Snagging the last piece of the Warlock #BAF action figure, the said toy is none other than Sunfire--the fire based mutant member of the X-Men. A Marvel Legends of Sunfire isn't something I really ached for, but hey, he's a classic X-Man member and he represents the Japanese side of the X-Men. So is his action figure flaming hot? Let's find out in this toy review!
My first introduction to Sunfire wasn't with when he was wearing this costume. In fact, he was wearing an amalgamation of the 90s syndrome and generic Japanese culture reference... which made him look utterly ridiculous. Suffice to say, I pretty much ignored Sunfire for a big portion of my comic book life until, of course, his appearance in Age of Apocalypse where he looked very menacing. It was either then or a little before that I started getting to know him better. When the X-Men had a reboot with brand new members, Sunfire was one of them; he was, as you can call it, an original member of the second class of X-Men. But unlike Wolverine, Colossus, and Storm, he never really broke out into fame. Sure he was always going to be part of the Marvel Mythos within the Japanese side, but he would always be just a side character and at other multiverse stories, a throw-away character. I can't honestly pinpoint why but maybe the mutant with the ability to control fire is a bit too similar to Johny Storm? Who knows. Shiro Yoshida does have an interesting backstory and a personality (while too similar to the Human Torch) that makes him stand out from the other X-Men.
Last figure of the wave! Then off to the BAF!
Fire effect and the BAF piece ain't a bad show of accessories but again, alternate hands would do some real good here.
Getting somewhat familiar with Sunfire's classic look took a bit of time and when I finally did, I found myself warming up to it (no pun intended). It's not the worst I have seen and it's also not the best. It's simple, save aside the mask which tries to incorporate (from what I can see) a dragon and the Japan style motifs. The color obviously pays homage to the red and white colors Japan is known for. There's also a hint of 'the rising sun' design with the white stripes going down his chest. The touch of flame designs on his forearms and shins finalizes the idea that he is a fire based character. In truth, said design might be trying TOO hard to add in as much Japanese culture reference. It worked back then it might not now. But then again, a lot of the costumes from way back when aren't exactly 'safe and sound' with the modern day taste so Sunfire gets a pass for the time-related design. It's neat though in its own way. Again, just took some time to get used to it.
As far as the action figure itself, it's not a bad plastic replication of Sunfire. In fact, it's pretty accurate and it's more than good enough to make someone realize it's Sunfire from the original (second team, or third, depending if one is familiar with Vulcan's team) X-Men. As far as the body goes, it's actually a good pick as well.
The colors on Sunfire looks good. The choice of red and white really goes well together. There is no doubt that he is representing the Japanese culture with the design and the color scheme. The one thing that really makes him pop a little more are the flame painted designs on his forearms and shins. They are a bright gold-like orange that truly stands out with the matted red. The only thing that really mars the paint job is the mask and there are portions that are a bit blurry. Overall though, Hasbro did an awesome job.
In the articulation department, Sunfire actually has a lot to offer. This body mold (pretty new at the time of his release) is pretty well articulated. Along with the standard range of movement of the day and age's Marvel Legends, this body comes with butterfly joints which really expands the poseability. Sunfire benefits from this, obviously, and I'm sure that the Marvel legends of this current time are also getting the best treatment with this new mold. I can't remember off the top of my head what other action figures I have who has this that I recently purchased aside from Sunfire. All I know is, it was pretty neat having them.
At the end of the day, I don't think Sunfire was a popular character, therefore he wasn't going to be a top pick action figure. Though after acquiring him, I'd say he isn't that bad and if one goes in with this purchase thinking the norm with Hasbro's Marvel Legends, one won't be disappointed. He comes with some fire effects, which is absolutely fitting and better than no accessories. Sunfire is poseable and he is also aesthetically not bad. All in all, a solid action figure.
Until Next Time!
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