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My first wave 8 review contained two of the Fantastic Four, in Sue Richards and the Thing. Here we have a pack containing the other two, Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic, and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, who is referred to on the packaging here as just "Torch" for some reason.

Packaging

The packaging features the Marvel Universe logo intead of a more business-savvy Fantastic Four logo. Also in the picture Torch's flame pieces look really yellowy but in the actual set they are a much darker red colour.



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. This is one of the most packed two-pack boxes yet seen, mainly due to the Human Torch's large accessories:



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

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The Figures

Torch

The first figure in this set is the Human Torch Johnny Storm, brother of the Invisible Woman. He has an angry expression on his face, befitting his rash and hot-headed nature. His hairpiece is designed to be fiery, and in a really nice touch it is made from translucent red plastic, meaning it looks great. It also has the peg on the underside which fits into the hole on the head block. This is a new feature for Minimates in this scale and stops the hairpiece falling off.

The detailing on the rest of Torch is simple but has been well executed. He has some black highlighting on his arms and legs, and has some muscular detailing on the chest. He also has a flame effect piece around his neck, which is translucent like the hairpiece. This restricts neck articulation but looks good and creates more of an illusion that Johnny is wreathed in flame.

As well as being one of the first main-line Marvel figures to sport C3 feet, Torch comes with some unique and amazing accessories, which really up the ante on Marvel accessories. First he has a fire stand, which he can slot one foot into and makes him look like he is soaring. Cast in translucent red, it works really well, certainly better than the similar base which the Marvel Legends figure had. The second accessory is a "Flame blast" attachment, which clips onto one of his arms once a fist is removed. It's HUGE - the size of another Minimate, and again is translucent red to match Torch and the fire base. The only drawback is because of its size it's very heavy, and Torch can only hold it in certain positions without the weight of it dragging down the arm.

Overall, Torch is an awesome Minimate, who has the looks, the accessories and the playability to be one of the best Minimates the line has seen.

MMC Score - 9 out of 10

More pictures

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Mr Fantastic

The second figure in the set is another version of Mr Fantastic. Previously this Minimate was available in the TRU 10 pack, and while this 2-pack version is essentially the same figure, there are some differences.

Whilst the detailing and expression on the face is the same as the 10-pack version, the shade of the skin is slightly darker, and the hairpiece is also a slightly darker brown. Most of the wave 8 Minimates have hairpieces that have a small peg to plug into a hole in the head and help the hair stay on better, but Mr Fantastic doesn't have this, presumably because he was an existing mold.

The costume detailing is identical, which perhaps could be seen as a missed opportunity to get a more unified colour scheme along with Sue (she has black boots and gloves, whilst both Mr Fantastics have black gloves and dark blue boots). Interestingly, this newer version features the <> torso system, the previous one had the older-style hexagonal connector. Another, less obvious, difference.

Mr Fantastic has the C3 feet, which the previous one didn't, and the same highly amusing stretchy-effect arms. As stated before, these are possibly my favourite Marvel accessory because they are so much fun.

Overall, this figure is slightly better than the previous one due to the inclusion of the C3 feet, but it is for all intents and purposes the same figure. If you don't have the TRU 10-pack, this is a must-have set. Even if you do have the 10-pack, the inclusion of the Human Torch means it's still going to be an essential purchase for people trying to complete their Fantastic Four sets.

MMC Score - 9 out of 10

More pictures

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