“I never yielded! And as you can see, I am not dead!”
The original Marvel Legends release of Black Panther in Vibranium Charged suit was a 2019 release under the Avengers: Infinity Way logo, and part of the M’Baku BAF wave. The figure was re-released in 2022 as part of the Marvel Legends Black Panther Legacy wave - a set of re-releases that brought key figures back onto store shelves with some featuring tweaks and updated decor. The wave did not include a Build-a-Figure. It featured the standard packaging design but now badged this Black Panther figure under the original Black Panther movie logo. The box did differentiate from the mainline releases by carrying a Legacy Collection logo on the top left.
The Vibranium Charged suit is created on the standard Black Panther movie figure cast in black and featuring a textured suit design. The various joints in the suit are painted in a metallic almost pearlescent purple to replicate the charged energy the suit is holding. The original 2019 release used a very bright purple, while this 2022 update tones this back a little to a more subdued colouring against the black of the main suit. Additional paintwork is added in silver around the necklace, the claws on the hands, and around the shins and feet.
The masked head follows the same principle in decor as the body coming cast in black with charged Vibranium purple added in the gaps in the helmet design, alongside silver lines, including into the ears of the helmet and in the eyes. Again this purple is a more subdued colour than the original. There is also a variation in the eyes which were white on the first release which is arguably the more accurate colour when you see the charged suit onscreen.
vs 2019 release (right)
The release also comes with an unmasked head with an excellent likeness to the late great Chadwick Boseman, particularly from a slightly side-on angle. The same head was used on the original release, but the 2022 version does enhance the decor slightly with crisper features and a more natural skin tone and finish.
The suit features two pairs of hands so the figure can be displayed with either clawed hands or clenched fists. While the original release carried the Vibranimum charged purple onto he clawed hands, the new version leaves them a plain black which is disappointing - the silver claws do remain in place. Each hand swaps in and out easily.
The Black Panther body has a full 21 points of articulation which allows a full range of movement including the ability to kneel and crouch. The arms have a wider field than usual thanks to butterfly shoulders with double-jointed elbows allowing them to fold back on themselves - this does give the figure the ability to be posed doing the Wakanda cross-armed salute. Once posed, the figure is stable and secure. The new release is also nearly entirely devoid of any joint wobble - an issue the first figure had in several key areas.
The MCU Marvel Legends line is not short on Black Panther options over the years, and this 2022 release adds to this with some small improvements on its predecessor. The charged Vibranium look won’t be for everyone, but this release does dial back the intensity of that purple colour. The headsculpt is improved marginally by slightly more advanced face print tech and in particular the tones chosen for the skin and facial features. And the articulation while the same combination as the older release is tightened up and feels more robust. The figure will work in a Black Panther, Infinity War or Endgame setting so for a larger MCU display there remains room for this alongside other versions of the character.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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