A Visit From Iron Man & 2008 Hasbro Marvel Universe #021 Iron Man

Well, it appears this weekend is Iron Man weekend. Yesterday I got to meet him in person! Okay, not the real Iron Man  - there is none - he's fictional :-) And not Robert Downey Jr either, but rather someone dressed as Iron Man for an Army and Air Force Exchange promotional. The character was provided by Marvel Character Appearances (www.marvelappearance.com). He turned up at the Nellis AFB Exchange and I s'pose I should have been embarrassed to pose for pictures with him, but hey, when you're the tallest twelve-year old in the city why not? LOL From the time I got in the store to the time I left was about 40 minutes - not too bad. I liked the costume but up close it had the appearance of being heavy and probably hot and uncomfortable as there seemed to be a lot of padding on it. The costume had a light attached to the palms to look like Iron Man's blasters and the effect was kind of neat.

The line was already long when we got there. Obviously this was an event geared for kids - like me

:-)

Iron Man makes his entrance

Now that's a Halloween costume!!

The tallest twelve-year old in Vegas :-)

I think the costume is designed to be kid-proof as it appears to be heavily padded.

This was a small card given out to the kids (and me!)

This was a good excuse to feature an older Hasbro Iron Man figure, the Marvel Universe issue of 2008, No 21. This Iron Man has a 50/50 color scheme; that is, half red, half gold. The figure featured a couple of weeks ago was about 95/5, being mostly red with some gold accenting. Today's figure also appears to be slightly thinner. I've noticed many of the Marvel Universe series of figures look a little anorexic. While this figure is nicely done overall, the one disconcerting thing about it is its inability to stand squarely on its feet! The legs are designed such that they cannot be posed straight up-&-down. However, he's still able to stand on his own without too much trouble which is a plus play-value wise. The separate, detachable, large plastic 'blast'  ray coming from his arm requires that he be positioned standing slightly backwards to offset the weight and keep his balance. All-in-all it's a pretty good figure and should be a welcome addition to any Super hero figure collection. Enjoy!

We were at Bonnie Springs last weekend and look who I saw flying over the Nevada desert!

2010 Hasbro Movie Series #10 Iron Man 2 Iron Man Mark VI

It's hard to believe that four years have passed since the release of Paramount's "Iron Man" movie starring Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Never having been a big fan of Downey, this movie blew me away. He was exceptional in the role and the film itself was great on several levels; as a drama, as an action movie, as a super hero flick, etc. Today's featured action figure on Toys & Stuff is a licensed tie-in to the movie from Hasbro. One of many, many super hero figurines manufactured by the company it's a very nice rendition of the movies' main character. The toy includes a spring-loaded projectile launcher which doesn't appear in the movie but would add to its play value for the kids. It also includes an unusual stand, one which differs from the basic black stands included with many Marvel figures. This stand is grayish with a hint of silver and has a place for a set of cards which stand upright just behind the figure and offset a little. There are four cards printed on transparent plastic which, when placed together, are intended to provide a 3D effect of Iron Man's armor. It's a neat touch. The figure itself however just will not stand flat footed - the legs simply will not bend or adjust enough for the shoe to be planted firmly on the ground. In spite of this though, the figure doesn't have problems standing and does a decent job of it with or without stand and with or without the launcher. It's a nice addition to any Marvel figurine collector - Enjoy!

All four cards placed together