Wild Card

So far, the Fortnite license has been split between Jazwares' 4" scale figures, and McFarlane Toys' 7" scale ones. But now Jazwares is upping their game. By two whole inches. Pick a card, any card. Yes, if you want to mix your Marvel Legends with the cartoony killers of Fortnite, you'll at last be able to (though these are in a strict 6" scale, not the bigger-than-six-inch scale we call 6" because that's just easier to do, so they will be a little shorter). Jazwares even calls them the Legendary Series, because they're about a thousand times smarter than Mattel when it comes to biting off ML's success. (Admit it: "DC Legends" is a vastly better name than anything Matty's come up with in their unending carousel of new names and rebrandings for the DC lines. I'm really getting off track, though.) The important thing is, we now have an assortment of Fortniters who can shake their booties at Spider-Man and out-silly Deadpool. This figure is Wild Card, part of the "Getaway Gang" item set. As the name implies, he's meant to look like part of a heist crew, wearing a fancy three piece suit and black gloves. The suit itself is white, with his gloves, shoes, and tie being black. If Jazwares had been a little more liberal with their "six inch" guideline, this would probably have ended up as the base for so many Marvel and DC customs, finally giving customizers a break from the old standby... but they weren't, so it won't. Maybe you could do an Amadeus Cho; he's still a teenager, but he dresses up sometimes. Anyway, the toy's limbs are very gangly, matching the game's art style, while the suit of itself has a pleasing level of detail - wrinkles, seams, etc. In order to protect his anonymity, Wild Card wears one of those plastic tactical masks - or, to be more accurate, "he" wears four. See, one robber alone isn't a "heist," it's just a robbery: for the full effect, you need a team. And the Getaway Gang is definitely a team! There are four of them, all dressed in identical suits, with their identity-concealing masks as their only individualization: the mask itself is white (worn over what appears to be a black balaclava underneath), but has a card suit symbol painted over the eyes: heart, club, spade, or diamond. This one figure comes with all four masks - instantly making it a better value than McFarlane's take on Wild Card, which is available in "red" and "black" editions, each with only one alternate head. Want all four looks, but not four figures? You can find room in your budget for one Jazwares toy or two McFarlane ones. The removable faces here are held in place with slots and tabs, and stay on securely. Jazwares is not known for their articulation - but then, neither was McFarlane before Fortnite came along. You feel Epic Games insisted on the best movement for their toys. You know, sort of the opposite of what happened with the early Gears of War, where NECA had to fight with the studio behind the game to put in even as much articulation as they did. I guess Epic Games knows more about what makes a good toy than-- *checks notes* --Epic Games? Huh, what a difference a decade can make! Wild Card moves at the head, pecs, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, fingers, chest, waist, hips, thighs, knees, shins, ankles, and toes. That's vintage ToyBiz Marvel Legends stuff! Maybe because they had Dave Cortes doing this sculpt. Counting the faces, Jazwares' Fortnite Legendary Series figures come with a lot more accessories than McToys'. You've got the usual suspects: ranged weapon, melee weapon, backpack. The pistol is the Desert Eagle-inspired "Hand Cannon," which has a notch in the trigger guard to accommodate the figure's finger. His Harvesting Tool is the crowbar that came in the same set as the outfit, and is so big that it reaches nipple height on the figure. Also from the item set comes the Cuff Case, a Zero Halliburton briefcase with a pair of handcuffs dangling from the handle (McFarlane's Wild Card Red figure has the same case, but there the handcuff is a sculpted element, not separate). And if that weren't enough, he's also got a 6"-scale version of the same rocket launcher Rex carried. Good stuff all around! Finding this figure was a big surprise - I had no idea 6" Fortnite figures were coming, but I'm super glad this one turned up before McFarlane's did. The alternate masks are cool enough that I'd want them all, and only having to get one 6" figure is better for my budget (of both money and display space) than having to get two 7" figures. Now we've just got to hope Jazwares makes a figure of Ace, the female fifth member of the Getaway Gang. -- 07/04/19

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