Each week we take a look at action figures of today and not too long ago. Toy designs have come a long way and the detail put in can be pretty amazing. This week we have a little theme going on. Our main feature is Red Skull and who would go perfect with him? His nemesis, Captain America.
Here's the surprise, this Red Skull is actually a movie-related action figure. It's a Marvel Select figure, which means you pay a little more but get a lot more detail than the average figure. But it's also a Captain America: The First Avenger figure.
There's nothing wrong with movie tie-in figures. Sometimes we can get some cool or interesting figures. Usually it just feels a lot of time or attention is put into them. They are made quickly to cash in on the movie's success.
This Red Skull may appear slightly more like his movie counterpart than his comic book one but there is a bit of detail to bee seen. From his jacket, to his gloves and buckles, you can see that the designers did put some care into creating this figure. His gun is removable. A nice little touch is his trigger finger fits in perfectly on the trigger. If you look closely, you can even see a HYDRA logo engraved on his belt buckle.
The Marvel Select figures often come with a base or background. Red Skull here comes with a set from his laboratory. There is a metal-looking piece of floor along with the engine that attaches. It's not an exciting background but it's not necessary for the finger to be able to stand.
There is some minimal articulation. This is a figure designed more for display rather than playability. His arm, wrists, legs and head all move but it's pretty stiff. He simply looks menacing just standing there.
I wasn't going to include Cap this week but with so much evil oozing out of the Red Skull, I dusted off my 2002 Marvel Select Ultimate Captain America (in 1940s attire).
You may have seen this version before. For as much evil the Red Skull oozes out, this figure screams out patriotism. Standing on a war-torn battle scene, you can see he is not only holding his (removable) classic shield but also an American flag.
Besides a removable shield, his helmet also comes off revealing his other mask underneath. Sure it looks a little odd but that's what adds to the classic 1940s look seen in the Ulimates comic.
I do have to admit, this Cap figure has a bit more detail than Red Skull. The look of texture in his suit and multiple pouches adds to the realism of the figure.
Alas, articulation is sacrificed in making him stand in a firmer pose. Hopefully the Super Soldier Serum will help keep his legs from cramping up, because they don't move. Cap has a total of three points of articulation: his head and arms. But realistically, you're not going to buy this to actually play with. This figure is one of the few that has remained displayed high up on a shelf in my home office. Cheaper than an actual statue but looks cool enough to have standing out. It's because of this figure that I will pass on any First Avenger Cap figures. And he's in perfect scale with Red Skull.
That's it for this week. Hopefully it's not too much red, white and blue for you. Again, we don't usually try to do themes with the figures but it was a bit fitting here. Be sure to check out next week's installment. We've started taking some of the pictures already and they came out really cool. You're going to want to check them out.
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