UnBoxing | LONGSHOT Hasbro’s MARVEL LEGENDS: The Uncanny X-Men
- JC Alvarez
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
A Collectible Figure Unboxing
A rebel fighter from an alternate interdimension escapes to earth, getting by on his quick reflexes, good looks, and a little luck! Aligning against a common enemy, Longshot lands in the midst of the X-Men and is immortalized in 6 inches!
So let’s be completely honest here, you have to be a specific kind of comic fan to even be aware of Longshot, a Marvel character introduced in the 1980s (in the landmark limited series of the same name). At the time, he hardly appeared as if he was even in the same league as other Marvel heroes, let alone worthy of joining one of the most exclusive team rosters of all time. It’s true, though, he rose up a rebellion on Mojoworld, determined to break free from the enslavement of the notoriously riotous Spineless Ones and revolutionize an era.
Refusing to serve as the subject of his media obsessed overlords’ ruthless forms of entertainment, Longshot led a revolt, but escaping through an interdimensional portal sent him to Earth, wiping him of his memory, and put the planet and its superhero population, especially the Uncanny X-Men, in the syndicated crosshairs of Mojo, a mad monster determined to seize control of everything through his mindless “reality-based” media broadcasts. Transformed by Mojo into the “X-Babies,” the X-Men, with help from Longshot, eventually defeat the maniac, are restored to adulthood, and return to Earth.
Longshot is among the X-Men when they battle The Adversary in Dallas. On that fateful day, they are erased from the world and believed dead, but in fact have retreated to the Australian outback, where they operate under the radar from prying eyes. This iteration of the X-Men, which includes new members Psylocke, Dazzler, Havok, Madelyne Pryor (before she is revealed as “Inferno’s” Goblin Queen), welcomes Longshot into its ranks. Although they can avert major catastrophes, the group’s chemistry is challenging. Longshot eventually decides to leave the team to find his own path.
The Backstory
The brainchild of Ann Nocenti and Art Adams, the first six-issue limited series that introduced the amnesiac hero from another dimension is, in itself, unique. The book reads like a sci-fi story, and the art by the iconic Adams feels almost arthouse in tone. The book is more in line with titles published under the Epic Comics banner than a Marvel Comic. That the title character, and subsequently several of its supporting players, later surface in issues of The Uncanny X-Men helmed by the legendary Chris Claremont is like the hero’s non de guerre itself, a long shot.
Not your everyday run of the mill “mutant”, Longshot, who is an artificially engineered humanoid with probability-altering superpowers among his arsenal, was still invited to join the X-Men, and soon became entwined with fellow team member, Alison Blaire, The Dazzler. This was during a much-controversial era of the mutant heroes’ mythology called the “Outback Era”; the group was basically thought to be dead to the general population, but was given a second chance by the goddess Roma, who made them invisible to modern tracking technology as they operated from a hidden base.
Eventually, much of this roster of the X-Men begins to deteriorate, and Longshot makes his exit. It isn’t long before he is reunited with Dazzler, and the duo returns to Mojoworld to lead a revolution against the Spineless Ones’ tyranny. The pair remain together for an undisclosed period of time, and it is later revealed that they may be the parents of the time-displaced warrior Shatterstar, a member of Cable’s X-Force. Effectively, Longshot fades into obscurity sometime after that revelation, dissolving his relations with Dazzler, and except for allying himself with the fringes of mutant matter, does not return to the X-Men’s active roster.
UnBoxing
Some might say that their collection wouldn’t be complete without the addition of Longshot from Hasbro’s MARVEL LEGENDS line of action figures. The hero is part of the line-up of the team’s “Outback Era” and participated in crossover epics, including “The Fall of the Mutants” and“Inferno.” As illustrated mostly by artist Marc Silverstri during this era, the group’s look, which brought back a fully-leatherized, fully-powered Storm into the mix, was a mix of rock goth and grunge, with Longshot’s weathered black-leather ensemble working itself right in.
A fashion victim of the 80s, Longshot is depicted as an absolute stunner with Calvin Klein-model good looks, though his mullet might have been questionable, and a body to match, three fingers aside. His amnesiac state becomes something of a story flaw, as it is hardly ever fully restored, and makes it challenging for the character to develop solid relations. Given the closeness and family feel that is common and popularized in the X-Men books, it was always something of a conundrum that Longshot was around the mutant team as long as he was.
The character would be immortalized in Toy Biz’s line of X-Men action figures, as well as make an appearance in the popular X-Men animated series. To mark the 20th anniversary of the iconic figure’s release, Hasbro released commemorative reissues that replicate the blister card art and graphics. All six feet and 2 inches of the hero are recaptured in the popular 6” Marvel Legends line of fully-articulated action figures. He is faithfully recreated in his leather ensemble, with brown accents, and a pouch of accessories, with his bandolier of throwing blades strapped across his torso.
The figure is equipped with the hero’s signature hunting knife that can be sheathed on its hip, and is fully poseable to recreate many of Longshot’s most athletic swing-into-action poses, square jaw and all. Complete your X-Men team roster with the addition of this action figure, with a blister card that throws back to the 90s rising popularity of the heroes phenomenon that, for better or for worse, Longshot was certainly a huge part of. The price is right. Grab him and add this figure to your team dynamic now.
Hasbro’s MARVEL LEGENDS Series | LONGSHOT Action Figure is available on Amazon and through Amazon.
Product Description
Inspired by Marvel Comics: Collectible Longshot figure is inspired by the character’s appearance in Marvel’s The Uncanny X-Men comics and in the Longshot (Limited Series) #1 - #6.
BUILD A MULTIVERSE OF MARVEL COLLECTIBLES: Look for more Marvel Legends figures to build your own Marvel Comics Multiverse (Each sold separately. Subject to availability)
Ages 4 and up
⚠️ WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under three years.
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