This is still one of my favorite Marvel Legends. It’s an excellent figure, beautifully sculpted and still holds up. Even the articulation holds up. I argue that it still looks good even with Hasbro’s Marvel Legends of today.
Some good things did come out of the Avengers Disassembled mess (no not a fan). One of them was Young Avengers. For those of you that don’t know, Young Avengers was a spinoff from Avengers Disassembled, when Bendis decided to kill the Avengers. It was obviously time for a shakeup. Or Bendis was bored or Marvel needed money. Who knows, the result is that there was some interesting stuff spinning off that event. Writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung did a great job giving us some new characters a center stage which to shine.
Billy Kaplan, known at the time as Asgardian, now known as Wiccan, is a core part of the team and has some interesting history in the 616. Billy Kaplan is really one of the Scarlet Witch and Vision’s twins that was reincarnated. If you want to read some really disturbing stuff, read that arc in West Coast Avengers. In time, it is revealed to both Wiccan and the Scarlet Witch who he is and where he came from. And now he goes around galavanting as a super powerful mystic in the 616.
The only gripe collectors might have is that the hips use the 45-degree angle pinning and not the 90-degree. It’s a point of discussion for many, and it comes down to 45 being better for vanilla shelf posing, and 90 being easier to play with and pose. There are merits to both sides. But for me, it works.
The figure comes with two accessories: a base and a staff. The base is a simple base with two foot pegs and a sticker of the comic art. Simple.
Read also: Exploring the Witches' Road
For the most part, you don’t. Despite the cool sculpt and loads of articulation, Wiccan might still be a niche character. Although with Hasbro’s Kate Bishop figure you might want Wiccan to complete that Young Avengers display.
Last week during Hasbro's live-stream Marvel Legends event, they gave us a clue for one of the figures they will release in 2020. The clue indicated it would be a figure Toy Biz did originally for Marvel Legends that Hasbro has yet to redo.
Now I am sticking with just Marvel Legends figures Toy Biz did and not veering off into 6" sublines like Spider-Man and X-Men for this list. I also am not including Galactus. Hasbro has done a more recent Galactus figure, and while technically it was released for the Marvel Universe line and not Marvel Legends, I am counting that one as a Marvel Legends.
Potential Hasbro Updates of Toy Biz Marvel Legends Figures
I thought it would be fun to compile a list of figures Toy Biz did back in the day for Marvel Legends that Hasbro has yet to give us modern versions of. I also share my thoughts on how likely I think each choice is for getting the figure treatment this year.
To start the list off, I had to go back all the way to the very first wave of Marvel Legends that Toy Biz did. The figure is of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants member Toad. The funny thing about the Toy Biz Toad figure is that while technically released under the Marvel Legends banner, it actually was created for a line that predated Marvel Legends. That is why the articulation was not as good as other figures in the wave. Hasbro has been going heavy on X-Men related characters this year, and I think it's long overdue that we get an updated Toad.
Read also: League of Legends Clairvoyance
The next figure on the list is Howard the Duck, which was technically released as a pack-in with the Toy Biz Silver Surfer figure back in 2003. Hasbro did give us a Howard figure for the 3.75" line, but I don't see them giving us one in 6" for this year. If or when they do, I would hope it is also a pack-in like the Toy Biz one.
Wesley Snipes Movie Blade figure is the next figure on the list. Assuming Hasbro could get the likeness rights, I could see them possibly doing a tribute figure to the movie that really kicked off the modern era of Marvel movies. I don't see it happening this year, but maybe when we get closer to the release of the new MCU Blade movie.
Besides Blade, Toy Biz also did a Thomas Jame movie Punisher figure. I don't see Hasbro ever doing this one.
Hasbro also seems to be on a Hulk kick recently, and it doesn't hurt that the character of Maestro is appearing in comics again. Toy Biz did this one back in 2005, and I could definitely see Hasbro doing a figure of him in the somewhat near future.
Hasbro has given us a few different MCU Hulkbuster Iron Man figures for Marvel Legends, but never a comic based one. Toy Biz did one back in 2005, and while I could see Hasbro doing an updated version eventually, I don't see it happening this year.
Read also: The phrase "So Mote It Be"
This next one I wasn't sure I should even include here. It's Angel in his red (or blue) X-Men outfit. Toy Biz did this one back in 2005. Technically Hasbro has done an Angel figure, but it was based on the character's original X-Men uniform and was released in a Toys R' Us exclusive boxset. Technically that version of Angel was based on a Worthington from the past that had traveled to the present, which made him different from the regular Angel, well kinda. Despite technicalities I feel like that boxset Angel disqualifies him from this list and therefore don't see much chance of seeing this figure released in 2020.
The next four figures were originally released by Toy Biz in a Young Avengers boxset back in 2006. The set included figures of Asgardian (Wiccan), Hulking, Iron Lad and Patriot. Out of those four, I would say Hulking and Wiccan have the best chance of getting modern figures since they are playing a decent size role in the comics these days and just got married to one another. If Hasbro was bold they would make a wedding 2-pack, but I don't see that happening, at least not this year.
Another boxset Toy Biz did back in 2006 was one that included the likes of Tomb Of Dracula, Frankenstein Monster, Werewolf By Night and Living Zombie. With movies like Blade and Morbius on the horizon, we could definitely see Hasbro giving these classics the action figure treatment, just not this year.
While neither Toy Biz or Hasbro has given us a Mephisto figure, Toy Biz did give us his son Blackheart back in 2006. I don't really see Hasbro doing the same any time soon.
The one Age Of Apocalypse figure Toy Biz gave us that Hasbro has not yet is Sabretooth. Since we have already gotten Wild Child and this is the anniversary year for the Age of Apocalypse storyline, Sabretooth seems very likely in my view to get the figure treatment from Hasbro.
One I am sure we will see eventually is a comic book based Falcon. Toy Biz gave us a Classic Falcon back in 2006, and I think Hasbro will do the same once the Falcon and Winter Soldier series hits Disney+. I don't see it coming this year however.
Mojo which Toy Biz did as a Build-A-Figure back in 2006 is long overdue from Hasbro. After all Hasbro has given us versions of Spiral, Longshot and Shatterstar, so Mojo seems like a given. My guess is when Hasbro does a Mojo figure, it to will be done as a Build-A-Figure. Because of that, I would say 2021 is the soonest we might see that figure done by Hasbro.
Another obscure Iron Man armor Toy Biz did that Hasbro has yet to do is the Thorbuster armor. Since Hasbro loves Iron Man, I could see them doing this one down the road.
Modok was another Build-A-Figure Toy Biz did back in 2006 that Hasbro has yet to update. This is another one I definitely see Hasbro doing, but once again as Build-A-Figure.
It's hard to believe Hasbro has yet to give us a comic book based 6" Mandarin figure for the Marvel Legends line. Toy Biz did one in 2006 and Hasbro has done a movie one and a comic book one for the 3.75" line. It's only a matter of time before they get around to it for the 6" line, but I'm not sure if 2020 will be the year.
The final 4 figures were all released by Toy Biz in a House Of M boxset back in 2006. They did figures of Hulk, Iron Man, Inhuman Torch, and It. Like Age of Apocalypse, I could see them doing a wave to celebrate that iconic story, just not this year.
So assuming I didn't miss any, these are all the possibilities for Toy Biz figures that Hasbro has yet to do, with one of them getting the figure treatment later this year. My best guess would be either the Age of Apocalypse Sabretooth to round out the Age of Apocalypse roster or a Toad figure to go along with the likes of Mystique, Blob and the new Pyro.
On the topic of other characters, I love the concept of a Hulk Jr., and Hulkling represents that in a big way. While his past was a bit of a mystery, Hulking represented a Hulk Jr. … until Skaar came along and then Banner de-Hulked everyone, that is. Luckily for Hulkling, he couldn’t be depowered.
Why? Well, he’s not really a member of the Hulk family. Teddy Altman is really a Kree/Skrull hybrid and heir to the throne of the universe, or something crazy like that. So, not a Hulk, not a member of team science, rather a member of team cosmic. And he’s Wiccan’s boyfriend.
Okay, quick history - long time ago during one of the many Kree Skrull wars, the Avengers were kidnapped by the Super Skrull. Captain Mar-Vell managed to get it on with the princess of the Skrull king and they made a beautiful baby, the shape-shifting Hulkling.
The toy, on the other hand, has been tapped quite a bit. This figure became a heavily reused base figure for a number of characters, Crossbones (x2), the Wrecking Crew, and Warpath. It’s an okay base figure; it has some serious size and it definitely looks like Hulkling. However, the legs are all over the place. I don’t remember what the original prototype looked like, but this figure’s legs look all kinds of off.
They are super long compared to the upper body, the feet are ginormous, and the transition from thigh to ball hip is not smooth - at all. The articulation, however, does pop. It’s that gold standard that ToyBiz was really good about incorporating into all their figures and of all the joints only one needed improvement. The ab joint, maybe mine is stuck, but there’s not a lot of movement in the joint.
The figure includes a base. That is all. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Buy it. Even though I’m being hard on the legs, and they aren’t world-endingly awful, this is a good, solid figure. Hulkling is still a relevant character, a current character, and has ongoing story lines in the Marvel Universe. As a figure, this is a good, solid figure. As a character, this is a relevant character. He’s a must have.