Hot Toys has become synonymous with realistic replication of quality action figures based on movies. In the last few years, they have made huge strides here in SA. Iron Man is, without doubt, their bestselling figure. But there are so many of them. Most people cannot have them all, because let’s face it. HT is an expensive line to collect. So which one do you get? Well, firstly one has to opt-in for the die cast. What’s the point on a plastic iron anyway? But then that still leaves you with many options. Mark 3 or 4, maybe the Mark 43? Sure you could choose any one of those and would have made an excellent choice. But if you want something that will really hit home. The mother of all has to be the Suit Up Gantry edition. Sure it’s pricey but relatively speaking it is actually cheap once you factor in all the accessories.
Thanks to the team at Project Mayhem, I was able to get mine at a fantastic price via the pre-order payment plan. As usual, the deal was as easy as eating pie.
Unboxing was surreal, the box itself was like a double volume HT box, from that alone I knew it was going to blow my mind. Once opened I was treated to three layers of goodies.
First Glance
First was the figure itself, emblazed in hot rod red and gold with a slightly weathered application, the die-cast looked stunning. It wasn’t top heavy. In fact, it felt like a much-improved version of the previous die cast I got which was the mark 43. It also had much more pose-ability than most other HT figures. The moveable parts felt solid. However, there was the usual downside. Since there were lots of light up features, it had the partitions for batteries. None of which were user-friendly. the worst was the slot in the head. This is where Hot Toys really need to innovate and evolve. It’s extremely challenging to get those watch batteries in. The figure also comes with two heads. One unmasked Robert Downey Jr head, which amazingly captures his likeness and one Ironman head.
Second Look
The accessories were the second tray, filled with all sorts of tech goodies. There are the mandatory alternate hands and suit additions like missiles for the shoulders. But over and above that are some fun ones like donuts and shades. It’s really like a candy store for accessories. But be careful there are some tiny pieces that could get lost easily.
Third Strike
Then there is the gantry that lies at the bottom third tray. Its amazing pieces that take a bit of some time to set up, also equipped with lighting but this time much easier to insert batteries. The arms alone have so many moving parts, the level of detail for an accessory item is beyond belief. To understand how much thought was put into this, we simply look at the arms, most of which is hardened plastic with a metallic paint application, however, the parts that will interact with the figures are of a much softer plastic. This is done to ensure the paint won’t get scratched. And the arms work well. It can hold a helmet giving a very fluid feel. It’s a pity the gantry isn’t die-cast, but either price point or future models may have been the deciding factor there. It’s a minor flaw but one worth mentioning.
As a complete set, this edition is marvelous, a working diorama. It will reach cult status and simply escalated in value. The issues are marginal and are far out weighted by its beauty and quality. Personally, this is only beaten by the Hulkbuster V1. It’s the must-have Ironman to have proudly displayed in the lounge. You may still be able to get one too. Prices are stable for now. So if you planning to grab an Ironman make the move today.
