Marvel has been a popular brand for many years, but thanks to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has exploded into mainstream media in a way it never has. There were many years where the golden age of superhero cartoons existed, but those are no longer and we're currently in the golden age of superhero cinema. Throughout the years we've also seen Marvel action figures that have released alongside comics, cartoons, and now major motion pictures. There are so many varieties that it's great to look through them and find the best and worst licensed Marvel action figures that have hit store shelves. When discussing best and worst there are many different types of criteria you can base it on. In this list, the criteria for best and worst will primarily revolve around product quality and comic counterpart accuracy. You'd be surprised at the variety of Marvel action figures that have been produced throughout the years. For the sake of interest, I decided to showcase action figures whose original sales prices were below $100. Of course, there are going to be some incredible action figures at incredible price points, but let's see what the best Marvel action figures there are at or below $100. The ugly ones tend to end up as thrift shop relics and lost dusty friends trapped in a parent's basement. We'll take a look at a ton of the action figures only a mother could love. A mother of a hardcore Marvel fan, that is. Let's now take a look at 15 of the best and 15 of the worst Marvel action figures to ever exist.
30 Worst: Jubilee
Let's start by talking about this hideous Jubilee figure from the Generations X line. The real issue with this action figure really comes down to the design of the body and its articulation. The legs on Jubilee are weirdly bowed out for some reason. It makes it look like she's uncomfortable or sitting on a giant log. From first glance, it doesn't look like she's even close to being in a natural stance. Her arms are also set up to come out of her torso in the same strange way. The coloring and face aren't actually too bad, but the way the body is put together is definitely off-putting.
Her hands also seem to be a little large and don't match up proportionally.
This is a prime example of how you can make the most obvious things passable but still come out as a failure due to a weird or unforeseen oversight. It's a real shame considering how cool Jubilee is in terms of how she looks and what she can do. She's never been the most powerful or awe-inspiring member of the X-Men, but she was most certainly a fan favorite on the 90's X-Men cartoon.
29 Best: Jubilee
Unlike the previous entry this Marvel Legends figure of a more modern take on Jubilee is pretty well done. The Marvel Legends line is currently considered the best quality and value in terms of superhero toy lines. Their character accuracy, detail, and build quality stand alone at the top. This Jubilee figure in particular really showcases the level of detail they're willing to commit to even with the lower tier characters such as Jubilee. She's never been a top-tier X-Men or someone who stays on the main roster, but she'll always be a nostalgia play for all those kids who grew up watching the X-Men cartoon in the 90s. The level of detail in the motion of her hair, as well as the details in her spandex shirt, really showcase the value of Marvel Legends figures. This more modern take also features a toned down influence of purple in Jubilee's overall design. If there was one thing about this figure they could tweak to make it a perfect figure it would probably be the eyes. They're not the worst pair to appear on a figure but could definitely use some attention.
28 Worst: Madame Masque
At first glance, you'll notice that this is a real deep cut in terms of Marvel action figures. This figure is from the Marvel Legends line and is easily in the running for the worst figure they've probably ever released. This is probably due to the fact that this is a variant, more specifically a Hydra variant, for a bottom tier tertiary character. Even semi-informed Marvel comic fans would have a tough time explaining to you who exactly is Madame Masque. There's just so much wrong with this figure and it makes it even worse that this is a part of the stellar Marvel Legends line. Her hair doesn't look natural on this figure and it looks like a hairpiece that was sloppily placed on her head. The coloring seems inconsistent and all over the place. Her face seems unnatural and the head as a whole feels disproportionate with the rest of the figure. A lot of times it's the lesser known characters that have the figures that feel rushed or as though there's no quality check on the final design and production of the parts. If you're the one Madame Masque fan in existence you should be upset that your favorite character was treated this way. On the bright side at least she has a figure.
27 Best: Black Widow
When it comes to tattoos they tell you that you should avoid realistic pictures of people because they're the hardest things to get right and the easiest things to mess up. You're a light distraction away from your son's portrait being placed on your arm to it looking like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. The same can be said about creating action figures based on the live-action versions of superheroes. Doing this comes with the burden of not only nailing the costume but trying to match the actors face as well. When you're going based on the comics there's a little bit of leeway in terms of creative liberties when designing the face. Basing it on a real-life actor is setting yourself up for failure. Luckily Marvel Legends has really outdone themselves a number of times and this MCU Black Widow figure is no different. The figure features a spitting image of Scarlet Johansson's face and it's pretty astounding. It's interesting to think about the actor's reaction to seeing their own face in action figure form. Would it be weird for them to see their own kids playing with figures of themselves? Or is there a true sense of accomplishment seeing that your stardom is on another level?
26 Worst: Professor Xavier
Professor Xavier is the leader of the X-Men and one of the most identifiable Marvel superheroes in existence. His action figures always added an interesting nuance in terms of design considering a majority of the time he was tied to his wheelchair. It must have been great for disabled kids to have the opportunity to have an action figure they could relate to. That was always the beauty of the X-Men in general. This figure, sadly, didn't seem to do Professor X justice in a number of ways. Considering he's bound to a wheelchair you would assume they would put some attention in designing the detail in his head and hands considering they didn't have to worry about the lower body's functionality. It turns out they just didn't seem to care at all.
Professor X's hands are very chunky and offer little to no detail.
His face looks more like Lex Luther or Mr. Clean than it does resembling Professor X in any capacity. It's a real shame to see a company really phone it in on a character who doesn't have a whole lot to work with and manage to screw it up. Sir Patrick Stewart would be appalled if he laid eyes on this sorry excuse of an action figure.
25 Best: Thanos
This guy makes the list because his figure is pretty well detailed, but also showcases his stature and presence in a really great way. With the release of Avengers: Infinity War it seems that Thanos has catapulted his way into the mainstream consciousness as a superhero villain people will know. He might end up becoming a common reference for villains the same way the Joker has. The performance by Josh Brolin is astounding and the writing and character arc of Thanos couldn't have been done better. Avengers: Infinity War is the first movie to show a villain going through the classic format of the hero's journey and that's why it works so well. On a fundamental level people really understood and related to Thanos' mission if even for a moment. This figure comes by way of Marvel Legends, so it's no surprise it's stunning. Though it's not as facially accurate as some of their best, his stature and costume detail really make it a remarkable figure. A couple of slight adjustments to the face and coloring and this guy might have made it a bit higher on the list. Unfortunately, it doesn't feature a snapping action so you'll have to get creative with your live retelling of the latest Avengers movies.
24 Worst: Johnny "Snowboarder" Storm
A list of the worst action figures wouldn't be complete without the inclusion of a Fantastic Four action figure or two. The Fox take on Marvel's first family hasn't panned out well and has seemingly gotten worse with each attempt. The 2005 Fantastic Four film, though arguably the best of the bunch, still managed to showcase some awkward scenes and dialogue that doesn't hold up given the current caliber of superhero films audiences are receiving. The movie featured Chris Evans' Johnny Storm snowboarding with his girlfriend. Toy makers jumped on the opportunity and decided to immortalize this moment in action figure form. If you're a kid who loves the Fantastic Four then chances are you think Johnny Storm is the coolest member. That means that the moment you walked into a store and bolted for the Marvel toy section you were scanning the shelves for the flame man, himself. How disappointing must it have been to land your eyes on this figure in 2005? There's no better way to celebrate your love of a superhero who becomes a living flame than by buying an action figure of him snowboarding in human form. That thing looks nothing like Chris Evans, and why are his arms so long? He's not Mr. Fantastic!
23 Best: Storm
With the recent acquisition of Fox properties by Fox, fans can't wait to see the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe interacting with their super-powered counterparts. Black Panther was a huge success, so it shouldn't be a tremendous leap in logic to expect Storm in the coming years. It's still unclear which version of the character we'll see in the MCU, but if it's anything like the comics or cartoon, we should be in for a real treat. This figure showcases the power and intimidation that Storm provides on the battlefield.
The mohawk is well-detailed and her hands are well placed and really convey the power of the character.
Her outfit is form fitting and they managed to showcase how dense and muscular her body is. We're currently living in the age of positive, earned, and well-written inclusion in superhero movies and Hollywood in general. Black females have been treated to strong and intelligent women by way of Black Panther, but those characters will never have their own movie. It will be great to see if Marvel Studios doubles down and shows us what the true queen of Wakanda is capable of.
22 Worst: Too Blue Spider-Man
Everyone knows that Spider-Man's suit is both red and blue. If you were to ask people what his primary color was you would more than likely get a resounded answer that it is in fact red. That's exactly why this figure is so hard to stomach. There's nothing wrong with creating interesting and nuanced variations of a character's action figure in hopes of selling more toys to the same kids. When you do this however you must take into account what goes into balancing that specific character's suit. There's nothing wrong with flipping Spider-Man's design on its head and making it a blue base with red as a secondary design element. There is a problem when you fail to work in the blacks and/or whites that seemingly balance out the design. It also doesn't help when your figure features varying tones of red and a weird upper torso design that makes it look less aerodynamic. This thing looks drastically worse than Peter Parker's self-designed suit from Spider-Man: Homecoming. This figure is a prime example of lazy or uninspired variation and is a real let down. Spider-Man is one of the coolest and most popular Marvel characters so it's a shame to see his action figures seemingly treated with little to no respect in terms of design.
21 Best: Ego The Living Planet
Who would have thought that one of Marvel's best-looking figures would be a human version of the living planet himself, Ego? On top of that point, it would be even more of a surprise to reveal that the figure is actually based off of Kurt Russell playing Ego in a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel. That sentence would seemingly leave them more and more surprised with each successive word. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 did a great job of introducing Ego in a more tangible and comprehensive way than anyone would have imagined. Kurt Russell's performance as the untrustworthy and sneaky father was great to experience. Earlier we talked about just how closely Marvel Legends nailed Scarlet Johansson's portrayal of Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic. That makes sense considering she's a mainline Avenger and was the most prominent female in the MCU for a number of years. That makes this Ego figure that much more surprising considering it's a villain from a sequel. You could show a fan of Kurt Russel this figure and they would instantly know it was him. There's no doubt about his face being a spitting image of the actor who portrayed him.
20 Worst: A.I.M. Soldier
Everyone remembers what it was like as a kid to own a really cool Nerf gun and get into giant battles with your friends. It was exciting to try out new and interesting types of projectiles and launchers. Outside of the foam and rubber bullets, there's another thing that is directly associated with NERF toys. That specific thing would, of course, be the radioactive orange that's prominent in so many of their products. This soldier from A.I.M. is exactly that, but with none of the excitement or interest that comes with owning a NERF gun. We've already talked about how tertiary characters don't tend to receive the love that the mainline more popular ones do, so an operative of A.I.M. should fall in line with all of those assumptions. He mostly looks like a giant orange peanut and lacks any distinct characteristics or details. This is the type of action figure your uncle would have picked out for their nephew because he Christmas shopped late and this is what was left on the store shelves. Thankfully this happened with this guy and not a more prominent Captain America villain. One could only imagine a giant black blob with some white on his chest that's meant to pass as a Crossbones action figure
19 Best: Deadpool
With the Deadpool movie sequel right around the corner, and his cult popularity only growing by the millions every year, there had to be a great Deadpool action figure on this list. His points of articulation and suit details quickly make him stand out as a solid figure. This action figure from the Marvel Select line also comes with several of his iconic weapons, though there doesn't seem to be a chimichanga in sight which is a slight disappointment. Outside of that, it's easy to see the many different parts they included on the outside of his suit that make him look like a true mercenary. Breaking the 4th wall is a major component in making Deadpool beloved to the masses. It would be interesting to see a new action figure of Deadpool that comes with his own figure of Deadpool. We've already been treated via a trailer of this very exact thing. What's wrong with letting everyone watch Deadpool play with himself? Wait, that didn't come out the way I expected. Either way, it's easy to tell that even Ryan Reynolds himself would be brought to display this guy on a shelf in his house.
18 Worst: Beach Spider-Man
This toy is not only disturbing on a design level, it makes absolutely no sense logically. We all understand that Spider-Man's secret identity is of utmost importance to him. We know that a Peter Parker action figure won't sell nearly as much as a Spider-Man one. Why on Earth did they think kids would enjoy this abomination of an action figure? When kids say they want a Spider-Man toy the last thing they expect to receive is a toy of a normal guy at the beach wearing the Spider-Man mask and a t-shirt that says Spider-Man. Also, why would he need a baseball cap if he's already wearing a mask? At that point, you don't need to shield your eyes from the sun if your entire head is within a specialized mask. Another weird thing is that he's also wearing shorts which means Peter Parker is going to be tan everywhere but his head. Isn't this a bit of a giveaway in terms of who Spider-Man is? Everyone will be covering the fact that he's lounging at the beach working as a lifeguard. The next day when Peter walks into the Daily Bugle with a tan everywhere but his head wouldn't that be a little suspect?
17 Best: Falcon
This will probably be one of the only times you'll ever see a toy of Sam Wilson aka Falcon getting recognized let alone talked about for its quality. Once again this comes from the Marvel Legends set that coincided with the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. In this movie, Sam Wilson sports a brand new upgraded pair of wings alongside a new drone ally called the red wing. Marvel Legends did a great job of bringing vibrancy to the wings and breathing life into how symbolic the red in the design is. His outfit is a little flat with little to no additional parts coming off of the main pieces, but that was probably a trade-off for the wings.
When a kid wants a Falcon action figure they really want to have his wings really be prominent and mean something.
Focusing the design on the wings is the smarter decision and it definitely pays off in dividends. As always the figure looks exactly like Anthony Mackie in all his comedic glory. Unfortunately, Sam Wilson's MCU partner in crime Bucky Barnes isn't included so you'll have to pick him up as well. I would suggest keeping them both a safe distance away from Spider-Man. It didn't seem like they were too pleased with the outcome of their last encounter with the web-slinging phenom.
16 Worst: Stealth Wolverine
This action figure really makes fans start to question who exactly signs off on the completed design of a product. If you were to make a variant action figure of Wolverine centered around stealth and covert op you'd probably have a baseline design in your head, correct? When most people hear about stealth they automatically think of an all black suit with little to no flair that can quickly escape in the darkness of shadows. That's why this Stealth Wolverine has such a confusing design and the direction they were headed toward doesn't seem clear or reasonable in the slightest. It's understandable that they wanted to work in the yellows and blues of the iconic X-Men outfits, but this feels uninspired in the least. How cool would it have been if this action figure showcased Wolverine in an all-black outfit with possibly a bandana tied around his mouth? There are few superhero things cooler than imagining the ultra-violent Wolverine sent on a stealth covert ops mission wearing an all-black getup. You can't really be stealthy if most of your gear is bright yellow and probably reflective. Back to the drawing board with this one.
15 Best: The Wasp
With the upcoming release of Ant-Man and the Wasp, it seems that interest in the winged companion of Scott Lang is only going to soar once the movie comes out. Evangeline Lilly starred in the first Ant-Man but looks to get her literal and metaphorical wings in the upcoming sequel. It seems like the team over at Marvel Legends is only getting better with time. Some of the figures that released to coincide with Avengers: Infinity War or upcoming movies such as Ant-Man and the Wasp have been absolutely stunning. Evangeline Lilly is a strong and beautiful actress and that all comes through in her Marvel Legends Wasp action figure. As a whole figure, it really comes together nice despite some individual components maybe being a little below what you expect from a Marvel Legends figure. It's great to live in a time where strong female heroes are fighting alongside, and in the Wasp's case, essentially leading the fight against all the evil and villainy surrounding them at any given moment. Here's hoping Wasp dazzles in her showcase movie later this Summer. She's a great straight-man to Paul Rudd's more humorous and comedic approach. They work well together and could be a genuinely swell pairing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.
14 Worst: Toad
I'm not sure if this Toad figure should be on the best or worst side of this list. The fact that Marvel Legends really got the true nature across of Toad through his figure could land him on either side. He'll be landing up on the worst side just because he's so darn ugly. He's the type of action figure you leave out by accident that your mom ends up throwing away because she hates it so much. The figure gets across the fact that Toad is a reviled mutant who slums in or near the sewer system. The X-Men often have storylines that revolve around mutant prejudices and injustices, but at the end of the day, most of them are at least pretty attractive with amazing powers.
Toad really doesn't have either of those things.
There are some specific situations where his abilities may come in handy, but most of the time he's closer to a circus freak than a villain. This yellow and brown costume he's sporting makes him look like a jester or a scarecrow of some sort. It's an awesome addition that he comes with a toad seeing as that's his name and all.
13 Best: Black Panther
With the release of Black Panther in early 2018, T'Challa has quickly vaulted into royalty in terms of popularity in comparison to other Marvel superheroes. He is now arguably the most well known male superhero. Kids everywhere love his costume and abilities and can't wait to dress up as him when Halloween rolls around later this year. Black Panther's Marvel Legends figure has him striking his iconic feline pose. When he was first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War, fans weren't sure what to expect. They were treated to a sleek fitted superhuman with some impressive feats of balance and maneuverability. Once Black Panther released, fans across the globe were introduced to African culture in an entertaining and interesting way. It brought African culture to the masses in a way we had never seen in a major Hollywood blockbuster. Marvel Studios nailed the character in terms of his onscreen debut, and Marvel Legends did the same with this Black Panther action figure. At a glance, it just reads as though it can articulate the same way a feline-inspired hero would. The suit he has is simple yet unique which really helps when making a standout figure.
12 Worst: Sabretooth
We've already talked about the misguided steps that were taken when creating a Wolverine figure. Now it's time to look at a terrible toy based on his comic villain, Sabretooth. The first problem is that instead of going with his design that uses a lot more browns and yellows they decided to double down on his classic orange costume. Off the bat, this comes across as tacky and doesn't hold up to modern day or even 80's interests. Though it uses neon colors that were prominent in the 80s, it doesn't do so in a kind or favorable fashion. The face is also a really bad attempt at recreating Sabretooth in an angered stated. His eyes have little to no detail and his mouth just seems off. He's supposed to be snarling with his mouth agape but instead, it looks like he's suffering from a really bad stomachache. Hopefully with the X-Men entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will be treated to an awesome portrayal of Sabretooth that results in some sweet action figures. This figure looks less like a Wolverine villain and more so like a distant cousin of the Thundercats.
11 Best: Pyro
Pyro is an interesting character because he's been really important to certain major events in the comics but has yet to make his way over to the live-action realm. If you're only familiar with Marvel heroes through the Marvel Cinematic Universe than you'll probably be unfamiliar with Pyro. To keep it short he's a character with a heartbreaking but entertaining character arc that also was involved in the explosion that resulted in the series of events known as the first Marvel Civil War run. This figure's great because it's not afraid to use bright colors alongside tans and browns.
It also does a good job at working in rigid geometric shapes that could possibly come across as tacky.
Though his suit doesn't include a ton of bells and whistles it's nice to see the things he does have covered in subtle detail. His tubes look and move like actual tubes which is great because if that's designed differently it could harshly affect the articulation of the action figure. It would have been great to see him sporting a grin from ear to ear, but his indifferent reaction also works really well. His costume, in particular, is very comic book feeling so it'd be interesting to the MCU take on it.