Angela was a huge part of the popularity of Spawn, both the comic and the toyline, in the mid 1990s. Created by Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane (with about two decades or more of craziness regarding who owns the character), Angela became an important character in the comics and a high desirable action figure. Angela first appeared in series 2 of the toyline and was so popular that she was given a variant in series 3: Cosmic Angela. That's the version I'm checking out today! I went to Toy Federation in Greer, SC a couple weeks ago and picked up some vintage Spawn toys to review and display with my newer stuff. Sadly, we won't get a modern Mcfarlane Angela figure because today Angela is part of the Marvel Universe. This figure is from back when she was one of the A-listers at Image, though. I'm not sure if this costume was made up for the toyline (I've read the first 100 issues of Spawn and the Angela miniseries and I don't recall it), but I really like it. This is a cool looking figure with neat accessories and lots of weird problems. Many of McFarlane Toys' early releases really tried to do some impressive things and while they usually succeeded, they struck out a few times, too. Is Cosmic Angela a hit or a miss? Let's find out after the break...
Height: 5 7/8ths inches
Articulation: Hinged knees,
swivel hips, swivel shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wings, and swivel head.
Accessories: Sword, knife, and pistol.
Year of Release: 1995
* Cosmic Angela of course has those patented asymmetrical boots with lots of padding, cool high heeled boots that offer about as much coverage as the rest of her outfit, and little lightning bolt shaped wings on the back.
* Cosmic Angela's weapons are less cumbersome and more compact than the weapons included with the standard figure, and first up is a pretty serious looking revolver. This thing is beautiful with a huge cylinder, a small forward grip, a short scope, and quite a bit of sculpted detail and paintwork.
* She also includes a long knife, or a short sword, depending on how you look at it, I guess. It's a cool, curved blade with a vibe that's very fantasy inspired with just a but if a futuristic pace feel to it. It's even sporting a small blade/ skull cracker in the hilt.
* Cosmic Angela's third weapon is a small dagger. It's well designed and definitely looks like something you could buy at one of those shops in Gatlingburg, TN or at your local mall that sells statues of wizards, CBD products, and ninja gear.
* Angela has a place to store all three of her weapons. Her revolver fits in the large holster on her left hip. It's a not a perfect fit but it does stay in there securely.
* The short sword fits into a small sheathe on Angela's right shin with the point of the blade fitting into a spot on her right ankle. It does cause the blade to bend a little but it looks pretty cool and stays in place.
* Lastly, the small dagger stores securely on a sheath on Angela's right forearm. It's at the ready and easily accessible.
The Negatives:
* Cosmic Angela is, unfortunately, a very flawed figure. She's a very cool figure but for every plus, it also feels like there's a minus. First up is her helmet: On mine, it's clearly glued on incorrectly. It's not straight and looks really wonky in person. I'm sure this isn't a widespread issue but it does affect mine.
* Cosmic Angela might look pretty nice but her articulation isn't the best. It's pretty stiff. I'm not judging her by the standards of a modern figure, by the way; she's definitely a 27 year old action figure. She's just stiff, though, and feels like something that would be tough to really play around with. At this point in time McFarlane's Spawn figures were still definitely designed and marketed like toys, but her stiff joints, v-crotch, and awkward elbows and knees make her less fun than most of the other Spawn figures. Angela's definitely more about the visual here.
* The knee joints on Angela are really weird looking, too. They're bizarre, like some sort of growths on her knees. The elbow joints are nicely hidden but the knee joints are a real eyesore.
* Cosmic Angela has one of the coolest guns in the Spawn line. It's a real shame that she can't hold it properly. Seriously, the pistol grip is much larger than her hand and there's no way you're getting this in her hands without damaging them. What a bummer.
* The elbow joints are just weird and unsettling, though. I mean... what exactly is going on here? They look odd, can bend backwards, and just look strange with the large pegs and a gap that's just too big. Yikes.
If you're interested in more of Angela I've also reviewed the Marvel Legends Series Angela.
For more classic Spawn reviews check out the following:
Clown
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