Quality figure of Thanos goes easy on the budget

Thanks to the proliferation of film, comic-book and cartoon characters, companies are bombarding consumers with an incredible selection of action figures. With tongue in cheek, let’s take a peek at some of the specimens worthy of a place in…

Zad’s Toy Vault

THANOS

Toy Biz continues to work with Diamond Select Toys to deliver the best and most authentic-looking figures for frugal collectors in love with the Marvel Comics universe. Each multiarticulated Marvel Select piece looks as if it were snatched from a sequential-art page. Each also represents a defining moment for the character and is designed with the original artist’s concept in mind.

The latest release is of the villain who sought the power of God in the Infinity Gauntlet comic-book series of 1991. It shows him ready to conquer the galaxy as seen on the cover of the Gauntlet’s fourth issue.

Figure profile: One of the vastly powerful Eternals of Titan, Thanos was shunned as a child for his gigantic form and grotesque appearance. Wandering the galaxy, he assembled a small army of soldiers, mercenaries and malcontents as well as a vast arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.

During his travels, Thanos encountered and fell in love with the embodiment of Death, who had assumed the form of a humanoid female. To prove himself worthy of so awesome an entity, he set out to provide his companion with what he thought she desired: the death of every living creature.

Accessories: Accompanied by a free-standing, nonarticulated 7-inch-tall figure of Death that can wear the included female mask to hide its skeletal face, the nearly 9-inch-tall Thanos, with 16 points of articulation, looks fantastic. With a mighty tug from the owner, he gets to put on his deadly, gem-filled gauntlet by replacing his removable right hand.

Price: $16.99

Read all about it: Marvel offers the trade paperback of the six-issue Infinity Gauntlet ($24.95) series highlighting the work of writer Jim Starlin and illustrators George Perez and Ron Lim.

Words to buy by: Sculptor Phil Ramirez perfectly captures artist George Perez’s version of Thanos, down to the purplish grimaced mug, the vein-popping musculature and the golden boots and gloves. The beefy villain will look perfect sitting on a shelf next to Diamond Select Toys’ Dr. Doom and Classic Green Goblin figures or engaged in battle against the company’s version of the Ultimate Incredible Hulk.

ARMY PARATROOPER

McFarlane Toys pays tribute to the modern American military with its latest line of 6-inch action figures. McFarlane’s Military: 2nd Tour of Duty offers combat collectors a set of statuesque heroes loaded with detail and finely sculpted facial features that make them look ripped from the field.

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