The Watcher By Hervé St.Louis Aug 2, 2006 - 8:06:00 AM

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The Watcher is the enigmatic cosmic entity whose mission is to watch over elements happening on Earth and record it for history. The Watcher is neutral and doesn’t intervene in human affairs. He first appeared in Fantastic Four # 13, in 1963, but his most celebrated appearance is in Fantastic Four #48 where he came to watch Galactus devour Earth. Living on the Moon, the presence of the Watcher usually creeps people who notice him. His real name is Uatu.
 
Likeness

If he’s compared with his first appearance in Fantastic Four #48, the Watcher action figure’s head is larger and squarer. His definitive look was not developed by Jack Kirby, the artist who worked on his first appearance in Fantastic Four. His looks are closer to the way John Byrne has depicted him during the Phoenix Saga. His robe changes often according to the artist drawing him. Details such as the length of his gloves and boots also changes frequently. Some artists give him irises.  Some don’t.

Sculpt

The sculpt is great although the figure tends to remind me of a bubble head figure instead of a real action figure. Still, its quality is head over any other bubble head. The character looks stern. His cape and collar help give the impression that he is larger.

Paint

For once, Toy Biz did not screw up a paint job. The Watcher’s is spotless. He has a tan all over the skin areas of his body and his cape and tunic and robe have similar shading. Although they are not pain bleeds or spots, the colour of the tunic at the torso’s height, doesn’t match well with the skirt part as they are not made of the same material.

Scale

The Watcher is larger than a six-inch Marvel Legend action figure. He’s closer to seven inches which makes him too small to fit well with other Marvel Select figures or the 16 inches Galactus action figure. Yet, although not large enough for the six inches figures, his larger size fits well with that line. Ideally, the Watcher would have been 16 inches tall.

Stability

The Watcher is stable although he comes with an action figure stand. His soles are flat and support his heavier head well. Because he doesn’t have knees nor hip articulations, his feet are steady and don’t need to be adjusted. Even with his heavy cape and collar, his balance is not a problem.

Articulation

The Watcher has twelve articulations at the neck, the shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, the palms and the waist. It is sufficient for such a figure. He is not a man of action. Yet the high concentration of articulations in his arms is suitable for the types of poses he takes in the comics. He can’t cross his arms, but he can point at Galactus’ direction pretty well. His shoulders and neck have ball joints. The joint in the neck is limited because of the size of the head which reduces mobility.

Plastic

The Watcher contains good PVC plastic for his body parts and collar and rubber for his skirt and cape. The torso is made or hollow plastic which is connected on each side to lock all the limbs within the figure’s construction. The arms and legs are in softer material. The collar is in soft PVC that’s almost rubber-like. The head seems like a soft hollow PVC. The rubber cape and skirt catch dust quickly.

Props

The Watcher comes with a small meteorite part with pegs to insert his feet in. It would have been cool if they had designed it with a wall mountable hole. The paint on the meteorite is purple and looks cheap. Toy Biz should have included a copy of Fantastic Four #48.

Packaging

The Watcher came in an oversized plastic bubble glued on a cardboard with artwork from Marvel comics featuring the Watcher and a short bio on the character on the back and a product shot. It’s easy to pen this package.

Cost

Marvel Select action figures cost more than Marvel Legends. Their paint jobs and plastics are usually better. Most stores sell this figure for about $25, although some offer it for less.

Availability

This figure is the first time Uatu, has been created as an action figure and is really a little gem for connoisseurs. Toy Biz produces fewer Marvel Select figures than Marvel Legends ones. In fact, they are almost made to order. Also, they are only available in comic book stores or specialty retailers that order through distributor Diamond Comics. Diamond Comics is the exclusive distributor for Marvel Select. If you can’t find this figure in a comic book store, they can be bought through auction sites. Thankfully, Toy Biz frequently re-offers this figures through Diamond Comics.

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