In 2020, the Marvel Legends line announced the first Fox X-Men movie figures in a number of 20th Anniversary releases. Alongside them were four figures from Fox's Deadpool sequel. These were packed in the same X-Men inspired boxing, but with the box base colour changed to a more Deadpool appropriate red and a number of Deadpool-esque scrawls and doodles included on the box. In this review we will take a look at one of the single releases, Cable!
Packaging 4.0
The Cable figure uses the same squared off box with the same base design as the X-Men releases. The base colour does move from steel grey to a bright red, and the box is further "enhanced" with some very "Deadpool" additions. The X-Men logo is covered over with the Deadpool logo and the character name of Nathan Summers crossed out with Cable scrawled underneath. Even the age guidance is crossed out and changed to 14+ in black scrawl.
The side panels are identical with a silhouette of Cable from the movie. The eye is highlighted as a bright white spot on the head and some red is used to pick out a little bit of definition around the hair, face and body.
Round the back of the box we have the same illustration - and another name plate with a crossed out Nathan Summers. Unlike other Marvel Legends figures, there is no background text or movie synopsis. This leaves the box a little samey when we consider the same silhouette image is used on three of the four main sides.
The inner tray remains inserted into a X-Men backing piece, this is now grey rather than yellow and this creates a good contrast with the red and black of the outer box.
Paint & Sculpt 4.5
Out of the box and in hand, Cable is a very impressive sculpt. The likeness to Josh Brolin is very good - and there is a load of detail around the head sculpt with the scarring and the damage to his left eye.
The body is essentially a pair of green combat trousers with a brown short sleeved vest. Over this is a tactical vest complete with ammunition pouches. Cable is wearing a khaki green belt with more ammo packs, a holster and his teddy bear.
The mechanical arm is really well executed with a two tone silver finish and sculpted knotted steel biceps and sleek lower forearm.
Cable is wearing a cast plastic cloak that fits over his head and trails down his back. This cloak is cast in its base colour, but has a lot of depth in terms of folds and creases.
The cloak piece can be removed over Cable's head and this opens up the figure a little more and gives you a variant look for cable on display. With the cloak removed the detail is more visible on the figure - including the teddy bear on his belt.
Paint apps across the figure are neat and tidy with no areas of concern.
Accessories 4.5
Cable is packed with two pairs of hands. He has a pair of gripping hands as fitted when he is unpacked, and a second pair of clenched fists. Each hand is painted accordingly, with the left hands with the metallic silver fingers to line up to his prosthetic arm. Swapping out the hands is simple and secure.
Cable has a basic handgun, cast in black and with limited details. It fits in either hand, with both hands having a trigger finger that can line up with the trigger. While it will fit in the holster piece, the fit is quite loose and the holster is obviously designed for one of the other pieces.
Cable's larger weapon is a thing of beauty - both in size and in detail. It has a couple of paint applications to bring out the handle in brown and with a grey wrap in the middle of the grip.
Cable is packed with two smaller grenade launcher segments that form a couple of customizable options to his weapon. These are designed with a groove to slot into a piece under the main barrell. With these in place the weapon configuration is altered. The more traditional launcher is my preference, the larger one with the handle and circular end just doesn't seem to fit right aesthetically. Whichever one you choose to use, the other can be stowed away in the holster - and it appears the holster is designed for this as the fit is much more secure than the handgun.
The gun can fit into either hand and can be held in a two handed pose with the other hand able to cup and grasp the barrel.
Articulation 5.0
Cable weighs in with an impressive articulation count of 22 points of articulation. Every joint is tight and secure.
Head : ball joint neck base, ball joint neck
Body : T-joint torso joint, waist swivel
Arms : ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double joint elbow, wrist pivot
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, shin swivel, ankle rocker
The upper body movement is good with a good range on the elbows and shoulders which can support weapon posing and action stances.
The head is a little odd in terms of the joint being ball jointed at the top of the neck and in the head. This gives the head a lot of movement, but it can push the head to the side in an unnatural position.
The torso joints are a little bit hidden behind the Tactical Vest, but both the T-Joint torso and waist swivel work well enough and are not overly restricted. The legs have a full range of motion including the ability to sit or kneel. I am not sure what value the shin swivels bring - it may just be a choice to allow the boots to be cast separately.
Summary
You do have to sit back initially and consider what it means finally to have Fox X-Men Universe characters in the Marvel Legends line. And what a figure Cable is, with an exceptional sculpt of both the head and the body. The paint job is crisp and the articulation is great too.
We have alternative hands, and a good set of weaponry accessories including options for the larger gun with the grenade launcher options. Even the cloak plays a part and can be removed if you want a different look.
The one thing I am not overly sold on is the box. The colours and design are fine, and I even like the Deadpool inspired adjustments. I just feel like the imagery is overused across three sides, and an opportunity of synergy with the rest of the line is missed by not having the background text or movie synopsis.
I score Cable from Deadpool 2 a very impressive 4.5
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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, marvel, legends, x-men, deadpool 2, cable, hasbro