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Black Widow has got to be in the running for the female character who’s had the highest number of 6” Marvel Legends figures over the years. From live action to comic-based, from Natasha to Yelena, we’ve had no shortage of Hasbro Black Widow figures over the years. And so, the announcement of this year’s Target Exclusive Marvel Legends Black Widow 60th Anniversary figure was met with some malaise. But now that I’ve got her in-hand, might this be the best comic book Black Widow action figure to-date?
As perhaps the singular most famous female member of the Avengers, it probably would have felt a little weird if Natasha Romanoff hadn’t been included in this year’s celebratory Avengers marvel Legends 60th Anniversary Series lineup of action figures.
But at the same time, we’ve had a multitude of Black Widow figures released the past few years at mass retail (including two versions of Yelena and 1 of Natasha in waves this year alone). So what’s Hasbro to do…? It’s store exclusives to the rescue once again! This Black Widow Legends figure is exclusive to Target. How’d she turn out? Here’s my review…
Natasha is packaged in the now-familiar (soon to be extinct) plastic-free cardboard packaging. It’s not the most beautiful packaging in the world, but that’s really not the point of this style.
The back of the box doesn’t have a character bio but does show off the figure in a more dynamic pose than I’ll put her into and also spotlights the wild number of accessories. This figure retails for $27.99 at Target (I paid a dollar or two less with my Red Card), but the dozen-plus accessories accompanying the action figure go a long way toward making her feel like a strong value.
Target Black Widow comes with not one not two but three new heads, including a cool head with windswept hair(my favorite) and another with classic “big” hairdo. I think all 3 heads are excellent, and the figure looks great with any of them attached.
The body mold itself is primarily recycled, but that’s not a bad thing in this instance, since every point of articulation I really want is incorporated.
The articulation scheme includes:
—Ball-Hinged Head and (Butterfly Swivel) Shoulders
—Ball-Jointed Upper Torso
—Swivel Biceps and Thighs
—Ball Hips
—Swivel-Hinge Wrists
—Pin-Less Double-Hinge Knees and Elbows
—Hinged Feet with Ankle Swivels
Whether you want Nat in a shooting pose or a hand-to-hand combat pose, the articulation is there to pull it off—and so are the accessories.
For her extras load-out, Black Widow comes with two guns, gun blast effects, gun smoke effects, interchangeable blasting and smoking Widow’s Sting bracelets, fists, open hands and grasping hands. I saw some collectors complain that these accessories are recycled, but there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when making an “ultimate” toy of a character. I’m glad for every add-on we get here, whether recycled or not.
You have to pop off Natasha’s hands to change bracelets, but it’s a quick and simple exchange. All the bracelets fit snuggly when affixed, and I particularly like the blast effect ones.
All of Black Widow’s joints are the ideal amount of tight, and it’s easy to get her to stand stably in most poses. Her belt is looser than I prefer, but it’s not nightmarishly wobbly either.
So is this the perfect Avengers Legends Black Widow action figure…? Close, but no cigar. For some confounding reason beyond me, the new hips are inexplicably a matte black compared to the smooth and glossy black plastic used everywhere else on the body. Depending on your lighting, the hips may look truly ghastly, as if Nat was wearing weird shorts over her costume. I cannot comprehend how no one at Hasbro caught this very visible snafu.
Beyond the hips, I’ve heard a few fans complain about the non-realistic guns included. I can’t tell the difference, but be aware—your level of caring about Black Widow’s firearms of choice may vary.
Overall: As much parts reuse as there is here, I think Hasbro has given us a fantastic package overall. I outright loathe that the hips are a visibly different black from the rest of the body, but otherwise this is an exceptional ML Black Widow. The accessory spread is generous, the pin-less joints and butterfly shoulders are always welcome and the 3 new heads are all good choices. The hips bother me -a lot-, but if you discount those, this is probably my favorite comic Black Widow Legends figure ever. Well worth the slight exclusivity upcharge from Target.