Marvel Legends Deathlok figure review

Deathlok is a weird character to me. I enjoyed him enough in the early 90s run with Denys Cowan appearance, but he was hardly a standout favorite. He’s just one of those guys that looks cool and sometimes that’s more than enough to make for a cool figure.

The Marvel Legends Toy Biz Deathlok was a standout figure, but Hasbro is intent on making me replace every TB character and as usual it’s worth the upgrade.

Packaging:  Deathlok gets lumped into the Deadpool wave. Given their time in X-Force this isn’t some random insertion. Since red and black is typically Spider-Man’s color theme in Marvel Legends, Hasbro went with a slightly brighter red.

I can’t place the artist on the side package, but it’s a good representation of the character. The back is the norm with a super brief bio and breakdown of the other figures in the Build A Figure Sasquatch wave. Deathlok has a nice array of accessories making for a full looking package. As always be mindful to check for everything and be on the lookout for swaps.

Likeness:  The Toy Biz figure provided what I consider the definitive Deathlok. It has a great head sculpt and some intricate detailing.  Hasbro’s version sports nearly as much detail specifically the American flag on the right breastplate, but I really miss the hair that conveyed that half-man/half-machine look of the Toy Biz figure. The expression on Hasbro’s version is less extreme, which works better for neutral poses.

This appearance is more of a modern take as it lacks the metallic gauntlets of the earlier look, kneepads and a less detailed crotch piece. But the important aspects of the character like the chrome, segmented arms and legs are all sculpted parts. There’s no reuse here.

Scale:  Deathlok is slightly taller than the average figure, which is appropriate for the character. He’s basically a murder-bot so he shouldn’t be eye to eye than Spider-Man.

Paint:  In a bit of a surprise, Hasbro opted against going the metallic paint route for Deathlok, which Toy Biz used on its version. Hasbro does that for figures that don’t necessarily need it so that was surprising.

I had a little trouble finding a Deathlok with clean paints — the yellow below the waist was the biggest culprit. But this figure I grabbed has a very nice paint job despite the yellow stripes on the red.

Articulation:  Deathlok is a fun looking figure and he’s going to be one I’m constantly fidgeting with to find the best attack poses. The shoulder pads restrict the arm movement a tad, but he can aim his arsenal just fine.

Deathlok has:

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

Accessories:  Deathlok is one of those walking arsenal characters so it makes sense that he comes with multiple weapons. There’s the pistol, which fits tightly in the side holster. He also has a massive mini-gun, which also has a large clip for maximum mayhem.

Additionally, Deathlok has the left arm of the BAF Sasquatch.

Worth it? I’m a little surprised that this isn’t one of the more popular figures in this wave. You should be able to easily find him for under retail price. Don’t feel bad if you pay over $20 as the figure has enough unique sculpting elements and accessories to warrant the extra cost.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Where to get it?  Target has been good about stocking this line. They price match with cheaper outlets as well. GameStop has also kept this line in stock although they’re a bit higher than $20 and don’t price match. Amazon.com is the best price at $16.