Marvel Legends Shatterstar figure review

X-Men fans had it pretty good in the 90s. There was the cartoon, comic and a deep assortment of figures. Hasbro is finally starting to cross off some big wants from the 90s with the second wave of X-Men Legends. Thanks to Rob Liefeld, X-Force was one of the more popular books around and Shatterstar represented one of his most inspired designs.

When Shatterstar was rumored to be included in the wave, I hoped Hasbro was tackling his X-Force look. Sure, that opened up a whole new team to complete, but it’s not so massive it’s not doable. And if they’re anything like Shatterstar, it’s going to be worth the wait.

Packaging:  This is your standard Marvel Legends packaging. For MOC collectors, Hasbro’s decision to color coordinate the teams undoubtedly makes for a vibrant display. The X-Men have a cool gold color scheme, which plays off well against the black backdrop.

I’m pretty sure this is a Mike Deodato drawing on the sides, but it doesn’t quite capture him as well as most of the side portraits. The bio is pretty much worthless as always though even without sharing packaging with another character.

Likeness:  Wow. This is an impressive looking figure that takes the Liefeld design with all the random awesomeness to the extreme.

The Hasbro designers outdid themselves here with hair braids, the hair poof and ponytail coming out over the helmet. The huge left shoulder pad, thigh pouches for no reason, flared gloves, the scarf/cape and pointed boots. This design is all over the place, but looks perfect for an action figure. I like the expression too as it’s more neutral than the open mouthed expression Hasbro could have used for him.

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Scale:  Trying to guesstimate size based on Liefeld scaling is a tricky proposition. He was about average height and definitely shorter than man mountain Cable. Bottom line, he fits in just fine.

Paint:  White and black make for a tricky color combination. The figure seems cast in white with the black added afterwards, which was the smarter execution.

The grey is solid with no wash, but the hair appears to be more than a flat orange. Shatterstar’s eye and chest logo are down nicely. Also, the shoulder pad and belt have additional detailing to convey some weathering. That leather effects looks fantastic.

 

Articulation:  Shatterstar is one of those really fun to pose characters. Yes, it’s in large part due to the swords, but this is a figure that just demands creativity. And with this body, your imagination is the only limitations.

Shatterstar has:

• neck
• ball-jointed shoulders
• bicep
• elbow (double jointed)
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• waist
• hip
• thigh
• knee (double jointed)
• ankle

Accessories:  Shatterstar comes with his trademark double swords with knuckle spikes. I really wish Hasbro could have made the sword silver to break up the all grey look, but otherwise these are great.

He also comes with the right arm for the BAF Warlock.

Worth it?  I got Shatterstar price-matched for $14. Anytime I spend under $20 for a high quality Marvel Legends figure I’m winning.

Rating:  10 out of 10

For the X-Force version Shatterstar, it’s hard to see how this figure could be any better. Hasbro once again delivered a fantastic and fun figure.

Where to get it?  I grabbed Shatterstar from Target, but the line is also available at Toys R Us and the occasional Walgreens. If you strike out there you can also try out Amazon.com.