The Marvel Legends of Cyclops(Jim Lee/90s version) has been out for a long time now. I haven't had the chance to get him and going through my usual antics required me to pay double the price. Luckily, I found him for a REALLY good price tag so here we are! Let's get right into the review of Scott Summers.
Cyclops has always been that character who I initially thought had one of the coolest powers. But as I got introduced to a myriad of other Marvel's Superheroes (and DC), I came to the realization that Cyclops doesn't have the best powers. In fact, with someone like Superman, Gladiator, Hyperion, and a plethora of other high level super powered beings having eye beams as part of their many arsenals, Cyclops actually is quite shafted. But what made Cyclops great over the years is the fact that he is a highly respected and in some cases, revered X-Men leader. As he grew over the years, he really became that person that was able to unite the MAJORITY of the Mutant race and was even able to get Magneto to see his point of view. Cyclops did not get the proper screen time in the big screen nor was he even fully fleshed out in the animated series; he just felt like another boy scout who was uber loyal to Professor X. He was actually much more in the comic books and by all rights, I actually do think that Cyclops had potential and was pretty decent at one point. Though most people would recognize him in Jim Lee's version; like him or hate him at this point of his 'career', it is an irrefutable fact that he is a must to complete the 90s line up on your X-Men Marvel Legends shelf. Please give us Jubilee with the shorts and classic Colossus. Oh, and Storm in that outfit (though her sexy black outfit isn't exactly something I will deny).
You know, I might actually just bite the bullet and complete this set. It's going cheaper now and the characters are easy to find. The BAF is actually pretty detailed.
I can confidently say that it is a very detailed #BAF because of the BAF piece we got from Cyclops. Look at it. I mean, look at it! It's the only accessory we get from Cyclops so you might as well, right? Optic beams for Cyclops, perhaps?
We have seen this body mold time and time again from #Hasbro so I'm going to be a bit harsher on them in other departments (accessories COUGH). Now I have no qualms with this body and it does it right especially when we are given new parts. For this version of Cyclops we get wrist bands, thigh & shin bands, new belt/chest gear(?), and a new face complete with brand new hair and that familiar visor. It looks like Cyclops back in this time of his comic book/animated career and I think Hasbro did a fine job mixing both an old body with new sculpts. It may not be much in terms of new, but it does enough to really make it recognizable. Having no option for hand swap outs, the choice given to us is definitely fitting for Cyclops (they used it on the 2-Pack and multiple other Cyclops Marvel Legends), wish they would have done more (ACCESSORIES!), but all in all, it's an almost perfect rendition of Scott Summers.
While I have mentioned that the sculpted pieces that are added on to give this Marvel Legend the distinct 90s Cyclops look are not entirely bad, they are not completely well thought out. For one, the chest/belt harness isn't as snug as it should be. The simple solution to that is less plastic and it would hug Cyclop's body more. The bands around his calves, thighs, and wrists are not the best fit either, more so on the legs than the wrists. They have a tendency of slipping off so my remedy for that is a super glue. One has to be careful though because TOO MUCH super glue will cause it to run and possibly take out an articulation point. Luckily mine was only on the left thigh and mostly harmed the aesthetics.
As far as the coloring goes, it's Hasbro at its best and/or worse, depending on how one looks at it. There are no paint variations. Wish there was shadowing since the blue, while it looks good, does seem a bit lackluster here and there. The yellow is not consistent and obviously off and it doesn't give the idea that the chest harness is metal. Again, just nitpicking since Marvel Legends is not known for all its paint details, but it's something that was needed for an action figure lacking more than a few things. It's adequate in this department, I suppose.
The body is something that has been used before, time and time again. Anyone who is a Marvel Legends collector or is even remotely knowledgeable of one of Hasbro's strongest toy line will definitely recognize the Bucky Cap mold. While this is a safe route and I definitely don't mind it, I would say that giving it more new things and ACCESSORIES will continue to give this almost overused body new life. With only a closed fist and the 'visor' pressing left hand, dynamic shots are very limited. I would have forgiven the lack of alternate hands if we were given a much needed optic blast effect accessory. That has never been done in the Marvel Legends department and to have one would definitely give more than enough reason to give this action figure that wow factor rather than the feeling of 'just need to have him to complete my 90s team' feeling.
I can't say that I don't like this 90s Cyclops Marvel Legends. He is definitely a must for a lot of fans of the Mutant team even if they are not a fan of Scott Summers. There are plenty of opportunities for this action figure, but definitely a lot would have been forgivable had they just given him that optic blast that he desperately needs! Regardless, I'm happy to have him. I don't think he's too much of a disappointment. Well, that's about it.
Until Next Time!
