The 58th series of Minimates from Diamond Select Toys offered fans of Marvel’s mutants four, two-packs of characters tied to last year’s blockbuster movie “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
That means a total of eight, 2.5-inch-tall figures boasting 14-points of articulation each with a painted, blocky body, plastic hair pieces, painted facial features on cylinder shaped, noseless heads and interchangeable parts.
The collection focused mainly on separate versions of Wolverine, Magneto and Professor X tied to the film’s time-traveling plot.
Figure profile: (paraphrased from packaging) After losing the use of his legs, Charles Xavier began taking a serum that enabled him to walk, but at the cost of his telepathic ability. When he needs his powers in 1973, he must quit the serum and use a wheelchair.
Projecting his mind back to 1973, Bone Claw Wolverine must take control of his younger body and reunite the X-Men to stop Mystique from causing a horrific future where humans and mutants are both endangered.
Accessories: By far, the best duo of the series, owners get a younger version of Charles Xavier (just so slightly looking like his acting counterpart James McAvoy) with full head of plastic locks, a pinch of facial hair, a paisley shirt and tan jacket. He’ also gets a faux-version of his “X” wheeled electronic wheelchair to easily sit in.
SEE ALSO: Zadzooks: Marvel Retro Wolverine Box Set review
Next, a stern-looking Logan (aka Wolverine) sports bone claws (not Adamantium-laced ones) extended from his knuckles. He wears jeans, shirt, undershirt and tan jacket. He comes with a second torso, sans shirt offering a painted, hairy chest with muscle definition.
Here’s a quick look at the other figure sets.
* Future Wolverine and Future Storm: Almost a tie here for best of set thanks to this version of Storm. Owners get sort of a Halle Berry likeness painted on the head (it’s the eyes), an alternate head with eyes pure white, a frosted hair piece, a display base to lift her off the ground and translucent blue electrical tendrils to attach to her hands. Wolverine is pretty standard issue here with black-and-gray costume, silver claws and gray streaks in his wing-tipped hair.
* Future Magneto and Future Professor X: Both figures arrive dressed in black costumes just like in the film with the white-haired Magneto also getting a black cape. The bald Professor X gets a future version of his wheelchair to sit in, boasting a translucent display base to make it look like the chair is floating. Also, the Magneto facial sculpt bears an uncanny resemblance to the film’s actor Ian McKellan.
* Mystique and Young Magneto: The famed shapeshifter has an orange hairpiece and a brilliantly blue face and body looking ripped from the film with incredible painted detail to highlight her scales throughout. The Master of Magnetism is dressed in a purple-and-black costume, and he comes with a helmet, a hairpiece and translucent stand to mount him on when the appearance of hovering is required.
Price: $9.99.
SEE ALSO: Blu-ray review: ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut’
Watch it: The newly released Blu-ray ” X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut” (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Rated PG-13, $29.99) offers fans a chance to once again watch an incredible, superhero team film starring Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Halle Berry.
It’s worth looking at the Minimates set for the younger fans in the family smitten by the movie, as they are really the only action figures available that are tied to the film.
Read all about it: I highly recommend enjoying the historic, 1970s and 1980s Chris Claremont and John Byrne run of Uncanny X-Men via a computer tablet loaded with the Marvel Digital Comic Shop app.
Specifically, look for the “X-Men Days of Future Past” story arc (Nos. 138 to 143, $1.99 each) to learn the origins of the movie’s story.
What’s it worth: The Minimates have filled a very odd sort of collecting niche for pop-culture fans since 2002 as Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys have released figures based on a range of franchises including “Star Trek,” “Back to the Future,” “Pulp Fiction, “Aliens,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Ghostbusters,” KISS and, of course, Marvel Comics.
These larger, more robust and easier-to-manipulate versions of Lego mini-block figures not only look great in display case, but the “X-Men: Days of Future Past” collection give the kiddies some fun role-playing options and movie connoisseurs a compact way to start a very colorful collection.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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