Review of Iron Legion - Avengers
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Believe it or not, I've been pruning back on the figures I've been buying. Okay, the bush is still pretty big but I'm still pruning, so give me a break. One of the areas getting cut back, way back, is Hot Toys Iron Man figures.  I much prefer getting a Vision or a Black Panther than the 30th version of the Iron Man armor.  He's also a character we'll continue to get plenty more of in the future, and is one of the few I even skipped entirely with the Civil War pre-orders. Why? Because I know we'll get another with Avengers 2. And even if we don't, I already have more than enough.

So I was surprised when the new Iron Legion figure from Hot Toys showed up on my doorstep. While he's not technically an Iron Man variant - technically - he's close enough that I would have swore in court that I'd cut him from my pre-order list.  And yet, here he was.  I blame advancing age, although I've always been a bit of a space cadet. I'm betting I kept him on the list to pair up with Ultron, and provide the poor bad guy some back up.

I sighed deeply, and opened up the box, pondering all the other wonderful things I could have done with the $200 I spent on this guy if I'd only been a bit smarter. And yet, once he was out and I spent some time working with him, I have to say I'm quite happy that I screwed up. Sometimes, making a mistake is the best piece of luck.

This guy is currently shipping, and as I said, will run you around $195 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
This outer slip cover follows the pattern set by the earlier Avengers: AoU releases, with the big A logo and a head shot of the character.  The interior window box has a single plastic tray that holds the figure and accessories, and it's all collector friendly of course. Nothing exciting to report, but it does the job and remains consistent.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The overall armor design is another hit, with lots of fine detail, plenty of underlying mechanics, and a sturdy build.

The sculpt and articulation work beautifully together, and one isn't sacrificed for the other in any way.  The plastic armor looks like metal, and you expect it to have the heft and weight of one of the die cast releases. That lack of heft can take you a bit by surprise, particularly if you've gotten accustomed to the heavier releases, but it also means this guy is less likely to topple or weaken over time.

The general proportions are good, as long as you remember that this is not an Iron Man suit, but a drone robot, fully functioning as a stand alone fighter. Without the need for a human inside, the armor can be a bit sleeker, a bit more aerodynamic, and a bit more robotic in design.

The one area that's a little weird looking is the fat hands, which sport long, skinny fingers. Again, this isn't a human hand, or a human hand inside an armored Iron Man suit.  This is a true robot, and the look and style is more in line with that concept. It also matches up pretty well with the on screen look, even if it looks a tad unusual.

I did drop him a half star because I felt some of the pistons, including those on the neck and in the chest, as well a other mechanical sculpts, were a bit soft. It's not a major nit, but the do look a little less detailed than we've seen from Hot Toys when they are at the very top of their game.

This Iron Legion figure stands about 12 1/2" tall, and will fit in great with the rest of the Iron Man suits on your shelf. Or, you can have him hang out with Ultron. Lord knows he needs a friend.

Paint - ****
I think this might be one of my favorite armor paint jobs, right up there with the die cast Iron Patriot. The bright red, white, and blue color scheme looks great, with just the right amount of uber realistic damage and wear.  The bronze face plate stands out beautifully against the rest of the palette, and the numbering and logos are straight, clean, and perfectly done.

Articulation - ****
This figure is another fine example of the exceptional design quality of the Hot Toys armored characters.  All the joints have a great range of movement, all are sturdy and solid, and the figure can easily take natural, flowing poses and stances.

I was particularly impressed by the neck. Since the head is not attached to the underlying pistons, they do not encumber the movement. The shoulders have full mobility thanks to the articulated shoulder pads, and the biceps, elbows and wrists finish off the excellent arm articulation.

The torso leans and bends, thanks to some movable armor in back and a decent gap in front. The hips can be extended down and away from the pelvis, where they click into several spots and give the legs more room to move.  Knees and thighs move as expected, and the ankles have both forward/backward mobility as well as side to side.  You can get the feet flat on the ground in most stances, and overall he can take very natural poses.

As I mentioned, the shoulder pads and a section of the armor on the back can move out of the way of the joints.  The side hip armor does as well, and the front plate on his chest can be removed to expose the inner workings of the drone.

The hands he comes wearing are also fully articulated, and while the fingers have more of a robot look, they work quite well. You should be able to get most normal hand/finger poses, including gripping and holding.

Accessories - **1/2
He takes a hit here, due to a decided lack of extras.

There are two additional hands to go with the pair he comes wearing. The set he is wearing in the box have fully articulated fingers, allowing you to do just about any pose. The extra set are designed to sit on the wrists with the palms forward, perfect for blasting poses.  The fingers on this set are not articulated however. Swapping wasn't too difficult, and while both sets have a less human appearance, it's in line with what we saw on screen.

He also has two rocket 'blocks', pieces of armor that can replace pieces on either forearm. These sit up higher and have a set of small rockets poking out, ready to launch. These pop on and off small posts, and work quite well.

Finally, he has a pretty standard display stand with the logo and support. Nothing too exciting, but serviceable and it fits in with the other figures.

And that's it.  Thankfully, the price point on this figure better reflects the fewer number of accessories, but that doesn't help the figure in this specific category.