I know I've been a little slow starting up this thread this time around, but for those that haven't seen what I (and others) have done in the past, please reference these threads:

Avengers: Ranking the Figures
Justice League: Ranking the Figures

Figures are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being unplayable, 5 being ok, and 10 being almost broken. After the rankings, list your reasons for the rankings you've given each figure.

003 Beast - 10
008 Box - 7
009 Cuckoo - 6
020 Morph - 6
021 Mimic - 6
024 Shatterstar - 7
025 Zzzax - 8
027 Beast - 6
031 Professor X- 8
033 Green Scar - 10
035 Ahab - 6
038 Omega Red - 7
044 The Leader - 8
046 Arcade - 8
050 Hulkbuster - 7
053 Emma Frost - 8
055 Iron Man - 3 (re-evaluated after reading Miraclo review)
061 Dark Beast - 10
062 Rampaging Hulk - 10
------------------------
Running Excitement Meter: 7.4

003 Beast: Looking at this one as a remake of the Rookie from Xplosion. This Beast completely pummels the old one. For 50 points, this guy is, for lack of a better word, a Beast! His special power alone makes him awesome (while revisiting, and correcting, a soar spot with Ultimate Falcon). His dial, stats, and sculpt are all solid for the points. I can't wait to get and play one. Not to mention, this one actually got the Mutant keyword (finally).

008 Box: Solid all around piece, awesome sculpt, and cool special powers, makes this a great character to pull. Sure his attack is only mediocre at best, but since he's an Alpha Flight member anyway, that's probably going to be compensated for with the ATA, and Brilliant Tactician on Shaman anyway. Of course, he loses points for not having the Mutant keyword, especially since it's mentioned in his write-up.

009 Cuckoo: I really like the synergy when fielding multiples of this figures. I was a big fan of the Cuckoos, which says a lot since I look poorly on the way the Morrison run ended. The sculpt amuses me, looking a little too anime for my tastes. This figure will gain points if there's a 100 pt Emma Frost in the set, since that's make a 300 pt team, with Emma and the 5 sisters. Again, this figure loses points for a missing Mutant keyword.

020 Morph: I'm having a lukewarm reaction to Morph. He's decent, but there's something about him that's less dynamic then I would expect from the character. Both the sculpt (which I still like), and the dial, seem to be missing something. I think giving him self-perplex seems wrong. He messes with his opponents EASILY as much as him manipulates himself. He also really seems as if he should have Super Strength. Then there's that missing Mutant Keyword AGAIN (not that I should be surprised at this point). And the fact that he has X-Men and Avengers as keywords, just raises the question as to why Mimic doesn't have Brotherhood of Mutants and X-Men on his card.

021 Mimic: Now, I haven't read every issue of Exiles, so I'm not sure when/where Mimic copied Northstar's speed, but since he only has it for 1 click, I won't complain too much about that. I find it odd that Calvin wasn't given ANY special powers similar to Parasite. I realize that most often he uses the same type of powers in his repertoire. However, he was also capable of improvising. That said, he isn't terrible. His sculpt could be better, but I'm hoping that it'll be one of those that looks better in person. Other than that, he also loses points for not having the Mutant keyword. (I'm sensing a theme here. Can't wait to see the size of this errata. )

024 Shatterstar: A great looking sculpt, and a nice mix of powers and stats for the points. Could he be better? Sure. However, he pretty much fits how I'd expect to play him, so I can't complain.

025 Zzzax: He's got a cool looking sculpt, and a nice array of powers. Plus having a giant whose movement is largely unhindered, and who has a pretty ridiculous range is kind of interesting. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this behemoth out.

027 Beast: I'm so very meh about this Beast. I would have expected this one to actually have BCF at the very least, if not some mid (or late) dial charge. Sure this is the "thinking man's" Beast. But it doesn't reflect the possibility of his feral nature (unlocked by Cassandra Nova). He just seems rather uninspired, and not as good as the other "Vet" Beasts available. Love the sculpt, but this slot could have gone to someone else.

031 Professor X: I must echo those that got their reviews in before me. Professor X is a solid 8. This is a good twist on an old classic. He does lose points for the single target. Although as Miraclo points out, you're probably going to run him with Mental Shields anyway. I do LOVE that he has Outwit AND a Super Brilliant Tactician front loaded. He should be fun!

033 Green Scar: Great sculpt, awesome stats, excellent special powers! This guy really has it all. And man is he going to be able to bring the hurt.

035 Ahab: This isn't particularly a character I was begging for, so his ranking is affected by how likely I'd be to play him. Like Shatterstar, he looks like a solid piece for the points. I just don't see getting a lot of mileage out of him outside of sealed play.

038 Omega Red: For the most part, this guy looks pretty solid. I would have expected him to have either a 6 range, or 2 arrows, and the lack of Keywords is a complete joke. I can't fault him too much for that however, so he gets a 7.

044 The Leader: Here's a figure that you don't even need to compare to the original. The Leader is all around better, and his special powers are going to make him incredibly annoying to deal with (especially as a wildcard).

046 Arcade: Love the sculpt, and the special powers are awesome! This guy has some great synergy. Although, his need for objects to really make him fun, is going to hold him back a little. That said, if there's a Murderworld Event Dial that could help feed him objects, then his rating might go up.

050 Hulkbuster: Cool looking sculpt with a good mix of stats and powers. Although, I have to say that I'm glad that this one is a Super Rare. Not that I hate the figure or anything, but in my limited budget, this is one of those "cool" Super Rares, that I could let go to get other ones that I'd rather have (providing there are any).

053 Emma Frost: OK, so right off the top, this review is tough for me. I love the character, and the sculpt is cool. Although I really do hope that they posted the wrong image and the blue parts will be translucent on the final version. That said, I like what they did with the dial. It's not exactly what I would have done, but it's SO MUCH BETTER than the Clobberin' Time Vet, and that's all it needed to be. Funny thing is, I have the reverse complaint on this figure when it comes to Keywords. Technically this version shouldn't have Hellions or Generation X, as she didn't have her secondary mutation on either of those teams. Of course, until they reach back and officially keyword the retired sets, this does at least give me a theme Emma to field with those teams, so it's not all bad, just not entirely accurate. One thing is for sure, if I pull her and Cassandra in my brick, I'll be a pretty happy guy.

055 Iron Man: The sculpt looks cool, but the dial leaves me saying, meh. Not that I expect him to be spectacular or anything, but unless the other Zombies are cooler (and more accessible), I just can't see me chasing this one if I don't pull him.

061 Dark Beast: This is the vicious sadistic brute that I would expect the Dark Beast to be. His Cruel Experiment power alone makes him more than worth his cost. This is the nastiest BiBtB figure yet.

062 Rampaging Hulk: Finally a Hulk that both visually, and statistically lives up to the freakin' name! The only thing that could make this Hulk better is if he had his Squash special power for more than one click (or if he had the Avengers and/or Defenders keywords). That said, I'm really looking forward to both getting and playing this Monster.

He copied northstar's power in issue 6 and then kept it until his very last appearance.

Also, while he may have the ability to copy powers, he kept the beast, colossus, northstar, cyclops and wolverine powerset almost his entire run and only took a new power once (deadpool's).

Since when is wisecracking a super power?!

Thanks for the history lesson. I really only came into Exiles around the Age of Apocalypse anniversary event (when Holocaust joined the team), and read it from there, through World Tour, and the aftermath of that. Once Psylocke joined the team, I dropped the book again.

Anyway, that said, I really don't remember him doing anything "super speedy" during any of that time, but I could be forgetting something.

I figure I will join in on this since I didn't really care that much about Avengers or JLA but I am loving the sculpts and character selection for this set so far.

Box - 8
Cuckoo - 7
Mimic - 9
The Green Scar - 10
Dark Beast - 10
Rampaging Hulk - 10
Iron Man Hulkbuster Armor - 8
Morph - 7
OC Beast - 8
Zzzak - 10
Professor X - 9
Iron Man Zombie - 6
Ahab - 8
Shatterstar - 8
Panther Beast - 6
Arcade - 7
Omega Red - 10
The Leader - 8
Unlimited Wrestling Federation Event Dial - 10

Fun Factor - 8.37
Real Fun Factor - 22 (They confirmed The Maestro!!!!)

Box - 8. Not going to use him for my Alpha Flight team but will definitely use him on my Weapon X team. If anyone remembers that fantastically underrrated comic, Madison Jefferies used his Box Bots as security guards for the Facility where The Director and, unknown to him, Mr. Sinister were using the mutants for experiments. Grab a bunch of them and put Sauron, Sabretooth, Wild Child, Aurora, Fantomex(Agent Zero/Maverick), and hopefully Chamber and Mesmero are in this set. The auto nanobots will keep them around longer especially with a Rip it Up and a Seperation Field Generator.

Cuckoo - 7. I give them a 7 just because you need more at least three of them to use there powers to its full potential. That being said, I also want a new Emma Frost in this set but, only for about 60-70pts. That way I can add Feat Cards.

Mimic - 9. I have been waiting for him to be made. Hopefully Morph isn't far behind. He doesn't get a 10 because of that wierd wig he is wearing. Very awesome power set and everything complements each other very well. He will be a great figure in any sealed event and constructed.

Green Scar - 10. He is expensive but, he is all-powerful. If they have a cheap TKer in this set, I see Green Scar and the TKer being the army to beat during sealed events. He gets TKed up and does his full movement Charge thing and just crushes everyone.

Dark Beast - 10. Evil. Just evil. This is what I would expect a new Mr. Sinister to be like. TK him into a group and hope to roll a six to tear up everyone.

Rampaging Hulk - 10. Cheap and effective. That is the only way to describe this Hulk. Have him jump into a group of guys with toughness or less and Quake them all. Or throw Armor Piercing on him and just have him jump on everyone.

Iron Man Hulkbuster Armor - 8. I love the sculpt and think the figure is cheap and very team friendly. The only reason he doesn't get ranked higher is his low movement for a flier and a low 6 range for an Iron Man figure. Would have liked two arrows for the EE as well. Other than that, he is a great figure. It is looking like this set might get me back into the game.

Morph - 7. I love the Exiles and I'm happy to get 2 more members in this set (hoping for Thunderbird giant figure) but I am disappointed with Morph's special power. They could have been so much more creative then phoning in the "self-perplex" power. They could have given him 2 special powers. 1 giving him Super strength and Shape Change all the way down his dial and 2. giving him perplex where he can effect himself and an opponent of his choosing. This would be an example of when he changes shape and everyone is confused by what he turned into. he could have been better but, I will still build my Exiles team and have fun.

OC Beast - 8. Love the sculpt and I thin kthe dial is fitting for the rookie version of Beast. Usefulness wise, I don't think I would use him outside of an OC X-Men team. If he could use Pounce with his SP then I would give him a 9 and use him definitely. Very accurate sculpt and dial-wise, just a little weak for my teams.

Zzzak - 10. Don't know the character very well but I love the dial. Pulse-wave with a 5 range (10/2), Energy Explosion with 2 targets at 10 range combined with Giant status is awesome. You could hit the middle of a turtle team and blow them up from the inside out! Throw on MC and Exploit Weakness and Super Senses he is formidable. At the end he can start Poisoning everyone and his defense goes up against range. His attack sucks but add Armor Piercing and he doesn't even need to use his attack (Poison).

Pofessor X - 9. Awesome. Love the power combos and the sculpt. Cerebro is a kick-@$$ SP. My only gripe (and its minor) is that I wish he had 2-3 targets for his opening Incap and MC attacks. If he had that with the 12 range then Professor X would rank a 15 in my book.

Iron Man Zombie - 6. Cool a taxi for my Professor X. That can blow up stuff or perplex the Prof when needed. Thanks Wizkids! After seeing the other previews in this set Iron Man Zombie is just meh. Every other figure so far can whoop his butt, including the cripple. How exactly did the Zombies win against Galactus?

Ahab - 8. Running shot with built in Trick Shot/Ultimates?!? Awesome. All he needs is a 10 for opening attack and a 3 for opening damage. Other than that he is a great annoying back-up. Opponent: Do I hit Ahab or Green Scar? Decisions, decisions.

Shatterstar - 8. Don't know what I was expecting from Shatterstar but I find nothing to complain about for this dial. The only thing I wish he had was range since he had/has the ability to use any weapon once he touches it. Cheap, BCF, with Super Senses. Put him on my Assassins team.

Panther Beast - 6. Hate the sculpt. Actually like the Panther look of the new Beast (one of the few) but, this sculpt looks ugly as hell. Stats wise, I don't see myself playing him over the Danger Room Beast. Ever. Or the OC Beast even. First figure I'm dissappointed with.

Arcade - 7. Hope he has an event dial called Murderworld that generates objects all over the place because without it your team is going to have to spend a lot of points to get Arcade objects to use. With all the Super Strength in the set I don't see the objects staying around very long. All his powers are perfectly accurate for Arcade but I just don't see myself slapping down over 100pts of my build (86+Cheap SS with Rip it up and Seperation Field) to use his cool powers.

Omega Red - 10. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING BOUT, BABY!! Charge in and cut ya up. Oh you ran away. Still got range to hit ya with. Oh, you decided to stay and you hit me? Cool I'll just Flurry and Leach and heal up three clicks while you take 6. Oh, you got KOed? Good thing I got my charge back to go mess with the rest of your team. Omega Red. IC Sabretooth's new playmate.

The Leader - 8. Never been a big Mastermind user because I always forgot to keep the peons with the Master. So, I like the 4 range Mastermind thing. Just got to keep the fodder close enough. Really like the Prob and Outwit. He shoots with PB and hits for two, then uses outwit to outwit whatever defense you now have and allows another teammate to hit for big damage. PC is there if ya need it.

Unlimited Wrestling Federation Event Dial - 10. This is awesome. I will always agree to play this and probably form factions at home to play against each other. I can't wait to see more of them.

Fun Factor - 8.37
Real Fun Factor - 22 (They confirmed The Maestro!!!!)

Figures are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being unplayable, 5 being ok, and 10 being almost broken. After the rankings, list your reasons for the rankings you've given each figure.

003 Beast - 8
008 Box - 8
009 Cuckoo - 6
020 Morph - 6
021 Mimic - 6
024 Shatterstar - 7
025 Zzaxx - 7
027 Beast - 7
031 Professor X - 8
033 The Green Scar - 8
035 Ahab - 7
038 Omega Red - 8
044 The Leader - 8
046 Arcade - 6
050 Hulkbuster - 8
053 Emma Frost - 9
055 Iron Man - 5
061 Dark Beast - 10
062 Rampaging Hulk - 7

003 Beast: While easily one of my favorite X-Men, Beast doesn't illicit quite the same level of man-love he's getting from Snatreaper. Yeah, he's an X-man and a Mutant, but that's no selling point for me. When we get a beast on the Avengers we'll talk. Anyway, as he is he's a very nice 50 points, but he's no 10. for one thing he has a 9 attack value max. Now before anybody starts harping about valuing a fig for it's attack, think of the defenses floating around in this set just from what we've seen. On his first two clicks he's needing 8 or 9 to hit anyone unaided. Whack him for 2, he's needing 9 or 10. It's a rookie beast, so it is accurate (IMO), but unless you're dusting off old Brotherhood figures to beat up, you really aren't doing much with him in this set. I still think he is good overall, so he gets an 8.

008 Box: Solid piece, adds to the Alpha Flight roster, totally playable. I certainly won't nitpick that he didn't get the Mutant Keyword since it'll be house ruled. In a set full of mutants, i'm sure there will be more than enough to make little cheesy mutant keyword theme teams.

009 Cuckoo: The cuckoos are good. I'm going to have to hoard 5 of them, which, i guess isn't gonna be an issue since they are common. I suppose you could argue that being fabricated would make them NOT mutants, but it's an argument out of the scope of HeroClix. Once again, it might just be a reaction to having more than enough mutants to go around.

020 Morph: While getting all the Exiles in and done is welcome, i'm wondering if they all have to be absurdly mediocre. Self - Perplex is getting redundant, but i haven't seen it at least inappropriately placed. Given his already middling values and some of the higher-level things i've seen Morph do, i'd have given him the Ares +2 modifier, but that's definitely a stylistic, opinionated choice. As he is, he's playable, but nothing to write home about at 90 points.

021 Mimic: I've read maybe 6 or 7 issues of Exiles, total and Mimic was pretty much my favorite character there. I like him for versatility, but his expense would be offputting in sealed. We don't have to deal with 5 weeks of sealed this time, so he might see some play. He's the most expensive standard based X-Men team ability figure so far, but not actually an X-Man.

024 Shatterstar: Meh. I can give him a 7 because of his close combat role and point expense, but if he were a tad more accurate to my vision of the character, i'd probably give him an 8. And what is 'wrong' with him? I think he'd deserve at least a click of 3 damage (on a click without BCF) and even a piddly 4 range would strike me as the Shatterstar I remember. I guess Seth didn't read the same issues I did.

025 Zzzaxx: A decent, playable dial with room for Feats (like Fortitude to make certain his mediocre Super Senses at least sees some use) is mostly hindered by him being a Giant figure. Sure, they have advantages, but few get over being shot at by every figure on the table. I'm glad to see him, as he is a classic, but he's been whipped by the Hulk a good number of times. Self-fulfilling prophecy in HeroClix.

027 Beast: My eyeteeth for an Avengers Beast!! Arrgh!! He's still an Avenger, and has appeared, Morrison-ed out in Avengers titles. That's gripe number one, and it's definitely affecting my overall exceptance of the figure. Other than that, he's yet another Brilliant Tactician for the X-Men. His Outwit should have been a Special Power that says he can USE Outwit, since he isn't really a tactician, but that's not really a gripe more than it's a recognition of making things more comic-accurate with SPs. He is decent as a representation of Beast, but not supremely improved over his Rookie appearance. I certainly wouldn't have minded breaking my 7 streak with the Beast. Oh well.


031 Professor X: Man. For an uncommon he's a mite impressive, wouldn't you say? I'd rate him a 9, but his 131 pt cost keeps him at a reasonable but impressive 8. I'm definitely liking the idea of an Illuminati team. Also, being Unique means he can be Xavier from many different periods of the X-Men's history. Probably my sentimental favorite figure yet. "To Me, My X-Men!"

033 The Green Scar: Much better than Doomsday, but he's still a 230 grounded figure. Dealing with him isn't going to be an insurmountable problem for most, certainly not for me. I will say he is definitely hitting all the right notes, tho.

035 Ahab: Is he Cable from an Alterante Future, or some guy named Rory or whatever? The correct answer is "Who cares?". Despite his 'Mort' status, Ahab brings some punch to the game table with Ultimate Trickshot. Why is he on the Brotherhood, though?

038 Omega Red: Well, now we're getting somewhere. Even though he has 3 damage and BCF (i've never had a problem with the concept), Omega Red has a high attack value (he can hit anybody so far shown with a 7 roll, which is impressive considering what we've BEEN shown), a special power that works when he deals damage from any attack (and if he dealt damage or his teammates are pulling their weight shouldn't be too difficult). He has decent defense values on his own, so it won't be all that easy to hit him past Invulnerability, and Flurry with 3 damage while using his special power that triggers with the flurry. Nice.

044 The Leader: Wow. Much better showing for ol' Sam Stern this time out, eh? Makes Arcade look like #### for only 30 more points. Makes me wonder what Special Powers cost. Slap Fortitude on him to make sure his combo of Toughness, Mastermind, Outwit and Probability Control being a Wildcard stick, slap Fortitude on Arcade to make his Mastermind and Outwit stick. I dunno...seems like you're getting much more bang for the slightly increased buck with the Leader.

046 Arcade: Not giving Arcade an 8, Snatreaper. Why? One, while having pretty good special powers in Murderbots and Deathtrap, they are kind of situational. Too situational for a character who mainly Outwitting. Too situational for 86 points. He screams 'play me with Fortitude to make me stick around'. Oh, and I get around his ever HAVING special powers by playing special objects. Two, while definitely a welcome new addition to clixdom, it's balanced by the fact that it's Arcade...

Now, a Murderworld event dial would definitely raise him, but as he is he's middle of the road at best.

NOTE: Oh..and I WILL NOT rep you for discovering Arcade....you really want to be the guy known for discovering Arcade??

050 Hulkbuster: Well, once again we have the old Hypertime 3 damage with modifiers cap coming into play. Ugh. This doesn't make Hulkbuster Iron Man unplayable, he seems to be decent despite it, but i still hate it...even when i can see the potential reasons for it. Anyway, on to the Hulkbuster itself. His specific combination of abilities make him powerful against what i'm guessing will be roughly 50 - 60% of the set: Characters with damage reducers (Hulkbusters included). He'll certainly be able to bring the pain to them, but will he be able to put them away? An interesting problem, just considering the high defense values the Green Scar posts. If I was rating him for a CoG style sealed event, he'd rate at least a 7, because of his point cost, but when he can be supported in general population he's probably an 8.

As an aside, there has been only one Marvel set by Seth without an Iron Man: Sinister. Guessing he was on Tony Stark's side in CW...

053 Emma Frost: About as fanboy as I will ever get about a female character is Emma Frost. Why? Because I think Emma is a sexy name in the 21st century...don't ask me why, and yeah..it's too much information. However, as a figure she's a really nice compliment to the old Clobberin' Time White Queen figure. They did a Wonder Man on her, so she got all the Keywords she's ever had, but that's ok. She's actually an all around decent piece. For her 107 she's able to deal out damage, hit, avoid damage and pump herself or others up or down...sounds wrong...all on her first click. The X-Men theme team is loving her. So am I.

055 Iron Man: I'm definitely not giving him a 3. However, he has an absurdly uninspired dial, not bad...but definitely not good, either. It's just blah. I wasn't expecting a whole from a legless Iron Man, and i got exactly that. If i would actually bother to complain about anything, it's his not even getting one click of 3 damage.

061 Dark Beast: Cruel Experiment and not being Unique is what gets him a 10. It's silliness on wax.

062 Rampaging Hulk: Somewhat impressive for a Hulk, but I don't know that's he finally the Hulk we've been lookin' far. I definitely prefer Green Scar.

Thanks for starting this up for yet another set snatreaper.

Six previews in and so far I'm finding myself more interested in the set than I'd thought I would be a couple weeks ago.

003 Beast - 8
008 Box - 7
009 Cuckoo - 8.5
020 Morph 6
021 Mimic - 8
024 Shatterstar 6.5
025 Zzzax - 8
027 Beast - 7
031 Professor X - 8
033 The Green Scar - 9.5
035 Ahab 7
038 Omega Red 8
035 Leader 9
046 Arcade 9
050 Hulkbuster - 5
053 Emma Frost - 8
055 Iron Man (zombie) - 3
061 Dark Beast - 9
062 Rampaging Hulk - 9

Non-Weighted Excitement Meter (average ranking) for me so far: 7.6

Beast: Sure, he's only 50 points, but it's a nicely-spent 50 point representation for the rookie Hank McCoy. While I would have preferred something more like the full movement attack they gave Green Scar, at least they side-stepped the problem they put themselves in with Falcon's special power. While on his first two clicks he can't (without the aid of a Perplexer or Armor Piercing) damage anyone with Invulnerability or Impervious, on his two middle clicks he can with that 3 Damage. I'd have preferred if he'd have gone back to Super Senses for this final two clicks, but hopefully by that stage he'll have battered down his immediate opponent and his teammates will be keeping the other opposing pieces busy. I'm very interested in seeing what the full rookie team looks like.

008 Box: Good piece with interesting Special Powers. Alpha Flight is a little better rounded out now. I'm not a big fan of the era of design used for the sculpt but I do appreciate that going with the second incarnation of Box did afford them some more interesting options when it came to the powers. That he packs his own Perplex for the first two clicks is a good feature, too, and while his stats are less than stellar they're functional and can be worked with. Aside from a Theme Team bonus he can get a boost from Alpha Flight ATA or Thunderbolting in unrestricted. Win-oriented tourney players will likely find much better options to spend 125 points on, but I'm here for the characters and the fun, so Box is a welcome addition.

009 Cuckoo: Smart & tidy with creative, character-driven Special Powers. Additionally, it's a generic and a common, raising the profile of the set as a whole. Not a game-breaking addition, it is nonetheless both fun and functional. If I thought of them more as characters than a plot element I would have broken the 9 rating.

020 Morph: This is one of those characters I didn't know (I looked him up, so I do now) -- the closest I seem to have come is the 616 Changeling in the '60s. No real objections. I do like that Seth saw fit to think broadly with the keywords in one respect (Avengers, Exiles X-Men - even though at least with respect to the Avengers we're talking about an alternate timeline), though even I'm curious why there's no "mutant" tag, unless This is one Seth's come to regret and is in the process of slowly repealing..? Not a bad dial for 90 points, though I know many won't want a 0 range flying brick having to make the choice between moving his AV up above 9 or his Damage above 2. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. As I have no solid connection to the character I could easily see this one sitting on the sidelines when it comes to constructed events, but we'll see. The Shape Change and two clicks of Regeneration could really pump up his longevity. Eight figures into the previews and this is the first one with only one Special Power, and that's a self-Perplex one. I could see this one growing on me, rising to a 7... maybe a 7.5. For now, though, he's a 6 on my scale.

021 Mimic: I've never picked up an issue of Exiles, so for the most part I'm going to be looking at this as a 616 Calvin Rankin who's very recently been near five X-Men, despite some of them not being around before he at least seemed to die. The sculpt - which I'm sure will look better in person - doesn't grab me, though, and it's there that most of the points are lost. The special powers provide some of the versatility a character like this deserves. While not a prefect solution I'll likely swap the Mutant Mayhem version's sculpt with this one.

024 Shatterstar: Not a bad, expensive piece. A mobile, close combat piece with reasonably good stats, though for the most part one's going to have to depend on Blades/Claws/Fangs and some luck for most of the damage-dealing. A couple clicks of Regeneration at the end. Seven clicks of life. Not bad. The sculpt looks nice, too. Zero range, though. Lack of move-and-attack powers is a factor, too; I'd hate to spend 15 points on Pounce because not only would I be burning clicks of life but of B/C/F, too. Also, I have no connection to the character. Combined, I ended up giving it a 6.

025 Zzzax: When I saw the set title included "Monsters" and knew that we were getting Hulk elements as a sub-theme Zzzax was one of the long-ago characters who quickly came to mind. (Can it really be over 34 years since I first read his debut?) The late-appearance version threw me, but the double-target Mind Controlling option and 10 Range are terrific, and since he can see over the heads of standard characters an opposing piece can't hide behind another standard-sized character. He seems easier to damage than I'd expect, and Steal Energy (or some similar special power) should be there somewhere. The clicks of Phasing/Teleport allow him to get where he's needed without getting stuck dealing with other opposing pieces. I don't expect him to do especially well in constructed unless it's a high point game and he's feated up (Armor Piercing to help that Poison special power work and make his other attacks more effective, and probably Fortitude to keep someone from switching powers off) but he should be entertaining to try out. Seeing Zzzax on the confirmed list was a charge, and nostalgia's likely raised him 1 pt over where he deserves.

027 Beast: This is the current, catlike version, and in the end I'm reminded of how Hank was better off before of Morrison's unnecessary tinkering. This lab-coated version has the Outwit and Perplex we'd expect from Hank after he'd graduated from Xavier's Academy, and while he's somewhat active, Pounceable for his first three clicks and having good Defense values, he's missing the ooomph - the bounding activity - he had before he was screwed around with. In the meantime this version -- a solid candidate for Brilliant Tactician, if an expensive one for only six clicks of life -- will have to do. I know that in terms of his appearance this is the most recent version, but has he really cut off all connections to the Avengers? Would it have harmed anything to give him the Avengers keyword? No. Not giving it to him is either an unfortunate oversight or an instance of ridiculous parochialism. I've given him a tentative 7 because I like the core character and he certainly remains useful on each of his clicks. The Avengers keyword would have added a point.

031 Professor X: Sure, part of me was looking for a hyper-economical model to go along with the first appearance X-Men team that was forming (a variation on Vet Karma, which could keep him at or very near 50 points), but here we have an Xavier for most seasons at a lofty 131 points. Really, my only gripe concerns the single target, and chances are I'd be wanting to play Mental Shields on him anyway. Still, it would have been nice for the Incapacitate clicks, at least. The Cerebro special power (built in Brilliant Tactician) is very nice, and attempting to show him operating in his astrally projected form on his final three clicks is inspired. He received an 8 from me due to losing some points for the single target and being quite as many points as he is. Still, even in a 300 pt format he should be able to have three mutants to direct and assist in battle using the 169 pts remaining -- maybe even have a little space for a Feat or two for someone. (I've already adjusted my rating down a notch upon reflection -- the single target became increasingly disappointing.)

033 The Green Scar: Oh, so much of what we've been waiting for in a 616 Hulk is here. The sculpt, while sharp, is representative of such a narrow slice of the Hulk's history as to be a little problematic, but since it's a rare there's a reasonably good chance I'll end up with two and might swap another Hulk sculpt onto the base. Still, that's a minor quibble. This is the closest we've come to what a Hulk should be. If we can get most of the elements in this one merged with something seen in another one in this set (Rampaging Hulk) we'll have truly arrived.

035 Ahab: Unless the combination of powers is FAQed into carpiness, this appears to be a character whose Running Shot, Psychic Blast and built-in Trick shot work together for his first two clicks, complete with an 8 range. Four leading clicks of his special power all with a steady 9 AV. Six clicks of life. On his final two clicks he becomes a minor close combat attacker, with Poison on both of them. The penultimate click has Combat Reflexes and a 5 Defense, so he can potentially tie someone up and do a little damage. The final click gains Exploit Weakness but his Defense is a vanilla 14, so good luck getting even a chance of doing damage then. Really, his dial splits in half. The first three clicks are nice as a tough little ranged damage dealer. It begins to fall apart on click 4, when he's still a ranged attacker but now has Combat Reflexes. It's a clumsy transition at best. Still, the sculpt looks nice and his first few clicks -- the first two in particular -- are strong. I ended up giving him a 7. He'd have done better were he a character I was interested in.

038 Omega Red: This is one of those characters I know many have been waiting for. I'm not really one of them -- my interest in the character never rose very far -- but it feels as if they've captured him well enough. I'm always ambivalent about making those BCF rolls when there's a base Damage of 3; sure, I know the odds favor doing as well or better, but how well have the dice listened to you when you explained the odds to them? Still, the special power over most of his dial, his stats, the two mid-dial clicks of Flurry and 3 Damage, and the Poison over half of his dial all make him a potentially useful piece. You'll just want to make sure all the opposing pieces in the area are knocked well down their dials and/or are tied up by the time Omega gets down to his final clicks. That he can theoretically drain the life from opponents and so gradually heal himself back to his second click is... at least a very fitting concept.

044 The Leader: Ah, there we go! A fitting dial and his skull is back to its properly gamma-irradiated skyscraper form. The powers are wholly appropriate, and he's even been given a wildcard TA to make him appropriately adaptable. The sculpt has me missing humanoids as a possible Common, but maybe in some later set. There's certainly nostalgia at play - overriding my concerns about only 1 target and the two clicks of Energy Explosion - but regardless of the reasons I've given him a 9. Sue me.

046 Arcade: Ahhh! When I learned that Arcade was going to be in the set I was afraid it would turn out to be one of the more lackluster clix in the set. Outwit and Probability Control -- that sort of thing; useful but unoriginal. Instead, we have an 86-point piece with some fun powers. Able to animate up to two objects within 10 range of him to move at speeds up to his own, and then to cause one of them to detonate next to an opposing piece. Having terrain walk out from under an opposing character (which I believe they'd be able to do under this, though we're going to need a ruling to see if they'll have to roll for breakaway) alone would be worth it, but turning one of them into a weapon, too? Actually, he doesn't even need to have the object move, he can just use Deathtrap to have it vanish in an explosion. Separately he can summon one or both objects to block line of fire. Outwit down the dial, and a special defensive power providing him both Barrier and Mastermind... he'll be great fun to field. I'm likely not the only one to think that this is an evolution of what Seth tried out with Mr. Mxytzplk. Arcade's riding high on my list of welcome pieces, and as he's a Rare I should see a few. I rated him a 9 and may not have done him justice with that.

050 Hulkbuster: The first Super Rare for M&M we've been shown. A cool sculpt, and not terribly costed. As with the Hulkbuster armors we've seen in the comics it strikes me as a tad over-specialized and raises the question that should be asked more often: How smart is it to try to match brawn with the Hulk? While I appreciate the options of Charge or Running Shot on those first four clicks, with such low Speeds, only a 6 range and a top ranged damage of 3... I have to wonder how well they'll stack up against a solid Hulk. The Attack Values, while fairly steady, strike me as lacking something unless the Hulk's Defense Values aren't going to spike in towards the center. Tony Stark is supposed to be a creative and technical genius, yet not a single click of Outwit? The man should be smart enough to know that trying to wear the Hulk down, yet there's not a single click of Incapacitate. Also, the Flight Stabilizers' granting him the ability to get adjacent to giant has me suspecting we are going to see a World War Hulk in this set, and that he's going to be a giant. (Granted, we are being shown an Experienced version, so this presumably isn't supposed to represent the most recently-seen version in the comics.) I'm trying to keep an open mind on this piece, reminding myself that he's 165 points and that a World War Hulk has to be well over 200 points (Green Scar being 230), so there's room for allies. Still, at the moment this is my lowest-ranked piece among the previews. Hopefully in play, with the right allies, he'll raise my estimation of him, but at the moment it's sitting in the middle of the road and I'm dubious about his chances against the Mack Truck of a Hulk that may be bearing down on him.

053 Emma Frost: I'm still trying to get a full handle on this one. The pieces are all straightforward enough, even her single click of "Headmistress." I like the versatility - ranged hitter/Mind Controller and support piece simultaneously, then two clicks of close combat (diamond form) beast, then more Psychic Blast/Mind Control for the rest of the dial, along with Willpower and Support. She's 107 points, which is understandable, but it's something of the transition between her two modes that I'm worried about. Her Psychic Blast is only going to be useful at range, so getting her to transition smoothly and effectively from her first click to her second will be the tricky part. Ideally she will be free to make ranged attacks on that first click and then find herself in close combat with an opponent after the push. There are ways to do it, certainly, but there will be a trick or two involved especially when involving a grounded opposing piece. While I'm generally in favor of keyword lists being as long as possible I understand people having problems with this version being given "Hellions" in particular here, since she didn't have the secondary mutations back then. However, not only am I far from convinced that she won't revert to status as a villain down the road, but she's a powerful telepath and so could make an opponent believe she was manifesting more physical powers and higher density while actually still inflicting damage psionically and spoiling their aim while making them believe they're blasting away at her and she's just shrugging it off. As I see it, the lack of ranged powers on clicks two and three will be enough of a burden for someone playing her as part of an older team (when her powers were purely mental) that it will more than balance out. Since we're getting just the one version now I prefer the keyword versatility. I'm giving her a tentative 8, expecting the sculpt to look better (more frosty/translucent/diamond-like) and her to find a solid role on several theme teams.

055 Iron Man (zombie): Potentially outpacing the stench of decay is the dial beneath this version of Iron Man. There's nothing on this dial I can feel inspired about, from the complete lack of move and attack values to the single-target EE to the low Damage values and the combination of Steal Energy (a close combat attack) with Energy Shield/Deflection (a ranged defense enhancement) and Damage Values low enough to prevent him from being able to put the bite on anyone with Invulnerability or better or even Toughness when it comes to the final click. Those who don't pull him will have one less item they'll likely feel a need to chase after, and I hope that most of the ones who do pull him are those who are so caught up in Marvel Zombie-mania that it'll still feel like a good thing. Opening a booster and finding this, I expect, will elicit a groan from most players, especially if they've yet to pull an Apocalypse or one of the other SRs more likely to be of interest. The only thing that'll keep this one's value up will be the zombie craze; some months, a year from now perhaps, most players will look at this and be surprised that anyone would have wanted one rather than any of the other Super Rares. Seriously, if there's a worse SR in this group then the set's in trouble. I've bounced between a 3 and a 1, deciding to go back to a 3 because, yes, he is a flying Perplexer, so that's worth something.

061 Dark Beast: A solid piece at an efficient cost, I'm expecting this to be one of the more popular Buy It By the Brick pieces. The mainstream Hank McCoy is not only brilliant but so altruistic that this evil version is all the more threatening.

062 Rampaging Hulk: What an excellent piece for New Guy Night. The sculpt is sharp and the dial is a fun one. Is it a perfect Hulk? No, but it's closer than what we've generally seen. The opening, single click of Squash is a joy, allowing him to Leap/Climb in from up to 10 spaces away and roll to hit all adjacent with Quake. It's not going to do much to big bruisers, but letting him drop like a bomb in the midst of some of an opponent's stealthed and/or supporting pieces will be great fun. For 128 points it's a sharp piece, and I'm looking forward to giving him a go. I'd have liked another twist or two in the mix, including a couple clicks or so of Regeneration.. but what I'm looking for is a 616 Hulk that's like Green Scar fitted with this opening Squash power. We're on a good track; it'll come.

Battlefield Conditions. Curiously, while I've generally found BFCs to be of minimal interest, I really like the three to be found in the boosters this time!

Deep Shadows: Welcome back! 10
Krakoa The Living Island: A fun one to keep people from hugging the terrain, and which theme team ignoring won't help. 10
Malice: Wicked! Attack or perish! Here's one to play as a theme player and ignore, then watch your opponent scramble to attempt an attack every turn... or maybe he'll use it strategically to advance a dial he's looking to ramp up to the good parts. Hopefully an FAQ statement will render this null during the first turn, when the player cannot make an attack. 10 (Now I'm left wondering if Malice herself is lurking somewhere in the set. She's both a mutation AND a monster of sorts.)
The Great Arena (the pre-release participation card): Any successful attack roll resulting in doubles is a critical hit. A little extra, uinbiased excitement for the match. 8

Objects:
S002: Shield Disruptor. Aha! Anyone 4 spaces or closer to this special, light object (only while it's not being carried, I believe) has no damage-reducers. Be sure to place it well over near where you expect your opponent to rally his forces as he moves out onto the map. This will be an interesting one for Arcade to give marching orders to with his Murderbots power, too, come to think of it. 10

As a further addendum, when he first showed up in Exiles he had Angel's wings, but jettisoned them to gain Jean's telepathy in issue #4, and then took on Northstar's speed in issue #6. And jiggle's right, although he has the powerto mimic powers, he only did so three times in the entire run of the series that he was active as a member (gaining Dark Phoenix's telepathy, Northstar's speed, and Deadpool's regeneration).

Dude, how many times does it need to be said that the Cuckoos were not mutants? It was revealed in Phoenix: Warsong that they were genetically engineered by Sublime.

Also, I see the Mutant keyword as being used to allow teamups involving mutants and policy, which is usually their uniting factor. In this case, I'd prefer not to see it on non-X-characters (like Box) because they really shouldn't be allowed to team up with just any joe mutant. The X-world is very united and interchangable. Not the case with Box. Or Mimic (who is from an alternate dimension, and may have an artificially initiated mutation). And the Cuckoos aren't mutants.
So, I don't feel we have missing Mutant keywords at all.
My rankings, but with no 'why's, as I must get to class:
Box- 8
Cuckoo- 10
Dark Beast- 10
Mimic- 8
Green Scar- 9
Rampaging Hulk- 10

If you can't tell, I love this set.

snatreaper, I would give the same rankings (save for DB, I give him an 8) as you. great minds my friend.

A bit early for this kind of thread, but I'll play...

Beast - looks like a fun figure to play. Maybe a bit underpowered though, and it would have been nice with some Outwit or Perplex late dial - Hank was smart even in school. Way better than the Xplosion Rookie, at least. 7/10

Box - nice. Another Alpha Flighter, who adds a mix of support and attack power to the lineup. Expensive yes, but looks fun to play. 8/10

Cuckoo - a generic that's meant to be played in a swarm. Not bad at all. A little lacking on her own, so she probably won't see much play in sealed, but could be a force to bereckoned with in constructed. Too bad she didn't get ordinary Mind Control and the ability to carry as an Attack special power though - she would have been even more fun with Compel and/or Mental Shields. 8/10

Morph - seems a little underpowered for 90 points, but could be fun to play. 6/10

Mimic - Expensive, but he does bring a lot of options to the table - he is good at both range and close combat. Too bad I know very little about the Exiles, which goes for Morph as well. 6/10

Shatterstar - Don't know much about him, but he seems like a good secondary attacker - hard to KO and with good damage potential throughout his dial. I will probably never play him without X-force teammate Domino though - he needs some PC backup. 7/10

Zzzax - Interesting. Monster keyword and Giant status on a primarily ranged figure is something you don't see every day. Will be tough to deal with from range, and no pushover in close combat either thanks to EW and Poison. I do wish he had some Steal Energy to represent his ability to leech of electricity from the human nervous system though. 7/10

(Labcoat) Beast - better than the Danger Room Beast on most levels. Not as mobile though, and somewhat short dial - 6 clicks means you rely an awful lot on Super Senses and Combat Reflexes. He does have good feat potential - if I need a Brilliant Tactician for the X-men, this guy is probably my first choice. But yeah, he should have had the Avengers keyword. 8/10

Professor X - Powerful, but priced thereafter. His first five clicks are mostly fitting, but I think his late dial "Astral Form" clicks are a bit odd. I'll definitely get one, but I'm not sure I'll play him - it's a lot of points to pay for a figure that's mainly support. 8/10

Green Scar - Yawn. Sure, he is a "Hulk done right", but 230 points is a lot to pay - and even with his full move/attack, I don't see myself fielding him, especially since I know next to nothing of the storyline.5/10

Ahab - Another guy I know very little about, but who seems like a fun figure to play - built in Trick Shot in combination with Psy Blast makes him a big thorn in the bricks' sides. 7/10

Arcade - mostly a novelty figure, but he does seem like a very fun piece to play, and fairly true to the character as well. Not very efficient, true, but he's definitely worth getting and trying out. 8/10

Hulkbuster - it seems Iron Man is the new Hulk/Wolverine as we get a new one in each set nowadays. At least there's plenty of room for variety in Iron Man figures. This one is a close combat beast with phenomenal durability and some ranged options at a fairly reasonable price. Not bad, but since he is a Super Rare and since I haven't read the one issue he appeared in I will probably skip this one and go for one of the other Iron Men in my collection. 6/10

Zombie Iron Man - OK dial and gives some nice options to a Monster team - range, Perplex and flight are all rare among Monsters. A bit expensive for what he brings to the table though. Had he been Common or Uncommon, I probably would have gotten one, but as a Super Rare he is just not worth the effort to chase down. 6/10

Dark Beast: Nice sculpt, decent dial, and Cruel Experiment seems like a fun power to use. Not sure if he's meant as a support piece or an attacker, but at his point cost he can probably fill both roles. 7/10

Rampaging Hulk: By far the most impressive figure I've seen so far. Good powerset, interesting special powers, and looks very fun to play - especially for a newbie who just wants to play the Hulk. The only thing odd is the late dial Combat Reflexes - doesn't seem very Hulky to me. 9/10

Deep shadows - An unexpected reprint - Shrunk and Wasteland replicates a lot of the effects from DS, and I did not think we would see it again so soon. Can't say I'm a fan though - Stealth is quickly becoming too dominant as a strategy. 5/10

Krakoa the living Island - points for originality, definitely. A bit too quirky to predict the game play effects on this one, but on the surface it does seem to benefit swarm teams over tent poles. 6/10

Malice - subject of much discussion. May be a bit strict in its penalties, and I don't think it would have been printed before the theme team rules gave you an option to ignore it. I hope it will favor agressive play, as I don't like people who run and hide. 6/10

The Great Arena - More Critical Hits? Nice! Too bad it's an exclusive though - I will probably have to trade for one. 7/10

Streak of luck - protects against the dreaded critical misses (sometimes), and makes critical hits more dangerous (sometimes), all for the low cost of 5 points? Sign me up! 9/10

Terrify - mostly a novelty feat, but it might be fun to go "Booo!" once in a while. Nothing spectacular, but gives you another option at a low cost that might be welcome on certain figures - Professor X comes to mind to protect him against being swarmed. 7/10

Inside Information - necessitates a dependence on keywords I don't think I'll like. It will be a nightmare trying to keep track of what opposing figures have what keywords, especially in constructed. The bonus is nice for the cost though, even though it is fairly situational. 6/10

Monster Hunter - fairly simple and straight forward, provides a decent bonus at a low cost. A nice filler feat if you happen to have a few points to spare, but I don't think I'd use it over Vault. 7/10

Outsmart - nice and thematic. Kind of a Fortitude Light. 8/10

Takedown - I like Plasticity. This feat is right up my alley. Close combat incapacitate can be fun too. 8/10

Total number of review entries: 26
Average: precisely 7, again.

And a comment:
AFAIK, the 616 Calvin Rankin/Mimic is still alive - he was at least alive in the late 90's, when he appeared as a member of the Brotherhood. He may have died recently though, but he has encountered every mutant listed on the powerset except possibly Northstar.
I know the OHOTMU listed him as having died in an encounter with the Hulk, but apparently he managed to survive by unconsciously absorbing Wolverine's healing factor...

Not at all from my perspective. Once the floodgates open I'll let this sort of thing slide - I'm unlikely to do a full review of the complete set. This is primarily to gauge my mood during the early to intermediate information stages for the set.


None of it's surprising, but any of those later elements happened off-screen for me. The X-titles became virtually unreadable by 1991 (and that's being kind) and so the last I saw of the 616 Cal Rankin was in a Wein/Trimpe Hulk issue where the Beast had come up to the Canadian wilderness to help Cal - whose powers had returned with such a vengeance that he was drawing even on the life force of others - and the Hulk became involved. He ended up intentionally drawing on Hulk's gamma radiation and (at least apparently) died.

Checking back, that was Incredible Hulk #161, most of two years before Wolverine was introduced... not that he couldn't have been somewhere abouts at the time.

Yup, that's the story told in the OHOTMU Book of the Dead.
Apparently he was in a coma for a few years before Wolverine happened to pass by him, which explains his long abscence...

The Tale of Sleeping Mutie?