So because Hasbro actively prevents its brand managers from making toys the way they should be, there is no information about these characters on the packaging or even in marketing material. Therefore, we turn to a couple of Upper Deck trading card sets.
The formidable physicality and superb soldiery of Corporal Dum Dum Dugan made him an integral member of Nick Fury's Howling Commandos. The bonds formed during WWII cemented a lifelong friendship between the two soldiers.
And eventually he died and Nick Fury replaced him with an LMD that didn't know it wasn't the real thing. Dick move, Nick. Timothy Aloysius Cadwaller Dugan was born in 1918 in Boston. At age 14 he joined a circus as a strongman, and volunteered for the British army when World War II broke out. He died in 1966, hit by a ricochet while on a mission, meaning pretty much every appearance he's had in Marvel Comics has been after-the-fact.
Right away, we see this set is going to be more impressive than it seemed: Hasbro loves reusing bodies whenever possible,
but this is a new mold, even under the holster he has strapped around his chest: this isn't one of the standard bodies, but one that's a bit thicker, and a bit softer, like a middle-aged former strongman would be. The gloves he wears have sculpted details on them (a belt around the left, a little communicator or something on the right), he's wearing a utility belt with 10 pouches, and there's a holster around his right leg.
The things that have always set Dum Dum Dugan apart from every other SHIELD agent are his handlebar mustache and his bowler hat, and they've both been reproduced well for this figure. The facial sculpt is better than the last time he had a Marvel Legend, more exaggerated for the scale, and actually sized properly for the body this time. Way to go!
Following in his father's footsteps, Agent Nick Fury Jr. is one of the best in SHIELD. He always stops bad guys and does the right thing, no matter the cost.
Introduced as "Marcus Johnson," the character who would eventually have his birth name revealed to be Nick Fury Jr. was created specifically so the Nick Fury in the comics could look like the Nick Fury in the movies. And cartoons. And the Ultimate comics. And everything except the 616 comics. So how do you turn a guy so white he was played by David Hasselhoff in his first movie appearance into a guy inspired by Samuel L. Jackson? Give him an illegitimate son, and have bad guys torture said son so he's got scars and an eyepatch just like Ultimate Fury. Creative!
Just like Dum Dum, Nick's got a new torso - though in his case, it's closer to the normal ones, really just set apart by the fact it's molded so the harness can be glued in. He's trimmer than Dum Dum, and the belts he wears (both around his waist and holding his holster on) are a different style. That's nice variety, making both characters look related, but not identical - already a step up from the previous attempt!
Both figures share the same arms and legs, but these new torsos get pec hinges in addition to all the normal ML movement:
head, neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, chest, waist, hips, thighs, knees, shins, and ankles. There's a SHIELD logo tampographed on the left shoulder, and silver paint apps for the buckles on the belts and harnesses. The set includes the same accessories for both of them: the square pistols (with orange muzzle flares and grey gunsmoke), a straight knife, and an assault rifle. The guns get paint apps instead of being a solid color, and there are four extra hands for each figure, to replace their fists: weirdly, it's one right hand (trigger finger extended) and three lefts (holding, open, and pointing) instead of two for each side.
And then Nick gets one more special accessory. Or, two really.
Master spy Nick Fury began his career as
an NCO over the "Howling Commandos," a unique, elite unit of soldiers from divergent backgrounds. It wouldn't be until much later that he would become an agent of SHIELD and then, finally, its director.
While Dum Dum's neck was painted pink, Nick's is left the same blue as the rest of his suit. (And side note: it might have looked cool on both of them if they'd gotten a white "collar" paint app from the clavicles up, though maybe that would have conflicted with the holster straps?) By not having any exposed skin, you have the option to turn Nick Fury Jr. into Nick Fury Sr. by simply switching the heads! How cool! Shame they didn't think of doing that for the Commander Steve Rogers figure. We also get a silver pistol, which seems more like something Senior would carry than Junior.
Just as with Dum Dum, the new Nick Fury head is better than the old one, thanks to the ways toy production have improved in the last 15 years. The old one was good for its time, but this one is superior. Well, there was a more recent version, included with the Dirk Anger figure, but this one manages to edge that one out, as well. There's stubble painted on, but it's wonderfully subtle!
Sharon Carter was the younger sister of Margaret "Peggy" Carter, a heroic freedom fighter during World War II who had many adventures with Captain America. She has shared many adventures with Cap, formed the Femme Force, and serves on Steve Rogers' Secret Avengers.
It's weird that says "many adventures" twice so close together, isn't it? Time-travel back to 2011 and take it up with Upper Deck. Or tell Dan Yun you want text on the packages again, either works. And speaking of travelling through time, Sharon was Peggy's sister, originally, but that had to be changed to her niece as more and more years passed between the 1940s and the present day.
Unlike the boys, Sharon does not get a new sculpt. It's not one of the regular ones, though - they didn't just try to paint a plain sculpt white and call it a day. This is the same spy suit 60th Anniversary Black Widow introduced, with the sculpted wrinkles and seams, slightly unzipped top, and raised collar. Plus really good articulation, thanks to the pectoral hinges, balljointe chest, and hinged stomach. She gets a new gun belt, in black to contrast against the white of her suit, and there's pink paint to create the cut-outs on her shoulders. The belt is PVC, so it can flex as you pose the toy's legs.
Sharon has had two Marvel Legends before; the first was early in Hasbro's run, when they were still working out the best way to make 6" figures; the second was after they took a break to focus on the 4" scale for a few years, but still had its issues. Big, wide-eyed issues. So this new one wins "best face" by default, no matter which of its two heads you prefer. You heard that right, two heads! This set loves alternate heads.
One head has the hair down, falling over her shoulders. Last time Hasbro tried that on her, the head and hair were sculpted as one,
making it feel rather flat, but this time the hair is a separate piece glued in place and thus it looks much better. Her alternate head has the hair pulled back in a rather severe bun, which pairs well with the angrier expression sculpted on that one. Finally, she's armed with the same hands and pistols Natasha came with, and yellow muzzle flare this time.
Due to Hasbro openly charging too much money for their products, actual stores don't want to carry them anymore, and that means the only place you could see this set in person was GameStop; but it turns out all three of these figures are great, they're better in person than they seemed they'd be, and every one of them is a strong upgrade over what we had before.
-- 03/24/25
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