Friday, March 4, 2022

Action Figure Review: Shocker from Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Spider-Man by Hasbro

 


   Let's look at the Shocker, another figure from the relatively recent Spider-Man focused Marvel Legends Retro Collection. I found the Shocker at the same time as I found Hobgoblin and black suit Spider-Man (a review is coming for him) and so I was able to grab all three figures I wanted from the set at the same time. The Shocker, AKA Herman Schultz, doesn't use electricity; that's Electro's gig. Instead, he uses compressed air to create vibrational shock waves generated by his gauntlets. That's why he wears the padded, quilted suit: To protect himself from the shock waves. Hasbro released the Shocker in Marvel Legends previously back in 2017's Sandman BAF series and Toy Biz released him in the Amazing Spider-Man line that ran concurrent with Marvel Legends in the early/mid 2000s. This is a very classic take on the character and it seems like a figure a lot of Spidey fans were hoping for. Let's take a look at Shocker after the break...



The Facts: 

Height: 6 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, boot swivels, double-hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, swivel waist, hinged mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, double-hinged elbows, forearm swivels, hinged neck, and a ball-jointed head.

Accessories: 4 interchangeable hands/ gauntlets and 2 effects.

Non-Scalper Price: $23 dollars







The Positives:


* I love the look of classic, colorful Marvel villains! Shocker is wearing a quilted yellow jumpsuit accented with dark, brownish red details. Since the quilted padding is actually sculpted on the figure rather than just painted, this guy seems to largely have a new body. If I'm wrong about that, let me know! The colors are excellent and the build looks perfect. Muscular but not overly huge or anything. The gunmetal belt is also pretty neat and an essential part of Shocker's classic look. 



* The portrait is fantastic as well. It's also quilted with a thicker, helmet-like piece on top. the eyes are also really cool. They're small and bright white; very expressive for being so simple.



* Shocker's articulation is excellent. He doesn't have swivel/hinge wrists due to his gauntlets (he has forearm swivels, instead) but pretty much every other joint you'd expect is here. He's solid, durable, and really fun to pose and play around with. 

* The Shocker's power is derived from his gauntlets so instead of just interchangeable hands he actually has interchangeable hands with the gauntlets attached. They're pretty cool! The gauntlets look great and you can swap between open hands or fists, as if he's using his powers. I'm sure there's another hand expression or gesture the Shocker could have came with but it just won't come to me.


* I'm not sure how Hasbro could have conveyed Shocker's powers in toy form but they did include two of the cosmic bubble/ Kirby crackle effects. They're molded in orangish-yellow plastic and look pretty cool. Not perfect but they fit on the figure and are nice and rubbery, so no worries about breakage. I think he looks kind of neat using them. 
* Rather than paint his padding, Hasbro sculpted it all over Shocker's body. It looks really good and definitely helps him stand out.

The Negatives:

* Should they have also painted the crevices? Looking at pictures of the comic art, I'm thinking at least a wash or something would have improved the overall look. He doesn't look bad at all (a real padded, quilted costume would probably look like this) but maybe some highlights would have been a smart move?

   I'm really loving the Shocker. He's a really solid, classic looking Spider-Man villain and a nice addition to the Retro Collection. He doesn't have too many extras or a Build-a-Figure piece to offset the newer, higher price but he does have a unique sculpt, very solid articulation, and a great portrait. Shocker is a really fun action figure and well worth picking up you're a fan of Spider-Man and are tying to increase your rogues gallery of his foes. He gets a Great from me. Since Shocker did appear in the MCU (Spider-Man: Homecoming) he gets a place on my shelf of comic-styled MCU villains as well. Nice!





This is the first figure of the Shocker I've reviewed on the site. For more Marvel Legends Retro Collection figures check out the following:

Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Spider-Man

3 comments:

  1. Cool looking figure. I don't think I have any versions of him. May need to snag one.

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    Replies
    1. I didn't have any versions of the Shocker before this guy, either. I used to collect the 1/18th scale Marvel Universe figures for a bit but I don't think I ever had a Shocker then, either.

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  2. It's definitely very neat and clean. Crazy how these things keep improving over time.

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