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Some movie franchises really think ahead. With Harry Potter, for instance, even minor characters are played by the same actors from one film to the next. The X-Men films didn't think that far ahead, which is how we got a different version of Kitty Pryde in all three films. Iceman was the same all the way through, but Pyro was swapped out after the first film. Though he had a very small role in X-Men 2: X-Men United, however, the Colossus who came back in X3 was the same guy.
Little is known about Colossus. He rarely speaks, though whether his stoicism is a result of shyness or a taciturn nature is unknown. Even when not in his metal form, he gives the impression of great strength. His eyes betray a keen intelligence that is otherwise hidden behind his silent nature. Since he arrived at the mansion, he has had only one goal - to become one of the X-Men. He's taken every opportunity to train with the team, and has displayed a fighting talent and unbeatable spirit that are an asset to the team.
It's been nearly a year since we first learned of the X3 Colossus figure, which should give you an idea of just how long it takes a figure to go from prototype to final product. Now, there's a lot of bitching online about Hasbro's decision to mix movie figures in with the rest of the Marvel Legends, but it actually makes a lot of sense: we get cool figures to fill out the ranks of our movie lineup, but there isn't a dedicated line choking store shelves.
Colossus is just over 7" tall, which puts him in the ranks of the biggest Marvel Legends, but not to a ridiculous amount. He's also slightly bigger than the movie Juggernaut figure, which will make for a good brawl. He has good articulation, with hinged toes, balljointed ankles (though the cuffs of his pants keep them from moving very far), double-hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, swivel waist, hinged torso, balljointed wrists, double-hinged elbows, swivel biceps, balljointed shoulders and a balljointed head. In addition, there are four individual finger hinges on his right hand - his left is permanently a fist.
The sculpt on this figure is really a mixed bag -
or, more accurately, the molding is. In some spots, the sculpt has been reproduced very well, with very crisp lines. Look at Peter's biceps, and you'll see distinctly individual lines. Look at his forearms, and that detail is a bit softer. Look at the face, and it's almost gone. In the comics, Colossus' metal form is basically thick bands running horizontally across his body - in the movie, it's more like every individual muscle fiber. That means a more "natural" look, but also means more detail for the sculpt to lose when it gets soft.
Colossus is painted nicely, but that's not saying a whole lot: the movie costumes aren't exactly bright, colorful affairs, you know? The suit is black, with blue-gray accents, and the arms and head are a metallic silver. The eyes are the same color, but the hair is black. The likeness is decent - the figure doesn't look terribly unlike Daniel Cudmore - and the suit has all the appropriate texture, but there wasn't a whole lot that the paint needed to do.
Hasbro has continued the Build-A-Figure tradition
started by ToyBiz, and this series' big boy is a Brood Queen. Colossus comes with the right arm, which is a bendy tentacle with a balljointed shoulder. There's a lot of creepy texture all over, and the piece is nearly as tall as Colossus is. Maybe he grabbed the arm and ripped it out of its socket, because he's just that much of a badass.
Let the fanboys bitch and moan about how unfair it is that they have to buy X-Men: The Last Stand figures to complete their BAFs - they're only cheating themselves. X3 Colossus is a cool figure, and would be worth getting even without the Brood Queen piece. A rushed production schedule meant that X3 didn't get a real toyline, but mixing the characters in with the rest of the Marvel Legends is the right answer.
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