Marvel Legends Age of Apocalypse Dark Beast figure review – BAF Sugar Man wave
Dark Beast has proven to be one of the more enduring characters from the Age of Apocalypse storyline. He was a menace in the event and then went on to become a player in the normal Marvel Comics universe. While there were some questionable selections for the one AOA wave of 2020, Dark Beast definitely proves to be a standout of this wave. Let’s see how this dark mirror take on Hank McCoy turned out.
Packaging: I like the uniform look of the packaging from the background image of Apocalypse and the vibrant art by David Nakayama.
I think these bios need to explain the characters’ role in Age of Apocalypse beyond these generic write-ups.
Likeness: Dark Beast uses the top half of the Marvel Legends Beast figure — Hasbro has quickly gotten its investment back on that buck.
The lower half seems to be an all-new sculpt with lined pants and what seems like original shins and ankles with a reuse of the original feet.
The highlight for me though is the incredibly sinister head sculpt with earrings along the ear, braided hair and devilish smile. This looks like an evil version of Hank McCoy and is a fantastic looking figure.
Paint: In another smart visual distinction from the original Beast is the dusty grey paint choice for the fur with darker elements. The grey turned out very nice and I like the metallic blue used for his pants. All of the paintwork is very clean although Dark Beast probably wouldn’t have such pristine, pearly white teeth.
Scale: Dark Beast tended to crouch like his normal 616 counterpart. He’s a larger scale, but he shouldn’t be posed towering over everyone.
Articulation: The tricky thing with Dark Beast was during the Age of Apocalypse story, he was mostly in the lab working behind the scenes. The most important aspect of his articulation is being able to crouch and peer over a screen/ intimidate people coming to his lab.
Dark Beast has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- bicep
- elbow (double-jointed)
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- waist
- hips
- thighs
- knees (double jointed)
- ankles
Accessories: Unlike most of the figures in the wave, Dark Beast actually gets an accessory with an alternate set of hands — a right fist and sprawled open left hand.
He also has the mini hammer of the Build-A-Figure Sugar Man.
Worth it? I was able to get Dark Beast for less than the standard $20 retail price, but he’s one of the figures that is more than a repaint and well worth the price tag.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Dark Beast ends up being the one standalone villain of this wave besides the BAF and while there might have been some more formidable choices, Hasbro knocked him out.
Where to get it? This wave has hit retail and if your areas are opened back up for a hunt try Targets and Wal-Mart. You can also find him on Entertainment Earth, Hasbro Pulse and Amazon.