“I'm not a monster, Stephen. I'm a mother.”
One of the obvious characters missing from the Marvel Legends wave for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was Scarlet Witch, although her absence was likely to mask her role in the movie as the key protagonist. This gap has now been plugged with the exclusive release of Scarlet Witch as a standalone figure sold via Target in the US and via the Fan Channel and Hasbro Pulse here in the UK. Wanda uses the standard Legends packaging design and is consistent in terms of colouring and logo with the other Multiverse of Madness releases - but she does come in the windowless packaging with the figure illustrated on the front and back rather than the traditional window.
The figure is a repurposing of the Disney+ Wanda from 2021 with the direct re-use of the torso, legs and skirt - while the arms are new to reflect the MoM costume. Each body section is cast in the base colour with less paint detail vs. the original but more weathering with black used to darken the torso, and darker reds used to weather the skirt. The hands are also new and while they remain fingerless, they feature the black-tipped fingers we see from users of the Darkhold.
The head is also new and the best likeness to date for Elizabeth Olsen enhanced with the photo-print technology. The head is framed by the now classic Scarlet Witch headpiece, and the hair has been sculpted as flowing down over her shoulders and is a more intense auburn than the prior release.
Articulation is entirely pin-less for the upper half of the body, while the legs remain pinned as they do originate with an earlier Scarlet Witch release from Civil War. There are 18 points of articulation in total allowing a range of movement particularly in the arms, while the legs do have a level of restriction due to the length and shape of the plastic skirt.
Wanda is packed with the same pair of magic effects that have been utilised extensively in the Legends line. These do still work really well coming in a soft translucent pinkish-red that allows them to be wrapped around the arms and hands. The set also includes a brand-new Darkhold accessory. At a time when the Indiana Jones team are producing a 1/12 scale opening book with visible illustrations, this Legends version is a bit basic and cast from a single plastic piece with no option to have it open or closed. What we do get does include some sculpted illustrations on the cover and on the page inside, but the legibility is limited.
The Darkhold can be fit into either or both of Wanda’s hands, although the grip is not secure so some of the poses shown in the original promo images are tough to achieve and rely on balance and perhaps some sticky tack. Perhaps an alternative set of hands, or allowing the book some level of hinge would have made posing a bit easier.
For fans of the MCU and the Multiverse of Madness, this new Scarlet Witch fills a sizeable whole providing the movie’s key villain for display alongside the Doctor Strange and America Chavez figures from last year. It is a stunning release, the best to date for Wanda Maximoff, with excellent paint decor and articulation and just a little bit of missed opportunity with the execution of the Darkhold accessory.
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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...