Marvel Minimates Wave 5 Chase - Unmasked Doctor Doom
Here we have a pack containing the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing, and Wave 5's chase figure, an unmasked version of Doctor Doom. As I have already reviewed Thing (with normal Dr Doom) this review will concentrate only on Unmasked Doctor Doom.
Packaging
Wave 4 was the first "proper" wave to feature the new, box-style Marvel Minimates packaging which now is an enclosed box with pictures of the Minimates in action poses, and Wave 5 continues this. People were initially worried that the chase figures would be "blind packed", that is, the Unmasked Doctor Doom figure would be randomly packed into a box with a picture of the regular Doctor Doom on it, but thankfully that is not the case, and the picture shows off an Unmasked Doctor Doom with a "VARIANT ENCLOSED" banner on the corner of the box front.
In a nice touch similar to the Giant-Size X-Men Boxset, pictures of the 2 Minimate's heads are on the side of the box.
The packaging is a smaller than the old carded 2-packs, and immeasurably cuter. Interestingly, these new boxes are also smaller than the Magneto and Professor X exclusive, too. The Minimates information page has been updated with comparison shots of all 3 types of packaging used for the 2-packs, as well as with a new shot of the back of the box, which now shows a selection of characters both old, new and upcoming.
The figures are packed in a bubble tray, and have no twist-ties holding them in. Instead, a second clear tray piece fits over the top and then locks in, meaning that these figures are held in well and can be seen from each side.
The Figure
Unmasked Doctor Doom
The wave 5 chase figure is Doctor Doom, who instead of his silver mask, shows a scarred human face.
This version of Doctor Doom is identical to the normal wave 5 version apart from the head. This means that the torso, cape and detailing is all of the same high quality but with the same flaws of hindering some of his articulation.
So the focus on this chase figure is the new head piece, and I'm pleased to say it's been done really well. The expression on Doom's face is a real winner, his mouth curved in defiance despite his scarring. There is some very nice detailing on the head, with loads of scar lines but also his eyes have a lot of detail too, something that could easily have been skimped on but adds a lot to the soul of the figure. There is another great touch that elevates this figure above its normal counterpart. The head piece fits snugly into the hood of the cape, as it did on the original. However when it's removed, the scarring continues around the back of the head, even though you cannot see it when the hood is on. That's a superb detail.
Just like the normal version, Unmasked Doctor Doom comes with no accessories. Again, it would have been nice to see some kind of remote device or superweapon controller.
Overall, Unmasked Doctor Doom ranks highly for a chase figure, along with black Elektra and black-costumed Spider-Man. I feel the added details on the face make this the superior version of Doctor Doom.
MMC Score - 8 out of 10
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