Pros : Outfit is nicely detailed. Helmet works well. Articulation is pretty good.
Cons : What should be metallic bronze on helmet and outfit is plain plastic. Face sculpt is showing its age (sculpted 2012)
When Avengers hit movie screens in 2012, the Marvel Legends line as we know it today was purely comic book based. It wouldn't be until 2 years later with the Guardians of the Galaxy that MCU figures crashed the Legend party. Hasbro did however release a range of 6" Avengers figures, which were exclusive to Walmart in the US. Amongst the figures released was a Loki figure complete with sceptre but not his trademark horned helmet.
Roll on to 2016 and after the success of the Age of Ultron figures, Hasbro created a Best of MCU wave of Marvel Legends, released in the UK only. The wave included re-releases of some of the 2015 Ultron figures like War Machine and Mk43 Iron-Man. It also threw in the Winter Soldier Black Widow and then took Captain America, Loki and Hawkeye from the 2012 Avengers figures and added these in also.
While Cap and Hawkeye were pretty much identical to their 2012 releases, Loki got a tweak and his horned helmet was now added to the figure. He arrived in an Avengers themed Legends box, complete with a part of the Hulkbuster BAF.
Loki is presented to the side of an enormous Hulkbuster arm with his sceptre tucked to his side and beneath his arm. His cloak sits behind the figure.
The figures head sculpt has a passing resemblance to Tom Hiddlestone, but is very basic with a single skin tone and the only paint applied to eyes and eyebrows. It looks very cartoonish.
The newly added helmet is snugly fitted over the head and is cast in a dull plastic orange rather than the shiny bronze we would like it to be. The horns are nicely shaped and although they are a slightly flexible plastic they are even on the curve and the point.
The costume for Loki is very intricate with several layers over the base body. Like the helmet the metallic parts of armour are too dull and would have looked much better with either a glossy wash, or a metallic colouring - not the dull base orange plastic. There is a load of sculpted detail round the back of the figure in the rubbery cloak. This is quite odd considering we are about to cover this up with a cloak.
Loki's cloak is a flowing green with a sheen tot he finish. There is actually some metallic bronze here on the shoulder panels - why on earth wasn't this carried on to the full figure?
The cloak has a peg in the centre which matches a shaped socket on the back of the figure. Once inserted it holds in place really ell and looks like it is hanging on the shoulders, not levitating above it.
While the figure may be 6 years old, it still comes with pretty much the same articulation you'd expect from a current release. The head is ball jointed, as are the shoulders which have a full range of movement. Under the shoulder is a bicep swivel, and beneath this double jointed elbows which allow the arms to bend almost onto themselves. The arms end with a rotating wrist.
Under the cloak is a waist swivel .The legs, also hidden under the robes, start with ball jointed hips. We then have a thigh swivel, double jointed knees and finally ankle rockers.
All the joints are tight and Loki stands pretty well, even with that huge horned helmet.
While not advertised on the box, nor immediately evident when you first handle the figure, the helmet is actually removable. The fit is incredible considering it is an added part. Once off the likeness to Hiddlestone is a bit better and there is sculpted slicked black hair which flows back onto the shoulders.
The sole accessory is Loki's sceptre, the one that would go on to create so much trouble for the Avengers. It is cast in a softer plastic with a slightly metallic bronze tone to the plastic. The blade is painted silver and in the centre is a metallic blue compartment where the Mind Stone is held.
Because of the way Loki's hands are sculpted, the sceptre will only fit into the left hand. Once in place it holds well and can be posed accordingly so that Loki can be summoning an army of Chitauri, or potentially mind controlling Hawkeye.
This figure was originally tough to locate as was anything from the Avengers movie. With this re-release, Hasbro have given us a real opportunity to start building an original Avengers display - and they even took the opportunity to enhance the figure with the removable helmet.
While the sculpt does not stand up to more modern figures, the outfit is well realise - even if the metallic sections aren't painted as such. Articulation is just as good as we see today, and the sceptre and helmet are well designed. I score the Avengers Loki a middle of the road 3 out of 5.
