If you believe the internet hype, X-Men Origins: Wolverine has ruined Deadpool 4evar!!!111 even though as of this writing, no one's really seen it yet. However, thanks to the film, we get a toy line that actually features
a really cool Deadpool figure. Head a-splode? Equals yes.
I'm not talking about that strange Baraka-like figure labeled "Deadpool", I'm talking about the comic-accurate Deadpool in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine packaging. While the "Marvel Universe" and Wolverine and the X-Men 3¾" lines are pretty straightforward in what they offer, the XMO:W line seems like a dumping ground for all things Wolvie. So, in addition to movie figures, we also get the "comic series" which features several versions of everyone's favorite canucklehead, as well as several characters that are connected to him in some way. Which is how we get a GI Joe-sized, comic-accurate Deadpool.
Deadpool is a fighter without equal. He is virtually unbeatable except for his tendency to get distracted, hallucinate, or sometimes simply wander away from a fight. Most enemies hope for a short fight, so that they don't have to listen to him gab any more.
XMO:W Deadpool is superficially similar to his larger Marvel Legends counterpart, one of the best (if not the best) figure in the line that was nigh impossible to find back in ToyBiz's ML Series 6. Li'l Deadpool is a slightly more modern take on the "Merc with a Mouth," what with the
future-y lookin' belt harness and the excess flap of stocking cap popularized by Ed McGuinness. Most of the piping that separates the black and red portions of his uniform are actually sculpted elements, which makes this figure actually more detailed than his 6" cousin. He's looking pretty good overall, though I've heard some complaints about the size of the sheaths on his back, but I really don't see it. They could be a little further down on his back, I suppose, but it doesn't really throw off the look of the figure.
I've heard reports that the paint can be iffy, especially on Deadpool's miniature-face-belt-buckle, but my figure's fine, and so was every other Deadpool I saw personally on the pegs (and surprisingly there were quite a few). The figure doesn't skimp on the paint apps, with brown pouches, gray straps, green capsules, blue moons and purple horseshoes over top of the 'Pool's familiar red and black bodysuit... okay, maybe some of those colors and items are actually Lucky Charms. Guess which ones! The figure lacks any kind of wash or dry-brushing, but in this scale, it works in the figure's favor.
Deadpool moves about the same as your basic Generation 3 GI Joe figure, although he's got a few additions. Specifically, he features a balljointed neck, pegged and hinged shoulders, pegged and hinged elbows, peg wrists, a balljointed chest, pegged and hinged hips, peg thighs, double hinged knees, and pegged and hinged ankles. Normally, I'd just call a pegged and hinged joint a "balljoint",
since they feature essentially the same range of movement, but when a figure features both, I figure I'd touch on the difference in the interest of being thorough. He's not quite as articulated as the most articulated Marvel Legend, but at this scale he's got about everything you'd want.
The ML Deadpool was ridiculously accessorized, coming with two sawed-off AK-47s, two swords, a pistol, a clear Doop stand, Doop himself, an alternate head, and two sais (if you were lucky). XMO:W 'Pool isn't quite as pimped out, but he still packs quite a bit of goodies. He's still got two swords, and they fit nicely into the sheaths on his back. The pistol is also accounted for, and fits into a holster on his right thigh. He's down to one AK though,
and it lacks any paint apps on the wooden bits. He also gets a ginormous sai that's even bigger than those of ML Deadpool. Seriously, the sai is almost as big as one of his swords. It's monstrously out of scale, although I guess it's not out of the question for a sai to be this big. It's just you rarely see them so big on action figures. Really, it's pretty goofy. Further goofifying the situation is the shot of the figure on the back of the packaging, which shows the thing crammed into the front of his belt. Yeah, that's not happening. Not a bad arsenal, despite the doofus sai... and it would have been cool if he had an extra, scarred head.
Despite having a giant weapon that belongs in an entirely different scale, tiny Deadpool is really an awesome figure. If only Mattel would make an Infinite Heroes Deathstroke for him to fight... oh wait, that would suck. Because Infinite Heroes suck. Anyway, Deadpool may or may not be ruined in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but you'll always have this figure to remind you of how awesome Deadpool can be.
-- 03/23/09
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