Empowered and driven mad by Asgardian magic, Samantha Parrington attacked the Hulk. The fight that resulted was a battle for the ages. For blocks around, concrete was shattered by the concussive force of their blows. Both combatants staggered away from that fight with little memory of what had actually occurred. Later, as Samantha gained full control of her incredible powers, she joined the Hulk as a member of the Defenders.
![Photobucket](https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/flywheels/Random%20Toy%20Reviews/11-15-10001.jpg)
First thing you'll probably notice are the images of the figures themselves. To me they look a tad photo shopped as the actual toys do look a bit different. Below that is the story that sets up the time frame from the comic history for the two characters. There is also a bit of information on each character that gives their name, height, weight, alias, affiliation, whether or not their identity is public or not and lastly a short description of their powers. I got a kick out of Valkyrie's weight as she is listed at a hefty 475 lbs.! Laughing in her face or making a comment about her weight would not be wise, especially coming from a man. In the background you can see faint artwork that was used on the sides of the packaging. The light blue makes it look almost as if it was sketched onto the back.
The beautiful artwork is provided by two different artists. I personally prefer the art used for the upper corner - I believe it is the work of Joe Madureia. The art of Valkyrie riding Aragorn looks to be Scott Kollins' work.
On the other side of box are different pieces of artwork of the Hulk. Unlike on Valkyrie's side I'm unsure of who the artists are that provided the art.
It's a little hard to tell from my photos (or lack of my photo taking ability), but the packaging is a trapezoid shape. It's just different enough that it helps make the already beautiful packaging stand out even more on the shelf amidst the other toys on the shelf. Upon opening the toy to photograph the figures I realized something that slipped by me when examining the box in the store. The box opens up like a book to reveal the figures inside meaning you can remove and replace the figures without having the mangle the packaging! Some people could care less about this feature, but I always applaud the manufacturer for taking a small step such as this. I don't necessarily display my figures and toys in their packaging, but a lot of collectors do and having the ability to remove and replace the figures while maintaining the overall integrity of the packaging is very cool.
![Photobucket](https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/flywheels/Random%20Toy%20Reviews/11-15-10011.jpg)
Valkyrie comes with a few accessories. Most will recognize her enchanted and unbreakable sword, Dragonfang. She also comes with a long spear. One thing that impressed me about the weapons were how they were packaged. How many times have you bought a figure with a sword or staff only to find when you pull it out of the packaging that it's all bent and distorted? Not only did Hasbro package the weapons in a way that this distortion doesn't occur the plastic used isn't near as flexible as I've seen by other manufactures.
![Photobucket](https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/flywheels/Random%20Toy%20Reviews/11-15-10013.jpg)
In addition to the cape the scabbard to hold Dragonfang is also removable. Again this is something that I didn't know until I freed Valkyrie from her cardboard and plastic prison. It attaches to her side by one small peg and stays in place quite well. The scabbard is a solid piece of plastic however meaning you are unable to store the sword inside. By doing this more detail was able to be placed on the scabbard so to me at least it's not a big deal that the sword can't be stored inside it. The cape is made of a slightly softer plastic that does have some give. The molded waves in the cape look great when it's adorned on Valkyrie herself.
![Photobucket](https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/flywheels/Random%20Toy%20Reviews/11-15-10008.jpg)
There is also some good shading used on the figure around the various muscles that help make those areas stand out. Some may not like that approach, but it doesn't bother me. Speaking of muscles the sculpting of them look fantastic. From the neck to the biceps to the quads in the legs - they are expectantly huge. I personally like the bulging veins on the biceps! The hands are molded into fists, but since the Hulk is all about punching things this shouldn't bother too many people. There are 19 points of articulation that I count. The head sits on a ball joint allowing full movement. Each arm features 5 points - shoulder, above & below the bicep, wrist and hand. The torso features the standard articulation mechanism. The waist can be rotated a full 360 degrees. Each leg features 3 points - hip, knee and ankle. The feet are huge and gives this mammoth figure the stability it needs.
![Photobucket](https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/flywheels/Random%20Toy%20Reviews/11-15-10016.jpg)
I've made several mentions about each figure's size and scale and I wanted to show you both figurestogether so you can get a better idea of just how large this figure of the Hulk really is.
In closing I have to say that I'm glad I made this purchase. At $30 it is a little on the pricey side considering Marvel Legends figures used to retail for $10 a piece, but I do feel like I got my money's worth here. Both figures are extremely well made and are a lot of fun. While I love this version of the Hulk the highlight figure of this set is Valkyrie. Maybe it's because it's a new female figure or a character not widely used in modern comics (yes, I know she is in Secret Avengers right now), but whatever the reason this figure is what makes this a must purchase for comic toy fans. I believe of these 3 new two packs each pack comes packaged 2 per case, but don't hold me to that. If you want this and you can find it at retail then I highly recommend you don't wait as there seems to have been a lot of buzz about these figures and I can see them selling very well.
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