Wolverine & Forge 2-Pack

Originally posted at slangards.multiply.com on  Mar 12, '09


I changed my mind about Hasbro. Since they got the Marvel license in 2006, they have been constantly improving their product. Their first attempts at the legends line was dismal (Emma Frost anyone?), but subsequent efforts have proved to be excellent figures. From Ronan on, they did quite a job. Mr. Fantastic, Doom, and Surfer more than made up for the duds, and Invisble Woman wasn't that bad either. I loved the Fin Fang Foom wave and the Ares and Red Hulk waves were great (even if they were exclusives) with excellent figures and a variety of characters.

This year, it looks like Marvel is going to be concentrating on it's 3.75" scale Marvel Universe line. In the meantime they'll be releasing Marvel Legends two-packs to whet our appetites. The last batch to be released in retail stores here were the Elektra/Ronin, Ultimate Captain America/Nick Fury, and Wolverine/Forge sets. The only one I was able to lay my hands on was the last one.

Hasbro solicitation photo for the Marvel Legends: Wolverine/Forge 2-Pack

I was very hesitant to pick this up at first. I really wanted the Forge figure to add to my X-men collection, but the Wolverine looks... odd. The red paint in his mouth spills over to his teeth so it looks like his healing factor is fighting off some mutant strain of Hemorrhagic Fever. Like something out of 28 Days Later. Really off-putting.

But since I needed to spend at least 3000 to take advantage of the deferred payment on my card, and I really, really wanted a Premium Optimus Prime, I decided to buy it. Glad to say it was a good decision.

The height of my comic days was during Jim Lee's reign as the resident geek god of comic art. One of the things he did was create some spiffy new suits for the team with their signature Blue and Gold colors. The theme was goofy on paper, but the suits were simple and looked good when you put them together. That's the look these two guys are sporting. I'm actually tempted to get a few more of these to custom into the rest of the team since they're not too detailed and have pop-off heads. You could hypothetically decapitate Wolvie, switch his hands, and plug a Banshee head onto him. Boom! you have a yellow and blue Banshee to pair with Forge (how I wish they had gone this route instead of yet another wolvie).

Speaking of hands, this set has got plenty. Each figure has an extra set. Forge has a gloved set posed for holding his guns, a fist for his left and an exposed bionic hand for his right. Wolvie has an extra set as well: his traditional claws, and a pair with them sheathed. Both come with extra heads; Forge has one without his headset and a grimace, Logan's got one with the mouth closed (thank jeebus!). Forge has his two rifles, some ammo, a removable harness, and a pistol.

The accessories are what make this set so fun, and they add a ton of value to it. Granted they aren't much, but you'd be surprise at how much more satisfying a good toy can be if they include something for you to switch around. And since Forge has two guns, you can give them to anybody. Hate that your Cable has nothing to shoot bad guys with? Here you go.

Articulation wise, I think Hasbro must have re-used a few of the old Toybiz molds. The joint work is excellent on both of them, but Forge gets the better mold because of an extra shoulder joint that allows him to contract his shoulders behind him and take off his harness. The plastic is a bit soft, but they're solid figures and surprisingly easy to stand and pose.

I don't have any of the other figures in this series to compare it, but as a standalone set, these are great. Articulation, accessories, and aesthetic