One of my biggest wishes for the Marvel Legends line is to get a full-size classic Janet Van Dyne Wasp in her original red outfit and bullet helmet. The Wasp is actually a problematic character for me, because a big aesthetic of mine is for costume consistency. The majority of my favorite characters have had unchanged costumes for decades. Sure, all characters change it up occasionally, but most return to their original looks. But Janet van Dyne is a different story altogether. Her character evolved into a fashion fanatic and designer in the 70s and wore a different costume in practically every appearance. It became an endearing and unique character trait, but I crave consistency so this drove me nuts. I always wanted a classic full-size wasp in her 60's costume, and this 2006 Toy Biz version is the closest I could find (the 1999 miniature version is amazing too). In true Wasp fashion, this 2006 figure was intended to have three distinct variants, although only two were released. Let's check her out below!
This figure represents the Marvel Legends era when females had really long arms and tiny ribcages. A lot of female figures at the time looked very awkward and scrawny, but I always thought Janet's wings distracted the eye just enough to overlook the weird proportions.
I must admit, I never liked the sculpt of these wings. I am an insect aficionado and these wings just don't make sense. The ends are tapered in an unnaturally geometric way and the main support veins in the wings aren't present. The 2014 Wasp has amazing wings that were done right.
It was actually really difficult to find images of the Wasp in this costume. Even in these two cover images below, she is wearing a different yellow costume in the interior pages.
When searching for references of Janet in this costume, I found these really fun images on The Dork Review showing a massive collection of her various looks over the years. It's really quite a dizzying collection. And the post is 12 years old, so I imagine there are at least a few dozen more costumes since then.
Time for some Group and Comparison Pics!
Here is Wasp with the 2018 Marvel Legends Vintage figure. This blue costume was intended was intended to be a third variant back in 2006 but was never released.
Cheers!
Always liked Wasp. Good character and costumes. I like the wings here though I like them better in the down position. I like the last photo. I can believe she is flying. Good post.
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