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In order to counter the ever-growing threat of Wal*Mart, Toys Я Us has chosen a bold plan of attack: rather than retreating to the safety of family-friendly sure sellers, they're specifically trying to court collectors. They've reached out to the smaller companies, like Mezco, NECA and Diamond Select, bringing a variety to their shelves that hasn't been seen in the better part of a decade. To help draw in the fans, TRU has also gotten no small amount of exclusives. For instance, not only did they get the Wolverine movie Minimates a month sooner than the specialty markets did, they also got two sets available nowhere else, one with an enemy, and one with an ally.
Returning to correct one of his greatest mistakes, Wolverine
will need every ounce of strength his training and mutant abilities can provide to locate, infiltrate and destroy his target and free their mutant prisoners.
This, according to the packaging, is "Weapon X Wolverine," which really has to make you wonder why the little bio skirts around mentioning Weapon X at all. It's kind of awkward. But forget that, because the toy is good. Our list of Wolverine Minimates really needs to be updated, now that he's got an entire set of movie two-packs, each of which comes with a Logan of one form or another, but it's still no surprise that this is basically the same as a figure we've seen before. Remember Series 5's Civilian Logan? This is the movie version of him. Tank top, chest hair, pants, belt... the details are different, but the big picture's the same.
Logan's got an extra pair of claw-free hands, which is nice to see. His hair seems to be a new piece, in that it's shared with one of the other Wolverines available in this series, but isn't re-used from any previous release. Sometimes Art Asylum can get a surprisingly good likeness on these little Minimate heads, but the Origins ones are kind of a crapshoot. Weapon X Wolverine's face isn't unmistakable, but there's definitely a hint of Hugh Jackman in those angry lines.
One of the few great loves in Logan's life, Kayla Silverfox is put in grave danger when a vengeful Sabretooth arrives looking for his former friend. Far from defenseless, her true capabilities remain to be seen...
In the comics, Silver Fox was a plain human and she knew Wolverine near the beginning of the 20th century, rather than in the late '70s. Her name also wasn't Kayla - she was a native Blackfoot, so "Silver Fox" was her full name. Much like the movie, though, she was introduced only to be killed off, which I guess means she qualifies for Women in Refrigerators status.
Her outfit here pins down exactly what this set is meant to represent:
the bit with her and Logan running through the cages, freeing all Weapon X's prisoners. She's wearing a grey dress with laces on the chest and sleeves, and black pants. The skirt comes from the Spider-Man 3 Minimates [maybe you should have reviewed those, you think? --ed.], and the hair seems to be... new? I thought it might have been a BSG piece, but none that I can find. It's very detailed, and hangs well around her shoulders without blocking the neck too much.
All Minimates share the same body with different paint decos,
and they all move at the same 14 points: neck, waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. Though AA has recently started cheating the height of the figures up a little bit, they haven't bothered with a solution going the other way, so Weapon X Wolverine is the same height as Silver Fox.
Of course, Hugh Jackman is a big guy, so the movies' Logan has never been a shrimp.
This TRU-exclusive two-pack is a nice value. Neither figure is available anywhere ele: yes, Silver Fox is the biggest draw of the set - since, as Artemis will happily remind us, there's never any such thing as "too many females" - but this specific Wolverine is unique, as well. If you can find this set (distribution is kind of spotty), it's a nice one.
-- 06/01/09
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