It’s a quiet day on the news front, which makes it the perfect time to dip back into my big bag of unreviewed action figures. So today, I’m continuing onward with a look at another figure in the X-Men Marvel Legends Apocalypse Series. The X-Men Marvel Legends Magneto figure was one of the most-anticipated figures when he was first announced, but does he live up to expectations now that he’s been released and is available for ordering? Here’s my ML Magneto review…

While the classic red and purple costume Magneto is by far the most iconic and recognizable look for the character, toy companies can’t always rehash the same character in the same costume over and over.

And so, when word leaked that Hasbro was working on a new 6” Magneto figure for this year’s Marvel Legends Apocalypse Series, I was hoping it would be a modern white costume version (a la Puzzle Quest). It’s not, but it is the modern Black and Red Costume Mags!

It’s an all-new version that Hasbro has never done before in any size—but is it any good?

Well… in this case, I’m not exactly blown away. I typically really enjoy modern version character action figures, but I just don’t care for most of the elements of this particular figure.

There are a couple aspects about this figure that are just downright aggravating, and Magneto’s cape is tops on that list.

The plastic used for the cape feels really cheap and rubbery, and it doesn’t play nice with the peg design on the cape at all. The peg just is not produced in such a way where it will ever solidly slot firmly into place (at least on mine), so the cape just flops around endlessly.

Likewise, the pegs on the clasp of the cape that hold the shoulder pads on pop off constantly and are really frustrating. The shoulder pads also can get in the way of raising Erik’s arms fully and posing them.

I hugely appreciate that Hasbro gave us switch-out parts for this Magneto figure—but I just don’t care for any of them. It doesn’t make sense to me for Magneto to only come with closed fists for his non-effects hands (time for a street fight with Charles, maybe?), and I think the alternate head looks more like Beethoven than Erik Lehnsherr.

I always like the inclusion of an extra head, but the unhelmeted Magneto head included here just looks awkward to me on this body.

The helmeted Head is easily the superior of the two, and just having it attached makes the whole toy look better as a package overall. The angular decoration on the helmet and Erik’s whited-out eyes give this portrait a much more imposing attitude. I’ll never be displaying this with the unhelmeted head after this review.

Magneto gets the same new “lightning” effects pieces as the Storm figure I reviewed earlier this month. The purple effects are as floppy, loose and impossible to keep in place on Magneto as they were with Storm, if not worse. I’m not sure Erik’s magnetic abilities lend themselves well to being illustrated by lightning-shaped effects at all, and the wobbly nature of these doesn’t impress.

The paint job on the figure is simplistic, as it should be based on the design of this costume. Basically, it’s just some red lines on the black body. The paint applications themselves are a little sloppy with red splotches going outside the lines in some areas, but the costume is so dark overall that you don’t really notice.

Articulation-wise, there aren’t any surprise, as we’ve seen this mold and its super-articulation scheme before:

• Ball-Hinge Head and Shoulders
• Ball Hips
• Double-Hinge Knees and Elbows
• Upper Torso Ab Crunch
• Swivel Waist Thighs Boots Biceps
• Swivel-Hinge Wrists
• Hinged Ankles with Rockers

While the cape gets in the way of a lot of dynamic posing (which is especially annoying since it won’t even stay attached properly), Magneto is rarely the most action-oriented dude in the room. The articulation set is nothing fresh or compelling here, but it’s perfectly adequate.

Overall: While I actually really dig both of the Marvel NOW Magneto costumes, this Magneto Marvel Legends figure comes off feeling clumsy and awkward to me. The execution of the cape is poor, falling out of place and coming apart easily. The magnetic effects pieces are loose and droopy, and the fistfight non-effects hands don’t make much sense.

And although the paint and articulation on this figure are solid, I don’t like the unmasked Magneto portrait at all. Hasbro has released many stellar figures thus far in 2018, but the new X-Men Legends Magneto figure is merely “okay” in my book. A good idea, but with disappointing execution.

GRADE: C-

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