The Avengers Legends 3-Pack Is On Target

Hulk, The Vision, and Ultron all get brand new toys thanks to Hasbro’s Target exclusive three-pack.

Last year, Hasbro and Target teamed up to release an exclusive three-pack box set of Marvel Legends figures, which included Captain America, a great new Ms Marvel figure, and the long-delayed Radioactive Man.  The set sold like gangbusters, so Target opted for a new set in 2015.  This time out, the Avengers theme gets more focused, delivering all new comic book inspired iterations of Hulk, The Vision, and Ultron to the Legends collection.

Overall, I like this set.  Hulk and Ultron are both pretty much modern, but for Vision, Hasbro has opted to go old school, recreating his ghostly all white appearance from the late 70s and early 80s.  It’s a smart move, as this version of the android Avenger looks totally unique, while retaining a perfect sense of proportion with the modern Vision thanks to the parts reuse.  This guy isn’t just a repaint, though… he features all new bare feet, completing the strange look from this era of the character’s design.  Vision is actually cast in clear plastic, with white paint airbrushed on top, which offers him a really interesting semi-translucent finish, enhanced by some simple yet well-applied line work on his chest and face.

The new Hulk is, in effect a Marvel Now! version of the jade giant.  He makes smart reuse of the Age of Ultron Legends body, with an all new head complete with his buzz cut hairstyle.  The Hulk is nice and huge, and the articulation on this body works fairly well, despite some awkward angling of the hip joints.  I wish Hasbro was able to include the hi-tech armor Now! Hulk wore with this figure… although I’ve heard the Marvel Mashers Hulk’s armor overlay actually fits this figure pretty well.  Hulk needing armor always struck me as a little silly anyway, so I can live without it, I guess.

Ultron’s figure is surprisingly cool.  Based on the Ultimate Beetle body, this version of the sinister robot is nicely detailed and visually dynamic, thanks to the red orbs that adorn his body, offsetting the gunmetal grey of his metal frame.  Ultron’s all new headsculpt is great, capturing his classic features perfectly.  I love the paint work in the mouth, with the bright red base color being offset by the black dots to convey the appearance of energy crackling below the surface of the villain’s armored frame.  While the Beetle body is a little small for the typically big Ultron, it’s a good choice that leaves us with an interesting new rendition of the Avengers’ nemesis.

I have to admit that while this year’s Target exclusive Avengers set is cool, it lacks the genuine excitement of highly desired characters like last year’s Radioactive Man and Ms. Marvel.  On the other hand, though, this year’s lineup doesn’t feature a dud like the repacked Captain America, either.  So what we get here is a lineup of solid, if not spectacular, new Legends figures, and I’m okay with that.  Classic comic folks get The Vision most of us never thought we’d see get the toy treatment, Now! readers can add the Hulk to their displays, and Ultron’s cool, semi-insectoid style makes for a unique new take on the villain.  So even if there’s been more exciting releases this year in the Legends collection, Target’s set is certainly cool enough to pick up.  This box set is hitting Target stores now.  There’s no shelf space set for it yet, but if you find a helpful employee, as them to search DCPI 087-06-1200, and they might be able to grab one from the stock room for you.