Add
another name to the list of COBRA hierarchy that we've gotten this year...and
add another name to the list of a figure that's worlds better than an offering
we got in Wave 3.Valor Vs. Venom Wave 2- Baroness
Toy
name: Baroness
Assortment: Valor vs. Venom
Wave 2
Price: MSRP $7.99
Availability: March 2004
Add
another name to the list of COBRA hierarchy that we've gotten this year...and
add another name to the list of a figure that's worlds better than an offering
we got in Wave 3.
The Baroness we got in Wave 3 did all sorts of things wrong...from the short librarian hair style, to the pink streaks...her obnoxiously skinny body, arms, and legs, and overall mold design. It was just not a pretty looking figure, and not one I can ever see myself using.
This Baroness figure is just the opposite. She's pretty darn cool, and suits the character to a "T".
Figure Mold
Well, the mold, first of all, is a terrific homage to her original version. The Baroness just wouldn't be the Baroness if not for her angled armor and leather-like body suit. They took some serious inspiration from the original version, but still made it work for the new body design, which is no small feat.
Her proportions are nicely done with no oversized...ahem...parts (except the shoulders...) and she definitely looks feminine. She's slimmer than her male counterparts, yet still looks formidable.
Her hair is probably the nicest aspect of the head mold, flowing realistically over her face. The glasses are molded very well and the embossed COBRA logo came out terrific, where it looked sloppy on the previous version.
There are nice little touches as well, like her handplate-gloves and the rubberized belt which add some nice different looks to the figure and come across very effectively.
Overall, the figure looks like the Baroness and works as the Baroness, looking mean and capable, but still maintaining the classic edge. Very nice mold. The only slight downside is her large shoulders, but with the plastic rivets, I'm not sure there will ever be a way around it. They've made big strides since the Wave 2 Scarlett, but here's hoping they continue the work in slimming them down.
Paint Applications/Color Choices
The Baroness shines in this aspect as well. When she first appeared in comics and cartoons, she wore a bright blue bodysuit that was never really captured well in a figure. The '97 version tried to do it, but wasn't 100% successful. Here, we definitely have success. A nice bright blue shade that is a great homage to her earliest appearences, but still looks acceptible and still looks like the Baroness should.
Accessories
This figure comes with some great gear as well...
Her machine gun that originally came with the Iron Grenadiers makes sense as a Destro-type weapon, and as something The Baroness would carry. She also has a silver snake-knife, similar to the one Overkill came with that looks terrific as well. Probably the neatest accessory, though, is her new belt. It adds a lot to the figure without effecting her articulation, and there's lots of cool detail to be seen:
As you can see in that bottom picture, for some reason my Baroness figure had a little extra flash to the mold on the right hip. A little twist and that cylinder fell right off, though, and she's back to normal.
Final Comments
I haven't seen an acceptible Baroness figure since 1984 and am proud to say it only took Hasbro 20 years to come up with another one. This figure is a great homage to her original incarnation, yet takes things in a new enough direction to still be interesting in the year 2004. A great updated look to a classic character and this figure is very, very cool.
Ratings (out of 10)
Character: 8.5
Mold : 8.5
Paint Apps: 8.5
Value: 8.5
Overall score (not an average): 8.5
