Age of Apocalypse Sabretooth By Hervé St-Louis Mar 19, 2007 - 12:08:07 AM

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In the alternate Age of Apocalypse Marvel universe, Sabertooth is a hero working with the X-Men after rebelling from Apocalypse. Gentler than the regular version of Sabertooth, this version possesses similar powers.

Likeness
 
The hair colour, in the comic books, is blonder rather than the brown hue used on the action figure. His collar and wrists’ pads are coloured differently in many comic books. Here, he they are metallic grey. The character’s face also looks meaner and more feral than in the comic books. He looks far more like a villain than a hero. Small details like his belt buckle are missing.

Sculpt

This is not a fun action figure. He doesn’t scream “pick me up” when put on a shelf. He looks stiff and his fingers more akin with someone afflicted by arthritis than clawlike. His big biceps make him look like an overweight wrestler instead of a fierce fighter. Finally, the ugly facial and big eyes make him look cartoony. It’s hard to take this guy seriously as a villain. The only remarkable things about this figure are the metallic texture on his cuffs and collar.

Paint

The paint scheme is decent with some highlights in Sabertooth’s hair. His boots have a leather like feel instead of making the figure stark yellow, the designers chose a darker beige tone to make him more realistic. On my action figure, Sabertooth’s bearded chin is not painted at all. The red highlights on his arms, instead of adding some toning to his flesh, make him look like he had sun burns.

Scale

Sabertooth fits well with other Marvel Legends action figures. Marvel Legends action figures tend to look smaller than other six-inch action figures like Street Fighter or DC Direct, yet, they have a consistent look among the lines. However, one would think that Sabertooth would be somewhat taller, like in the comic books, instead of being the same standard size.

Stability

Although bending mostly forward with an arched back, Sabertooth is stable and will not fall on his own. However, his balance is still precarious because of his top heavy torso and loose articulations.

Articulation

Sabertooth has several articulations that are limited by his large limbs. All of his arms are useless even if there are articulations at the shoulders, biceps, elbows, forearms, palms and fingers. Particularly, it is difficult to move his shoulders. His legs fare better with ball jointed hips that can move in many directions. His pony tail, although rotatable, gets in the way of Sabertooth neck as soon as one move his head.

Plastic

Sabertooth’s torso and thighs are in strong plastic that doesn’t bend under humidity and warm weather. The rest of his body is hollow plastics that will resist a child’s strong play. The peg bar that ties the ponytail to Sabertooth’s head is easy to break. Don’t extend the fingers too much when opening the palm. They can break.

Props

The left foot of the 16-inch Giant Man action figure comes with Sabertooth. Also, included is a copy of The Astonishing X-Men #2 volume 1.

Packaging

Sabertooth is packed in a clamshell package that can only be opened with scissors. Parents should always open this type of package as shards can cut through skin easily.

Cost

This action figure was at first sold only at Walmart stores, in the United States. Prices can be decent, but selection limited. This figure’s price varies from $8 to $25 depending on the retailer.

Availability

Although sold exclusively at Walmart stores in the United States, this English/French bilingual edition could be found at most department stores in Canada. It is the same action figure, save for the bilingual packaging. Many require this figure to build an entire Giant Man action figure, so this item can still be considered hot, even if it’s about an alternate version of a villain from the 1990s.

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