…is THIS girl.
SDCC has become a hotbed of exclusive action figures. Everything from Justice League Unlimited, to Cars, to Doctor Who, to Battlestar Galactica, to The Big Lebowski, to Heroes, to Hellboy, to Flash Gordon, to Randy Couture had their own exclusive figure at Comic-Con. That’s all well and good and I hope you got everything you wanted. I got the only thing I wanted; the Hasbro Marvel Legends Savage Land box set. It includes Ka-Zar, Zabu, and…*swoon* Shanna The She-Devil.
I’ve always had a thing for jungle girls, let’s get that out of the way right now. Don’t know why, always have. My odd predilections are not the topic of this post though, thankfully for both of us. Instead, I felt constrained to point out that, for the first time in Marvel Legends history, we have a female figure that’s actually pretty.
And get this…she’s also a cool action figure, too.
All three of the Savage Land box set figures are repaints/retools.
Zabu is a straight reuse of the 8-inch scale G.I. Joe Adventure Team tiger that was packaged with Storn Shadow in the set entitled "Danger in the Jungle" with a new head.
Ka-Zar is…someone, I don’t know who, with what I assume to be a new head among other things. I’d assume the knife sheath strapped to his thigh is new, but I don’t know. I’m sure someone will chime in and lay out the deats for us.
Shanna The She-Devil is a repaint of the Hulk BAFoom wave Savage She-Hulk with a new head and left forearm, as per Frank Cho.
Or is she…?
In looking at Shanna, it struck me she’s too nice a figure to be a repaint. Her proportions and curves are far more in keeping with her character than She-hulk’s. Upon further inspection, I think it’s more than coincidence that Shanna’s left hand is sculpted to hold her rife perfectly while her right does the same with her machete. Savage She-Hulk shares these hands, but includes no accessories. Also, Shanna’s bikini is sculpted to look like padded animal skin, not a torn Playtex.
But the clincher is the height.
Before the set arrived, something occurred to me. If Shanna is based on She-Hulk, won’t she be way too tall for both her Savage Land companions and the rest of my Marvel Legends? The answer, as it turns out, is no, she won’t. In fact, she’ll be pretty much the perfect height for the character. Marvel Universe lists She-Hulk as 6’7" while green. Poor Shanna is a mere 5’10". So, as you can see below, the Shanna figure’s scale is excellent.
This all leads me to one conclusion: Shanna is the original intention of the sculpt, Shulkie’s the repaint. I guess Hasbro knew there wasn’t a chance in hell a Shanna The She-Devil figure was going to sell at Wal-Mart, or really anywhere else the kiddies tread, and wisely decided to make her into Savage She-Hulk for the masses and cash in at Comic-Con with the original.
Or maybe that’s been common knowledge for months. I just know I figgered it out all by my sewlf.
Anyway, the Shanna figure rules. Cheers, see you later.
-JJJ
P.S.:
Hasbro, I have an assignment for you. You’ve given me the Shanna The She-Devil figure, and she’s great, but now I need you to complete this picture…
You’ve basically got the body. All I need is a new head, the cape, and some well-placed paint.
See you next SDCC…?
Ya know, I was very disappointed when I found out how much smaller the new She-Hulk was compared to last year’s version and, by-jove, I think you’ve discovered the truth behind her smaller stature…
(Psssst, Jason… you didn’t include a backside photo… I’m just sayin’…)
Ditto…ahem…
That backside is something else, too!
Actually, the original She-Hulk sculpt *was* much taller and in scale for She-Hulk. I guess when they decided on the dual use for the body they had the factory pantograph it down a bit more.
I say bravo to Hasbro for getting us an amazing Shanna, done right. But boo-urns for the tiny She-Hulk who looks like she’s wearing a cooking apron. ESPECIALLY at $15 a pop.
Ah well.
I’d have to agree with you on this figure. I don’t collect Marvel Legends but I had to buy this set. Even this gay boy had to have her.