Now, I know this may be a silly statement, but here I go anyway. Yesterday, I bought my first GI Joe toy EVER. It was Rise of Cobra Destro, and only bought it to make a custom of Red Skull. Now I have been buying Hasbro's Marvel Universe since the line started, I have about 30 figures or so. Simply put, Destro blew me away. Not enough to start buying the whole line, as I'm not a big fan of GI joe fiction. But the plastic was so much stiffer, and the hip joints were fantastic, smooth movement, yet stiff enough to hold poses. Also, a metal T-bar is used. What I can't understand, is since Hasbro has seemed to have perfected this scale (as I know they've been making GI Joes since the 80s), why isn't this same kind of quality present on the Marvel line? I have toys from Fury Files, Secret Wars, Wolverine Origins and Iron Man 2, and none of them match the quiality of this toy. Why is this?
I'd love to tell you, but I just don't know. I was actually just talking about that to someone. The GI Joe figures are sturdier, still have plenty of articulation, are generally more "meaty" in terms of size, and come with lots of accessories usually. So to see the Marvel figures go for a couple bucks more, it's a hard sale to me. I guess they know they will sell.
In terms of "why", I have no idea, but I had a few Joes before MU came along, and I was really excited with MU. So when I had the chance, I got Captain America and Spider-Man... yeah, imagine my disappointment. I've been mighty tempted to get more MU since then, because of the great character selection, but I simply couldn't stand the plastic used. It's soft, it's rubbery, it makes the joints feel loose, throws the balance off and I feel like I'm gonna break 'em. And they cost even more than Joes! Who typically have way more accessories. Having gotten some Ironman II figures, I'd say that they're the best around. Joes have one FATAL flaw, in that they have no hip swivel. Were it not for that, they'd be the perfect 3.75" figures. I'd recommend grabbing Joes you think look nice when you see them on clearance. I mean, there are red ninjas in Joes that would make great stand ins for those Hand Ninjas, but as you've discovered, they're made of sterner stuff. Similarly, those MARS 3-Pack troopers would make half decent pseudo-SHIELD agents. Not quite the perfect fit, but good enough for background toys yes? But yeah, I can't understand why the MU line doesn't use the same plastic either. I understand for Star Wars. Because if they did new hips for Star Wars, it'd mean that they wouldn't be able to re-use all the pelvises they already have. And for MU and Ironman II, I reckon those pseudo-ball hips are the new standard. Also, since Hasbro has to pay for licensing for MU and Ironman figures, I can see why they have less accessories. However, the big question is, why can't they use the same plastic? Cutting corners with accessories and new molds I understand, but plastic quality as well? Ugh!
i actually asked this myself awhile back. Why do MU suck and GI Joes are still kinda cool, and this is coming from a guy who LOVES Marvel figs but HATES 3.75" figs. I actually picked up a few of the movie figs and a hummer and a few planes awhile back. Joes are cool, they come with awesome artic, A TON of accessories, and their own stands. MU so far has simply been a ripoff. Joes are $5 with the above statement and MU are around $8. The best i can tell they are just trying to get $ for the popular names as well as the fact theres nothing else out there for all the Marvel fans.
I've never really noticed any difference in plastic quality between the two, but I always ask myself(especially regarding SW figures) why they don't have the GI Joe standard all across the board of 3 3/4". The only things I feel MU has above Joes are the bicep swivel, the newly added thigh swivel & some having waist articulation, which could also be added to the standard to make awesome 3 3/4" toys. As for the "Marvel ball-swivel joint" used in everything Marvel but MU, I understand why they use that over ball joints or metal t-bars for the figure's aesthetic, but they annoy the hell out of me becuase if they connected horizontally like the MOTUC figures they'd be perfect & you wouldn't have to rotate everything if you want the leg to go foward or sideways.
Only one I've got is from a case of that wave I pre-ordered from BBTS. Never seen him in the wild, but he seems to turn up on very rare occasions at random Walgreen's.
My guess is that it's two entirely different teams on it. The Joe team is too busy with their own stuff, so they likely put the Legends designers on the Universe figures, while they have no real experience with figures that small.
Besides different teams, factories, and brand aesthetics, It could also be a cost factor. GI JOE is owned by hasbro, but they have to license marvel.
Concerning accessories, its not like superheroes use that many (Caps shield & Surfers board are two I can think of right off the bat). Its all strengh & powers otherwise. So you get some energy blast/power effect accessories but what else is there?
Accessories aren't the only thing mentioned, but even so, since MU figures don't come with any, then you would think they should be cheaper. And beyond whatever you mean by "energy blast/power effect accessories" you often get stuff like helmets, backpacks, multiple guns, swords, knives, stands, and sometimes animals and more.
What would you consider Spiderman's web & the transparent yellow blast thing that came with IronMan? What Marvel figures come with helmets, backpacks, multiple guns, swords, knives, stands, and sometimes animals? That sounds more like GIJoe. As for why Marvel cost more, Hasbro has to pay Marvel for each figure. They own GIJoe so no fees.
There's still no reason why they use plastic of lower quality. Its not like they cut corners to lower the price, they do cost more, and I'm willing to pay a little more, and I'm fine with less accesories, I just want the same plastic, and/or the metal T-bar
