Marvel's Armadillo first appeared in the Marvel Comics in 1985 in Captain America and went on to face off against many of the Marvel heroes, including Spider-Man. Armadillo makes his Marvel Legends debut as an included build-a-figure in the late 2021 wave of Spider-Man figures.
To build Armadillo you need to collect parts from 6 releases in the wave. This means picking up both the MCU figures from Spider-Man: No Way Home - although you can skip the Integrated Suit - the Gamerverse Miles Morales, and the Comic Book figures of Shriek and Morlun. Once gathered, the parts connect together via plug-in joints. The toughest of these to connect, and a common issue on these larger BAF's is the thigh joint which may need a bit of heat to soften it up and get it slotted into place.
Armadillo stands just shy of 8-inches tall once assembled and is a weighty piece in hand. The main body parts are all cast in light sand colour plastic with the armoured panels over the top painted in a darker brown for contrast. There is also some shading added around the torso to enhance the body details - with more specific detail added on the claws on both hands and feet in a much darker grey finish.
The head includes painted white eyes, white teeth and detailing around the eyes, nose, and mouth to add a level of realism including a hint of pink gum at the edge of the teeth.
The large carapace is a separate item that covers the shoulders and most of the upper back. It is cast in a softer plastic and plugs into place by way of a socket between Armadillo's shoulder blades.
The Carapace does finish the figure and the overall Armadillo modern comic look, but heavily impedes the arm movements when the figure is posed. You can display Armadillo without the carapace - although this looks slightly off.
Despite his bulk, Armadillo still packs a punch on articulation with 18 points of articulation in total. The size of the figure means the elbows and knees are downgraded to a large single joint so will not move as far as a standard figure. The legs are pretty mobile despite this, and while Armadillo won't be kneeling or crouching there is some flexibility in his leg positions. There is however a balance issue with the ankle rockers not cut to pivot far enough forward and in a lot of more upright poses the weight of the figure pulls him backwards and topples him over.
There are also niggles with the waist and neck joint which feel springy and want to pull back to their last position. Over time the head kind of works itself out once it's been posed a few times, but the torso joint remains an issue.
Armadillo is another big, hefty build-a-figure that looks brilliant on display. He is also another fairly obscure character that Hasbro have weaved into the line following the likes of Stiltman and Xenmu in 2021. Collectors of all Marvel Legends will be happy with this wave and Armadillo, while Comic Book only collectors may be frustrated that half of Armadillo is packed with MCU characters. This format is however not new and is obviously key to making characters like Armadillo work in the larger BAF format.
If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports
About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...