Marvel Legends Build-A-Figure Wendigo figure review

Hey watch out now I’ve completed another Build-A-Figure wave from 2019. Just three more to go… Today I’m looking at the centerpiece of the BAF Wendigo wave – the Wendigo itself. This charming fellow is a messy eater and tends to be a real problem for anyone who dares to venture up North.

He’s also the creature indirectly responsible for the first match-up in the endless series between Hulk and Wolverine. Let’s see if this abominable figure was worth building.

Packaging:  As usual there’s no packaging for a BAF and I will continue to wish for some brief write-up about the BAF in every wave.

Likeness:  Way back in the Stone Age, Hasbro made a Wendigo figure much more in line with the classic comic book appearances of the character. I appreciate Hasbro trying to mix things up and not just do what they’d done before, but this savage wild head sculpt feels a little too extreme. For some reason I just like the poofier flowing hair style of the classic version.

The original Hasbro version was more of a dedicated sculpt for the Wendigo while this one shares more parts with the BAF Sasquatch with a few adjustments like the larger shoulder hair, waist portion and tail.

Wendigo also has two grasping hands where Sasquatch had a fist. Those changes are more than enough to avoid feeling like Wendigo is just a repainted Sasquatch and I appreciate the added touches to distinguish the two figures.

Scale:  Wendigo is massive and generally portrayed bigger than Hulk in the comics. Over the years artists tend to size up big characters like Wendigo to mountain size so I won’t begrudge Hasbro for not getting his height “correct.”

Could he be taller and wider than Hulk? Ideally yes, but it’s about as big as I could hope for with these modern BAFs. Wendigo would be a perfect candidate for a Marvel Select figure as they don’t have the same kind of size restrictions and he’d blend in nicely with the modern Marvel Legends.

Ironically he stands a little taller than Sasquatch.

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Paint:  To break up the all white presentation, Hasbro gave Wendigo a blue wash throughout. It’s good although I wonder if going with a grey wash would have been more effective even though numerous colorists have given Wendigo the blue shading in the comics.

There’s some great detailing with the paintwork most notably with the teeth, which have some caked on blood. The entire headsculpt features the best paint applications with the grey shading around the red eyes.  I was really impressed with the red eyes as they turned out just like the classic takes in the comics.

Articulation:  Wendigo is a wild animal brawler so he needs to be able to flail and pummel. This figure can do that with no problem. I did have some trouble early on with the arms popping out, but it looks like I just didn’t have them inserted properly. I’d love more up and down movement in the head though as it’s somewhat limited.

Double-jointed elbows would be nice, but I don’t see how easily they could be incorporated into the sculpt. The tail does rotate so it does have some movement, which helps in case you need some flexibility for poses.

Wendigo has:

• neck
• bicep
• ball-jointed shoulders
• elbows
• wrists
• waist
• hips
• thighs
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles
• tail

Accessories:  Like most BAFs, Wendigo doesn’t come with any accessories. He would have been a great choice for an alternate head sculpt that had more of a classic flair to get the best of both worlds.

Worth it?  Wendigo was a free figure since I wanted all the figures in one of Hasbro’s best waves of 2019. You can get a completed version for under $60. That’s a decent deal, but this wave featured a terrific Nightcrawler, Boom Boom, Mister Sinister, Guardian, X-Force Wolverine and half a Cannonball so I’d argue getting the case is a better deal.

Rating: 8 out of 10

While I’m not fond of the head sculpt, as a bonus figure Wendigo is another fun addition to my collection.

Where to get it?  You can find completed BAF auctions on eBay, but this wave was so good I’d just recommend getting the full set from Amazon or Entertainment Earth.