Thursday, August 28, 2025

Action Figure Review: Jean Grey (X-Factor) Marvel Legends Retro Collection by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm excited to check out another Jean Grey action figure from Hasbro's Marvel Legends line, this time a Retro Collection Target exclusive: Jean Grey in her X-Factor costume. Jean Grey has one of the greatest storylines in comic history, though also one of the most convoluted. So, who is the X-Factor Jean Grey? This is the original Jean Grey herself who was found by the Avengers and the Fantastic Four in a Phoenix Egg, a cocoon-like life pod, at the bottom of Jamaica Bay. Years prior, Jean was believed to have died and been resurrected by the Phoenix Force. Instead, the Phoenix Force had actually placed Jean in the Phoenix Egg life pod and takes the form of Jean Grey, even coming to believe it is Jean Grey. When the real Jean is located, she has no memories of the Phoenix or of Madeline Pryor, a clone created by Mr. Sinister. She's just classic Jean Grey. Jean joins the other original team members as part of X-Factor, a team that pretends they're mutant hunters but really are working to help identify and support mutants who have gained the attention and (often) the ire of the public. Ready to check out the latest X-Factor team member Hasbro has given us? Then join me after the break...






The Facts:

The Height: 6 1/8ths inches

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

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, 2 portraits, and a telekinesis effect.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars






The Positives:

* First things first: Yes, this figure does have a weird issue where Hasbro did not paint Jean's boots yellow. They're yellow in nearly every appearance of this costume, so I'm not sure what the issue was but I'll get to it soon. For now, from the knees up this is a really nice looking figure. It's simple, but that was part of the original X-Factor costumes. Jean was goin by Marvel Girl again by this point and was decked out in green and yellow. I always seem to mention that yellow is a tough color to blend with others, but Hasbro has done a nice job here as most of the yellow parts of the costume are molded in yellow plastic. I think the only yellow paint are the forearms and the hips and thighs. It keeps the yellow looking overall quite bright and eye-catching. Let's be honest, though; is Jean never not eye-catching? 





* Hasbro included two portraits with Jean, the first showing off her fabulous hair. She's smiling here and definitely looks like she's pretty happy. It's a nice look for Jean that wasn't always common during this era. The work on the eyes is quite impressive and everything seems printed perfectly. I prefer this look to the second as her hair is flowing rather than trapped under a hood. 










* Here's a look at Marvel Girl's fantastic hair. There's actually a bit of a wash, or at least some highlights, to bring out some more detail and to keep it from being just a massive sea of red. 













* How's the articulation? Very good! Jean uses the body that was first used with the Target exclusive Warbird/ Ms. Marvel/ Carol Danvers, and it's a great modern body. Good articulation with double hinged knees and elbows, excellent torso movement, and all pinless joints. She's a lot of fun to pose and I'm excited to eventually get her setup with the rest of the original X-Factor team. 







* Jean only gets the two standard hands that most Marvel Legends ladies come with: A pair of open gesturing hands and a pair of fists. Nothing new to see here, though having a swap is welcome. I wish we'd get a single pointing finger or two to use to better show Jean using her powers. 







* Included with Jean is a small, pink accessory that's used to represent her telekinetic or telepathic powers. She can certainly hold it between her fingers on the gesturing hands with a little work, sure, but it's designed to slide under one of her curls so it looks like it's projecting from her forehead. I think it's a bit too dark and blends in with her hair too much (something painted a brighter shade of pink might have been better) but it does seem to be a new piece and it's kind of fun. 






* Let's talk about the second portrait which has Jean wearing the green hood she first wore when part of X-Factor to hide her identity. Most of it works quite well and is accurate to the look from the comics; Her hair is flowing out from behind at the bottom, the design of the mask is right, and the colors match up. 

The Negatives:

* The facial expression just throws me off, though. I'm not saying Jean can't look angry (because she had a lot of reasons to be angry during this time), but it just looks off to me, especially considering it's the only hooded portrait of Marvel Girl that we get. When I see it, I think "female Hydra Agent" more than "Jean Grey."




* OK, so I mentioned this earlier but we gotta talk about Jean's legs: She's supposed to have yellow boots, but Hasbro just left them green. I really don't believe this was intentional because the packaging art shows them yellow and every appearance of this costume I know of has them yellow. What happened? Likely a factory error that got missed. Still, it's a weird choice. It's not something where the figure would look off to someone who isn't familiar with this costume, but for those who do it's very noticeable. 




   When this figure first went up for preorder from Target it sold out in around 49 minutes. That was longer than most preorders last these days but still frustrating for those who missed it. Fortunately, Jean has been pretty easy to find. In fact, she's available on sale on Target.com. She's a Good figure, but the lack of cool accessories, the weird expression on the hooded head (she looks like she's snarling), and the missing boots definitely seems to have brought the figure down a bit. This is a cool look for Jean Grey but it's definitely not one of her most iconic costumes (and she's had quite a few that are absolutely iconic). Shop around now for a bargain and you'll be much happier. 

   
   If you're a fan of Jean Grey/ Marvel Girl and/or the Phoenix (and who isn't?), make sure to also check out my reviews of the Hasbro Marvel Legends Jean Grey as the Black Queen, the Hasbro Marvel Legends Series Jean Grey as Phoenix, Jean Grey and Phoenix Force, and Marvel Girl, the X-Men '97 Jean Grey, and the Marvel Legends Retro Collection Dark Phoenix.

For more Marvel Legends Retro Collection figures check out the following:
Marvel Legends Retro Collection by Hasbro

Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Fantastic Four by Hasbro

Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Iron Man by Hasbro (2023)
 
Marvel Legends Retro Collection: Spider-Man by Hasbro


























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