Review – Marvel Universe Darkhawk
“As a teenage boy, Chris Powell discovered an amulet that transferred his consciousness into the armored body of Darkhawk. Granted enhanced strength, flight and powerful energy blasts, Chris devoted his new abilities to fight against evil. Though he is not invulnerable, any damage he suffers as Darkhawk is easily repaired in the transition back to his human form.”
— from the back of the card
So what I am assuming is that someone at Hasbro just wants to be sure we understand that anyone is welcome in their Marvel Universe line*. How else can we explain the addition of Darkhawk (Marvel website) to the series? I mean, it’s not like this is an insanely popular character or anything. But the costume looks pretty cool, the figure still seems a bit tough to find, and this is one toy that needs a review is only so that I can warn you that he’s just okay and you’re better off waiting to find him in stores than paying ridiculous after-market prices.
Packaging Problems
The insistence that action figures come in custom-formed packages that display them in “action” poses sometimes causes problems, and Darkhawk here is one of the worst cases of package is frustrating that I’ve seen in quite a while. Thankfully he’s not strapped in place with wires or bands (I hate those), but the only way to separate Darkhawk from his prison was to snap his wings off. Fortunately the wings snap right back on, but it was still an annoyance and the warped claw — see the pics — doesn’t make me love the packaging any more.
The artwork on the package looks incredible. That has been true of the entire series, but this time it really popped out at me and I can see how a MOC collection of this line would look great in the right display.
Spider-Man?
Most of my Marvel Universe action figures are in a box waiting for a display space so I couldn’t check, but the first thing I thought when I was playing with Darkhawk was that his base body looked an awful lot like it came from a Spider-Man in the line. Fortunately, the Darkhawk review at Super-DuperToyBox identifies the body as Spider-Man 2099, so now I can stop beating my memories against the body and just settle back and relax.
My biggest complaint with the body is that it’s not as good as some of the newer basic figures in the line. The leg articulation, while adequate, doesn’t give Darkhawk many options in the way of dynamic poses because those hip joints just don’t move all that much. The double-hinge knees are excellent, but when the hips don’t allow the legs to swing much forward the knees are kinda overkill.
Darkhawk’s unique pieces — head, gauntlets, belt, shoulder armor, and wings — are all excellent and help the figure look different from Spider-Man, but it’s too bad Hasbro didn’t use these pieces on a different body. And it really sucks that the claw was warped, but maybe time and hot water will allow me to straighten out the claw problem.
Paint Problems
See the photos immediately above and below this line? Notice the blue splotch right on the front of his face? That’s about the biggest problem with Darkhawk’s paint apps which isn’t all that bad considering how some mass-market action figures look after they’re attacked by a paintbrush. I like Darkhawk’s colors in general, but I wish Hasbro had used a slightly glossier silver for the accessories and wings; not chrome, but something a bit shinier than what we got. But that’s just an idle wish; what we got looks just fine.
Closing Thoughts
I’m not sure if I’m stunned or impressed that Hasbro added Darkhawk to the Marvel Universe line. On the one hand I would have expected another Iron Man or Spider-Man long before Darkhawk, while on the other hand I can see why they’re adding more (and different!) characters to the line. While the body choice is a little annoying — Darkhawk looks great if he just stands there, but don’t try anything too dynamic with those hip joints — in the end what we get is an acceptable entry in the series.
Darkhawk will never go down as one of the highlights of modern action figure design, but I suspect that long after the Marvel Universe series is off shelves this figure will be one that Marvel fans continue to search for. He’s just too obscure a character to ever get a lot of toys and that makes him a nice display piece for any dedicated Marvel collector.
Order Marvel Universe Action Figures from Entertainment Earth!*
Philip Reed still wants his Marvel-style Frankenstein! And if Darkhawk can get a figure then Frankenstein sure as hell deserves one.
I wish they’d do a line of supernatural Marvel characters. Can you imagine a line-up of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Simon Garth and Werewolf by Night? That would be awesome.
Man is he had chrome bits I would have had no problems with his terrible body.
I remember they used the character quite recently in the comics when MU started at hasbro. So it’s a not too weird choice.
I’m really disappointed they used this body too, it may be my least favorite of the bodies still in use. I’ll probably still pick it up though because I really want Darkhawk, which is probably why Hasbro went with a weak body to begin with.
I think I’ve only heard of this character because of the Marvel Universe trading cards from the 90s. So kudos to Hasbro for making obscure characters!
I’m kinda happy and sad all at once. Darkhawk will always hold a special place for me because it was the first comic book I ever bought. Granted, I bought it because Spidey and Hobgoblin were on the cover, but I liked it and I followed Darkhawk right up until they canceled it. I never thought we’d see a Marvel Legends fig so that’s awesome but it really is a piece of crap. I wouldn’t pay $2 for that, let alone the what, $15 they get for them. Psssshhh… maybe I should just make myself a custom.
@Iok – I’d totally buy a Marvel Monsters boxed set in the Marvel Universe line. As it is I keep watching for a good deal on the Marvel Legends Monsters box set.
@chopa – If he had chrome parts I bet he would be on everyone’s wish list. Maybe Hasbro will release a chromed version as a store exclusive or something.
@ralph – On Twitter someone was telling me Darkhawk has been part of their cosmic stories lately. I’m not a fan of much in the way of cosmic superheroes so I’m not surprised I’d missed that.