Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Action Figure Review: Yelena Belova from Marvel Legends Series: Avengers by Hasbro

 

   We're almost half way through the year and this is actually the first Marvel Legends Series figure from a Build-a-Figure series that I've picked up. Surprising, right? There haven't been that many releases that have really jumped out at me this year, and some of the ones that have, like the Blob, have just seemed to be overpriced. Yelena Belova really appealed to me, though, as she's a comic version of a MCU character who I really love (I could listen to Florence Pugh speak in her Russian accent all day!), she's a cool, tactical figure with some nice weaponry, I was able to use my GameStop monthly 
$5 Pro credit on her, and, since I'm not planning to build Puff Adder, I was able to sell the piece and recoup most of the price of the figure. Not bad, right? This version of Yelena Belova represents her during the time when she took on the alias of Black Widow, being the second Black Widow after Natasha Romanoff. Ready to check out Yelena Belova? Then let's get to it...



The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/ hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, rifle, strap, 2 pistols, 2firing effects, 2 smoke effects, and torso for the Puff Adder build-a-figure.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:


* I've heard some complaints that Yelena is a bit plain but I really like her sleek, tactical look. She's wearing a fitted bodysuit that has some nice wrinkles sculpted on it, so it doesn't look like it's just "painted" on. There are also visible seams all over her body. Yeah, her outfit is all black, but the brown belt with lots of pouches and the Black Widow hourglass logo nicely breaks things up. If you're not a Legends collector but dig the figure, Yelena could easily fit in as a Cobra agent.
* Yelena doesn't come with an unmasked head. Instead, she is wearing some very cool, spider-like goggles. She's actually wearing a cowl over most of her face with just her long, blonde hair flowing out and her lower face visible. The goggles are very neat with a spier-like quality to the placement and number of red goggles. I'm sure her gear has all kinds of vision modifications packed into it. Yelena is very pale here but, considering that one of her nicknames is Pale Little Spider, it's probably fitting. The black lipstick just makes her look even paler and more goth. 



* If this body has been used before I certainly don't recognize it off hand. I'm sure there's reuse here, but I can't be the one to tell you where it's from. Parts of it might even be from previous Black Widow figures. Everything moves nicely, though, and her arms have the newer pinless elbow joints. She looks great in a variety of fighting and firing poses. 





* Yelena comes with two sets of swappable hands: Pistol grips for utilizing her firearms and some fists for some good old-fashioned fisticuffs. 



* Yelena Belova comes with a nice assortment of weapons, although we have seen them before with the Black Widow: Deadly Origin figure. First up is a very cool pistol with a suppressor on it. It's a very modern looking firearm and fits Yelena 's Back Widow persona perfectly. 




* Her second pistol is the same model as the previous one, just without the suppressor. When Ms. Belova wants to get loud, she can get loud!



* Yelena's third firearm is a very cool sniper rifle that resembles a Russian Dragunov sniper rifle. It's and impressive sculpt with some nice paint applications on the stock. There's also a functional (and removable!) strap for toting the rifle around on a mission. 



* All three of the included guns have hollow barrels, allowing you to attach these two firing effects. Both effects (a shorter and a longer burst) can fit in the barrels, giving your figure a more dynamic look when on display.





* There are also two different smoke wisps that look pretty neat on display, too. 




* Besides just looking cool, Yelena's belt also has a functional holster that can fit either of her pistols in it. 













* Yelena Belova also comes packaged with the torso of Puff Adder, who is also known as P. Addy or just Addy, the Build-a-Figure for this series. He's a decent sized guy with a fairly large torso. I sold mine already, but here's what to expect if you're picking up Yelena new. 




   I am very, very happy with Yelena Belova. Whether you like the character or just dig her cool, tactical vibe (she looks like she could be a Metal Gear Solid villain), she delivers. A cool look and a nice amount of accessories will get you far in my book. Throw in the functional holster and the four firing/ smoke effects and you've got a winner. She's an Epic release in my book. Since Yelena Belova is going to be in Thunderbolts next year Hasbro will surely release another MCU figure of Florence Pugh's take on the character, but maybe we'll get another comic version of her, too. Preferably with an unmasked head. I really liked the Diamond Select Black Widow version of Yelena and that costume would make for a nice second version. 

   I'm interested in Baron von Strucker an Wonder Man from this series, and maybe even the Orb, but I'm going to wait for those to go on sale. A little patience with Marvel Legends has proven to pay off over the past few years. 




   This is the first figure of Yelena Belova that I've reviewed on here. She is sporting her Black Widow outfit here, so if you're looking for more of Black Widow, I've looked at the following figures of Natasha Romanoff as Black Widow: The Marvel Legends Series Black Widow: Deadly Origin and the Infinite Series Captain America: The Winter Soldier Black Widow.


For more Marvel Legends Series reviews check out the following:
Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro (2016)

Marvel Legends Series: Avengers by Hasbro
Taskmaster

Marvel Legends Series: Black Panther by Hasbro (2017)
Black Panther 

Marvel Legends Series: Black Widow by Hasbro (2020)
Black Widow: Deadly Origin
 
Marvel Legends Series: Captain America by Hasbro (2016)
Black Panther
Demolition Man (Mercenaries of Mayhem)
Nick Fury 
Nuke 

Marvel Legends Series: Captain Marvel by Hasbro (2019)
Captain Marvel

Marvel Legends Series: Deadpool by Hasbro (2018)
Cable
Deadpool (Boxers)
Deadpool (X-Force)
Deathlok
Domino
Lady Deadpool 
X-23 (X-Force)
 
Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange

Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) 
 
Marvel Legends Series: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Baron Zemo

Marvel Legends Series: Fantastic Four (2017)
Mr. Fantastic
Thing  
 
Marvel Legends Series: Gamerverse
Civil Warrior

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy by Hasbro (2017)
Angela
Groot Evolution

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 by Hasbro (2017)
Drax
Gamora (Daughters of Thanos)
Nebula (Daughters of Thanos)
Rocket Raccoon & Groot
Star-Lord 
Yondu 
 
Marvel Legends Series: The Infinity Gauntlet by Hasbro (2021)
 
Marvel Legends Series: The Infninity Saga by Hasbro
Captain Marvel & Rescue Armor

Marvel Legends Series: Inhumans by Hasbro (2017)
 
Marvel Legends Series: Ironheart by Hasbro (2021)
 
Marvel Legends Series: Iron Man by Hasbro  
Vault Guardsman

Marvel Legends Series: The Punisher by Hasbro (2019)
The Punisher (Walgreens Exclusive)
 
Marvel Legends Series: She-Hulk by Hasbro
She-Hulk 

Marvel Legends Series: Silk by Hasbro
Silk and Doc Ock

Marvel Legends Series: Silver Surfer by Hasbro (2018)
Silver Surfer

Marvel Legends Series: Spider-Man by Hasbro
King in Black: Knull and Venom

Marvel Legends Series: Super Villains by Hasbro (2021)
Xemnu

Marvel Legends Series: The Unbelievable Gwenpool by Hasbro (2018)
Gwenpool

Marvel Legends Series: Thor by Hasbro
Gorr
Ragnarok

Marvel Legends Series: Thor: Love and Thunder by Hasbro (2022)
Mighty Thor

Marvel Legends Series: Typhoid Mary by Hasbro (2018)
Typhoid Mary

Marvel Legends Series: Venom by Hasbro (2018)
Carnage  
 
Marvel Legends Series: WandaVision by Hasbro (2021)
 
Marvel Legends Series: What If? by Hasbro (2021)













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