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Hasbro gave collectors a heads up before November began that last month was going to be a slow month for Marvel Legends news, and now we can look back in hindsight and agree that they were true to their word. But there was a singular light in the darkness, as the sole figure announced last month is a character neither Hasbro nor Toybiz has ever captured in toy form before: the X-Men Marvel Legends 2024 series will include Shi’ar Empress Lilandra Neramani!
Hasbro first showed X-Men fans a prototype of a 6” Marvel Legends Lilandra figure way back in 2007 as part of a Fan’s Choice poll that was won by Age of Apocalypse Sunfire (losing choices shown above), but despite every other character from that poll eventually being released in toy form by Hasbro over the years, the Shi’ar Majestrix’s time has never come… before now!
Although Hasbro included an alternate Lilandra head with the Walgreens exclusive Mystique Legends figure in 2019, years passed and no full-on figure of Professor Xavier’s greatest love ever materialized. But just when many X-Men fans had lost hope, a ML Lilandra figure was finally announced and revealed as a digital render at the 2023 Lucca Comics & Games convention in Europe last month!
While no physical prototype was ready to unveil at Lucca 2023, we can glean from the render that the Empress Lilandra figure will have an all-new head, painted lining on her armor and a sculpted cape (which may be a reuse from the Hellfire Club box set of a few years ago). Sculpted capes aren’t every fan’s favorite, but it seems appropriate given the rigid shaping of Lilandra’s cape in most media.
Hasbro hasn’t given any indication yet as to exactly how the X-Men Legends Lilandra Neramani figure will be released next year, but she is heavily rumored via purported leaks to be included alongside a Fang Wolverine (aka Wolverine wearing the costume of Shi’ar Royal Guard member Fang) in one of several 2024 Wolverine 2-Packs. Outback Psylocke, Jim Lee Sabretooth and Joe Fixit Hulk are also strongly rumored for these alleged Wolverine two-packs (although do note that these are totally unconfirmed by Hasbro). As a character with nearly half a century of comic book appearances and significant appearances in the X-Men Animated Series cartoon, many fans would argue that this prominent X-character is long overdue.
A lot of collectors are hoping that the release of Lilandra could be a precursor to more cosmic X-Men characters being produced in the upcoming lineup, such as Hepzibah, Raza, Warstar and a new Gladiator. I didn’t especially love the last Gladiator in 2018 (basically a reissue of an even older 2014 figure), so I’d definitely welcome a new (hopefully pin-less) Gladiator Legends figure in the near-future.
What do you think of this long-awaited Marvel Legends Empress Lilandra figure, X-Men collectors? If she is part of a multipack with Wolverine, will you buy one?