If there’s one villain that was wronged by the first 19 years of Marvel Legends, it’s Ultron. Toybiz’s long-eared attempt was universally hated, and Hasbro’s first efforts weren’t quite on the ball either. But for this year’s series of Iron Man Marvel Legends, Hasbro finally hit a home run. Ultron quickly sold out through most online retailers, and has been difficult to locate at retail stores. But finally, I had the opportunity to sit down and review my own classic Ultron Marvel Legends Figure!

Despite his creation being the singular feat that Hank Pym is best known for (besides beating his wife), poor Ultron just hasn’t had very good luck when it comes to 6 inch Marvel Legends style action figures.

Poor, poor Ultron. Somehow things just didn’t go at all his way for his first few 6 inch action figures. But the years of ignominy and humiliation are at an end at last and justice has now been served!

 

Iron Man Legends Ultron comes colored in a beautiful brushed silver (which is the next best thing if mass market action figures can’t be chrome or vac-metallized these days—which they cannot).

The silver looks wonderfully “robot-y” to me, while not hiding any of the great sculpt or details on the figure. There’s not exactly a surplus of sculpted details on the body. But I think Hasbro absolutely NAILED the proportions and aesthetic of classic Ultron here. Fans who are still angry about the stylized nature of previous 6” Ultron figures will be very happy with what’s been done here. While the body is mostly smooth—as it should be—there are sculpted lines in all the correct places on this iconic robot menace.

The open-mouthed, immensely evil Ultron head sculpt is equally perfect. The shape of the jaw, eyes, and antennae are all bang-on. And while I really dig the bright green energy eyes and mouth Ultron is sometimes depicted with, red was absolutely the right choice on this action figure many collectors will be considering a sort of “make good”.

The joints on this ML Ultron 6” figure all feel strong and tight, which is my hope for every Hasbro Marvel Legend figure.

The articulation scheme is top notch as usual, and includes:

• Ball-Hinge Head and Shoulders
• Ball-Jointed Hips and Upper Torso
• Pin-less Double-Hinged Knees and Elbows
• Swivel-Hinge Wrists
• Swivel Biceps, Waist, Thighs and Boots
• Hinged Feet with Ankle Rockers

I especially love how the shoulder pads swivel so as not to hinder the shoulders themselves in any way. I do worry a bit about the upper torso scratching the silver paint on the abdomen if pushed too hard forward, though.

The modern pin-less elbows and knees are also a match made in Heaven for this hellishly sophisticated robot.

Along with the obligatory chunk of anthropomorphic bear (for the awesome Ursa Major Build-A-Figure), Ultron includes three pairs of interchangeable hands (including grasping hands with nada to hold) and one of the most rad effects pieces ever: a translucent red “bubbling energy” effects piece that can be securely shoved into Ultron’s mouth (I couldn’t see well enough to install it myself with my post-stroke eyesight, but my best friend got it plugged in in seconds and it never came loose at all during my review photos session).

I love the crap out of this crackling energy effect, and in my eyes it’s easily the single best accessory ever for an Ultron toy, bringing this six inch figure to a whole other level of coolness.

Overall: This is the most popular figure in the Marcel Legends Iron Man series by far, and with good reason: this is the classic comic book Ultron 6 inch figure fans have been waiting nearly two decades for. From the proportions to the paint to the awesome crackling energy effects piece that fits just right in Ultron’s mouth, everything is absolutely perfect about the quality and aesthetic of this action figure. I wouldn’t mind seeing this Ultron mold reused for a Golden Ultron repaint or even just Ultron with green energy instead of red, because this figure is just that damn good. A few more cool accessories would have added a plus to the ‘A’ grade, but I’ve got no complaints about anything that’s actually included here. A long-awaited triumph for Hasbro that they deserve some applause for.

GRADE: A