Welcome to Dan's ToyBox review of the Hasbro Marvel Legends Thor and Destroyer Two Pack. I'm actually quite pleased with these figures. Sure, there are some issues, but they are issues I'm actually willing to overlook because of my enjoyment of them. Yes, we will discuss the issues because you should always have the option to receive the most information you can in order to decide how you want to spend your hard-earned money.
This version of Thor is based on the time in the comics when Eric Masterson was serving as the God of Thunder, during Thor's punishment/banishment from Asgard. Eric Masterson was an architect who became friends with Thor in his new civilian identity of Sigurd Jarlson. After Eric was badly wounded trying to help Thor fight Mongoose, Thor asked Odin to merge their life forces. The end result saved Eric's life but left two men merged in one body. They often fought for control over the body, and eventually Eric, realizing how unsafe his new role was for his son, gave custody of the boy to his mother.
After Loki was thought to have been slain by Thor, Odin banished him, and Thor's power was bestowed upon Masterson. Although he tried to hide it, Eric's inexperience soon showed. However, Masterson began to master his new abilities and soon replaced Thor in the Avengers. Odin finally freed Thor from banishment and thought it best for Eric to stay as his replacement. Masterson eventually revealed his double identity to Captain America. He then embarked on a series of adventures which included: visiting Asgard, where he fought the Warriors Three, Balder, Heimdall, and Sif, in hopes of finding the real Thor. Masterson then helped rescue the sleeping Odin from Annihilus and teamed with Beta Ray Bill and Dargo Ktor as the "Thor Corps" against Zarrko and Loki. While serving the Avengers as Thor, Masterson aided them in such battles as the Kree/Shi'ar war and the Infinity Gauntlet crisis, after which, he became one of only three heroes (Dr. Strange and The Silver Surfer were the other two) to remember the entire confrontation, as he had briefly witnessed Warlock's soul during the fight. Upon Thor's return, Odin eventually made Eric his own weapon, a mace called Thunderstrike. Masterson first appeared in Thor #391 (May 1988) and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.
The Destroyer is an enchanted suit of armor forged by Odin. The initial reason for the armor was that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon against some dark force from space. First seen in the Temple of Darkness in Asia, the Destroyer is used by Thor's arch-foe Loki against him. Animated by a nearby lifeforce, it battles Thor to a standstill, Loki is forced to intervene and stop the Destroyer using lethal force when Odin threatens to kill him. Thor then buries the armor under a mountain slide. The Destroyer makes an appearance at the end of the Thor movie. It was designed to guard Odin's Treasure Vault, and obeyed, without question, the ruler of Asgard, regardless of who was ruling at the time. In the film, the Destroyer is sent to Earth to kill Thor but once defeated, the machine was taken by S.H.I.E.L.D and allegedly retrofitted as a new Earth weapon. The Destroyer first appeared in Journey into Mystery #118, July 1965, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Time to get to work! Let's discuss these two figures!
Accessories: 7/10 The Hasbro Marvel Legends Thor and Destroyer Two Pack is a treat for action figure collectors and Marvel fans alike. The set comes with a decent array of accessories that truly enhance the play and display value. Thor, based on the Eric Masterson version from the comic books, boasts both a masked and unmasked head sculpt, allowing you to recreate various iconic moments from the pages. Mjolnir, the legendary hammer, is exquisitely detailed and fits snugly into Thor's hand, giving the figure an authentic and dynamic pose. In addition to the hammer, Thor comes with an alternate fist that adds versatility to the display options, whether you're aiming for a battle-ready stance or a more heroic one. The Destroyer figure in the set features a pair of fists and one open/grasping hand and one weapon holding hand, providing flexibility in posing and interactions between the two characters. The quality of these accessories adds reasonable value to the overall package. I would have liked another hand for Thor or even a weapon for the Destroyer to hold, but overall, I'm good with what we get.
Appearance: 8.5/10
The Thor figure in this set is a visual delight for fans of the character. It's based on the Eric Masterson version from the comic books, capturing the essence of his heroic persona. The sculpt is impressively detailed, highlighting the costume's intricate designs and textures. The two head sculpts, masked and unmasked, showcase a remarkable level of likeness to the character, bringing out the charisma and determination that Thor is known for. The paint application is clean and vibrant, making the figure pop on display shelves. Probably, my biggest complaint is the boots. This is the third figure to use the 80th anniversary Thor body mold and cape and both of the previous figures had paint detail on the boots. These are a solid gold plastic, which looks just like plastic. Images of the character show black highlights around the bands on his boots, which give them depth and realism. This is lacking on the figure as the boots really would have benefitted from some black highlights/shadow/wash. Aside from that, I really dig the sculpting in the hair and beard and the paint apps on the rest of the figure. The Destroyer figure, while less intricate due to its nature, still manages to impress with its imposing stature and attention to detail in recreating the metallic appearance. We know that Hasbro can do metallic/silver/gunmetal, and they showed it here. The burnished steel appearance is really eye catching and the sculpt is both evocative of the comic AND the movie appearance. Even the small bits of white paint for the eye slits are cleanly applied and stand out well against the faceplate. I have to confess that I'm really pleased with the Destroyer in this two pack!The overall appearance of both figures is faithful to their comic book counterparts and adds a visually appealing touch to any collection.
Articulation: 9/10 One of the consistent features of the Hasbro Marvel Legends series is its articulation, and this Thor and Destroyer Two Pack is no exception. The Thor figure utilizes the body mold from the 80th anniversary Thor action figure, which offers a wide range of articulation points. From dynamic action poses to subtle nuances in expression, the figure's articulation allows for a vast array of display possibilities. The joints are sturdy and well-designed, ensuring stability even in more challenging poses. There are restrictions, of course, due to the hair sculpt and cape, which means turning Thor's head (either version) isn't going to happen very well. The torso joint does have a great amount of range for turning and side to side tilt but lacks decent forward crunch. The arms rotate fully at the shoulders and can raise to a nice T pose and, of course, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows and wrist pivot/hinge are all standard and work good enough. There is a waist swivel, which is fine. The legs do very poor splits though, but can kick forward well, have a decent thigh cut and knees that bend in better than expected due to the sculpt. The ankles are exceptionally tight on mine though and are difficult to pose. The Destroyer figure may be slightly limited due to its design, but it still manages to provide decent articulation for its size and character type. The arm and leg movements are sufficient for conveying its immense power and presence. The diaphragm joint actually has better movement than you'd expect and the legs, while limited, can still kick forward nicely. The arms are also a pleasant surprise as the shoulder pieces don't inhibit movement at all. Full rotation, T poses... all can be done with ease. The head moves well and has decent range of motion for the type of design. The only real issues I have are with the knees as they were extremely tight and needed a bit of hot air from the old hair dryer to loosen up. The ankles have great range of motion as well. Honestly, Destroyer carries the day for articulation. He doesn't look like he should pose very well, and we get a pleasant surprise by his range of motion!
Affordability: 7/10 Considering the quality and variety of figures included in this two-pack, the Hasbro Marvel Legends Thor and Destroyer set offers good value for its price point. With two detailed figures, multiple head sculpts, accessories, and solid, if unspectacular articulation, collectors get a substantial package that caters to both play and display preferences. At the price of $59.99, I think collectors are getting a good deal, given that on his own, I'm sure the Destroyer would be well over $30 as a deluxe figure.
Overall, the Hasbro Marvel Legends Thor and Destroyer Two Pack is a must-have for Marvel enthusiasts and action figure collectors. With its impressive accessories, detailed appearance, outstanding articulation, and reasonable affordability, this set earns a solid overall score of
8.5 out of 10 ToyBoxes
I'm very happy to be able to say some good things about a Marvel Legends product in this review. Lately I've not been thrilled with Hasbro's Legends offerings. This gives me a degree of hope that maybe they'll start raising the QC bar. Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!