Let's Revisit: Mezco One:12 Collective Previews Exclusive: Cyclops Action Figure

Time to drop another Retro Review. Even though this figure has been out for quite some time, I only recently bought it and thought... MAN!!! I need to write about this!!! Cyclops has always been one of my favorite characters and though I really prefer the Jim Lee costume design, his old school X-Men threads have a dear place in my heart. I've been reluctant to purchase too many Mezco figures, only out of concern of damaging the cloth goods, but careful handling and mindfulness will go a long way in keeping the figure in good standing.

Charles Xavier's first student, Scott Summers mutant power is the ability to fire concussive blasts from his eyes. Due to injuries sustained in a fall, Scott is unable to control these blasts and must rely on a special Ruby Quartz visor to contain the powerful beams. He is invulnerable to his own power, so when his eyes are closed, the blasts are contained as well. Scott is the field commander and overall team leader of the X-Men. His silent, brooding nature belies a strong tactical mind, and innate leadership abilities. His long-time relationship with Jean Grey has endured a number of unbelievable trials and joys, also resulting in a (mostly one-sided) rivalry with the fierce Wolverine. Though the pair don't always agree or see eye to eye, there is an underlying mutual respect between the men which comes to the forefront when the X-team is in combat or danger. Cyclops has served as field leader, Headmaster at Xavier's School, and even exiled himself from the team for a time. Cyclops first appeared in "The X-Men" #1, September 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

My only other version of this figure is the Diamond Select. One time, long ago, I held the Cyclops/Dark Phoenix Legends 2 pack in my hands... but as I wasn't collecting as much as I do now, I passed on it. Yes... I am that dumb. Due to my concerns about Mezco and based on the pictures I saw of this figure; I was hesitant to get myself one. However, when the vendor you buy from has a 50% off sale... sometimes you just have to say... "HECK YEAH!!!" I'm very glad I did because this is a really impressive offering. I only wish the batteries were good because the light up function isn't working. I just need to find the right batteries and that particular issue should be resolved. Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Accessories: 7/10

Mezco has a history of putting some amazing accessories in with their figures. Though I only have 2 figures from that company I've seen so many other reviews of Mezco figures with a bunch of great accessories. Cyclops does come with quite a bit but I'm not as impressed as I expected to be. There are two masked head sculpts, one with a grim, closed mouth expression and one with the mouth slightly open, showing gritted teeth. There's also an unmasked head sculpt with eyes that can light up. There is a pair of ruby quartz glasses that fit on the unmasked head very snugly, which helps prevent them falling off. He comes with a pair of fists, a pair of open/action hands, one flat/saluting hand, and one two-fingered visor activating hand. There is a very nice X display stand as well as an arm that can plug into the display stand. There are two visors with concussive blast effects, one with a low powered beam, and one with some serious destructive power shooting forth. Now comes the relatively confusing part... each of the masked heads have removable visors. There are THREE visors without any type of effect to them, with maybe the only difference being that one of the three has a slightly longer red slot on the front. There are two visors with a red "power wisp" tendril emanating upward from each and they look exactly the same. Basically, we get five visors, three of which are just duplicates. I'm honestly uncertain what the difference might be given that they are all interchangeable with BOTH masked head sculpts. I would have happily traded a couple of these for more blast effects to plug in... maybe a wide beam, or even a longer, low power blast. At any rate, all of the accessories are easy to change out and fit snugly when added to the figure. The last two items are a small pair of batteries for the light up feature. Sadly, my batteries are shot so I need to find replacements.

Appearance: 9.5/10

At first, I was unsure how I'd feel about the figure because of the suit design. The glossy "pleather" areas kind of threw me off, but once I had him in hand, I was blown away. The suit has an updated look for the classic design. The original comic style had flared boot cuffs, and the gloves came up to his forearms. His belt also alternated between red and yellow but lacked any pouches. This figure pays homage to the Jim Lee design as there are straps at his wrists, and the boot tops, while the belt has multiple pouches. Honestly, add a yellow shoulder harness and a removable visor for the unmasked head and this could easily become the Jim Lee version. That all being said, I am really impressed with the look of this figure. The yellow is vibrant and stands out beautifully against the dark blue of the body suit. His visor(s) all match the earpieces quite well, so that you really can't tell that they are separate pieces. The unmasked head sculpt is painted very nicely and the flesh tones on all three are impeccable. His hair sculpt has depth, but perhaps a wash of lighter brown over it would have really brought out more detail. The removable glasses look like they were taken right off the comic book page and really convince us we are looking at Scott Summers when they're in place. The actual design of the costume itself is surprisingly nice as the glossy "pleather" piece forms an X design, which is so understated that it kind of sneaks up on you. The rest of the "pleather" design gives the appearance of a soft armor over the costume, but not so obtrusive as to be excessively noticeable. The stitching on the costume is superb and doesn't scare me when I'm posing the figure. Even the boots and gloves have different shades of yellow to highlight details on them and it really breaks nicely. The paint applications, all over, are clean and all of the visors are translucent, to allow the light effects to show through. I just wish mine was working now. It would have been nice to have pictures of that to show you. I'll add some, once I replace the batteries. The only thing preventing Cyclops from getting a 10/10 here is the (necessary) collar design for the neck piece. I understand why it was done, but it throws the figure off just a bit for me, personally.

Articulation: 8/10

Even with the cloth goods, Mezco has engineered some amazing articulation into their figures. One of the warnings though, is to not leave your figure in extreme poses for too long as it could lead to damage to the cloth goods. So, with that in mind, we'll start at the top. Because of the design of his neck to accommodate the batteries, his head movement is very limited. It can turn side to side and that's about it. There's very minor upward movement and no downward or tilt at all. The neck itself is also fixed, and can only turn, but the turn is designed to remove the neckpiece to put batteries in. The shoulders can raise out to a T pose, but there is just the smallest bit of limitation due to the sleeves. I also figure that without the costume, they could rotate a full 360 degrees. There is a bicep swivel which works very well underneath the sleeve and the elbows bend in to about 90 degrees. I'm sure you can go further, but I'm not willing to risk damaging the costume to find out. The hands can rotate on the wrist pegs and there is some hinging available. The upper torso can tilt and swivel nicely and has better than average forward and backward crunch. His legs will split to the sides, but are a bit prohibited by the costume. They can kick forward very high though, which is a nice touch. Both legs have good thigh swivel, and the double-jointed knees can bend in quite deep as well. The ankle rocker and rotation are very good also. There is no toe pivot though, which is to be expected due to the design of the boots. I had anticipated being a little disappointed with the articulation because of the cloth goods, but I was proven wrong! Even with the limitations imposed as a result of the suit, this figure can move very well, likely even better than what I experienced simply due to my reluctance to push boundaries on the suit seams. Also, because of the "pleather" pieces, leaving him posed too long in a dynamic stance could potentially crease or even crack the "pleather."

Affordability: 9/10

Presently, Cyclops is on sale at BBTS for $50. I'm not sure how long that will last, but it's half price as he normally retails at $100. If you haven't yet added him to your collection, now is the time to do so! $50 for a Mezco figure is a pretty awesome deal, earning him a high score for value and affordability.

Overall... I freaking enjoy this figure. I really didn't expect to, as much as I do. I also said, previously, that I wasn't going to get too deep into Mezco because of the soft goods and fear of damaging them, but this thought process may be slowly changing because both Cyclops and Superman look absolutely incredible on my displays and having Cyke with the X-Men Classic lineup just makes me so very happy. With a big smile on my face, I can happily say that the Mezco One:12 Collective Previews Exclusive Cyclops Action Figure earns a very well deserved:

9 out of 10 ToyBoxes

If you've been holding off on Mezco, as I was, now is the time to jump on that train. At a very reasonable price, Cyclops is a great way to start your Mezo One:12 Collection! As always, thank you so much for visiting Dan's ToyBox! Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!