Havok

How did this series end up having two Summers brothers? It's not like the Build-A-Figure is Madelyne Pryor or anything. Alex Summers, aka Havok, fires super-heated plasma from his hands, to devastating effect. A veteran hero and leader, he longs to step out of his older brother Cyclops' shadow. We've had Havok figures before. We've even had this particular Havok costume before. Mind you, that was in the ToyBiz days, so it's not like this release is unwelcome, but fans would be after this one anyway. Why? The accessories. So rather than make you wait until the end of the review to discuss those, let's dive right in. Since he was introduced, Alex's powers have always been portrayed as a series of concentric circles. Hasbro's previous releases included appropriate energy effects, but this time they've really upped their game. We get three new pieces, all molded in translucent blue: two sized to fit over his wrists, and one massive one that plugs into his back. Yes, Havok's powers come from his chest, not his back, but the idea is clear. While the old effects had rings and Kirby dots, these new ones are just circles, overlapping and intersecting like ripples in water. Also, all three pieces are unique molds; before, we got two identical effects, but whle the wrist-rings here are similar, they're not carbon copies of one another. They're loose enough to spin around the wrists, which means you don't really get a choice in how you want to pose them: no matter what, the heaviest part is always going to end up hanging down. The backpack one is much more stable, though. Havok uses the larger pec-hinge body, so he can more easily point his arms forward. Why, though? None of the other Havoks have used it, and they were fine. Maybe because this one represents him when he was younger, and this body isn't quite as developed as the other? Just a guess. His suit is entirely black, with white circles on the chest. Those aren't part of the costume, really; the circles are an indicator of how much power he has stored, and just sort of appear on him; the cothes he wears really are just solid black. Come to think of it, since the style was usually to draw Havok's costume without any of the traditional highlights, just the black shape, it's a shame a mass-market toy company doesn't have the budget to paint its products vantablack. Somebody give me some money and I'll do it myself. The head is new, of course. The last time we got this costume in the 6" scale, Sam Greenwell turned in some great work, giving Alex a stern grimace. Today's unknown sculptor doesn't do anything that dynamic, just creating a plain face that still has nice, crisp details. His weird crown thing, easily his most recognizable feature, is silver here, with a large red gem in the front. Havok includes two pieces of the Bonebreaker Build-A-Figure: the... gas tanks? Oil drums? Something. Bonebreaker's a weird character. Havok isn't a highly exciting Marvel Legend, but it's been a decade and a half since we've seen this costume, and the character-specific energy effects are a fun inclusion that make him feel like a better value. -- 09/19/22

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