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Hasbro has been doling out fan service like never before to X-Men collectors over the course of 2019, including new versions of some of the most requested characters such as Beast, Jubilee, Dani Moonstar and Professor X. But perhaps the singular most exciting 6” X-Men Legends action figure of the year for most fans was an updated version of the Ragin’ Cajun himself! Hasbro double-packed the new Marvel Legends Gambit so he’d be readily and affordably available to everyone—but is this long-awaited Jim Lee Gambit 90s figure up to snuff?
For whatever reason, Remy Lebeau fell out of fashion at some point and simply wasn’t “cool” any more for a few years. But with 90s nostalgia now in full swing and Disney/Marvel happy to cash in on X-Men merchandise again now that the movie rights have been secured, Gambit’s popularity (and merch!) have returned!
Once Hasbro began to release updated iterations of the 90s X-Men Jim Lee roster, it was only a matter of time until they got to Remy. And this year, they finally did as the sole two-per-case figure in the Caliban series! It’s been 16 years since Toybiz produced their take on this costume—has Hasbro upped the ante from that bygone age?
Well, while Toybiz still holds claim to the “best” versions of quite a few characters in 6” form, I don’t think they hold that title for Remy anymore.
Hasbro went with a “charming rogue” face for Gambit with a bit of a dashing grin etched onto his face. I think it’s a good look for Remy that really spotlights part of his personality, which easily blows away the barely passable likeness of the Toybiz release from 2003.
Even so, the face does look a little bit cartoony, and I wish Hasbro had also given us either an angry face or a more neutral expression as an interchangeable head sculpt. I’m not sure that every collector is going to want Gambit displayed forever with such a friendly look upon his face.
Whereas Toybiz went with a soft goods jacket for their interpretation over a decade and a half ago, Hasbro chose to go the sculpted plastic route instead with a nicely textured brown jacket. While this makes the coat look much more defined and authentic than the Toybiz one did, I had my concerns it would ruin the articulation.
Thankfully, that’s not really the case! The coat is made of a light and flexible plastic, and Gambit’s legs and torso joints are strong enough to easy push it out of the way when you’re ready to pose. The jacket upgrade is a complete success, in my opinion.
As for the articulation, we lose double-jointed elbows because of the sculpted jacket arm, but most everything else we’d expect is present:
- Ball-Hinge Head, Shoulders and Elbows
- Upper Torso Ab Crunch
- Swivel Waist, Boots, Thighs and Biceps
- Swivel-Hinge Wrists
- Ball Hips
- Double-Hinge Knees
- Hinged Ankles with Rockers
The card effects pieces are mostly an improvement over Toybiz’s as well. Whereas Toybiz gave us one effects piece with multiple painted cards with a blob of energy coming off them, Hasbro gives us an interchangeable left hand throwing three clear pink cards and also a single card with energy attached that can be held in the default left hand.
While the paint detailed cards Toybiz did looked neat, I think the actual shaping and utility of Hasbro’s effect cards are better. I really like how the single card’s energy swirl wrap around Gambit’s hand, while the hand throwing three cards is super fun and looks awesome paired with other figures.
Paint-wise, I’m really pleased with the quality of this Gambit Legends figure. The metallic pink and glossy blue of the costume both pop like crazy, and all of the paint applications are precise on my copy except for some minor sloppiness on Remy’s right eye and stubble. For the most part, the paint detailing is excellent. I love the scratches on the collar and how the lines on the sides of the pants look.
My only other quibbles with this figure are the plastic pink pins used for the knee joints (which make no sense since the legs are black), and the fact that the unpainted silver bo staff is both a mite too bendy and cheap-feeling and also can’t be ideally held. Neither left hand is sculpted into a way to naturally and firmly grip the staff, and the right hand grasp is too wide to hold it stably. It’s a bit annoying, although poses with the staff are still workable.
Overall: Gambit is the top of the ladder for me as far as male X-Men members go, so my expectations for this figure were sky high—maybe a little too high. But while the new Hasbro Gambit doesn’t quite reach “masterpiece” status, I do think it’s quite a nice toy.
I think an alternate head sculpt and a way of holding the bo staff more stably would have really solidified this as the ultimate Marvel Legends Gambit six inch figure, but the sculpting, accessories and paint that are present are all well-done.
The charged card effects are a blast (no pun intended), and the super-articulation works better than I expected despite the rubber jacket. This is a solid recommend for sure, but I wouldn’t mind seeing another version of this same figure released with a serious head, better hands for the staff and perhaps some more effects down the road.