Iron Man Mark 42 Figure Review

As much as I enjoyed Iron Man 3, the toys have really been a disappointment. The figures which launched in February had lame sculpts and even lamer articulation. On top of that, it was limited to only Iron Man and War Machine/Iron Patriot variants. A superhero toyline without villains is a sin, if you ask me. Diamond has shown off some Marvel Select figures of Iron Man Mark 42 and War Machine (with an Iron Patriot repaint also in the works), but despite being originally solicited for April release, they will apparently not reach stores until June. Only now are the movie based 6” Iron Man Legends figures reaching stores, so far limited to the Mark 42 armor and Iron Patriot. I have been waiting for a good action figure to represent the movie, so let’s open up Iron Man Mark 42 and see if he can fill the void in my heart… er… I mean, my collection.

Packaging:
Iron Man Mark 42 comes packaged on a nice big card and bubble, very similar to the current incarnation of Marvel Legends. I am a big fan of the stylized art of the Mark 42 that heads the packaging of all of the Iron Man 3 toys. I also like that it uses the text graphics of the main Marvel Legends line, which helps tie the brands together. As with other Marvel movie figures of the past few years, there is the obligatory small Avengers symbol in the corner.

Sculpt/Paint:
A cursory glance at the suit might lead one to believe that it’s pretty much just a mostly gold repaint of an earlier suit, but there are quite a few little details in the design and they are captured expertly here. All the individual pieces of the armor have intricate lines and shapes etched on them. Even the faceplate has some little indentations and details that differentiate it from previous designs.

One thing to note, he is slightly larger compared to some earlier 6” movie Iron Man figures. I do not think it is a conscious choice, or screen accurate, but it is noticeable when the figures are side by side. I actually found the previous figures seemed a bit undersized, so it is OK by me.

The intricate sculptural detail would not have meant much without a decent paint job, but luckily ol’ Mark 42 does not disappoint in this area. It is hard to tell by comparing the figure to screenshots, but I believe everything is colored correctly. It is especially hard finding a good shot of the Mark 42 from behind in the movie.

The little silver applications at certain joints and the sides of the abdomen really make the details pop a bit, and so do some of the etch lines that are highlighted with black paint. Compared to some of the Iron Man movie figures of years past, this is great work. The silver applications on the Mark V in particular were awful. One minor thing that may or may not have been intentional, on the open hand the repulsor in the palm is unpainted. Usually Iron man figures have a white app there.

Articulation:
As part of a Marvel Legends spinoff line, you know to expect good articulation at this point, and yet agian the Mark 42 does not disappoint. Balljoints all over, with double jointed knees and elbows. The ankles are the newer style of Marvel legends ankle joints, allowing for a great deal of side-to-side tilt. I am especially partial to the ball jointed neck, which allows for more of a backward tilt than many previous Iron Man figures, so the Mark 42 looks better in flying poses.

Accessories:
The only item included in the package with the Mark 42 figure is the left arm of the Iron Man Legends build-a-figure, the Iron Monger as seen in the comics. Perhaps it could be an accessory, if you pretend Iron Man tore it off and is using it as a club or something. As with the Monger parts I collected with the first series of Iron Man Legends, the arm is well detailed with a cool metallic blue paint job. This is sure to be an awesome, beefy villain figure, and I am very much looking forward to finishing him as I track down an Iron Patriot and Ultron. Truth be told, I would have probably skipped at least the classic Iron Man and Ultron in this line if it were not for the epic promise of a complete Iron Monger.

Still, it is a bit disappointing that there are no real accessories included. A display stand, like the ones included with the Walmart Avengers or Amazing Spider-Man figures, would have been appreciated for some more dynamic posting. He has one open hand and one closed fist, so the most obvious accessory would be a few alternate hands, as previous Iron Men have had. In a perfect world, an alternate Tony Stark head would have been included. I wouldn’t have minded if they just rereleased the same sculpt previously included with an Iron Man 2 figure, it would have added value and pushed this guy from good to great. Another great pack in would have been the battle damaged Iron Man helmet that was featured prominently in marketing material.

Value:
At $15, this is really an average value. It is the standard price for a toy like this in 2013, and while it isn’t great, it does not feel like a swindle. I really like this figure overall, and was really happy to find one on the pegs. Iron Man 3 deserved some good toys, and it looks like we are starting to get them.

I look forward to finding the Iron Patriot figure next, and completing the awesome Iron Monger. A 6” Ben Kingsley Mandarin has been previewed online, so it looks like a whole new series might be in the works. I would likely pick that figure up, along with any other 6” villains and armors they want to make, Aldrich Killian, Extremis soldiers, armored Whiplash, Hammer Drones… A large movie based Iron Monger would make a great build-a-figure for the next six figures. There are certainly plenty of Iron Man armors to make now, and we never did get the Avengers Mark VII in this scale. Until then, buy this guy and enjoy.