As a fellow enthusiast of both Lego and the X-Men, I must say that the LEGO Marvel X-Mansion set has truly captured my heart. Despite a few minor quibbles here and there, such as the inclusion of Iceman over Jubilee or Nightcrawler (I’m looking at you, Bobby), this set is an absolute dream come true for any diehard X-Men fan like myself.
Among the many notable locales in the Marvel Universe, few are as emblematic for X-Men enthusiasts as Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Although the X-Men have occupied various other bases such as an abandoned Australian outback town and the mutant island nation of Krakoa, their original home stands out as the quintessential benchmark. This significance is underscored by its appearances in X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men movies. For years, fans of the X-Men have eagerly awaited a Lego set inspired by this iconic training ground, much like those already released for Avengers Tower and Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. Now, their dream has been realized with the introduction of Lego’s X-Men: The X-Mansion set.
This impressive X-Men: The X-Mansion construction set comprises 3093 pieces and comes with 10 mini-figures representing X-Men characters. It’s an attention-grabbing model that offers a delightful, more complex building experience than it initially appears. Moreover, it’s a modular structure, allowing fans to detach the left and right sections from the central part for a peek inside. Inside, you’ll find rooms such as the Danger Room where mutant abilities are trained, Professor X’s lab with a miniature Cerebro, and a classroom connected to a library. A few minor concerns aside, this X-Mansion set serves as an enjoyable tribute to fans of the series.
Welcome to the X-Men
As a devoted X-Men fan, I can’t help but marvel at the treasure trove of Easter eggs hidden within this mansion. From the comics, cartoons, and movies that have been my lifelong passion, every corner seems to whisper secrets. At the back, you’ll find posters advertising performances by Nightcrawler and Dazzler, reminiscent of their appearances on stage. There’s even a replica of the iconic wanted poster from Uncanny X-Men #141, marking the beginning of “Days of Future Past.
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Among all rooms at the X-Mansion, the one that captures my heart is undeniably the Danger Room. Unique in its span across both floors of the mansion, it’s brimming with whirling blades, lasers, and other perils that have graced numerous training sequences from the X-Men comics. Nestled next to the Danger Room on the upper level is a control room featuring a transparent window, reminiscent of the aborted pilot for an X-Men cartoon titled “Pryde of the X-Men“, an early precursor to the successful launch of “X-Men: The Animated Series“, which eventually inspired the popular “X-Men” arcade game.
For longtime fans of the X-Men, there’s a wealth of discoveries to be made within the X-Mansion LEGO set, and collectors will find numerous possibilities for arranging scenes on the mansion property using the included minifigures. Additionally, this set is interactive enough that younger builders can act out various X-Men stories in their imaginations.
Hope You Survive the Experience
Some criticisms can be levied against the X-Mansion set, chiefly that the building’s exterior isn’t as striking as other, similar Marvel Lego structures. This isn’t entirely Lego’s fault. They’ve based the facade on the X-Mansion as it appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, likely the best-known iteration of the building, but it’s still a mundane, if large, mansion. Adding a battle-damaged area to represent the many times the Mansion has been assaulted, plus all the Easter eggs in the back —including a dumpster with Nightcrawler’s cutlass and some other items — helps. Yet, the building itself may underwhelm slightly when connected with the Avengers Tower, Daily Bugle, and even Sanctum Sanctorum sets (as it is intended to be). The array of options for building action scenes with the Sentinel and the minifigures makes up for this. However, builders should be aware that the chaos ensuing on the lawn rather than the building itself will most likely be what draws attention to the set once it’s on display.
The interior of this modular building is filled with various items and hidden surprises, making exploration enjoyable yet potentially challenging due to limited space. Specifically, the Danger Room, despite being delightful, may prove difficult to navigate because of its sizeable dimensions, and each room can comfortably accommodate only about two minifigures at a time. While it’s always entertaining to explore this area, keep in mind that it might require careful planning for those who enjoy constructing intricate indoor settings with their LEGO sets.
To me, my X-Men Minifigures!
At the X-Mansion, you’ll find a total of ten mini-figures. While the range of official Lego minifigures representing X-Men characters has been somewhat scarce until now, mainly focusing on Magneto and Wolverine variants, this set provides an opportunity to reencounter some familiar faces like Rogue, Magneto, Cyclops, Storm, and Wolverine. Moreover, it introduces five fresh mini-figures to the X-Men’s team: Gambit, Iceman, Bishop, Professor X, and Jean Grey. Most of these newcomers are dressed in their 1990s costumes, making them easily identifiable for fans of the X-Men: The Animated Series or X-Men ’97.
In this X-Mansion set, you’ll find numerous transparent elements that allow for dynamic poses of your minifigures, making it seem like they’re engaged in a thrilling battle with the iconic Sentinel or Magneto, who can be strategically positioned on the mansion’s rotating dome roof. The roof is designed to break apart by pulling a lever at the back of the building, showcasing one of several interactive elements included in this set.
This collection has a lower overall count of minifigures compared to similar Marvel sets, but it does feature an equal number of fresh figures. I suspect that producing multiple versions of Magneto and Wolverine left Lego with limited options for reusing previous minifigures in the X-Mansion set. In my opinion, the inclusion of a buildable Sentinel offsets the smaller quantity of minifigures (just be mindful when posing it as the toe pieces can detach if handled too forcefully), although some might hold a different viewpoint.
The choice of minifigures is another potential sticking point. Longtime Lego collectors may roll their eyes at getting another Wolverine and Magneto but it’d be hard to justify making an X-Mansion set without them. All of the other minifigures, with one exception, are mainstays from the X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97 and are accurately portrayed, no argument there. The inclusion of Iceman is puzzling as he hasn’t been a major presence in the X-Men shows. It’s especially odd given that the X-Mansion has half a bedroom seemingly designed around Jubilee, X-Men: The Animated Series‘ fan-favorite point-of-view character, who is absent from the set.
In summary, the mini-figures in this set are generally well-designed, but there are two exceptions that might be open to criticism. Iceman’s coloring as snowy white is not accurate to his appearance beyond the 1990s, as it resembles his look from the Silver Age more than his contemporary design. On the other hand, Cyclops’ minifigure looks fantastic and includes a long piece of translucent red plastic for the optic blast effect, but the opaque and bright red connecting piece he holds appears to be a rubber toy rather than a visor component. A more consistent use of the transparent plastic used for mutant powers would have addressed these issues, though there may be practical reasons why Lego decided on a different approach.
Building the Dream
As an avid Lego enthusiast and unwavering X-Men devotee, I’ve yearned for a truly immersive X-Men Lego building journey. The arrival of X-Men: The X-Mansion has finally quenched that thirst. This set not only captures the essence of the X-Men universe but also surprises with iconic characters, hidden Easter eggs, a buildable Sentinel, and interactive features. I’m still spellbound by the joy of tinkering with the minifigures, discovering new ways to stage them in front of the mansion. I may never tire of playing with this set until I’ve explored every possible configuration.
Sure, certain aspects could have, arguably, been tweaked for the better — I’m as disappointed at the inclusion of Iceman over Jubilee or Nightcrawler as much as anyone (sorry, Bobby) — but I’m hoping this opens the floodgates for more X-Men minifigures to enroll in Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngers in the future. And ultimately, these are minor flaws that hardly ruin an overall excellent experience — or is that x-cellent x-perience?
Starting today, November 4th, you can get your hands on the LEGO Marvel X-Men: The X-Mansion set online at LEGO for $329.99. Sadly, the LEGO Marvel Cerebro (5009015) set that was given as a freebie to LEGO Insiders has run out of stock due to high demand. This review was made possible by LEGO providing the set for us to examine.
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2024-11-04 19:41