Review: Marvel Universe Secret Wars Wave Two

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Written by Khalil

Jan 28, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Wave 2 was much better quality, and gave us some much needed figures to round out some areas of the Marvel Universe.

Hulk/Cyclops-

The Hulk is a mix of the wave two version and an all new head sculpt. I wish this had been the mix for the wave two version from the start. The only problem with the overall look of the figure is the paint. He is a very bright green, and like Captain America, stands out from the more realistic look of the rest of the line.

Cyclops is also bright, but has his classic pirate boots and gloves. Like the Wolverine: Origins version of the character when the arms are posed to the side, they look stubby. This figure is a nice addition to the line, and my favorite costume for Scott. Even though the colors and look date the figure, he would look great in an 80’s display.

Magneto/ Black Costume Spidy

This set is great for those of you that skipped the Marvel U wave three Spiderman. The black suit is all black that, unlike the wave three version, has a blue wash. I think this version is more accurate because of the tall thin body used, unlike the short stout look of the overused wave one figure.

The other figure is the master of magnetism, Magneto. Magneto is a huge name in the X-men world, but this figure does not do the master of magnetism justice. Magneto is portrayed as a tall strong leader, but unfortunately that’s not the figure in this set. When standing back to back with Captain America he looks short, even though Marvel lists the same height for the two. You can see the Daredevil body is again reused and it is a shame, because for most of us this means waiting for a better version. While waiting it will take some creative posing to hide the problem or modifying the figure to make the figure we should have gotten. On the other hand, the paint on him is one of the best jobs in the entire line. Not to mention the amazing job they did on getting the head sculpt dead on for this big name villain.

Ironman/ Spiderwoman-

We have gotten many Iron Man figures in the last year. In 2009 we got a total of six, and this was not even a movie year. Just imagine what the current year will hold. Even with all those versions it was the last one that made me feel like a kid again. This version of Iron Man in the Secret Wars is the old shell head that I grew up with, and was the version I had as a kid. The colors are a little flashier and the body is a bit thinner, but the overall look makes this my favorite of the whole line of Secret Wars figures. Now that the little kid in me is done talking, the body is the same used in wave three and the Gigantic Battles Iron Man. I still don’t like the closed fists and the skinny lower torso, but if you’re one of the collectors that are cherry picking the line, and skipped the other two versions, this set could get you a definitive Iron Man, at least for 2009.

The other figure in the set is Spiderwoman. This version is the Julia Carpenter, not the Jessica Drew who is getting all the modern day attention. It is nice to have as many original characters in the line as possible, but this was not a character high on my priority list. The figure is a repainted Ms. Marvel with a new head. Spiderwoman has the same problem that Marvel had: bad legs, and sloppy paint lines. I had to pass on a few sets before I could find one with a good enough paint job. The black in her costume is similar to the Marvel U wave three symbiote Spidy, black paint with blue highlights.Those highlights are what bleed into the white in her costume, causing most of the paint issues. Not a bad figure but I hope they can fix this soon for the females in the line.

Overall 2009 was a good year for this part of the Marvel U line, and I for one cannot wait to see wave three in person, as well as which other two packs are planned for the year.

Check out the upcoming waves:

Wave 3: