Monday, June 29, 2015

Hot Toys "Avengers: Age of Ultron" 1/6th Captain America 12-inch Collectible Figure Review II

continued from previous post...

Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Steve Rogers first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (cover dated March 1941) from Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics. Captain America was designed as a patriotic supersoldier who often fought the Axis powers of World War II and was Timely Comics' most popular character during the wartime period. Since Marvel Comics revived the character in 1964, Captain America has remained in publication.

Captain America wears a costume that bears an American flag motif, and is armed with a nearly indestructible shield that he throws at foes. The character is usually depicted as the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a frail young man enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum to aid the United States government's imminent efforts in World War II. Near the end of the war, he was trapped in ice and survived in suspended animation until he was revived in the present day to subsequently become the long-time leader of the Avengers.


Captain America has used multiple shields throughout his history, the most prevalent of which is a nigh-indestructible disc-shaped shield made from an experimental alloy of steel and the fictional vibranium. Captain America often uses his shield as an offensive throwing weapon.

This latest Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS281 "Avengers: Age of Ultron" 1/6th scale Captain America Collectible Figure comes with a magnetic metal / die-cast circular red and blue shield with retractable handles so no straps are needed. The magnets allow Cap to attach the shield to his back or either arms with ease as there are also corresponding magnets on the figure.

Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.
Click on them for bigger and better views.


Hot Toys "Avengers: Age of Ultron" 12-inch Captain America figure comes with shield throwing right gloved hand / palm, and shield catching left gloved hand / palm. I have also shown these spare hands in the previous post HERE.


Here's "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Cap with his shield. A pair of shield holding palms / hands with magnets are also provided. Cap seems to be ambidextrous and am able to handle the shield equally well with either hands.


Captain America's shield is his primary weapon. The most well-known of his shields is this disc shaped object with a five-pointed star design in its center, within blue, red, and white concentric circles. This shield is composed of a unique alloy of Vibranium, steel, and an unknown third component. It is virtually indestructible. It is as much an offensive weapon as a defensive one for Captain America. Cap uses it against his enemies, mainly, by throwing it at them and can perform mindbogglingly impossible tricks with it.


Captain America's shield is a concave disk 2.5 feet in diameter, weighing 12 pounds. The shield is not only nearly indestructible, but it absorbs a great deal of kinetic energy from impacts because of its Vibranium component. That is why the Hulk and Thor can pound it while Cap is holding it, without simply sending him into the ground or the air.


The thing about the shield gripping hands, as with the previous releases, is that the hands are opened up too wide so that he doesn't really appear to be gripping the handles of the shield at all (see picture below). When it was just straps on the shield which he had to grip, the shield doesn't stay in place because the hands doesn't really grip the straps properly but with this magnetic option, the shield just sticks to the back of the hand which is good. I like that Hot Toys managed to engineer this part into the figure.


IMHO I think the costume that Cap wears in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is the best of the film series, having donned different outfits throughout the Marvel films before arriving at this latest design. The blue embossed patterned uniform with star emblem and red and white patterns, with a pair of blue embossed patterned pants with pouches, knee pads, and red trims, brown leather-like back shield holder and body strap, brown leather-like belt with pouches, and a pair of black and brown boots is most accurately replicated by Hot Toys in 1/6th scale and that's just one of the beauties of this 12-inch figure collecting hobby, to be able to examine the outfit in such close detail which on the big screen appears to be a big blur of movement at most times.


In the pictures posted above and below, you can see how Cap's shield is held with the aid of magnets. The shield may be wielded in either arms or stored on his back as seen earlier HERE.


"Avengers Assemble!" Cap's rallying cry as the leader of the Avengers as seen in the Marvel comic books through the years. This Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS281 "Avengers: Age of Ultron" 1/6th scale Captain America Collectible Figure has no problems lifting up his arms even though the fabric of his costume is thick and layered. This is a bonus because Cap couldn't do this in the previous versions. This is possible through some clever and creating tailoring. The uniform / costume actually "retracts" into the shoulders at the back (see next picture) without bunching up and restricting the figure's movement, thus allowing the arms to be fully raised. What can I say? Overall I'm very pleased with this latest Captain America figure :)


NEXT: Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS281 "Avengers: Age of Ultron" 1/6th scale Captain America 12-inch Collectible Figure with newly painted unhelmeted head sculpt of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America

Related posts:
December 26, 2011 – Hot Toys 1/6 scale Captain America: The First Avenger 12-inch Figure reviews HERE, HERE and HERE
January 22, 2013 – Review of Hot Toys The Avengers: 1/6 Captain America 12-inch Limited Edition Collectible Figure posted HERE, HERE and HERE
March 3, 2013 – 1/6th scale Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Classic Captain America costume by Captain Action HERE
January 20, 2015 – Review of Hot Toys 1/6 Captain America: Winter Soldier (Stealth Strike Suit) Collectible Figure (pictures HERE and HERE)

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