We interrupt this San Diego Comic Con 2017 coverage to bring you… a review of the final figure in the Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 series! Hasbro’s GOTG 2 series is perhaps their finest lineup of movie 6″ figures ever, but there was one gaping, planet-sized hole that collectors desperately needed to complete that set. And now, he has arrived: the Marvel Legends Ego & Star-Lord two-pack is now shipping from EE! Is it worth buying this pack just for Ego? Read on…

The Right:

Heading into New York Toy Fair 2017, the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Marvel Legends series was looking a little… bare… with Yondu, Drax and Star-Lord the only announced figures. But in a span of just a few minutes at Toy Fair, the line was expanded to include Gamora, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon & Groot, and even Nebula!

Those figures all released a few months back, but we’ve been waiting ever since for the final figure in the line to ship: the Ego Marvel Legends figure pack available early exclusively through Entertainment Earth!

It took a while for this set to release, but now that I have Ego in hand, I have to say that he was definitely worth the wait…

The ML Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 series is the most complete MCU movie lineup of figures we’ve ever seen from Hasbro, and this Ego figure is the clear winner as the best of the bunch, in my opinion.

As is necessitated by the character design, Ego is a 100% new sculpt–and what a sculpt it is. The seam lines, armor, folds and wrinkles on this Ego 6″ figure all look incredible.

The quality of the sculpting on the ornate bracers and biceps armor on Ego is mind-blowing–this is easily the most detailed MCU figure I can ever remember seeing Hasbro release. Marvel Legends Ego also may have the best-painted hair that I’ve ever seen on a ML figure. It’s almost mesmerizing how good the hair on this figure looks.

The paint wash on select parts of the cape really add to the look of both the cape and the figure as a whole.

I think this figure looks much cooler with his cape on, but you can pop it off if you so choose.

Ego has one accessory: an alternate, interchangeable head. The two head sculpts look very similar to each other, but one seems jolly (like Santa!) and the other one seems more stern (or ridiculously evil).

Both heads are excellent Kurt Russell portraits, in my opinion, although I’m a bit partial to the less friendly version (seeing as how Ego is perhaps the most powerful evil character ever seen in the MCU).

And while Kurt Russell doesn’t bust out his mad ninja skills in the movie, this action figure can (if you so choose) with its expansive articulation scheme, which includes:  ball-hinge head/shoulders/wrists; swivel biceps/thighs/waist/boots; ball-jointed upper torso and hips; double-hinged knees and elbows; and even hinged ankles with ankle rockers.

Ego isn’t necessarily a figure that needed crazy amounts of articulation, but I for one am not going to turn my nose up at it.

The Wrong:

The one thing that bugs me about the Ego action figure is that he comes with bupkis for accessories besides his alternate head. Considering Ego is a celestial who can do practically anything, it’s a bummer that he doesn’t come with any energy effects or anything of any kind to illustrate his powers. Basically, all poor Kurt Russell can do is stand around looking really mean or really friendly.

Of course, there’s a biological son-sized elephant in the room I haven’t discussed yet, so I’d better clear the air about it now: Ego comes packaged exclusively with a repack of the Guardians of the Galaxy Legends Wave 1 Star-Lord figure that shipped out at the start of 2017.

I reviewed this same Star-Lord figure in the winter, and my thoughts on him haven’t changed much. I think the Chris Pratt likeness is horrendous, and the pegs permanently attached to his thighs are an eyesore. [I’m told the head has been repainted since the first release in the winter–I need to go dig out the first version and compare, but if there has been a repaint, it hasn’t improved the likeness at all, IMO.]

He’s a solid figure with his Star-Lord helmet on and his blasters attached to his thighs, but I wasn’t thrilled about owning him the first time–and an even less thrilled about getting the exact same figure reissued here (along with the black cassette player from the Wave 2 version).

Still, if this repack is the price we have to pay to get such an amazing Marvel Legends Ego figure, I’m willing to pay it–I’m just not thrilled with getting a straight repack like this. It’s just not Hasbro’s usual modus operandi.

Overall: If I was just reviewing the 6″ Ego figure here, this would be an easy ‘A’, as the figure has outstanding sculpting detail and paint deco and just looks phenomenal. Unfortunately, there’s a Star-Lord repack here bringing his poor pops down.

Most collectors have had this Star-Lord figure for half a year now, and the Chris Pratt likeness is atrocious besides that fact. Ego is a tremendous figure and I’m excited to have him–I just think it’s a shame that collectors have to be saddled with a recycled Star-Lord to get him.

GRADE: B