Hasbro concluded the last day of Pulse Con 2021 with one of their bigger brands, Marvel, which obviously includes Marvel Legends. 2022 is yet another anniversary year, and this time, it’s actually the 20th year of the Marvel Legends Series. To those needing a refresher, Toy Biz started this line in the early 2000s and has carried on to Hasbro, spanning countless waves and even more countless action figures. As a tribute to its 20th anniversary, they are going back to their roots with an anniversary wave featuring the characters included in the debut releases.
And of course, that included Iron Man. And of course, we’ll see yet another reuse of the Marvel 80th Anniversary Iron Man mold. Granted, it is a great mold and they could basically recreate all those classic comic Iron Man figures using it.
A good thing about this retool is how it’s not a just lazy repaint, though most of it is. The 80th anniversary figure is supposed to represent the Model 4 armor, many of which consider as the classic one. This one, as seen in the image above is supposed to be the Model 2 armor, with its characteristic front helmet piece and mouth vents.
Speaking of repaints, and unlike both the 80th anniversary, and the recent Modular Armor figure, this one ditches the metallic finish for a simpler red and yellow color. I’m sure most fans prefer this color scheme over the previous ones though it might look a bit bland when displayed along the aforementioned figures. That said, this version is supposed to be a couple of models lower so we can just think of it as Tony Stark changing his color preferences.
For accessories, besides the standard assortment that comes with every Iron Man figure, this set includes something meant as a throwback to the 2002 figure. If you recall, these early Marvel Legends figures often include a packed-in comic book and a display base themed to the character it’s included with. While the 20th anniversary figure doesn’t come with the same display base, it does come with this reversible backdrop inspired by the original release. What’s more, the stand itself is molded with the old Marvel Legends logo longtime collectors are very familiar with.
Capping off the nostalgia is the special retro carded packaging inspired by the original 2002 release, again including that old Marvel Legends logo. It doesn’t come with a packed-in comic book but I’m pretty sure collectors would probably want to get multiples to keep one mint and sealed in box. Not sure if I’ll purchase multiple copies, but I’ll definitely purchase one.
Marvel Legends Series Iron Man (20th Anniversary Series 1)
May 2022 / $31.99
Order via Hasbro Pulse
