Intro:
The year 2011 has so far proven to be the year of the Superheroes/ Comic Fan-boys year. This year alone, we have been showered with the Green Lantern, X-Men: First Class, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon, and also The Mighty Thor, in particular of which it also serves as one of the two prequels-of-sort to the 2012 big movie of the year – the Avengers. If you are a fan of Marvel Comics or the Avengers, to be specific, you should know that the Avengers comprises of several key members such as Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hank Pym, Wasp etc. In the years before, we have already been served with the origin films of Iron Man & Hulk, while characters like Black Widow, Hawkeye and even Colonel Fury have been involved in some of those movies as well, which eventually leaves us with Cap Am and Hank Pym. While rumors has it that the character Hank Pym will eventually made into Avengers movie without having a film to his credit, there was no such question asked about Cap Am. Of all the Avengers-affiliated characters mentioned, it would be a mortal sin if Captain America didn’t have an origin movie to his credit.
Anyways, in conjunction of the release of the movie Captain America: The First Avenger (premiering in Malaysian shores this 28th July), today’s review will feature none other than The Man himself, Captain America as a part of the Marvel Crossover line, where popular Marvel superheroes have been re-imagined as mechas, and are able to be driven by the said superhero.
So without further ado, let roll on…
Alternate Mode:
Captain America transforms in an American flag-themed H2 Hummer. Compared to the previously reviewed Ghost Rider figure, the plastics used here feels a bit cheap. Still after having said that, I do have to give some props to the details that this Hummer truck has. The front hood looks like it has some sort of carvings and patterns on it. The trademarked Captain America star seemed to be a recurring theme throughout the figure, appearing on each hubcap, the front hoodand also the spare-tyre compartment, a.k.a. Captain America’s shield. Based on the descriptions on the box, it also says that the mecha-suit is made from Vibranium – the same material used to fabricate Cap’s signature shield.
The truck can roll fairly well, and there is no other visible gimmick in this mode.
Robot Mode:
After a very simple transformation sequence, we finally come to the robot mode, and I must say, Cap looks kinda funny – a bit awkward, but at least he looks way better than The Hulk.
Articulation-wise: the head only rotates; shoulders are on an axle and swivel; the elbows rotate and bend; the wrists rotate; thankfully, Cap also has a waist joint, which is always a welcome; the hips are on ratcheting universal joints and finally, double-jointed knees.
While the articulations are okay, the shoulder joints can be very loose, which doesn’t bode well with whichever arm that will be carrying the shield.
The shield, which is formed by the spare-tyre compartment, can be mounted on either arm. Flipping the shield around, you’ll see two knobs, which can be fitted into the two slots on both arms. Now, if you observe closely, the two knobs aren’t exactly the same size – one is bigger than the other. So, the shield can only be fixed onto the arms on a specific direction.
I wish the red on Captain America could’ve been a bit darker and fierier than the existing orangey-red, which kinda makes ol’ Cap a bit dull. However, if you are a kitbashing expert, who I am obviously not, you could actually repaint the colors to be closer to that of the actual Captain America. TeenCom (one of the places where I normally get my supplies) have previously displayed a customized Cap Am figure, which I think looks absolutely fabulous. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of that to share…
Overall:
Marvel Crossover Captain America figure is definitely a must have if you are a fan of the character or the comics. The figure itself isn’t exactly stellar, but it ain’t that bad either. He’s a decently detailed figure and definitely one of the better ones in the line (of which I still think Ghost Rider is the best in the line). If you are a Captain America fanatic and are looking forward to bringing a Captain America-related merchandise to the premiere with you, then you should probably take this guy into consideration.
Recommended for fans.
Final verdict: 7/10.
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