Super-Skrull

So, does this guy sound Australian, or what? The greatest warrior of the cruel, world-conquering alien race known as the Skrulls, the Super-Skrull was given all the superpowers of the Fantastic Four and sent to destroy them to pave the way for a Skrull invasion of Earth. But that scheme merely led to the first of many defeats he has suffered at the hands of the Fantastic Four and other heroes. Nevertheless, the Super-Skrull remains a threat of incalculable destruction - and it is a matter of time until he returns to Earth to wreak havoc once again! Thanks, 1992 Skybox Marvel Masterpieces trading card set! This is the original Super-Skrull, from the days before there were dozens of Super Skrulls, all mix-n-match combo-plattering various superhuman powers into new and terrifying syntheses. Originally his copycatted powers were fueled by an energy beam from space, like a living Dish Network receiver (meaning he can be defeated by a cloudy day). Kl'rt is the Build-A-Figure for the first series of Fantastic Four Marvel Legends. There are six figures in the series, and nine BAF pieces, so three of the figures come with two pieces instead of just one. Assembling him was a little tougher than usual - the legs didn't want to plug into the hips at first, so it took more work to get them in place. Those certainly won't be coming off again! At least not on mine. Yours may be different? This is not Hasbro's first Super-Skrull, but it is their first original sculpt - the previous was a repaint of ToyBiz's version, with colors that suggested it was someone else. This figure gets the arms and legs from the big body, but a new, broad chest that's got a rubber overlay to seamlessly create the big pointy shoulder flares of his costume. It's a nice combo, giving us an alien who's large and intimidating, but who still manages to look different from other figures you'd already have in your collection. You get your choice of two heads, both with the Skrulls' traditional wrinkled chin, giant pointed ears, and purple "widow's peak" skullcap: one stern and serious, the other smiling sinisterly. They both have smaller wrinkles on their foreheads, and blank yellow eyes, but the most fun thing about them is that, thanks to the way Hasbro reuses bodies, they'll fit on a lot of different neck pegs, so you can "Secret Invasion"ize a ton of Marvel heroes! Thus far, the figure could easily have just been a regular Skrull, but this is the Super-Skrull. So that means he's got alternate arms to display his powers! The left arm is big and made of orange rocks with a removable flame piece, just like Ben and Johnny; the right arm is stretched way out and fades from colored to clear, just like Mr. and Mrs. Richards. You can show him without flames if you want, but why would you want? The sculpts of both alternate arms are good, with the stretchy arm terminating in an inflated fist, while the rocky arm gets bigger as it moves away from the body. But more than that, the shoulder on the left is larger than the one on the normal arm, and sculpted with deeper, more pronounced striations, like it's got bigger muscles to support the stone; the right shoulder is also a little larger than normal, but not as much, and is as smooth as rubber. The sculptor really thought this one through! Super-Skrull moves at the head, neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, chest, waist, hips, thighs, knees, shins, and ankles. Yes, even the powered-up arms get the usual ML articulation, which is nice. The shoulder hinges on all four arms were very stiff, and it took a lot of careful force to get them moving. The rocky arm's bicep peg is surprisingly thin, considering how big the arm it goes into is, which could be a weak point if you're not careful. It also leaves a small gap between the arm and shoulder. It's hard to find the right way to attach the evidence of Human Torch's powers, but overall Super-Skrull is great. The plain arms let you turn him into a normal (though large) Skrull, just in case you wanted to try to army-build a Build-A-Figure. A Build-A-Figure from a series with four clunkers and two good figures. Doctor Doom | Mr. Fantastic | Invisible Woman | Human Torch | Thing | Hulk -- 04/27/20

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