Hot news items have been few and far between during the week between Christmas and New Year’s this year, so tonight I’m going to take a step back and take a closer look at some Hasbro Marvel 2014 figures revealed just last week. As it replaces the soon-to-be legendary 3 3/4″ Marvel Universe line, the Avengers Infinite Series has some pretty big shoes to fill–but with a strong initial lineup, it may be on the right track. Coming in March 2014 (if not earlier)–Avengers Universe Infinite Series 1!

Hasbro Marvel Universe Avengers Infinite Series 1 Platinum Wasp Figure

While she won’t top Walmart’s list of favorite characters, Janet van Dyne is the true headliner of Hasbro Avengers Infinite Series 1. It’s hard to believe, but in over two-dozen waves of Marvel Universe figures, we never got a Marvel Universe Wasp 4″ figure (though she did make an appearance in micro-form).

Clad in what is arguably her most recognizable costume and packing some pretty huge translucent yellow wings, Avengers Infinite Series Wasp looks absolutely fantastic.The miniature Wasp figure included as an accessory seals the deal on what most people will consider the one true “must buy” figure in Avengers Infinite Series Wave 1.

Hasbro Avengers Infinite Series Platinum Grim Reaper Figure

If there’s a second “must buy” figure in this wave, for most folks it’ll be the Avengers Universe Grim Reaper action figure. Hasbro has never made a Marvel Legends Grim Reaper figure (and likely never will), so this is quite possibly the only time the Grim Reaper will ever appear again in retail stores (Diamond Select Toys beat Hasbro to the punch with a super-rare and cool Minimates Grim Reaper in 2012).

The sickle arm and head sculpt for Grim Reaper are obviously all-new molds, and while that cape has been used before for past Marvel figures in this scale, I don’t know that we’ve ever seen it in that smoking purple color before. Grim Reaper is toward the bottom of my list of favorite Avengers villains, but as one of the inaugural new characters in the 2014 Avengers Infinite Series, I’ll pick him up.

3 3/4″ Hasbro Avengers Infinite Series Platinum Hulk Figure

Now here’s what I’ve been waiting for! Yes, never mind the final member of the original Avengers or the first-ever Grim Reaper Hasbro figure–I’m all about this newest iteration of the Hulk! Based on the Marvel NOW Indestructible Hulk comic book series, Hulk is sporting an awesome new hairdo, along with some hi-tech SHIELD armor. Some people may have enough Hulks to last them a lifetime, but I never will. “Platinum Hulk” takes the prize for my favorite Avengers Universe Infinite Series 1 figure.

Hasbro Marvel 2014 Avengers Infinite Series Hyperion Figure

My, after going decades without ever appearing in toy form, we got our own 6″ Marvel Legends Hyperion figure in 2013 and in 2014 we’ll be getting a Marvel Universe scale Hyperior 3 3/4″ figure! I seriously doubt we’ll ever be getting any other members of the Squadron Supreme, so I might have preferred a Marvel NOW Hyperion costume variant, but it’s still nice to get this Superman wannabe in this scale nonetheless.

Hasbro 3 3/4″ Avengers Infinite Series Heroic Age Iron Man Figure (2014)

Heroic Age Iron Man looks pretty good (if not a few years late)–but now I have to go off on a tangent. Please pardon my rant, but–come on, Hasbro! One of my biggest pet peeves with the Hasbro Marvel Universe figures line was the rampant overuse of the snap-on energy effects piece that came with not one, but two Iron Man figures in Marvel Universe Wave 1 (and which was used countless times afterwards). Now, here we are with a fresh new Marvel Universe Avengers Infinite Series line, and we’re already reusing that ubiquitous half-decade old effects piece? Oy!

Marvel Universe 2014 Avengers Infinite Series Captain America Figure

Last (and probably least), we’ve got the newest Hasbro 3 3/4″ Captain America action figure. I would have been pretty amped for a Marvel NOW Captain America in this scale, but instead we’re getting another classic Captain America. I guess you can’t really have an Avengers Infinite Series without having Captain America in Wave 1, but this particular Cap is pretty similar to the one we just got in 2013. Not terrible, but I fear we’ll see this Captain America gathering dust on store shelves for the better part of 2014. Be afraid.

I’ll post an update with the case ratios and official release date for Avengers Infinite Series Wave 1 as soon as that information is available, and you can ‘Like’ Marvel Toy News on Facebook to have future news and photos sent straight to your Facebook Newsfeed!

Now that you’ve seen the Avengers Infinite Series 1 hi-res images,what are your initial impressions of the line, Marvel collectors? Are you still mourning Hasbro Marvel Universe, or has the Avengers Universe Infinite Series saved you from Marvel 3 3/4″ despair?