From X-Men to Avengers to All-New X-Factor, it feels like you can barely open any Marvel comic book lately without tripping over a horde of AIM Troopers. Seriously–it’s like there’s an A.I.M. Trooper infestation going on or something. Thus, Hasbro has managed to pick the ideal time to take advantage of this renewed prominence of AIM by releasing the first-ever Marvel Legends AIM Trooper figure! And while the Marvel Legends A.I.M. Soldiers are a total pain to find in stores, they’re well worth the trouble to army-build…

The Right:

Of all the generic troops in the comic book universe, the AIM Troopers easily possess the most distinct and recognizable costumes. The bright yellow and black “beekeeper” A.I.M. Trooper costumes are the stuff of legend, and are long overdue in Marvel Legends form. I am thrilled that Hasbro finally deigned to gift us with the opportunity to own 6″ Marvel Legends action figures of some of the most-demanded troop-builders in the whole Marvel Universe.

Some may call it garish, but the A.I.M. Troopers’ attire is unquestionably visually striking and unmistakable. Though this figure is primarily only two colors, there’s such a wealth of sculpting detail on this figure, such as the huge number of sculpted wrinkles and folds on the uniform, that it doesn’t look plain at all.

The “beekeeper” head on the AIM Trooper is obviously a unique sculpt, and Hasbro did a stellar job getting its shape and scale just right. The visor on the head has a great texture on it that’s brought to life by the silver-blue paint deco that covers it.

Ordinarily I’m not real big on loose-fitting add-on accessories like the bandolier on this figure, but this A.I.M. Trooper is an exception. There’s actually paint deco on the grenades and pocket buttons of their bandolier, really aiding in putting the level of detail on the Marvel Legends AIM Trooper over the top. The bandolier’s ability to be removed is a virtue–AIM Soldiers don’t always wear them, and removing them can help differentiate AIM Trooper Marvel Legends figures in your display.

The Captain America Marvel Legends Infinite Series AIM Trooper action figure includes two guns, and both are absolutely outstanding. The large rifle is molded in yellow with black and blue paint detailing on it, including an ultra-cool spot at the end of the rifle where the blue paint frames the yellow to form the word “AIM”. The smaller yellow pistol has the same tri-color aesthetic going for it, and both guns look like the crazy sci-fi type of weapons that Soldiers of A.I.M. would really utilize.

With two different gun options and the ability to remove the bandolier, there’s plenty of ways to put a group of Marvel Legends AIM Troopers together and still keep them looking unique (at least, if you can find multiples of the AIM Trooper at all).

The articulation on the Marvel Legends 2014 A.I.M. Trooper isn’t quite perfection, but it is very, very good. The highlights of the articulation scheme on the AIM Soldier figure are the ankle rockers, double-jointed knees and elbows, and swivel biceps and thighs.

The Wrong:

The range of motion on the hip joints on the AIM Trooper Marvel Legends Infinite Series figure is a bit more limited than I would have liked. The Infinite Series AIM Soldier figure can still take on a wide stance, but it would have been nice if the side-to-side maneuverability was improved a mite. The swivel waist on the Soldiers of A.I.M. figure is also very restricted by the sculpt, which is a real shame.

Additionally–and this won’t count against the grade for this action figure–I’m really sort of peeved at Hasbro for the short run on this AIM Trooper. Hasbro pretty much created army-builder collectors with their long-running GI Joe line, so they know exactly how many units of the troop-builders fans were going to want to buy.

Packing the Marvel Legends AIM Trooper figure at one-per-case in Captain America Legends Wave 1–and zero per case in Wave 2–is a really weak move that makes no one but scalpers happy. Hasbro should know better.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”

Well, that is the question, isn’t it? The Marvel Legends AIM Trooper action figure is available for a couple bucks over retail online, or you can try to find the shortpacked figure at your local stores. I hit at least a dozen stores per week and only found the AIM Trooper Marvel Legends figure once, but you may be luckier than I am.

Overall: I’m not usually an army-builder type of collector–especially not on action figures that are $20 each–but the Marvel Legends A.I.M. Trooper figure is just so outstanding that I really, really want the opportunity to out together a squad of at least three or four of them. The guns and removable bandolier are all wonderfully detailed, and the sculpting and paintwork on the figure are top-notch as well. Some of the articulation built into the AIM Soldier Marvel Legends figure doesn’t work as well as I’d like, but this is otherwise an absolutely fantastic action figure. This is definitely an early candidate for Best Marvel Legends 2014 figure.

GRADE: A