Action Figure Review: Jean Grey from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   

   It's time for another spoiler free review of a Hasbro Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 figure and this time it's Jean Grey! I remember being utterly baffled as a kid watching the original X-Men cartoon series that there weren't figures of the main team from the cartoon. In 1992, the year the cartoon premiered, You could eventually find Gambit and the tiger stripe Wolverine, and Cyclops and Storm in costumes fairly different from the show, but no Rogue, Beast, Morph, Jubilee, Professor X, or Jean Grey. While I was actively collecting the toys Beast, Morph, and Professor X were released, as was Rogue, but I never found her as a kid. Jean didn't get released until late 1994 or 1995, but that was as the Phoenix, and by that time I wasn't actively collecting the line (the latest figure I remember purchasing from the line until Marvel Legends came along was Bonebreaker). Well, now we're living in a golden age of X-Men toys and I have at least half a dozen Jean Grey figures. What a time to be alive, eh? I haven't yet watched X-Men '97 (I'm about halfway done with the fifth and final season of the original series) so anything I say is conjecture on my part. No spoilers! Let's take a look at jean Grey after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

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

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, ponytail, and 2 portraits.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

Comparison:

* I have quite a few Jean Grey figures but here's a shot of the X-Men '97 Jean (left) with Jean Grey from the 2019 "Love Triangle" 3-pack. This is a great example of the difference between the X-Men '97 aesthetic and the typical Marvel Legends aesthetic. They're both good figures, though the X-Men '97 Jean benefits from the new face printing and pinless joints. She's a bit smaller, but its not a bad look for her. 

The Positives:

* Jean's had a lot of different costumes over the years, many of them quite memorable. This one isn't my favorite, but it's definitely an incredibly well recognized one because of the predominance of Jim Lee's art in the minds of X-Men fans and the popularity of the animated series. My picture seems to make the blue parts of Jean's suit look sparkly, but that's really not the case. It's just blue while the suit itself is yellowish-orange. There are lots of sculpted details in the suit with seam lines running all down Jean's legs and boots and the blue part of her torso actually being a separate piece, keeping the colors looking clean and sharp. She's also sporting some cool little pickets on her biceps. 

* Jean comes with two portraits, and the first one is the pretty standard look for this outfit: Her hair spills out of the top of the... hood? What would you call it, anyhow? Her hair is visible out of the top of the hood and a ponytail spills out from a hole in the back. Jean looks lovely, as always, but here she also looks pretty serious and focused. 

* Here's a shot of the ponytail. Guess what? It's articulated! It actually has a balljoint and can move around. Jean Grey with real ponytail action! From Hasbro!

* I really like Jean's hair on this portrait. It's just spilling out on the sides and all the way down her back. She also looks like she's smiling a bit. How do you know if this is Jean or Madeline Pryor? Trick question! You don't!

* Since Jean is built on a new body with pinless joints and without anything that would interfere with the articulation (capes, etc.), she can move really well. her shoulder pads are even with a flexible tab, so they move freely when you raise her shoulders. Everything works great and she looks fantastic in battle. 

* Jean comes with four swappable hands that change out easily. They're pretty standard: A pair of open palms with splayed fingers, a right handed fist, and a left hand that looks like it's for touching her head as if she's using her psychic powers. 

   It's really nice to have a new, updated figure of Jean Grey in this outfit (I know Hasbro did release the VHS box version with cel-shading, bit I tend to forget about that one as I didn't pick it up). I love the unique sculpt, the details in the costume, and the two swappable portraits. Some effects to show her using her powers would have been nice, though, as she does feel a bit light on the extras. Still, she's a vital part of the X-Men and she looks incredible with the rest of the team. She's a Good and a 1/2 figure and while she's not loaded with extras (or given a Build-a-Figure piece), she's still a winner.




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 and Marvel Girl, and the Marvel Legends Retro Collection Dark Phoenix.

For more Marvel Legends Series figures check out the following:
Cyclops
Goblin Queen
Storm