Mr. Fantastic has had more than his fair share of gimmicky toys over the years. Some have been good, some have been bad. But Reed Richards’ latest release, from Diamond Select Toys, is really rather fantastic. 9 years after the Marvel Select Thing figure was released, Ben Grimm’s brainy BFF has finally arrived! Is buying the Marvel Select Mr. Fantastic figure a fantastic use of your collecting funds…?

Just a few years back, it seemed like the Fantastic Four was toxic for merchandise for all-time, and now we have new FF products coming at us from Marvel Select, Marvel Premier Collection, ONE:12 Collective and even Skottie Young Marvel Animated statues.

It’s a good time to be a Fantastic 4 fan, and I’m excited DST has now released Reed and will soon release Sue to complete the team in 7” Marvel Select form. Having a whole F4 Select team seemed like an impossible dream not that long ago, but now I’m thankful I can review Marvel Select Mr. Fantastic in reality.

The sole head sculpt for Reed Richards feels pretty solid to me. It may not be the single most standout Reed likeness ever, but the portrait has an expression of thoughtful consideration that I think is ideal for the character. We don’t get any alternate heads, but I don’t think one is necessary in this case.

The ‘4’ logo on Mr. Fantastic’s chest is actually sculpted and raised, rather than the mere painted on logo we generally see on toys, and I think this detail really pops and helps set this DST Mr. Fantastic apart.

The question always comes up regarding if you can mix a Marvel Select action figure with Hasbro Marvel Legends, and in this instance, I think you can since Reed is a sort of stretchy shape-changer. I might not have base Mr. Fantastic standing next to the rest of the team, but I think Reed with any of the powered-up parts on will look fine.

Mr. Fantastic Select comes with a wild load-out of 9 (!) accessories, and some of them are a big deal:
—3 extra swap out hands
—swap out giant fist forearm
—swap out stretched hand forearm
—stretched neck extension
—stretched lower torso
—coiled stretched lower body base
—Ultimate Nullifier

There’s always unlimited options that could be included for any Mister Fantastic action figure if there were an unlimited budget, but it’s important to remember this is a ~$30 Diamond Select Toys figure and not a $100+ MAFEX. That said, I think the selections DST made are outstanding.

The coiled lower body feels fresh, fun and unique. My wife said it makes Reed look like a pencil holder, but I had a blast setting Reed up for photos in this ambitious form.

The Ultimate Nullifier looks different in various sources of media over the years, but this accessory looks fine even if you just want to consider it a piece of tech that Mr. Fantastic is focused on and fiddling with. The alternate hands let him hold it stably.

The neck extension is my least favorite of the stretched accessories, but I’m not too bothered by that as such a thing is notoriously hard to capture in static toy form.

The stretched lower torso adds just a bit of height and makes Reed more visually interesting—I’ll be leaving this on mine by default. The two stretched forearms (with big fist and stretched hand) both look delightful, though one disappointment is that the wrists aren’t articulated on either. Can’t have everything, I guess!

The figure feels solid all over, with joints with just the right amount of tightness. I was stunned by how well and stably he stands, even with the stretched parts attached! Great job, DST!

The articulation scheme isn’t up to Hasbro Marvel Legends standards, but I’m happy with what has been incorporated:
—Ball-Jointed Head and Upper Torso
—Swivel Waist, Biceps, Thighs, and Wrists
—Ball-Hinge Shoulders, Knees and Elbows
—Ball Hips
—Hinged Feet with Rockers

Is there room for enhanced articulation at the knees, elbows, wrists, shoulders, and feet? Sure—but I’m not convinced that’s realistic at the price-point or that essential of an upgrade to what Diamond Select has done here with this character.

Overall: It’s tough to do ol’ Stretch-O justice in toy form, but DST has really delivered with the penultimate member of their Fantastic Four Select lineup. I think every one of the interchangeable parts is fun and worthwhile, with the “coil” body base being a particular standout. All the parts pop on tightly and fit well, and the joints seem strong so far. The paints and sculpt look good, and the raised ‘4’ logo is nifty. I wouldn’t have minded wrist articulation or alternate hands for the stretched limbs specifically, but what we get here is purely great stuff from DST (though hardcore articulation lovers may rate him slightly lower than me). I think I’m going to have to backtrack and review Thing and Human Torch as well, to see if they’re near as good as Reed.