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Here we have a pack containing another Thing variant, the second in wave 8 and 4th overall, and a repack of the former exclusive Gaijin Wolverine.

Packaging



The figures are packed in a bubble tray, and have no twist-ties holding them in. Instead, a second clear tray piece fits over the top and then locks in, meaning that these figures are held in well and can be seen from each side.

The back of the packaging is new and only shows waves 8 and 9.

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The Figures

Battle-Scarred Thing

I don't know what fascination Thing holds over the figure planners, but he's certainly seeing comparable Minimate action to Spider-Man, Wolverine and Cyclops. Our 4th version of the Thing is actually quite an interesting one, with a lot to differenciate itself from previous releases.

This Thing is, as the name suggests, "battle scarred", taken from the storyline in which Wolverine used his adamantium claws to carve through Thing's rocky exterior. To suggest this, a large part of the right side of Thing's face is a pink, fleshy colour. It looks quite painful, in that it looks as though Thing is really hurt. The head/headpiece combination is the same as the Powerhouse Thing in this same wave, which I criticised in that review, but here, it works much better. It looks as though the half-sneer is there for a reason - It's now a grimace of pain, or could even be taken thst as a result of the injury he can't quite open his mouth fully now. As it's a new version (wave 8 and onwards) head, the hole and peg combo is present.

The look of the Thing is based on his costumed appearance, much like the exclusive Clobberin' Time Thing. As with Powerhouse Thing, to create a bulkier look for the big orange lump, this figure has an over-torso chest piece with the (well-done) detailing on, to give him the illusion of size. Actually, it works a lot better here than on the plainer Powerhouse Thing, probably because there's more going on visually.

Battle-Scarred Thing comes with a very cool accessory; a helmet which he uses to protect his face. Rather than having eyeholes, the eyes are already on the mask. It's certainly a different look for Thing, and I like it because then he loses the unwieldy look that the larger headpiece gives him. I much prefer Thing with the helmet on. The helmet does not have a peg on it, so other Minimates from earlier waves can use it.

Overall, this Thing is better than the Powerhouse Thing in this wave, because it tries hard to do something different with the character. Still not the best one out there though.

MMC Score - 6 out of 10

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Gaijin Wolverine II

The second figure in the set is another version of Wolverine in his brown costume. Previously this Minimate was available in a summer 2004 exclusive 2-pack, and while this version is essentially the same figure, there are some differences.

The biggest change here, of course, is the inclusion of the mask. The mask from the Giant-Size X-Men Wolverine is reused, but coloured brown rather than yellow. The face is the same as the first Gaijin Wolverine. I actually prefer him with just the hair because I think the expression suits it better. Because this is a reuse, the head block doesn't have a hole and the mask doesn't have a peg, unlike a lot of wave 8.

The costume detailing is identical to the previous figure, which sported a solid enough paint job anyway. Like the other redone Minimate in this wave, Mr Fantastic, this newer version of Wolverine features the two-pronged torso system rather than the older-style hexagonal connector.

As ALWAYS, Wolverine comes with no accessories other than his claws. I know I keep banging on about this but if you're going to make a figure that between its component parts is a complete reuse, then the least you could do is add some different accessories. It would be so simple to add in two brown-gloved hands that didn't have claws coming out of them.

Overall, this figure is pretty much identical to the previous one, except for the mask. If you missed out on the exclusive set with the horrific Mariko figure, then this set is better than that one and should cost you less. Plus if you have the Civilian Logan Minimate's hairpiece you can recreate the look of the exclusive figure anyway.

MMC Score - 6 out of 10

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