Even though Hasbro has released quite a few super-articulated figures of Cyclops over the past few years (with costumes spanning the Silver Age to Jim Lee to Marvel NOW), there’s always a big demand for versions of the most iconic leader of the X-Men. So I was rather surprised today to see that the Vintage X-Men Legends Cyclops figure is both readily available and discounted to 15 bucks shipped online. Deciding this warranted investigation, I chose this Marvel Legends Cyclops as the subject of today’s review…
And the very first X-Men toy I ever bought as a kid? Yup—that was also X-Factor Cyclops (the first toy produced of the character by any company) in the 1991 Toybiz X-Men line.
So does this particular iteration of Cyke hit all the right sentimental notes in its retro packaging to make me love it right out of the gate…? Yup! But let’s see if the toy itself is any good…
It pained me a bit to rip apart the throwback Toybiz packaging for this figure since the original 1991 version is so important to me, but at my age (and collection size), there just ain’t room for superfluous packaging in my life. Sorry, awesome oversized Toybiz-styled cardback!
Upon releasing this Scott Summers from his plastic purgatory, I instantly knew I was going to like this action figure just by looking at him. The blue and white paint apps are sharply painted, and the matte white and metallic blue colors complement each other beautifully. This is one slick looking Cyclops figure.
There are thankfully no loose or wiggly add-on bits of costume for this figure, which I am overjoyed about—the add-on portions of the Warlock Series Cyclops in Jim Lee costume really hurt my enjoyment of that particular toy. X-Factor Cyclops’ costume doesn’t necessitate any extras like that, and I am a happier man because of it.
We get two all-new Cyclops portraits with this figure, and both of them are complete winners. The serious, stone-faced Cyclops is the iconic expression for the character in my mind; while we also get an enraged head sculpt for full blast action. And speaking of which…
For the first time ever, Hasbro has given us a clip-on optic blast effects piece! Holy crap! This translucent red strip of plastic is nicely-sculpted and attached snugly to the angry portrait, adding an unprecedented flair to an X-Men Legends Cyclops version!
Not only that, but both heads have some translucent red energy sculpted bubbling on the sides of Cyke’s visors. This adds loads of personality and really makes this stand out from previous iterations Hasbro has done. Seriously, this is good shit—I feel like Hasbro has really turned a corner with this release.
The only issue I had with my heads is that both of them have gold paint from the visor exterior leaking into the red inner part of the visor, which looks a bit clumsy and unkempt up-close (although this is totally unnoticeable at a distance). Even so, these are some of the best Cyclops heads ever, in my opinion.
And on the articulation front, it’s the usual high standards that we’re all accustomed to and spoiled by:
- Ball-Hinge Neck/Shoulders
- Double-Hinge Elbows/Knees
- Ab Crunch
- Swivel Waist/Thighs/Boots/Biceps
- Ball Hips
- Hinged Ankles with Rockers
While I think butterfly swivel shoulders would have really helped enable a wider variety of poses with Slim using his left hand to aim his optic blast attack, that’s the only point of missing articulation I think would have really added to this. Otherwise, it’s another brilliant articulation scheme.
Overall: Although the paint apps in my visors were somewhat messy and I think this figure could have benefitted somewhat from butterfly swivel shoulders, this is otherwise an exceptional Cyclops Legends figure that I feel is only not a top seller because of fans’ unfamiliarity with this outfit.
This is a classic X-Factor costume I love, brought to life nearly perfectly. Both heads capture Scott Summers’ personality spot-on, and the optic blast effect is a treat. While this release may be overshadowed a bit by the Jim Lee Storm in this series, it’s easily my favorite Marvel Legends Cyclops Figure ever releases. Love this—awesome stuff.
GRADE: A
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I have similar feels about the costume for the same reason. I had that issue of X-Factor when I was a kid and have fond memories of the uniforms. I never really appreciated Warren until he became the metal-winged Archangel. Nor Beast until his blue Jim Lee fur look. But the uniforms make me feel all nostalgic.
I do like that we have the option of plugging in the optic blast. That is pretty cool. But the lack of a powered down head leaves me with higher than normal sodium levels. I keep looking at the bubbly red effects and eying up my nail clippers.. wondering how it would look afterwards. Not sure if I’ll do it. But I am tempted.
I wonder if the remaining original X-Factor members will get similar treatment in Marvel Legends. Given how long it is taking to get a complete 10 member original X-Force lineup I’m not holding my breath. (Still waiting on a good Cannonball, a new Warpath, Feral, Rictor, Siryn and Sunspot.)
But this Cyclops? I’m giving a B-. Just for the lack of “at ease” head. Sweet figure. But won’t take the place of my default Jim Lee version.
If you buy the Love Triangle 3-pack with New Jean, Logan and Scott, you’ll get his new unmasked head w/glasses. Maybe that would help, but I definitely get your point. 3 heads would’ve been nice.
This Cyclops was an easy pass for me because of the unremovable red blast effects hanging on both heads. There should have been a powered down head, a blast effect head, and even an “unhelmeted” head, as Cyclops also used that outfit without the “hood”.
My Cyclops will always be the Jim Lee version from the Warlock wave and the upcoming 3 pack with Jean and Wolverine, anyway….but I would have picked this one up if it included what I mentioned above.
Not to be that guy…but this wasn’t the costume Cyclops wore in X-Factor #1. That one was yellow and blue, with a full-body X pattern. This one debuted later.
I did say I couldn’t tell you what happened in that issue. 😅
In my old age, my recollection is this white and blue costume. Haha.
The white and blue costume debuted in #26 (last issue of the Fall of the Mutants story) and lasted past Inferno until the end of the X-tinction Agenda crossover. Whilce Portacio came onboard then and redisgned it back to yellow and blue without the skull cap (for the first time) for a short lived suit until Jim Lee’s famous redesign in X-Men #1. I started reading during Inferno, so I also have fond memories of this design. I’m hoping they do a red and yellow Jean Grey X-Factor costume so I can have the team I first read.
I think there must be a lot of people out there wondering why there has to be energy effects on both heads. I would want all of my figures, when possible, to be pre-Jim Lee era, so this fits the bill nicely for me. It’s weird that they didn’t go for the original color scheme he had with X-factor, isn’t it? He doesn’t go blue and white like this until X-Factor 26, so it’s not the original look, but it is accurate to his look about 15 issues into the Walter Simonson run on it. Anyway… At such a nice price, I might get him and have a third version of Cyke. If cheap enough, it almost seems worth it just for that blast effects piece that everyone wishes was only on one of the heads.
I think this looks great, like Wolverine hasbro use the same buck with the different costumes adding consistency. As for those who need a powered down head the Love Pack as plenty of heads in there so me need to cut anything on these heads.
While the Jim Lee Cyclops will always be “my” Cyclops, I always had a soft spot for this costume. Probably because of the Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge video game I had on the SNES. I’ll definitely try to pick this up.
I have a couple gripes with this figure. For one, the white paint is very obviously different than the white plastic. You can even see it in these photos. Trust me that in hand it is flagrant and jarring. The hips are also weird. The way the ratio between the white and blue are set up, it ruins the X pattern in most poses.
Obviously the lack of a neutral visor is problematic if you like static neutral poses or set ups for photos which I personally do. I’d always prefer a standard neutral head to any major expressive face. You can feign intensity with a neutral head but you can’t feign neutrality with an intense expression.
It’s what ruined Caliban, Madripoor Wolverine, Sabretooth, Beast, etc. for me. So much so that I’m commissioning my dad (who is a customizer) to make an alternate Beast head. I would rather the expressive head be an add on like they were with Absorbing Man, Sandman, Kingpin, Bullseye, Blackbolt, Nightcrawler, and Dark Phoenix. Clearly they can do it, cost it in, sculpt it blah blah blah. Whats a real shame about this is that we have two heads! Wtf Hasbro!?! You went and made TWO non-neutral visor heads… Its redundant. You had the normal sculpt on hand from the two pack, the five pack, and the Puck series releases. The blasting head can serve as both a blasting face as well as the in-between if you take the blast effect out! So why add the unnecessary flares to the neutral head? its like Cyke has a premature optjaculation problem and his visors are constantly leaking…I don’t remember that storyline from X-Factor.
i am glad they did this costume and I am overall happy to own it, I just wish (as is becoming a new normal for me) that Hasbro had tried just a little bit harder to keep it crisp and give us a well rounded figure.
Is it just mine, or are the legs from the thigh joint down, a much darker blue than the rest of the figure? It doesn’t look terrible, but it’s definitely noticeable.
Yep. Anytime they have to match plastic to paint its a bit of a struggle. So the limbs are blue plastic with white paint apps, whereas the torso is white plastic with blue paint apps.
I need to get this figure soon I keep checking Walmart but if I don’t run across it soon I’ll have to get it online.