Mel’s Muses: Marvel Universe 3.75-inch Baron Zemo

It’s here! The Marvel Universe 3.75-inch figure of Captain America’s arch nemesis Baron Zemo has at long last reached our store pegs. I have lusted over this for a long time ever since I saw it as part of last year’s San Diego Comic Con exclusive Masters of Evil set.

I have always been a huge fan of super villain action figures and this current version of Baron Zemo is one that I have been eagerly waiting for. From the day he led the Masters of Evil in the invasion of Avengers Mansion almost 20 years ago and then as leader of the first incarnation of The Thunderbolts, Baron Zemo has been one of my top Marvel villains list for a long time.

This Marvel Universe 3.75-inch figure by Hasbro was first sighted in the limited 3-figure Masters of Evil set together with Tiger Shark and Radioactive Man at last year’s San Diego Comic Con. It was then announced couple months ago that it’ll be flying solo and hanging from the pegs of regular retail outlets all over the world as part of this year’s Marvel Universe Wave 3 action figures.

Just as Zemo himself bided his time before revealing The Thunderbolts true identities, I too waited patiently for the figure’s release. Well, I finally got my hands on him just this month and while he’s as good as I expected him to be, there was a major kink in his armor.

First the good news, the sculpt is pretty good especially the face or mask. Its got enough details and depth to give it some slightly mean-looking features. Like most other Marvel Universe 3.75-inch figures, you can get some natural poses out of the articulation.

Now comes my biggest gripe. Absolutely terrible or rather non-existence hand grips. Zemo’s hands are unable to grip or hold any of the two weapon accessories, which is a pity. He has got a nice broadsword and what looks like a little German Mauser C96 semi-automatic pistol. Like me, the best you can do is gingerly balance the weapons in his hands. Any sudden movements and he’ll drop his weapons and surrender!

So is Baron Zemo worth getting? Yup, he’s a must get if you like the character in the comics, just so you can have him leading a group of Marvel villains like he always does. Otherwise wait for a sale, he’s not exactly a main character right now and I suspect you’ll find him quite easily.