Marvel Legends Marvel's Ragnarok Deluxe Action Figure Review

Welcome back to another ToyBox review. Today we're taking a closer look at the Hasbro Marvel Legends: Marvel's Ragnarok Deluxe Action Figure. The figure is based on a simple repaint of the 80th Anniversary Thor Action Figure, with few additions. Overall, this is a pretty fun figure, though not without it's own flaws.

Ragnarok, named after the cataclysm that destroys Asgard, is a clone/cyborg of the Mighty Thor. After the events of "Avengers Disassembled," with Thor missing, presumed dead, Tony Stark and Reed Richards clone the Thunder God, using a strand of his hair that Stark had collected years earlier. Coupling this clone with a powerful cyborg body, Stark and Richards create Ragnarok. The original intent of the clone was to provide the "Pro-Registration" allies in Civil War some serious firepower to battle those in opposition. During an encounter between pro and anti forces, the clone drove his mechanical hammer through Goliath's chest, killing the hero and sending shockwaves through both sides. The character, created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven first appeared as "Lightning" in Civil War #3, July 2006 and then as "Ragnarok" in Avengers: The Initiative #21, January 2009.

Before we dive into the figure, if you are a regular reader, please feel free to jump on down to the review. If, however, this is your first time visiting, Dan's ToyBox uses four categories to review figures: Accessories, Appearance, Articulation, and Affordability. Following my previous review, I've felt it necessary to alter the overall rating system a bit. After discussing each, the figure is then given an overall score of Zero to Five ToyBoxes, with Zero being the worst and Five being a "Must Add" to your collection!

For being a deluxe figure, I would have expected there to be a bit more with Ragnarok. However, I looked back on some of the other deluxe figures I've bought and realized that this one does have a bit more with him than they did. Ragnarok comes packed with two head sculpts, one with the cybernetic parts revealed and one without. Both have glowing red eyes, which we'll discuss later. He comes with a normal hand and a cybernetic hand, "Mjolnir' and a spinning effect "Mjolnir." I use quotation marks as we know this isn't the original Mjolnir, which Ragnarok wouldn't have been worthy of lifting. The accessories are nicely done and I am a big fan of the spinning Mjolnir effect. It is a bit heavy for the figure though, at least for mine. I'll discuss the issues more though under the articulation section. Overall though, I do like the accessories with this figure. They are all well done, the cybernetic parts look great and the hammer and spinning effect are great additions. On that note, I'll give this an A for Accessories.

Ragnarok is basically the 80th Anniversary Thor with new head sculpts and added paint schemes and washes. Mjolnir is a re-issue as well but the spinning effect is really done exceptionally well. The blur effect between the hammers is a light, translucent blue which is meant to convey lightning, I expect. The writing on each hammer is visible though, which ruins the effect a bit. If maybe every other hammer were blurred or even had a more significant blue effect to them it would enhance the spinning effect. I do like the paint apps on the eyes, giving both head sculpts the glowing red, cybernetic eye effects. The cybernetic designs on the head sculpt and hand are really good, the gunmetal paint apps have a nice wash over them and the cape itself also has shading added. The boots are disappointing though as the wraps should be beige, but the rest of the boots are supposed to be black. This is an example of lazy workmanship. Even on the actual 80th Anniversary Thor, you can see the black detail under the wraps and the gold pieces on top of his boots. There's no reason the same detailing couldn't have been applied to this figure. His hair does seem to have a bit of shading/wash to it which helps give it some depth unfortunately though, the helmet looks more like cheap plastic as the silver doesn't quite come across as metallic. The wings could have used a wash over them as well, to give some additional depth. There are also noticeable differences between the blues on his legs at the upper thigh cut where the joints meet one another. The upper part of the thigh, appears to be molded in black with a deep blue painted over it, unfortunately, because of the underlying black, the blue becomes darker than the rest of his legs. It's not something you immediately notice at first glance, but under the right lighting becomes something you can't miss. I feel like Hasbro just decided that this figure would be "good enough" as is. In spite of the problems, such as they may be, the figure still represents what it's supposed to be and the accessories look solid. I'll give him an A- for Appearance.

Ragnarok is plagued by the same issues that the previous Thor suffered when it comes t articulation. The design of the hair precludes much side to side movement, nor can he look either up or down very well. The shoulders can lift outward giving him a higher T pose, which is great for fighting shots and poses. The bicep swivel works nicely, but is kind of loose on both my figures arms which is a problem when holding the spinning hammer effect. In fact, it's so much of a problem that the arm will swivel outward, causing the hammer to fall out of his hand. His elbows are double-jointed but due to the sculpt of his biceps and forearms, It will only bend to just a bit past 90 degrees. His wrists swivel and hinge easily. They aren't loose, which is good, but they move well. The upper diaphragm joint is super stiff on mine. It will crunch forward somewhat, has limited side to side tilt and almost no backward crunch. Overall, the joint is kind of disappointing to be honest. The waist swivels easily, but is kind of loose on my figure, which also means that the spinning effect will turn the torso if unsupported. Moving down, Ragnarok's legs will split out far and like the biceps are fairly loose on my figure. Thankfully, the cape will help him stand up when my figure's legs start to slide. I'm going to be adding some nail polish or a tiny bit of super glue to help tighten the joints up a touch. The upper thigh cuts are good enough and the double-jointed knees bend well, but the muscle sculpt inhibits very tight bends. The ankles work well though they hinge downward better than they do up. The ankle pivot is solid and just tight enough to maintain good position when standing the figure in a dynamic pose. I really want to give this figure an A for Articulation, but the sheer number of loose joints on mine is disappointing and detracts from the overall posing grade. Sorry Ragnarok, no passing grade for you.

I found Ragnarok in the stores for $31.99 which is in the typical price range for a Deluxe Marvel Legend. I'm still baffled as to the inconsistency with pricing on Deluxe figures, especially when I see figures packed with less, for about $3 more, but in this case the figure and accessories is worth the $31.99 price tag. I think for what you get, the price is acceptable and in this case makes purchasing Ragnarok worthwhile. I am happy to give him an A for Affordability.

Ultimately, the Marvel Legends Marvel's Ragnarok Action Figure is a combination of really cool stuff and disappointment in execution. Perhaps I grabbed one of the figures that managed to sneak past QC, but the issues with my articulation and the lazy painting couple to lead me to a disappointing, average score of:

2.5 TOYBOXES out of 5

I would have really liked to have given this figure a higher score, but it's average at best, with the problems mine had. Perhaps If it hadn't been as loose, I would have pushed the score up a bit higher. It's still a decent figure, but not really a necessary addition to your shelf, unless you're a big Thor fan. Thank you for stopping by Dan's ToyBox today and until next time... GEEK OUT!!!