X-Men '97

Isn't that the rumor? I thought there was a deluxe Beast planned for next year.
Oh, is it? I can't keep up with all the leaks. For me personally, I don't expect to pay regular price for a Beast figure anyway. I would actually be surprised if they did him pinless. I don't think the limbs reused for Astonishing Beast are pinless either. But if he's gonna be a deluxe, then yeah, go the extra mile, please. I don't need the limited fur texture, but pinless joints are more sturdy for a dude like Beast.
 
The last retro carded Beast was $34.99 so it's fair to say the new one won't be less.
I don't think Astonishing Beast is any more than the rest of the next mini comic wave though. Maybe it's fewer accessories? I think he comes with two extra hands, an extra head, and the comic.
 
I don't think Astonishing Beast is any more than the rest of the next mini comic wave though. Maybe it's fewer accessories? I think he comes with two extra hands, an extra head, and the comic.
True true. That was a pleasant surprise. I feel like retro Beast was during the time when they were reeeally pushing the envelope on prices everywhere they could. Despite a recent jump in the MSRP (which is obviously not Hasbro's fault), that seems to have cooled in the last year or two. Hopefully the rumored '97 Beast takes after the Astonishing release more than the retro card.
 
So I remember the lab coat Beast being a little more money, but was the retro card grey Beast also premium priced?
 
In addition to my Emma Frost's right arm continually popping off at the bicep, her right leg also has an overly large hip socket causing her leg to fall out when moved. The plastic on this series seems much softer than the last two lines. Some high quality $h!# right here! Very frustrating.
 
So I remember the lab coat Beast being a little more money, but was the retro card grey Beast also premium priced?
Legendsverse and Actionfigure411 say $19.99 in 2020, so looks like standard MSRP. https://legendsverse.com/wishlist-packagings/16377 https://www.actionfigure411.com/mar...en-retro-collection-beast-gray-retro-1507.php

I never did pick grey Beast up despite wanting to. I was still entertaining the delusion that I wouldn't have multiple versions of the same character back then.
 
Legendsverse and Actionfigure411 say $19.99 in 2020, so looks like standard MSRP. https://legendsverse.com/wishlist-packagings/16377 https://www.actionfigure411.com/mar...en-retro-collection-beast-gray-retro-1507.php

I never did pick grey Beast up despite wanting to. I was still entertaining the delusion that I wouldn't have multiple versions of the same character back then.
I think grey Beast is the most skippable variant of an X-Man. How long did he even appear this way? Did he look like this on ANY X-Men or Avengers team? I feel like it was just for a miniseries.
 
I think grey Beast is the most skippable variant of an X-Man. How long did he even appear this way? Did he look like this on ANY X-Men or Avengers team? I feel like it was just for a miniseries.

Grey fur Beast is how furry Beast first appeared ... it was in a solo run of a title called Amazing Adventures. This was the gap after (Uncanny) X-Men 66 when that title went into reprints. Angel and Iceman went to LA and formed the Champions and Hank turned to science.

I am confident the grey color wasn't intentional - I think he was supposed to be black, but black was famously hard to do for full figures, so they tried grey. He was grey for 4 issues before the colorist decided blue works better to depict black than grey and so as of AA 15 Beast looked blue instead.

There is no mention of a color change in the books, which is why I'm confident there wasn't supposed to be a color change... just a different way to depict black. Like with many of these things, eventually a writer referenced the blue fur and so that became canonical by the time Beast joined up with the Avengers.
 
I wonder what the inspiration was for making characters have black fur at all. In particular, Nightcrawler and Beast. I understand for Kurt, being that he could blend into shadows. But Beast? Did he need to be black? I suppose it makes more sense that blue fur, which doesn't even really exist in nature. But those 4-color process limitations of the golden-silver-bronze ages of comics definitely left real color to personal interpretation.
 
I'm still having lots of trouble getting Jubilee to stand. I'm thinking maybe the coat is pushing on her legs in a way I can't see, which I've tried to adapt to, but still... *plunk*.

I do really like the slick look and feel of her coat - I never really thought much about why she wears a coat but if it's fire retardant to protect her from her fireworks that makes a lot of sense.

Emma's legs are nice and sturdy. She stands easier than Jubilee.
 
I wonder what the inspiration was for making characters have black fur at all. In particular, Nightcrawler and Beast. I understand for Kurt, being that he could blend into shadows. But Beast? Did he need to be black? I suppose it makes more sense that blue fur, which doesn't even really exist in nature. But those 4-color process limitations of the golden-silver-bronze ages of comics definitely left real color to personal interpretation.

I think with Beast it was to make him more 'monsterish', more Beast-ly. A black furred hulk of a creature would strike fear - a stark contrast from Hank's nerdy scientist personality.

With Nightcrawler, I do think it was to go with the name ... a black figure who can skulk in the dark of night.

Those are guesses of course. Maybe someone can ask Gerry Conway about the Beast decision if he makes a con appearance or something.
 
Astonishing Beast is pinless. I never really noticed before but his glove cuffs are an interesting aesthetic choice. Not even mentioning how his unitard stays up with no support - I know that's an X-Person specialty. :)

X-97 Beast doesn't need to be deluxe priced - Astonishing Beast proves that. I would like a new or mostly new sculpt for the animated aesthetic and to match the rest of the shelf, but I have Retro Beast with them now and he doesn't look out of place. The new Beast just needs to be on a matching cardback!!

Deluxe Bastion, too - cardback, please! I really hope the rumors about these two coming pan out.
 
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