My Hot Toys collection expanded in a big way in 2019, as I ultimately added six different figures to my collection this year! Hela was my eighth overall Hot Toys figure.
If you’ve read through things that I’ve written elsewhere on this site, you are well aware of my appreciation for all of the gods and characters surrounding Thor as well as my love for Thor: Ragnarok as a film. Cate Blanchett’s Hela was one of my favorite parts of Ragnarok and she is a character that I generally enjoy in the comics, especially under the pen of Kieron Gillen and the things that he did with the young versions of both Hela and Loki during his outstanding Journey into Mystery run. I was thrilled to add Hela to my collection to pose alongside Thor and Loki, who were in Ragnarok her brothers (Loki via adoption of course), as opposed to her Norse legends and comic book mythology, in which she is Loki’s daughter. Those changes didn’t bother me in the least, as her being a child of Odin – and rightful Queen of Asgard – fueled her arc in Thor: Ragnarok in exciting ways. What I was most concerned with as a fan was seeing a badass Goddess of Death, and we certainly got that!
Moving on to this figure, this is an awesome collection piece! Hela’s box art (like most of the Ragnarok figures) is bright and colorful with a lot of purple and some lightning bolts, but it also has plenty of black, including an image of Cate Blanchett as the Goddess of Death. Inside the box, Hela comes with several accessories including her necro-swords, the ax of Skurge, a small Eternal Flame, and extra hands that include one of her crushing Mjolnir. The only negative thing I have to say about this figure, is that her hands are very difficult to exchange. Beyond that, it’s just about perfect.
The real win here is in the sculpt of the figure itself. Hela is immaculate! The first thing that stands out about Hela is of course her head piece. The biggest piece stretches out 6-inches from off her head and it is comprised of several smaller pieces. The face sculpt itself is one of the better that I own. Hot Toys absolutely nailed the likeness to Cate Blanchett! There is a lot to like about her outfit as well. A lot of black mixed-in with a lot of emerald green. The material is soft but sturdy and her cape is brilliantly made. I really like its texture and the way that it forms around her body. Again, really nice work from Hot Toys there.
Hela seemed to be killed-off at the end of Ragnarok during her showdown with Surtur, so I think her appearance in the MCU was a one-off (this specific version of her, at least), but her brief reign of terror was quite memorable, nonetheless. I received this figure as a surprise gift just before St. Patrick’s Day 2019 from my wonderful wife, who just couldn’t wait to get this figure into my hands, considering how badly I’d been hoping to get her. I think I was originally supposed to get her for my birthday, and then the big ULTRON sale happened, but either way, I’m so very happy to own this piece!
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