Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Action Figure Review: Goblin Queen from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 


   I'm now on the 5th season of my X-Men watch through which I'm trying to complete before starting X-Men '97 and I'm trying really, really hard to avoid spoilers. One of the biggest surprises for me happened when I first saw the X-Men '97 Goblin Queen POP! vinyl at GameStop back in December or January. My first thought when I saw it was that I hoped Hasbro would release her in the X-Men '97 Marvel Legend Series as they've made kind of a big deal that the Goblin Queen was a figure they weren't allowed to make previously. They did show off a comic version of the Goblin Queen as a stretch goal for the ill-fated Ghost Rider: Engine of Vengeance HasLab, but by that point I was pretty much just collecting X-Men related stuff and didn't have much interest in anything except her and Mephisto. Wow this isn't her most famous look, it's not a bad new look for the character and it does work pretty well as both a comic and cartoon based figure. Madelyne Pyor has a long history with the X-Men and it's nice to finally have her in Marvel Legends. I don't know how her character will be utilized in X-Men '97 but that's not stopping me from reviewing her! Let's check out Madelyne Pryor as the Goblin Queen after the break...





The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

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

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, 2 energy effects, and baby Cable minifigure.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars






The Positives:

* The Goblin Queen is definitely wearing more clothing here than she usually does but her outfit still has the same kind of feel as her more recognizable costumes: A mixture of black and grey with red cape lining and a mystical amulet. It definitely identifies her as a villainous magic user right away and it manages to still be sexy without feeling out of place as an outfit design for the X-Men animated series. Her outfit isn't just a solid, flat bodysuit, either. There are seams running down the corset like top and a lighter grey on her upper thighs, perhaps intended to be hose or tights. The rest of her legs look like they're intended to be thigh-high boots. 

* Doesn't Maddie look a bit familiar? Well, as a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister, yeah, she should bear a likeness to Jean. But she doesn't look 100% like her, which I appreciate it. The figure has a gorgeous face with dark makeup, but she also has pinker skin. It does give her a different look and feel. I couldn't find any other references where the Goblin Queen had pink skin like this, but I like it. It definitely makes her seem a bit more... sinister, maybe? More magical?






* She has a lot of hair and while it's not given any kind of wash, it does look pretty solid with some nice sculpting. It's quite wild and looks very dynamic. 





* Her cape is well done, too. It's a solid, non-removable piece with little give to it, but it does kind of keep her standing if you're not using a stand, though I doubt that's intentional. It just manages to look very dynamic. It's permanently attached to Maddie via the amulet clasp. 


* Goblin Queen is built on a new pinless body, though I'm sure there are one or two reused parts here. It's all still quite new, though, and the articulation moves brilliantly. She's quite fun to pose and mess around with, even if her cape does interfere with many poses. Her expressive arms and hands really are fun to pose as if she's using her powers to make trouble for Cyclops who, let's be honest, kind of deserves it. 



* Maddie comes with the standard four hands: A pair of open, gesturing hands and a pair of fists. I do like how her sleeves stretch down to fit around her wrists almost like gloves. I'm also loving the black nails. 




* To show off her powers, Goblin Queen also comes with two magical effects that can fit around her forearms and hands. 

* The most interesting accessory she comes with is a baby. Who is is? It's Nathan Summes, AKA Cable. This figure utilizes the body from the baby Nightcrawler included with the Pulse exclusive VHS boxed Mystique figure, though Cable has a blanket with X logos on it. He gets a new head, too. He's a bit oversized, but then again, so is Cable. This is a pretty neat extra and I was surprised that Hasbro included it. Funko did on their POP! of the Goblin Queen, too, so it must be pretty significant or part of the licensing package. 

The Negatives:


* My only complaint with this figure is the high heels. They're not terrible and they're certainly fitting for the character, but they do make it very hard for Goblin Queen to stand up without using a stand. I really wish Hasbro would start including stands with their figures, especially now that they're releasing most figures without Build-a-Figure pieces.

   Goblin Queen really turned out well and is definitely a very welcome figure. Heck, this whole series is hot fire and I'm glad I didn't snooze on them. Maddie has a great sculpt with a fantastic portrait and the extras are pretty nice, too. Her solid cape and her high heels do make her a bit harder to pose but with the included effects you can make her look plenty sinister on your shelf. I'm giving her a Great rating and I'm very content with having a version of Madeline Pryor on the shelf, even if it's not a true comic version. I think this one stands in nicely and it crosses a major want off of my list. Now Hasbro, let's talk about Professor X in his green adventuring suit, Savage Land Rogue, and completing the Starjammers.


This is the figure of Madeline Pryor/ Goblin Queen that I've reviewed. 

If you're looking for more of Cable/ Nathan Summers I've also reviewed Marvel Legends Series Cable from the Juggernaut BAF series and Cable from the Sasquatch BAF series.

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

Marvel Legends Series: Avengers by Hasbro
Taskmaster
Yelena Belova

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
Yondu

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: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Hasbro (2023)
Mantis
 
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: Marvel Knights (2023)
Blade

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)
















Posted by at

6 comments:

  1. CarniviusApril 17, 2024 at 4:10 AM

    She looks cool.
    I haven't watched X-Men 97 yet mainly cos I dunno if I want to. Could be great but I tried to rewatch the original show a few years ago and well... the issues I had with it back in the 90s seem even more blatant now. The cringey melodramatic acting, the extremely varied animation quality, the length of time for certain stories to ever progress... I got through about ten episodes and had to quit.

    Also for some reason the Mojo episode (which is one of my least faves) got re-run a LOT as I was growing up. I dunno why that one in particular.

    Do those holes I can sorta see in the front of her boots, fit generic stands?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbecue17April 17, 2024 at 9:01 AM

      They do, indeed. She can utilize a stand just fine. I use the EBCO 32mm stands (50m on Amazon for around $23 dollars) and they work great. I use them for ReAction figures, Origins, Masterverse, G.I. Joe Classified, Legends, Star Wars: The Black Series, Indiana Jones Adventure Series, and even some NECA and Mezco stuff. They're really versatile and have a nice, smaller profile but still keep the figures upright.

      Also, I've been rewatching through the series before starting '97 and I still love it. Honestly, I think season 4 is probably the strongest. It's melodramatic at times, yes, but that seems pretty fitting for the X-men.

      Delete
  2. Brutorz BillApril 18, 2024 at 8:38 AM

    you are so tempting me to start collecting the larger figures...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbecue17April 24, 2024 at 11:08 AM

      Lots more variety out there in 1/12 and 7 inch figures these days.

      Delete
  3. GIJigsawApril 23, 2024 at 3:52 PM

    Finally - a Goblin Queen. A bit too animated of a costume - would have liked the version that was part of the Ghost Rider Haslab, but so glad we finally got a Madelyne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbecue17April 24, 2024 at 11:10 AM

      Yes, it's nice to have some version of her. The episode was great with her in it, too (I've since watched it). In the episode her thighs aren't covered, so either Hasbro changed her thighs to grey to be a bit more conservative or they had some earlier design material and the change was made after the figures were in production.

      Delete

What'chu talkin' 'bout?

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)