JayC's Top 10 & Worst 5 Marvel Legends For 2016

I think 2016 quite possibly has been the best year for 6" Marvel Legends since Hasbro took over the brand from Toy Biz, so trying to narrow down all the great figures that came out this year to just 10 was a challenge for me. It's not uncommon for people to disagree with lists such as this but it's bad when the author questions some of his own choices, which I found myself doing more than once. Nevertheless I finally did it and so I present to you my Top 10 Marvel Legends for 2016.


Many wondered why I didn't include this figure in my overall 2016 Action Figure Top 10 list I posted on New Year's. While the figure is very well done with good sculpting and articulation, I just personally am not that big of a Wolverine fan and even less of a fan of his brown costume. That being said, when looking at just Marvel Legends, there is no denying that this is a very nice figure which is why it makes the number 10 spot.


This one makes the list due to personal preference for the character more than the figure itself. It's really the Magneto style head that came with the X-Men Kitty Pryde figure that allows this figure to make my Top 10. Ever since Toy Biz introduced the original Onslaught Build-A-Figure many years ago, I wanted an update version of the character in his original form. So when Hasbro first announced Onslaught with the Red Skull head and then later included the original Magneto style head as a pack-in, I knew this one would be a favorite of mine.


The movie version of Falcon was one I knew I wanted for my collection since the character first appeared in Winter Soldier, and at first I was unhappy we didn't get a Winter Soldier version. Now with the updated costume and look he sports in Civil War, I am glad they waited. This figure is nicely done with removable wings and Redwing. The only downside to this one is they didn't include any guns. However this was one of my favorite movie figures released this year which is why it made the list.


Like with Wolverine, Iron Fist isn't a character I generally get excited about, but Hasbro did a great job with this one, fine tuning the detail, articulation and accessories over previous versions of the character that have been released which is why I felt he had to be included on here.


This figure not only made the Top 10 Marvel Legends list, I think it might be the nicest of all the Build-A-Figures this year. The alternate hands and heads is really what makes this one stand out and leaves all the previous Sandman figures that have been made in the dus... er sand.


This spot was a toss up between this figure and the Hobgoblin figure that also saw release this year. Both are great looking figures and in fact I prefer Hobgoblin as a character over Green Goblin, but in the end the thing that put Norman over the top was his glider. The glider that came with Hobgoblin was way too small while the one that came with Green Goblin was perfect.


This is one that made my overall Top 10 Action Figure list and for the same reasons, he shows up here as well. Possibly the nicest of all the movie figures we got in the line for 2016, I really liked the look and detail on the figure especially with his claws and mask.


The Jim Lee style Walgreens exclusive is probably the best Punisher figure we've ever gotten in the Marvel Legends line, and on top of that the figure was chock full of some great accessories. This one could have easily made the number 1 or 2 spot on this list and even now, I am still debating in the back of my mind if I should rate it higher.


One of the most eagerly anticipated Marvel Legends for 2016 didn't disappoint with lots of great accessories and articulation, and the fact it's based on one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe right now doesn't hurt it either.


While any of the top 3 figures in this list could easily be considered number 1, ultimately I decided to go with Rogue because I am always happy to see Hasbro put lots of effort in its female characters. This Rogue figure captures the beauty of the Jim Lee era of the character perfectly and will fit in perfectly with the other Jim Lee based X-Men figures Hasbro has already or will soon be releasing.

So those are my picks for the best of the year, but with the best you also have the worst. Now with most of these, I really wouldn't call them bad figures just the ones I was least fond of for one particular reason or another.

So here is my Top 5 WORST Marvel Legends for 2016.


This figure makes the Top 5 worst figures for 2016 for one reason and one reason alone. No wings. How you can make a figure of a character that is primarily known for flight without including their signature wings is beyond me.


While the recent Sandman Build-A-Figure made my Top 10 Best list, this Raft version is the exact opposite. Weak paint applications and lack of cool accessories on top of being released so close to the awesome BAF version is why this one is on my bad figure list.


This figure overall is a decent one but the reason it makes the bad list is because Hasbro only gave it the cheesy looking electricity hands from the movie Electro figure and didn't bother to give us a normal pair of hands. Like with Falcon Cap, this one makes the bad list due to lack of accessories.


By now you might be noticing a trend with this list. Here is another one that really isn't a bad figure, but the lack of any kind of accessory or way to mimic the character's powers makes this one seem kind of pointless.


While a lack of any kind of ice generating accessory certainly didn't help this figure in any way, the reason why it made the top of my bad list was the soft gummy type joints used on this figure. Iceman, being one of the original X-Men, really deserves a little more effort than what Hasbro has been willing to give him, and while the figure had potential I think they really dropped the ball on this one.

So there you have it, my Top 10 best and Top 5 worst Marvel Legends for 2016. It was a great year and from what I have seen and heard already for this year (such as three waves of Guardians Of The Galaxy, two waves of X-Men, several different 2-packs and many many more coming), 2017 is shaping up to be possibly an even better year.