The Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men '97 Rogue action figure takes us back to the animated era of the mutant superheroes. As we delve into the realms of accessories, appearance, articulation, and affordability, our goal is to help you decide if you want it or not. Let's take a look at the X-Men's resident southern sweetheart!
Rogue, a prominent character in the X-Men comic books, made her first appearance in "Avengers Annual" #10 in 1981. She was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden. However, her significant development and integration into the X-Men series occurred shortly afterward under the guidance of Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum.
Rogue's origin story is intricately tied to her mutant ability to absorb the powers and memories of others through physical contact. This power manifested when she accidentally put her boyfriend, Cody Robbins, into a coma after her mutant abilities emerged during their first kiss. Fearing her abilities, Rogue fled her southern roots and eventually found her way into the ranks of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants under Mystique's leadership.
Her tenure with the Brotherhood was short-lived, and she soon sought redemption by joining the X-Men. Rogue struggled with her inability to touch others without harming them, which added a layer of complexity to her character. Over time, she became an integral member of the X-Men, contributing her strength and flight abilities gained from Ms. Marvel, a superhero she had previously absorbed powers from.
Rogue's character has undergone various transformations and story arcs over the years, showcasing her personal growth and evolving relationships within the X-Men universe. She has become one of the most enduring and iconic characters in the X-Men mythology, appearing not only in comics but also in various animated series, movies, and other forms of media.
Accessories: 5/10
The inclusion of accessories is moderate for Rogue. She only comes with interchangeable hands. One pair of fists, one fisted hand, holding her glove, and one bare hand, which we've seen repeatedly with the female figures. Be careful when swapping hands out, as the "cuffs" of her gloves are separate and can slide off of her wrists. While these additions enhance the figure's display options, a few more accessories like energy or punching effects could have elevated the overall experience.
Appearance: 7/10
Hasbro has done a commendable job capturing the animated aesthetic of Rogue from the X-Men '97 series. The sculpt details are fantastic on her jacket and hair, and the paint application is relatively clean, highlighting Rogue's signature green and yellow costume. The details of the "X" logos on her upper chest and sleeves are applied very nicely and the paint lines are very tight, which is good, considering the other paint issues we'll discuss shortly. The facial expression, though limited due to the nature of the character, effectively conveys her determined demeanor. A minor gripe lies in the slightly softer edges of the some of the paint lines. I was also kind of disappointed that her eyes aren't green. The biggest issue I had, was really, with the paint. The shades of green on her legs are noticeably different at the thigh cut joint and again where her lower torso and the upper thighs meet. Obviously, we're dealing with different molds, but the fact that the greens are just a bit off from one another, I just can't "unsee" it when I look at her now. I also have a chunk of paint missing on her right thigh and several green splotches on her left, which you can see here:
I also wish that her belt was a bit bigger/looser to be more accurate to the character. This belt is snug and though floating, really doesn't move much. In the cartoon and the comic books, her belt tends to hang at an angle on her hips, but that's not what we get here. For the most part, the figure looks good, sadly though, because I know what I'm looking at, my eyes get drawn to the problems and not the overall aesthetic of the figure. I'm being generous with the seven rating, in an effort to be fair and assume that not all of the figures will have the same issues as mine.
Articulation: 4/10
I know that we've seen this body mold so many times, which means that my ratings should be consistent. However, I'm really disappointed with this figure, right out of the package. I had very, very tight joints, which needed to be loosened with heat. Sadly, the shoulder rotation is still giving me problems and both shoulders click loudly as I rotate them. We'll start at her head... it will look down very nicely and turns easier to the left, than it does to the right due to her hair sculpt. She cannot look up though, which limits flight poses. As mentioned, the shoulders are terrible. They are very gummy, and I won't stay in position unless I move them past the "click" points. Her arms do raise out to her sides, beyond the T pose, which is nice. The elbows are single jointed, with the swivel built in. This limits her to 90-degree elbow bends, which is disappointing. The hands/wrists will all pivot easily and hinge. Her torso joint does turn reasonably well and can tilt backward. Yet, has no forward crunch. Her legs can barely split past 45 degrees and will kick forward to 90 degrees. There is little backward swing though. The thigh cuts are tight, but once loosened, work fine. The knees are double jointed and bend good enough, yet not all the way to allow her to touch her back with her heel. The ankles hinge well, but the pivot is also tight, even after having received a hot water bath. I would definitely recommend continuing to gently work the joints on your figure, if you run into the same issues I'm having. Silicone shock oil may even be a better alternative, to help reduce the friction in the pins and joints.
Affordability 7/10
Considering the current market trends, the Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men '97 Rogue is right in line, in spite of the features it offers. I found mine at Walmart for $24.95. It's kind of sad that I'm willing to give a decent score, based only on the fact that pricing is consistent now. I also have to say that I'm happier with the retro style packaging, if for no other reason than it prohibits thieves from taking figures home, swapping them out, and returning the wrong figure hidden inside the package to get their money back. Honestly, anybody who does that is scum and deserves to be flogged in the public square.
Overall, the Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men '97 Rogue action figure stands as a nostalgic tribute to the animated series. Unfortunately, there's really nothing incredible that stands out about this figure. The animated series Wolverine had some features that fans have been clamoring for, but Rogue, while nice, still leaves me feeling kind of flat. With that in mind, the Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men '97 Rogue action figure earns an average:
5 out of 10 ToyBoxes
The Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men '97 Rogue is an acceptable addition to any X-Men collection. For fans of the animated series, this figure will fit right in, and even for those less familiar, Rogue's presence makes her a captivating piece on any collector's shelf. Thank you for spending some time in Dan's ToyBox today, until next time... GEEK OUT!!!