Quentin Quire is likely my favorite comic book character to debut in the new millennium, so I was more than a little hyped to see the Grant Morrison-created rebellious young adult’s name being bandied about on rumored lists of upcoming X-Men Legends figures last year. The future Phoenix host and omega-level mutant has gained a lot of prominence and popularity over the years, and the time seemed ripe for his first action figure. Even so, the design of this Marvel Legends Kid Omega figure… probably wasn’t what many of QQ’s fans had in mind. But if you’re building the Ch’od BAF, you’ll need Kid Omega nonetheless. So let’s have a look at the pink-haired punk’s debut figure…

Given the vast number of characters and costumes that have been captured in toy form over the last two decades, it’s almost shocking to me that an X-Men character as significant as Quentin Quire has never had a toy before (besides some crummy little HeroClix).

My best guess is that Quentin’s “costumes” over the years (generally just street clothes including T-shirts and shorts) simply didn’t feel ‘toyetic’ enough to be at mass retail.

But Kid Omega finally got a full-on superhero costume makeover as part of Benjamin Percy’s current X-Force comic book series (a guilty pleasure of mine, featuring the most insane and evil rendition of Beast ever), and as such we’re now able to enjoy this mass release 6” action figure of him.

As with the rest of the Ch’od Series, Kid Omega gets the window-less cardboard box packaging. It ducks for packaged collectors, but it is what it is until the plastic-free packaging goes away in the winter.

Quentin Quire himself comes wrapped in the now-familiar white paper, along with a little white paper baggie of accessories and one big bag of Ch’od Build-A-Figure body/torso. Generally the biggest BAF part comes with the smallest or most undesirable figure in a wave, so perhaps Hasbro did consider this Kid Omega to be the most “risky” character in the bunch (he really might be).

The extras include an awesome translucent pink psychic shotgun (the kind of weapon QQ frequently employs in the comics) and a pair of interchangeable fists. The fists seem a tad awkward as Wuentin is far, far from a brawling/fisticuffs type of combatant, but I’d always rather have than not have extra hands. (I took a photo of QQ with the effects piece from the Dark Phoenix figure I reviewed last month, but note that it’s not included.)

The action figure itself is, well, pretty dull. The body is 90%+ just unpainted black plastic, with some pink lining and an omega symbol on the chest. I didn’t like this costume when it debuted a year or so ago, and I don’t particularly like it now. The ‘V’-shaped opening beneath his neck is just smooth and painted flesh-colored, which is quite apparent and cheap-looking in this instance.

Of course, where QQ really shines is his not-exactly-sparkling personality. Sadly, there’s little trace of it evident on this portrait, as Kid Omega is sporting the blandest serious expression imaginable. If ever there was a figure needing a bit of an attitudinal sneer, it’s this one. Like the body, the face just comes off as boring.

The signature pink hair is present (my preferred hair color as well), along with the psychic glasses that originated in Percy’s X-Force. The translucent pink glasses frames are rendered about as perfectly as they could be by Hasbro, but I find the look and concept of them to be inherently dopey.

The clear pink shotgun should be a standout accessory, but it’s challenging to pose Quentin with it since Hasbro didn’t give him open hands with trigger fingers. A really odd choice that limits posing potentiality.

On the bright side, the body itself is up to modern standards of articulation and has a great range of motion all-around, even if Kid Omega isn’t exactly a ninja who can take advantage of all the points. The full articulation scheme includes:

—Ball-Hinge Neck and Shoulders
—Butterfly Swivel Shoulders
—Ball-Jointed Hips and Upper Torso
—Pin-Less Double-Hinge Knees and Elbows
—Swivel Biceps, Thighs and Calves
—Swivel-Hinge Wrists
—Hinged Feet with Ankle Rockers

The thin body works swell for Quentin, and if he were the type of character to get into a ton of hand-to-hand athletic fighting poses, he’d definitely be able to. A few more psychic effects to take advantage of all the articulation would have been truly appreciated.

Overall: This almost received an unearned ‘+’ from me for being one of my favorite characters, but beyond the character choice, X-Men Marvel Legends Kid Omega is about as basic and average as can be. None of Quentin’s rebellious, condescending attitude is captured by the expressionless portrait, the psychic gun can’t be held properly with the trigger finger-less hands, and the modern X-Force costume is a look for QQ that will be unrecognizable to many who know the character.

GRADE: C