Product Line / S.H.Figuarts
Scale & Class / Non-Scale Collectible Figure
Manufacturer / Bandai Spirits / Tamashii Nations
Release Date / 2020
Appearances / Iron Man (2008)
If you’re a 6-inch or 1/12 scale Iron Man collector, especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe versions, then you should be familiar with Tamashii Nations’ S.H.Figuarts collectible action figures. They have essentially written the playbook for these desktop-sized versions of Tony Stark’s armor from the movies, even including the two larger Hulkbuster armors. But with the many Iron Man figures they have so far, it took them a while to release one for the armor that started it all — Iron Man Mark 1 from Iron Man. In fact, we only had the Sci-Fi Revoltech version to go with as far as import figure options go. So, it’s no surprise that many looked forward to the S.H.Figuarts version when it was announced, especially with the “Birth of Iron Man Edition” subtitle which made the figure sound more special.
Iron Man Mark 1, as Obadiah Stane angrily puts it, was made in a cave with a box of scraps. And this figure does feel made with a box of scraps, not in build quality but in sculpted and surface details. A signature characteristic of the Mark 1 is all the exposed components and machinery that keeps it running. As expected from an S.H.Figuarts release, this figure doesn’t skimp on details, especially on the improvised power source seen at the back, and the large power transfer belt assemblies going from the hips to the knees. The use of multiple textures and printed markings on various surfaces also adds to the effect of being made from mixed parts despite the smaller scale. What they did skimp on is the Arc Reactor, where it’s usually a clear piece on top of a detailed part of previous figures. For this guy, it’s just a light blue plainly painted area, something you’d see more on a Marvel Legends figure. Articulation is on par with its on-screen counterpart, meaning it’s got basic movements but don’t expect it to do dynamic poses. To compensate, the figure comes with a good set of accessories: including another pair of hands, and a replacement Tony Stark eye part which requires removing the front face plate to use, and several flamethrower and thruster effect parts to recreate the Afghanistan escape scene.
