Recently, every time I check a listing for a new Hasbro action figure release I’ve been getting a small amount of sticker shock. The price of a standard release Marvel Legends has climbed to $25.99 on most sites and while at first glance, it may not seem like too much, taking into account just two years ago a new release was 19.99-21.99, the increase becomes a bit more jarring.
The price increases have definitely affected how much I purchase. There was a point when I would buy the full calendar slate of releases for Marvel Legends. Now, I am leaning towards buying more on clearance. For example, I completed the recent Bonebreaker wave without paying full MSRP for any of the figures. At the most, I paid $22.99 each for Siryn and Sabretooth. All the rest were acquired for $16.00 or less. So, it’s possible in this current climate of higher prices to get what you want for a reasonable price.
But. There are times when I do not mind shelling out the full price. Yesterday Hasbro revealed a new wave of retro carded X-men figures. I have been hoping for a real second wave of figures and not just a release here and there. Technically, if you add up all the single release figures, this new wave would be the third wave. The “second” wave being Grey Beast, Gambit, Rogue, Deadpool, and the black suit Storm.
This new wave is amazing! I didn’t even realize I wanted some of these until I saw the stream yesterday. Spiral?! Longshot, not in an overpriced set?! Spiral?! Wait, did I already mention her? SPIRAL! The rest of the wave is pretty great as well, with the rerelease of Dark Phoenix, team suit Wolverine, First Appearance Multiple Man and Avalanche to round out the impressive wave, this will probably be one of the most sought-after waves in recent memory.
The X-men reveals were the highlight for me, but the rest are by no means boring reveals. Hasbro is giving us a three-pack with Bullseye, Daredevil and Elektra. Thank goodness they changed the packaging design, because the current plastic-free box design is terrible.
The Bullseye and Elektra use the same molds as their previous releases, but Daredevil is on the new Spider-Man mold with toe articulation. This is a nice set, but not a must have. If it was on any other site than HasbroPulse, I’d wait for it to go on sale.
Rounding out the current slate of X-men VHS box style figure is Cyclops. This figure will have new tooling so the bands on the legs and chest harness are keyed to the body. No more having to superglue it yourself!
The last reveal is a figure all figured would probably make another appearance once we saw the War Machine on the retro card. However this Ironman comes with a Proton Cannon!
Now, all you MvC2 fans can recreate the iconic super move on your shelves! The proton Cannon comes at an inflated price though, $44.99. Ouch. I preordered two, but I may cancel closer to release. I’ll see how I feel later. This is a Pulse exclusive.
These were the reveals with official images released. They also showed us new figures for Molecule Man, Banshee and Storm in the team suits, a Stryfe rerelease, Orb, First Appearance Starlord and a new VHS line based on Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
All pictured items are now up for preorder on HasbroPulse.
Images provided courtesy of Hasbro.