Summary
As so many shows, games, and movies are either being revived or adapted, news that your favorite series is next up can be both scary and exciting. WhenMarvelannounced it would be building on X-Men: The Animated Series via X-Men ‘97, there was fear among fans of the show’s original run that whatever followed might taint its legacy. Thankfully, to say X-Men ‘97’s creators did it justice would be an understatement, and now one of the first momentsX-Menfans knew the reboot was going to be great has been turned into a collectible.
It took a single trailer for fans to be reassured X-Men ‘97 was going to be great, and while it was the trailer as a whole and not a single moment from it that did that, Gambit riding Wolverine into battle and using his powers to charge his claws in the process played a huge role. Old fans breathed a sigh of relief, new fans were pulled in, and X-Men ‘97 was off to a flying start before the show had even started.
Revealed during this past weekend’s D23, Marvel has teamed up with Iron Studios to turn that moment into a statue. Attendees at theDisneyconvention had the chance to see the collectible in the flesh (or in the polystone) but the rest of us will have to settle for the photos below. Not only is the statue a very accurate recreation of the moment Wolverine’s claws are charged with Gambit’s power, but its finish gives it X-Men ‘97’s unique animated look to further make it seem like the mutants have jumped out of the screen and onto your shelf.
The Name’s Gambit, Bub, Remember It
There is a downside. Not only is the statue not available to buy yet, but Iron Studios hasn’t revealed how much Gambit and Wolverine are going to cost. You canenter your details on the statue’s store pageto be notified when pre-orders go live. There are seven individual X-Men ‘97 character statues at Iron Studios and Beast’s is the only one that’s available for pre-order at the moment. Beast’s statue is only $32, so my guess would be the Gambit x Wolverine one will cost a little more than double since it’s two characters and is quite a bit more badass than Beast all by himself. Sorry, Hank.
Although Gambit riding Wolverine was the centerpiece of what Iron Studios had to show off at D23, it wasn’t the only statue it provided Marvel fans a first look at this past weekend. Alongside the X-Men ‘97 statue was a 1/4 scale Thor Unleashed that comes with a little Frog Thor, and aStar Warsstatue that depicts Yoda battling Emperor Palpatine, the Jedi Master made to look as if he’s suspended in mid-air as their lightsabers clash.
