Havok By Hervé St.Louis Oct 6, 2006 - 11:10:00 PM

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Havok, younger brother to the X-Men Cyclops, was created in X-Men #54, in 1969. Both he and his brothers are immune to each other’s powers. Alex Summer has had an on and off membership in the X-Men and was a member of X-Factor, a government team with mutants for years. Before he joined X-Factor, he did fall in love with Lorna Dane, also known as the green-hair mutant Polaris. This is the first Marvel Legends Havok action figure.

Likeness
 
Havok sports his classic black costume which he gained in X-Men stories drawn by Neal Adam. He has a huge head gear, and a black costume without any particular details, save for the bullseye-like pattern on the chest. The mask offers large eye openings, instead of a  skin tight cowl. The figure respects these details very well.

Sculpt

Havok has an angry Neal Adams’s grin that makes him look like a much older man. But his body is buffed. I don’t know if it’s a sculpt that was used on a previous Toy Biz action figure, but part of the legs reminds me of the Spider-Man Classic Daredevil. The upper body and arms are different though. Unlike the Ice Man sculpt which felt like a puppet, Havok keeps his multiple articulations without having to sacrifice articulations. As a base action figure mould, this is one that Toy Biz, if it were still in the business of making Marvel Legends action figures, should reuse often.

One caveat with Havok, is a few chipping on his thighs. Because he’s all black, it’s hardly noticeable, but it does suggest that quality control was poor, in the Chinese manufactory.

Paint

There is no real painting on Havok. There’s a large layer of paint on Havok’s face on his mask’ helmet. They have no toning. Paint applications like these, remind me when comic book series were coloured with primary colours and a few mixes. Characters had uniform skin tones all over their bodies. At least, his lips should have been coloured pink. The bullseyes on his chest are too thinly painted and will wear off quickly. Oddly, Havok’s neck is painted with a silver tone as if he were wearing a metal plate.

Scale

Havok is the mean standard of Marvel Legends action figures. He’s taller than most female figures, while being shorter than larger figures such as the many Hulks and Thor. His bulk makes him seem as big as some current DC Direct action figures. Havok is supposed to be 6'2 inches in the comic book, so his scale is right.

Stability

Havok is stable. His upper body is not too heavy, his knees are strong and his feet are flat. As his thighs are large, they support his weight well. Just in case, Toy Biz put back the peg holes in that series of Marvel Legends action figures.

Articulation

Havok has about 41 articulations benefiting from the new snap system installed by Toy Biz to combat loose joints. For example, when moving Havok’s abdominal, you’ll hear a distinct click sound locking the articulation in place. It might even seem like you’ve just broken your action figure. Yet this system helps the figures stay put. Havok has the shoulder blade articulations, but the limited ball joint hips. Sometimes I wonder why Toy Biz doesn’t put the other variant of ball joint articulation that allows the thighs to be moved forward and sideway all at once instead of forcing collectors to rotate the ball in order to move the legs in on direction.

Plastic

Havok is tough enough for kids as his PVC is the type that resists warm weather and won’t lose his posture. The antennas on his head are also in PVC.

Props

Havok comes with a copy of X-Men #97 where he fights his brother Cyclops. No other props, besides the left leg of Giant Man, come with Havok

Packaging

The packaging is the standard rectangular Marvel Legends’ plastic case with a backboard inside.


Cost

Havok cost from $8 to $17 depending on the store and the currency. In Canada, Marvel Legends tend to cost more. Larger retailers sell this figure for less than smaller stores.

Availability

Havok is exclusive to Walmart stores in the United States. In other countries most retailers can order and sell this action figure. There have been variants of Havok in his current X-Men costume. So far, few have been located in the United States. This variant was unannounced so not much is known about ratios compared with the original figure. Havok is a mid-runner in terms of popularity. Still, X-Men fans who want to complete their series should consider purchasing this figure as its mould is great. Perhaps Hasbro, the new vendor responsible for Marvel-based action figures, will provide a Polaris figure in the future.

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