Intro:
One
of the most anticipated films of 2015 – Avengers: Age of Ultron – is almost
upon us and like any other Marvel’s True Believers out there, we at New Planet
Cybertron is super-hyped up about it.
So,
to commemorate the release of the movie, New Planet Cybertron brings you the
review of Marvel Universe 3 ¾” Ultron.
This
version of Ultron has proven to be one of those rare pieces ever released. I
have never seen this figure ever sold in the open market before. I only managed
to get this particular figure after delving into eBay.
Based
on the comics, Ultron is a creation of Hank Pym – once of the original founders
of the Avengers (yes, folks, the movie isn’t exactly comic-accurate). Ultron is
literally a super-computer that eventually gained sentience and went against
his creator. In this sense, Ultron can be considered as an equivalent to DC’s
Brainiac. In most of his storyline, he is depicted as having a deep sense of
despise for Hank Pym.
Just
like DC’s Brainiac, Ultron has proven to be very difficult to defeat or
destroyed, especially with the constant upgrading and memory backups. Thus,
Ultron has had many versions of himself throughout his publication history.
Apart from his Class-100 strength level, his extreme durability (having his
body constructed from adamantium), as well as his vast arrays of other powers,
he is also a genius and an expert is robotic engineering – having created
Vision, one of the most prominent members of the Avengers, along the way.
I
got this particular figure almost 2 years ago, around the time that the Age of
Ultron movie was announced, thus making this particular figure one of the most
highly sought-after figure in the Marvel Universe line.
Ultron is
released under Series 3, #017.
Figure:
Ultron
is a very simple figure that comes without any accessories, apart from a stand,
that in my opinion is sorely missed in this line.
Ultron
actually reuses a lot of Doctor Doom’s parts, and it actually works for Ultron.
However, having said that, at first glance, Ultron kinds of reminded me of
C-3PO of Star Wars-fame, in more reasons than one – more on that later.
The
head sculpt is fantastic, and it is really unmistakably Ultron. There is some
green-paintjob on it, as depicting the light is glowing from within. I do,
however question the use of the color green, but I would actually prefer the
color red to be used instead, as I am quite accustomed to Ultron having red
glowing lights instead. But that’s probably just me. I can’t fault them from
using green, because Ultron has had green illumination before.
Articulation-wise,
this is where things start to go downhill – then again, this might be just an
isolated case. So, do take note that most of my reviews are based on the
figures that I have. Anyways, the head articulation is kind of tight. It can
rotate 360°, but it’s really a chore to have him look up or down. Looking up is
slightly easier, but looking down is almost next to impossible, which is
ashamed really.
Next
are the shoulders. Theoretically, the shoulder joints are similar to most
Marvel Universe figures, and they should be able to do wonders. However, the
right arm on my figure can’t really drop down. It seems like it’s stuck
halfway. Thankfully, the left arm is okay. I tried to force the right arm down,
but I dared not take the risk of destroying this figure – the arm bended quite
awkwardly when I was trying to force it down. And because of that, his hands
tend to be stuck at a certain position that would remind me more of C-3PO.
 |
| Problems with the right shoulder |
C-3PO…
I mean, Ultron, effectively has 2 sets of waist joints. The first one is
actually for abs-crunch, while the second one is your standard waist
articulation. The abs-crunch actually works quite well. The legs are kind of a
letdown. The hips are on ball-joints; the knees bend and the ankles tilt up and
down, as well as rotate. It would’ve been better that the legs could actually
rotate like most the Marvel Universe figures, but unfortunately it was not to
be.
The
end result, I have a figure that looks real stiff and limited in terms of
posing options.
Still,
I wouldn’t take away the fact that the figure is visually-appeasing and is
unmistakably Hank Pym’s best (and worst) creations.
Summary:
Ultron
is one of those very rare figures in the market. However, rarity doesn’t always
mean that a figure is awesome, and that is exactly the case with Ultron. He looks
good, and is an integral character in the Avenger’s lore, and that should be
the reasons for you to get hold of this particular figure.
With the Age of
Ultron coming (or you probably read this way after the release of the film), this
Ultron figure will definitely be one of those highly sought-after figure in the
series.
Final
verdict, 6/10.
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