Sunday, October 14, 2018

Action Figure Review: Cable from Marvel Legends Series: Deadpool by Hasbro

    While I am absolutely 100% a DC reader (within the past 24-48 hours I've read Batman White Knight, Rebirth Harley Quinn vol. 5, and volume 2 of Batman: Knightfall) I've never been a huge Marvel reader at all. My Marvel fandom has always been based more on the films, the cartoons, and toys. In the early 90s I was absolutely a fan of Marvel due to the Fox Kids X-Men series and Toy Biz's long running toyline. While I dig Cable because of his portrayal in Deadpool 2, my main draw to Cable is because of how awesome he was in the Toy Biz X-Force line. Cable was definitely the Wolverine or Spider-Man of the X-Force line as Toy Biz put at least one Cable in nearly every set. Hasbro certainly hasn't shown Cable that much love but he absolutely did get a figure in the popular X-Men Series about 2 years ago and now they've released another version of Nathan Summers in his classic Rob Liefeld based look. That means lots of pouches and big guns! Let's check out Cable after the break and see how this bastion of the late 80's/ early 90's comics scene fairs today...



 The Facts:

Height: 7 1/8ths inches

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

Accessories: Three rifles, neck pouch, harness, and the left leg of the Sasquatch build-a-figure.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars
 Comparison:

* On the left is this classic version of Cable while on the right is the more modern looking Cable from the 2016 X-Men series. While the two figures share some elements of the lower bodies (hips, boots) overall these are very different figures. There's not much reuse here, surprisingly.
 The Positives:



* I really like the look of Cable. Laugh all you want about the 90s design sensibility of lots of pouches and straps but when you're talking about folks wearing tactical gear and carrying weaponry, there is usually an abundance of pouches and straps. Cable has a great color scheme and a look that captures his most popular earlier designs as well as his massive size. He's an impressive looking figure.

* Cable not only looks cool but he is also really well articulated. Hasbro does a great job of articulating the Marvel Legends Series, particularly the bigger guys, and Cable definitely doesn't disappoint. He's extremely well articulated and extremely durable, which is a killer combination.

* The headsculpt is also really cool and very evocative of the early 90s design of the character. Check out that grimace! Brooding protagonists just don't grimace that way these days! Not only is the sculpt swell but the eye flare is a separate piece molded in translucent plastic while the headset is a separate piece as well. It makes for a pretty impressive looking piece.

* The bulk is added to the figure via a removable harness (covered with pouches, shotgun shells, and padding) and a collar piece that can be removed by popping off the head. Is this Cable's teleportation device or something? I really don't know (or maybe just can't remember).


* Another great design element are the flared gloves. The forearms have a separate cuff piece that sits over the forearm to add even more awesome business to the design.

* Cable has three firearms, first up is either a large pistol or the smaller double-barreled shotgun that....strangely looks like a Nerf-blaster. Actually, after looking around I found out that this looks nearly identical to the N-Strike Doubledown. Or the Barrel Break IX-2. Crazy, right? It's a cool accessory and Cable looks great with it, but how interesting Hasbro used a Nerf blaster design for Cable, right?


*  Cable's next rifle also looks like a Nerf blaster. I can identify a specific one but it's also a cool design.



* Lastly Cable comes with a massive rifle. Seriously, this thing is huge. I have no idea if this is based on a Nerf blaster or not but t definitely looks like a weapon that packs a huge punch.

  * The massive weapon also fits on the back of Cable's shoulder harnesses via a plug. It's a cool feature and the figure looks awesome toting this massive cannon on his back.

* Remember that if you buy this figure new, you'll also get the left leg of the Sasquatch build-a-figure (I picked up mine used on the cheap without the piece).
 The Negatives:


* I love the shotgun/ pistol and I'm always happy to have a holster for a weapon but thus small loop on Cable's belt is tough to get the weapon into. It sits up pretty high and gets in the way of the figure's arm. It's tough to use effectively.


* Cable may have a massive weapon but it is so large that he actually can't carry it properly. Seriously, I can hardly fine a way to get the figure to hold the weapon in any convincing pose, so that's kind of a big fail.


 * Cable may be a gun toting kind of guy but it's odd that his left hand is completely open. I get that the intention may have been for him to cradle the larger gun but that's nearly impossible and he's left with the inability to dual wield two weapons.
   I really like this figure although there are some problems but, honestly, most of them can be solved by simply using some different weapons with him. heck, swapping out the left hand might work, too. So far as the sculpt, paint, and design of the figure goes, Cable absolutely delivers. He's a really cool classic version of a super-popular character and a nice throwback to the vintage Toy Biz action figure. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure and another solid entry in the Deadpool themed series of figures released this year.




If you dig Cable, I've also reviewed the X-Men Series Cable from a few years back.

For more Marvel Legends Series figures, check out the following:
Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro (2016)
Enchantress (Mystic Rivals)
Nico Minoru (Mystic Rivals) 
The Punisher

Marvel Legends Series: Black Panther by Hasbro (2017)
Black Panther
 
Marvel Legends Series: Captain America by Hasbro (2016)
Black Panther
Demolition Man (Mercenaries of Mayhem)
Nick Fury 
Nuke 

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

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

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: Silver Surfer by Hasbro (2018)
Silver Surfer

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

Marvel Legends Series: X-Men by Hasbro (2016)
Cable
Havok
Iceman
Juggernaut
Kitty Pryde
Phoenix 
Rogue 
Wolverine

12 comments:

  1. The second one is similar in design to Nerf's Doomlands Vagabond, which is not at all surprising considering they're both hasbro

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  2. This Cable's big gun should have been something like that Gatling gun that the first Cable figure had to bring him closer to his ToyBiz look.

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    1. If Cable had included that giant gun from his first action figure I would have went nuts! That would have been awesome!

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    2. The barrels of that hand-held Gatling have to rotate, of course.

      I seem to remember that the first Cable figure was shown at the back of the other ToyBiz X-Men figures' packaging in a pose similar to the one this Cable has in the comparison photo above. But the first Cable's arm was actually bent slightly and had a karate-chopping action feature, didn't it?

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    3. Yes it did! The karate chop and the rotating barrel. He was pretty awesome!

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    4. That Cable figure disappeared quickly from the toy stores in Metro Manila when it came out. The Space Suit Cable, Scuba Diver Cable, and Jetpack Cable hung around a little longer but eventually got snapped up by local X-Men fans.

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    5. I remember collecting that line. Some figures felt nearly impossible to find while others hung around for what felt like years and years!

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    6. I only remember two other Cables that came after Space Suit, Scuba Diver, and Jetpack: one had a big gun with a firing projectile that attached to his left shoulder and the other had removable pieces of skin that could show off his metallic/techno-virus-infected parts. If I'm not mistaken, those two Cable variants came out the same time as Senyaka (a villain with a whip-cracking action feature) and Commando (I'm not sure if this was Crimson Commando; it had a firing projectile feature).

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    7. The only other one I seem to remember is the one that operated as some sort of weird projector. Maybe a deluxe item? Looking around I can find a Stealth repaint of the Cable with the big launcher (Version 3, right?). I never had Senyaka but I remember him, Trevor Fitzroy, Bonebreaker, and quite a few others from that period keeping the pegs at KB toys toasty warm for years!

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    8. When I think of Cable with the projector feature, all I seem to recall was that the image he showed was him fighting Apocalypse hand-to-hand. That and how odd it was that Projector Cable was usually grouped together with the ten-inch Cable and Kane figures in one of the mall toy stores I frequented. Cable Version 3 was the one with the ammo belt, pistol, and--instead of a big gun--a missile launcher (that always reminded me of the one Arnold Schwarzenegger used in Commando), wasn't it? I didn't know there was a Stealth version. Is it Cable in an all-black uniform?

      Funny thing: I once saw Senyaka and Commando in a 7-11 in downtown Manila and I nearly bought them except they felt kind of off and their prices were way lower than usual. The packaging looked authentic but I suspect to this day that they might have been knockoffs because Commando's legs didn't seem to be made right and Senyaka had a Chinese sword along with his whip.

      Trevor Fitzroy, Bonebreaker, Sauron (the pterodactyl man with mind control powers), and Kylun were the shelfwarmers at the toy stores here. I did buy Bishop with the spring-loaded arm/quick-draw feature but his uniform was gray instead of blue.

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    9. Yeah, the Stealth Cable seems to be version 3 in grey, black, and gold.

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