One of the lines that got lost in the moving shuffle was Marvel Universe Secret Wars. Check out the first two waves reviews and take a look at what is to come in the third and fourth waves.  

When this part of the Marvel Universe line was announced at Toy Fair last year, the character selection was impressive to the fans. Seeing Klaw and ThunderBall meant that Hasbro was not going to go for the easy sell on this line right from the start. Hasbro used the big names like Spiderman and Captain America to get us some of the lesser known characters.

Waves one and two were full of characters that were necessities in the line, and some rehashes that are better than the originals.  

Spiderman/Thunderball-

This combination is one that I did not think I would ever see. The Wrecking Crew has stepped up in the past year thanks to the Hood in the comics, but they have never been household names. Thunderball is the first character to help start building the team. The figure itself is well painted and comes with his own wrecking ball.  What concerned me was that many of the figures that I saw had joint issues, and in some cases hands rattling unattached in the package. Spiderman is the same figure we have seen in waves one, five, and the Amazing Friends set.  

Wolverine Human Torch-

This was the weakest set of wave one. While the Human Torch was impressive, the other was just a repainted Marvel U wave one Wolverine. The Human Torch figure gives us a version that will fit in with almost any incarnation of the Fantastic Four. I always thought the wave one version has too small of a head, so this will be my default Johnny Storm. 

The Wolverine on the other hand is version too large. Hasbro did a wonderful job getting the scale right in the Wolverine: Origins, but wrong for this line. The paint on the other hand is some of the cleanest paint yet, with the most striking colors in the entire line. Although this set gave me my favorite Johnny of the line, because of the character choices, this would be the easiest one to leave on the pegs.  

Captain America/Klaw-

Many collectors were not happy that Ultimate Captain America was part of Marvel Universe wave two before a classic version. The Secret Wars set makes up for that, sort of. Some collectors are not happy with the pouches on his belt. During the original Secret Wars crossover he did not have them and many feel that they should have been left off. I understand the need to reuse most of sculpt from the Ultimate Cap to keep down costs, but for some this could make this Cap an unnecessary figure. The colors on this Captain America are also brighter than the average Marvel U figure, almost glowing. 

Compared to the other Marvel Universe Caps (Invaders, SDCC, and Ultimate) this Captain America is the most cartoony. The other figure in this set is Klaw, another unexpected figure from the Secret Wars story line. It is obvious that at some point Doc Ock, Lizard, and their other big names will be part of the line, but it is smart to not air them with the big names. Their names alone can make them head liners, but a character like Klaw would not have a good chance at retail alone without support. The figure itself suffers from the same articulation issues that all Marvel U figure have, around the waist and chest, limiting the figure’s poses. Also, like Thunderball, I saw a few missing a hand or two in the stores.  

 Join us tomorrow for a look at wave 2 and beyond

More Marvel Universe Reviews and Links:

Marvel U Secret Wars Gallery

Marvel U Gallery

SDCC Invaders Set

SDCC Captain America 

Wave One Review

Wave Two Review

Wave Three Review

Wave Four Review 

Wave Five Review

Wave Six Review

TRU Multi-Packs

Marvel Universe Gigantic Battles