Marvel Legends Retro Scarlet Witch figure review
Overall, I’m not the biggest fan of Marvel Legends’ Retro line. It’s mainly been an excuse to crank out offerings with minimal changes, fewer accessories and no Build-A-Figure part at a higher price. And worse there’s the sense that many figures had intentional errors so Hasbro could release a Retro version that’s superior to the original version.
That was definitely the case with the Family Matters Scarlet Witch figure. She was an excellent figure held back just a bit by some…interesting color choices for her outfit. It wasn’t a huge surprise then when Hasbro revealed a classic colors version of the Family Matters Scarlet Witch. I had zero intention of grabbing this figure until Hasbro Pulse had a massive sale made grabbing this version of Wanda far more tempting.
Let’s see if I got hexed or avoided a curse with this update.
Packaging: The package is the standard for the Retro line with The West Coast Avengers prominently displayed. I like the drawing of Scarlet Witch, but considering the Wackos theme it would have been cool to see John Byrne’s artwork instead.
Byrne’s run on the title is also referenced with the bio. It also would be a nice touch to include the other figures in this West Coast Avengers Retro theme like Tigra and Vision.
Likeness: Scarlet Witch completely reuses the Family Matters figure, which is mostly fine since that was a great offering.
Her head sculpt might be the best we’ve seen yet in this line with naturally flowing hair that extends below her tiara. I like the neutral expression as it fits for Wanda.
Her cape flows really nicely and spreads out a good distance without being too distracting.
I added the disclaimer since Hasbro has introduced a new female mold with the Shriek figure that specifically has bicep and double-jointed elbows.
It would have been nice to see Wanda with the new arms. Enhancing older figures beyond a paint job would go a long way to legitimizing these far too quick re-releases.
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Paint: In the Family Matters review, I wrote that Scarlet Witch was the most controversial of the set thanks to Hasbro deciding to give her a darker metallic pink and red shade for her costume. I didn’t hate it, but there could have been a better distinction between the pink and red.
With the Retro version, Wanda has her more traditional pink and red shade.
And Hasbro took the extra step and gave Wanda a lighter shade of brown for her hair. It also looks like Hasbro gave Scarlet Witch a brighter, metallic shade of lipstick.
Wanda’s left hand got some paint caked in, which is something that rarely happens with Marvel Legends figures.
Scale: Scarlet Witch is around the same height as most ML females with her hair making her a bit taller in some cases. She scales much better with Vision now, which was key.
Articulation: I already mentioned Scarlet Witch would benefit from the bicep swivel to make for more dramatic hex casting poses. Her hair limits some of the left to right movement as well.
Wanda’s long, flowing cape is an asset in posing as it flows naturally while having most of its weight in the center. This allows for deeper stances with a strong foundation.
Scarlet Witch has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hip
- thigh
- knee (double-jointed)
- ankle
Accessories: Scarlet Witch comes with the newer wrist wrap energy effect piece.
They’re a darker hue of pink than the Family Matters set. Additionally, she comes with the pointed tips. It’s nice to get different set of energy effects, but Hasbro still needs to work in more energy effects.
Worth it? Retro figures are now up to $25. That’s a terrible value for a repaint with no new accessories or improvements. Thankfully, Hasbro had a Pulse Power sale that made her even less than the old $20 price point. I felt better about grabbing her for that range although at $25 I would’ve just stuck with the Family Matters figure.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
If you missed the Family Matters pack, this is an easy recommendation especially for anything under the $24.99 price point.
Where to get it? I’ve seen Wanda at GameStop, but that’s probably the only available retail option. You can also get her online at Amazon and Entertainment Earth.