Hey everyone! It's been a minute or so since our last review. I apologize for the gap between. I've had some other projects, took a vacation, and really, had to rediscover my enjoyment of collecting. Sometimes, taking some time away helps remind us why we appreciate things, and I definitely needed the reminder.
The clone eventually named Kaine was the Jackal's first attempt at replicating Peter Parker. Initially considered a success, Kaine became disfigured due to a flaw in the cloning process. As his condition deteriorated, he became more deformed and mentally unstable.
The Jackal kept Kaine alive as a test subject to see how long the clone would survive, and Kaine exceeded his expectations. As a result, Kaine felt a deep sense of rejection similar to a father-son relationship. He left Professor Warren and discovered that the partial degeneration had slightly enhanced the powers he had genetically 'inherited' from Peter. His strength, speed, stamina, and agility were comparable to Peter's, but he also developed precognitive abilities, allowing him glimpses of the future (this new power is considered an amplified version of Peter's spider-sense). He possessed the "Mark of Kaine," a corrosive touch that left eroded handprints on his victims' faces. Created by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler, Kaine first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119. October, 1994.
ACCESSORIES: 2/10
Kaine comes packaged with a pair of fists and a grasping right hand and a semi-relaxed left hand. That's it. He could have come with wall crawling hands, which would have also been useful for his "Mark of Kaine" power in displays.
APPEARANCE: 9.5/10
I have to give Hasbro credit here. They actually did a pretty amazing job with the look of this figure. The tattered cloak is done nicely, however between that and the hair sculpt, Kaine will always look like he's standing in the wind. Functional, if you intend to keep him in a dynamic pose, or perched on a rooftop diorama, not so good for plain vanilla posing. I am pleased with the paint applications on my figure though. The blue sculpted highlights are, for the most part, very well done. I did find some small paint flaws, but nothing overly noticeable. The eyes look really nice and that hint of white from the gray mask really stands out. The pink sculpted pieces on his upper torso are also applied very cleanly. For the relatively small amount of paint on the figure, Hasbro did one of the better jobs. The sculpting is all new as well and really conveys a comic accurate look to the figure. A wash to the hair would have helped give it some more depth though. The fins on his forearms and legs are soft enough to not be a poking hazard. However, they are just a shade lighter than the rest of the blue on his body and it's a shame they couldn't actually match the colors. To be frank, since they appear to be insert pieces, I'd have molded them in the same gray as the body and painted them with the blue. That would have ensured a better color match. I assume that they used a different plastic though, to reduce the sharpness and make the fins softer and a bit more pliable. Aside from that, very minor issue, though, this is a really good-looking figure.
ARTICULATION: 7/10
Kaine is built on the standard Hasbro buck... which means there's nothing new or surprising with the articulation. There are limitations, based on the hair design and the cloak on his shoulders, but nothing really too onerous to prevent getting him in decent poses. His head will turn more to the left than it will to the right. It can look down really nicely, but has no upward look to speak of, thanks to the hair and cloak. Removing the cloak increases his head turn range slightly. The shoulders are limited by the cloak, but without it can: rotate 360 degrees, hit a solid T pose and the butterfly joints have surprisingly decent forward range. The bicep swivel works fine and the pinless jointed elbows can bend all the way in, bringing fist to shoulder. The hands all pivot and hinge at the wrist joints. The torso crunch is decent, if unspectacular, allowing for both forward and backward bending. The waist swivel is atrocious as usual, cutting the aesthetics of the figure when turned too far. Surprisingly, his hips have a decent range for splits. I'm surprised because Hasbro typically gives Spider-Man based figures poor split ability. Kaine is, technically, a Spider-Man and yet he can do better splits than the original. He can kick forward to just past 90 degrees and the upper thigh cuts work fine. The double-jointed knees have a solid range and can bring heel to backside. The ankles have great pivot and can hinge very nicely yet remain sturdy enough to support the figure in dynamic poses.
AFFORDABILITY: 5/10
Typical Hasbro Marvel Legend pricing of $25.99 is the retail on this figure. It's the average price regardless of the number of accessories or new sculpting. I picked mine up on BBTS and believe it's still available. I started to add the link, but the site is down for scheduled maintenance, as of the time of this writing.
Overall, I actually like this Kaine figure. He's a standout on the Spidey display and I'm happy to have him. Objectively, is this a good figure, absolutely. Is it a great figure...nah, I wouldn't go that far. With that in mind, the Hasbro Marvel Legends: Kaine Action Figure earns a solid:
6.5 out of 10 ToyBoxes
Kaine will look great in any Spider-Man collection but isn't necessarily a figure that I'd consider a "must have." As always, I appreciate all of you for dropping by Dan's ToyBox and until next time... GEEK OUT!!!