Iron Man Mark II – Iron Man 2

April 2, 2010 | By More


Hasbro released Iron Man Mk.2 as part of the first series of figures in the Iron Man 2 toy line. This figure design is from the Movie Series, which draws inspiration from both Iron Man movies.

So, What can be said about the Mk.2 armor? The easiest thing is to simply say this is a repaint of the exact same mold used for the Mk.3 armor (and that would be nothing but the truth), although that wouldn’t do this figure justice.

Thing is, for all the visual impact of the red and gold color scheme, at this scale it doesn’t quite show off the sculpted detail on these figures the same way the Mk.2 color scheme does.

For starters, the Mk.2 figure is molded out of silver gray plastic, and its entire surface was given a fairly thick silver coating. The finish is extremely smooth and consistent over all of the pieces conforming this figure, with just enough coverage not to clog the sculpted panels and plates on the armor.

To further enhance the look, each line, vent and panel was given a very thorough black lining at the edges. At first I thought this effect was achieved by applying a paint wash, but on closer inspection it is obvious that all of the lines are actually done using paint masks, achieving a much cleaner finish.

Apart from the black lining, the Mk.2 armor also has rivet patterns applied to select surfaces all over torso and limbs. These paint apps do a great job enhancing the look of this figure by adding texture to a fairly monochrome character.

The only obvious notes of color in the Mk.2 Iron Man figure are the chest reactor and the eye slits, all done in a radial white to blue gradient. At first I thought these were actually decals, but now I think they are not.

The eerie glowing effect is achieved by first priming the area white and then painting the gradient over it, a technique that makes the colors to appear much more vibrant than just applying them over the un-primed plastic. To see what I mean you just have to compare the repulsor disks on his palms with the eyes or reactor. You’ll notice the repulsor plates look much darker, despite using the same shade of blue as the gradient applications.

As usual, some paint variations can be found from sample to sample, so it is a good idea to take your time and select the finish you like the most.

Regarding articulation, well it’s the same as the Iron Man Mk.3 suit, meaning the Mk.2 has:

• Ball jointed neck: Very good range of motion, including tilt.

• Peg & hinge shoulders: Excellent, although the character design mandates the inclusion of clip-on, bulky shoulder pads that limit the range to the sides.

• Hinged elbows: They bend to 90° easily, which is all I ask from this kind of joints.

• Swivel wrists: Completely free range of motion.

• Floating torso: Pretty good range of backward, forward and swivel motion.

• Ball jointed hips: Slightly tight, but manage sitting poses with no problems.

• Double hinged knees: These allow the legs to fold completely without problem.

Peg & hinge ankles: Rather limited lateral swivel and bending range, but the flare at the bottom of the greaves is flexible enough to coax into some additional stances.

    The Mk.2 figure comes with a projectile launcher that clips on either forearm, and shoots a light blue missile with relatively little force. Also, like the rest of the figures in the line it comes with a nicely sculpted display base and three model-specific armor cards meant to fit in a special slot at the display base.

    Overall I found the Mk.2 to be highly addictive hand candy. Something about the brushed aluminum look just makes you want to lift it from the desk and fiddle with his articulation over and over. While the Mk.1 feels sturdy and realistic, and the Mk.3 is flashy and dynamic, the Mk.2 has a subdued elegance that makes it my favorite in this line, so far.

    Errex Score: 98/100

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    Category: Featured, Iron Man, Toy Reviews

    About the Author ()

    I've been collecting action figures since the original Kenner Star Wars days. Nowadays, I still collect pretty much anything that catches my eye.

    Comments (3)

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    1. Engineernerd says:

      Since somebody asked on another site, who’s head is that?

    2. Errex says:

      That’d be the head from the new AT-AT Driver. 😉