Marvel Legends The Vision figure review

Hasbro has enjoyed making old school collectors wait on their preferred versions of characters. Like Cyclops, Beetle and Wolverine, I had to settle for some less than ideal takes on The Vision. But now thanks to the Marvel Legends Retro line, I finally get my Vision. Was this guy worth some ghastly multi-colored modern versions? Time to find out.

Packaging:  Yes they take up a lot more shelf space, but man do I love the retro packaging on these figures. The bright blue, grey/white comic panel backdrop and yellow on the back really stand out.

We get a big comic book drawing of Vision, a burst touting his accessory and a prominent The Vision logo. The one-sentence bio is OK, but I would love if Hasbro put a bit more effort into them.

Likeness:  Now this is the classic Avengers version of The Vision that my display has needed all along. There’s no more weird patterns and randomly thrown together color combinations. This is classic Ultron-designing killing machine turned Avenger. The head sculpt is the same as the Hulkbuster Iron Man version. That sculpt was fine so there’s no need for a new one.

Viz’s cape is just about right this time. The collars should flare up and down a bit more, but this is better than we’ve seen from any other version of the character. The cape hangs at a respectable length and hands off the shoulders nicely. You can actually superglue it to rest even better, which props the cape up to its normal positioning.

Hasbro went with the Sunfire mold for Vision, which seems a bit slight to me. Ideally, Viz would be on the Spider-Man UK buck as that has more defined shoulders and chest. Vision has two fists, but he’s definitely a character that could have used a gesturing or outstretched hand for his phasing powers.

Scale:  I’ve always considered Vision to be right around the same height as the Big 3 (Cap, Thor and Iron Man). This Sunfire buck makes him a tad shorter than the Retro Captain America. For consistency’s sake, he’s the same height as the previously released Vision figures.

MORE:

• Ranking the Marvel Studios villains – Could anyone beat Loki?
• Sting, Rey Mysterio, Rock n Roll Express headline WWE 2K19 Legends reveals
• Lyles Movie Files Podcast
• The Walking Dead: A New Beginning review S9 E1

Paint:  Vision has seriously never looked better. Hasbro went with a metallic green, which really makes the figure pop against the bright yellows. The line work was solid for the abdomen part and the yellow had impressive coverage throughout.

There’s some line marks from the shin articulation, but I’m not sure if that’s something Hasbro could improve on.

Articulation:  One of the benefits of the Sunfire mold is it allows for some effective posing and heroic stances. Thanks to the material used for the cape, the articulation isn’t restricted at all. This should allow for some fun hovering poses.

The Vision has:

• neck
• ball-jointed shoulders
• biceps
• elbows (double-jointed)
• wrists
• torso
• waist
• hips
• thighs
• knees (double-jointed)
• boot
• ankles

Accessories:  Vision comes with one accessory — a detached Ultron head. With his fists, Vision can’t hold it so it’s a curious choice. I definitely think alternate hands would have been more useful and practical.

Worth it?  Thanks to a great sale I got Vision for $18. With the lack of accessories particularly a Build-A-Figure piece, this is the ideal sweet spot price for the Retro line.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

With a wider body and at least one gesturing hand, Vision would be an easy 10. But this one comes the closest from either Hasbro or Toy Biz in delivering an iconic take on the character.

Where to get it?  I got Vision from Gamestop. They will periodically have a 25% off sale, which makes for a great time to stock up on Marvel Legends figures. Eventually, this wave will show up in the regular retail spots as well.