The latest in the Marvel Universe team packs is X-Force. When I heard of an X-force pack I thought it might be the original Rob Liefield series that was born in New Mutants but instead Hasbro has opted for the more modern version of the team. While I am not as familiar with the new version of X-Force, I do admit I kind of like the looks of the team.
Up front I will say I have one knock to this set, the colors used. While two of the characters in the set have been done in X-Force colors already (Wolverine and Warpath) the dull grey doesn’t match the silver in the previous releases. While some might find this somewhat forgivable due to the fact that two of the figures are redone the major issue here is that they will not match the digital subscription Archangel or the upcoming X-23 which creates a problem. While most Marvel teams can withstand some variations in costumes of their characters one of the interesting aspects of X-Force is the fact that X-Force is somewhat uniform. If silver had been used instead of dull grey this would not be an issue.
To be honest, the dull grey makes the individual figures look kind of cheap. Rather than a dynamic shine as when silver was used the figures seem kind of bland. This doesn’t mean this set isn’t worth buying as it is still a cool set, but it does bring the excitement down a bit. I speculate that there is a difference only because of the inclusion of the hard to find Warpath. In recent months the variant red and blue version has been much easier to find and it is possible Hasbro was trying to avoid collector backlash for the much harder to find silver and black version of Warpath. Again that is total speculation, but it does make a degree of sense.
One strong counterpoint to the use of grey is the black has a much sharper and darker tone along with a cool shine to it (at least in comparison to Marvel Universe Wave 1 Wolverine). While this doesn’t totally balance out the lack of silver it does make that lack of silver a bit more tolerable.
Unlike the Fantastic Four and Avengers sets, there are no extras included in this set. To be fair I am hard press to think of anything that could be included with this set given the nature of X-Force. Still it is something to note when you consider how much extra you get for your value with the FF and Avengers sets in H.E.R.B.I.E and the Wasp and Ant-Man. Both are small extras but it does add to the overall package.
The figures themselves are the main selling point here though and three figures at $20 retail still isn’t a bad deal at current prices even without the extras. Even though these are straight up repaints (with the exception of Wolverine, but he is apparently getting a single pack repaint later) they are in a deco that is unique to this set for the most part, with the exception of Warpath of course.
First up is Wolverine. Many fans have said Wolvie get too much attention in the MU line and I am inclined to agree. This was the figure I debated this set over. I knew I wanted Deadpool and I had never found a Warpath at retail, but another Wolverine kind of made me cringe a bit. I like Wolverine but after so many deco’s in so many two packs and single packs I am at the point I just get a bit cautious when I see another one. Still there were two figures I know I really wanted so I bit the bullet and bought it.
This appears to be the Astonishing X-Men Wolvie with a new masked head. This figure appears to be the same as the upcoming Astonishing Wolverine single pack shown at SDCC. At first I was hesitant but I have to say I like this figure. The scale is much better than the Wave 1 version as I am one of those people who think Wolvie should be short. If you are the type that likes Wolverine tall then you probably wouldn’t be happy with this figure. Still the Wave 1 has a great many issues like an oddly shaped neck which have bothered me for some time so a replacement isn’t a bad idea in my opinion. I would call the figure perfect if it had the silver like the MU Wave 1 version had, but it’s still not a bad figure at all. The figure is making me rethink my stance about the single pack Astonishing X-Men Wolverine to be honest.
Something to note about this figure that I was unaware of is the fact that the articulation for the hands is in the forearm rather than the wrist. What I like about this is the fact that the articulation is better hidden while still being viable. To me this is a huge selling point because I like articulation to be somewhat hidden by seams of clothing and such. I realize it is impossible to hid all POA’s but the less that is obvious the more I enjoy the figure. Thus, this figure gets some mad props from me.
The only other knock I can think to give the figure is the skin tone. It is a bit too bright and borders on being white as a sheet. With the sharp contrast of the black and grey this causes the figure to stand out somewhat, but not in a good way. It looks like Wolvie’s healing factor might be affecting his ability to tan or something. Still it’s a minor knock and even though I have tons of Wolvie around I do like having this one added to my collection.
Next is Warpath, a figure I struggled for over a year now to get my hands on any version. I am not the biggest fan of Warpath, but I do like him overall. I did think his introduction to the 1990’s version of X-Force was a bit forced to say the least. Just a few moments after talking to Cable and refusing to join X-Force his entire village was destroyed and he found the remnants of a mask of a Hellfire Club guard. Thus, he joined Cable to get revenge, and yet the Hellfire Club never showed up in the pages of X-Force. At the time I thought the timing was just too perfect, I mean Warpath had been around but off the radar for sometime so what was the motive for the Hellfire Club to even care about him? I thought that maybe it would come out that Cable was the one responsible because he was so bent on having Warpath be a part of X-Force. Then later we had the revelation that Stryfe looked exactly like Cable and you had a ton of speculation, all of which turned out for nothing later.
So here is Warpath, a figure that was originally in the apparently doomed Wave 5 that still commands heavy prices on the secondary market. Then he was released again in a set of revision waves in a blue and red uniform. While these cases were more prevalent than wave 5, I still was unable to find Warpath at retail. The mold was reused with little alteration to produce Thunderbird, Warpath’s brother who had been part of the “New” X-Men but died shortly after joining. Now we have him here.
I kind of feel like this is my first real look at the figure even though it has been released a few times now. I do like him though, he has a simple yet elegant look to him that is easily identifiable but at the same time somewhat uniform too. His Native American heritage is plainly obvious but not to the point of making him a caricature. Flat out it’s a good and solid design for the character and translates well into figure form.
He has a sheath on his back for his knife but apparently it can only hold one at a time. Not sure why Hasbro didn’t try to design a two sheath holder but that is how it is. Still it’s cool how the knife rests on his lower back and is easily accessible to the figure when going into battle.
I am very glad to finally have this figure, he has been very, very elusive this past year and a half as have been the rest of his wave (Vision, Sunfire, Jean Grey) but finally these characters are joining my collection (albeit not in the ways I had intended at first) and Warpath rounds out the set at last.
Next up is my major buying point for this set, Deadpool. I was kind of neutral to DP until recently, I am not sure if it was the fact I started using him more or if I finally figured the character out, but I do finally get why people love this character so much. He’s fun, insane, bad as Hades, and totally unpredictable in a fight. He is unique among comic characters in that his insanity allows him to say and do things other characters could never get away with (for example, breaking the fourth wall). Since I finally came around to him and thus wanted this look for him.
This figure is an exact repaint of the deluxe version of Deadpool from the X-Men Origins Wolverine line. The Deluxe figure was a bit better than the single pack version from the same line, however I do think the best Deadpool to date is still the Comic Pack version that came with Taskmaster. Still this is a solid mold and works well for DP. He has no holster this time and thus no gun, something that did strike me as odd since Deadpool is known for his gunplay. I would think even a rifle would be something automatically included for him. His swords are the same as the deluxe figure but this time the plastic is less rubbery. Overall it is a great figure and mold and the paint just makes him a bit more unique than the previous red and black versions we have seen. I would like to see some other costumes but nothing has been put forth in that realm yet.
Overall I would recommend this set to anyone who enjoys X-Force or even superheroes in alternate costumes. Many of these figures have been or will be redone soon so if neither of those factors exist I would say pass on it. While it’s a good set it is not a “must have” since the figures are available elsewhere, unlike the FF or Avengers sets which figured unique bits to enhance the figures that were remolded. These are repaints and as such they are a unique look but nothing else, still good figures but not anything to get excited about unless you are a fan of the looks, which of course I am.
Wolverine 4 ½ out of 5
Warpath 4 ½ out of 5
Deadpool 4 ½ out of 5
Overall 4 ½ out of 5
