Mink is the Man in the Anthill!