Hasbro has been teasing us with a 2021 Marvel Legends series filled with villains ever since the second half of 2020, and today they have finally put all their cards on the table and fully-revealed the wave! Teased as a “Bring on the Bad Guys” series, the official name for the wave is apparently “Marvel Legends Super Villains” (probably a more logical name!) and is now up for order! And the Build-A-Figure is one I don’t think many saw coming: the classic Marvel horror monster, Xemnu!
Individual figure order links:
Arcade ►
God Emperor Doom ►
Red Skull ►
Lady Deathstrike ►
Dormammu ►
The Hood ►
AIM Scientist Supreme ►
Of all the series of Marvel Legends that Hasbro has released over the past decades, I don’t think any series has caught me off-guard to the extent that a wave comprised entirely of super-villains (some of which not exactly mainstream ones!) has!
Hasbro instantly had my attention when they announced an Arcade Legends figure last summer, but I wasn’t sure if they could sustain my interest with other neglected villains in toy form. Luckily, I was mistaken–this series lineup is a great one, and I’ve got no qualms about ordering every figure in the set. Let’s have a look…
Let’s start discussions with the character I’m totally hyped about from this series: Marvel Legends Arcade! One of the nerdiest X-Men villains around, I’m always pleased to see Arcade turn up in the comics–and even more tickled to see him getting his first-ever mass-release action figure here!
Arcade has both a classic short-haired head and an interchangeable head with the long hair he was rocking in Avengers Arena, as well as including his cane and a Xemnu BAF leg part. Love this. Love, love. God bless this Marvel Legends golden age!
Joining Arcade from the X-Men villains gallery, we’ve got a new Marvel Legends Lady Deathstrike figure! I actually think the old Toybiz version of Deathstrike holds up okay still, but there’s no denying that this new iteration is picture-perfect. I wonder if we’ve see any other Reavers in ML form to go with Deathstrike, Bonecrusher, and the Reese head from a few years back…?
He’s not an X-Men villain, but getting the Secret Wars God Emperor Doom in action figure form plasters one big dopey-ass smile on my face. Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars was a hit with me, and I am giddy to see this action figure getting a mass release after the Future Foundation Doom was never available domestically.
You even get the skull and spine of Thanos, after he was insta-killed by God Doom! Awesome.
It’s been a while since we had a Red Skull figure on the pegs, and the Marvel Legends Villains Red Skull will give us the first classic version of the character in green jumpsuit in many years! With alternate grinning head, cosmic cube, Hydra-branded gun and three sets of hands, this is going to be the definitive toy of this iteration of the character for me.
Marvel Legends Dormammu has come to bargain! While the Dormammu Build-A-Figure from a few years back is still a terrific-looking figure, I’m happy to see a purely classic basic-sized version of Doctor Strange’s most famous nemesis arriving on the scene as well. (I’d love to see a Doyle Dormammu figure from Strange Academy someday, although I somehow doubt that that’s in the cards!)
The AIM Scientist Supreme is a great figure to release right now to promote purchasing army-builders from the Hasbro Pulse website, and also the coolest-looking AIM figure we’ve ever seen. This is a neat figure to include with some lovely metallic paints, although I don’t know how much mass appeal he has.
Fans have been asking for a Marvel Legends The Hood figure for at least a decade now, including when poor Hood lost a vote to be made what seems like eons ago. The Hood has never been at the top of my favorite villains list, but I did grow to like him playing Marvel Puzzle Quest. He’s got twin pistols with effects piece and an enraged expression–looks fine to me, although I think he may be fated to become a peg-warmer.
The Xemnu BAF can be assembled by purchasing every figure in this wave besides Doom, and he’s… well, he’s Xemnu. Obviously this gives Hasbro another chance to reuse some of that existing Wendigo/Sasquatch tooling, but I’d be lying if I said this was a Build-A-Figure that’s going to be a big incentive for many fans to purchase the entire wave.
This is one of the deeper cuts we’ve ever seen for a BAF, though–as a diehard Marvel fan, I love that we’re getting a Xemnu figure. Casual fans are likely to be far less enthused.
The Marvel Legends 2021 Villains Series is now up for order, and is scheduled to arrive this spring.
Related Posts:
Marvel Legends Fantastic Four Wolverine & Spider-Man Figures Up for Order!
Marvel Legends Zabu BAF Series Revealed & Up for Order! Cable! Wolfsbane!
Marvel Legends 2023 Blob Ronan the Accuser & Pretty Boy Figures Revealed!
Marvel Legends Magik & Thing Walgreens Exclusive Figures Released!
Marvel Infinite Series Wave 3 Figures Announced & Case Ratios!
Marvel Universe Wave 24 (2013 Series 5) Case Ratios & Pre-Order
I’d like to have Xenmu, but there are just several figures here I don’t want taking up my valuable space. I’m going after Arcade and Lady Deathstrike. If I see something else on sale, I’ll think about it. A shame. I’d like to pose Xenmu with a green She-Hulk.
It’s kind of an underwhelming wave. I think most of this wave will be found at a discount. I only pre-ordered Lady Deathstrike. I might get Arcade, later. I already have Doom from the FF wave, and the classic color Doom, so this white Doom is just overkill. The Hood looks like Bruce Campbell, to me. I have no connection with the BAF, Xenmu. Oh, well. Money saved.
Loving the picks here, pretty much all of them are an insta buy from me (other than Hood, but I might as well get him to complete the BAF), with Lady Deathstrike and Red Skull being my personal standouts.
Also, I love all of the accessories with these figures, some real nice stuff here. That Thanos skull with Doom is freaking awesome.
Wow, this design of Doom is terrible. The bare armor chest makes the white skirt look like an apron, and the white gloves look like washing gloves. Thos should be called the Iron Chef.
Now I want someone to use this Doom with the Muppet Kitchen playset next to the Swedish Chef. 🙂
I thought it made him look like he just got out of the shower and had a towel around his waist.
I’m just picking up Doom and Red Skull. If Dormammuand the AIM Scientist get remaindered, I’ll consider them down the road.
But I have to be honest, it’s refreshing (and a relief!) to be able to cherry-pick lately.
Is it just me or do these figs look like they’re lacking in quality compared to other recent releases? Almost like they’re 90s Toy Biz era style figures. I’m interested in Lady Deathstrike, Red Skull, Arcade, and the Hood but I’ll need to see them up close.
Oof. Red Skull’s head needs a little bit of paint wash otherwise he just looks like a red blob.
I just wanted him to be bigger!