Pulp Arcana Studios: More Fun Than You Can Shake A Tentacle At

Marvel Legends for me have been consistently some of the most enjoyable figures I have. As a huge comics fan growing up, the opportunity to have iconic representations of my favorite characters to pose, whether on my desk or in photography, has been such a joy. However, one of the coolest aspects of the Legends line is that they are not afraid to go for deeper, and sometimes even weirder, characters to make figures of.

Arguably, there are few figures as weird as this one.

While billed as Gargantos, this character in both comics and in the Marvel vs Capcom game itself was always known as Shuma-Gorath. However, the name originates in the works of famed pulp author and Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard. When the tentacled monstrosity made his big screen debut in the MCU’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, he was renamed Gargantos. Whatever his name, he is a delightful eldritch abomination. A huge red eye surrounded by a mass of tentacles.

When he showed up in the Marvel vs Capcom game in the arcade, back in the day, he was a weird, wonderful choice to include. But I never thought the day would come when something this straight up weird would be made in action figure form. Hasbro proved me wrong.

So let’s tear open the veil of madness and get all Lovecraftian with Marvel Legends Gargantos, and see what we’ve got.

A PULP ARCANA FIGURE FIELD REPORT Mission Brief:

Artifact Identified:

Gargantos

Marvel Legends Gamerverse

Hasbro

OUT OF THE CRATE:

The first thing that jumps out at you is that this figure actually is a departure from the other Legends Gamerverse packaging. Like we saw with the Gamerverse Captain America and Venom two-pack, the logos and details of the packaging are in a retro pixelated art style. However for Gargantos, the box goes further. Rather than a window showcasing the figure, the box art features a pixelated image of Gargantos in all his one-eyed, tentacled glory.

It is worth mentioning that the box is big. Like really big, for a single figure. This was my first indication that the figure itself was going to be something pretty substantial.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS:

When you open the box, Gargantos is packaged in a number of pieces. The central body and eye are one piece, with six ports around the body. Six tentacles are arrayed in the trays in the box. Three of the tentacles have horizontal hinges at the base, while the other three have vertical hinges. You can choose what tentacle goes into what port, but I will give a word of slight caution. Once you have ported the tentacles into the body, they are in there pretty solidly, so put some thought into how you want your tentacles to move.

Fully assembled, Gargantos is an absolute monster. With the tentacles outstretched, he measures about 22 inches across. In hand it is definitely impressive, and caught the attention of my thirteen year old son almost immediately. There is a great sense of heft and weight to the figure when you hold it, and the tentacles have a soft, rubbery quality to them that immediately makes you want to bend and shape them.

While the paint applications are simple (there is a LOT of green here), there is really nice texture work on the body and especially on the tentacles that breaks up the single color design of the figure. Rather than being a detriment, the mass of green makes the figure seem even larger, and gives a great presence, especially when put next to other figures.

Also included is an adorable little mini Gargantos,

The greatest surprise for me though was the eye. In the center of the body is a large red eye, with an upper and lower lid that you can articulate. The red of the eye stands out in stark contrast to all that green, and immediately focuses the attention there. The eye is incredibly well-done and gives Gargantos a sense of life that is both delightful and slightly unsettling. I love it.

MOBILITY AND MANEUVERS:

When you start posing Gargantos, the first thing that hits you is how much fun he is to play with. For the simplicity of the design aesthetic, it was kind of shocking to me to see how dynamic and expressive the tentacles could make the figure. They can move at the jointed hinges close to the base, but each tentacle is built around a wired inside that allows you to curl and shape them into so many different poses.

The eye, though, is what makes the figure really special. You are able to move the eye so it focuses left or right, up or down. This movement, combined with the articulated eyelids, allows a variety of expressions that, for a figure that lacks anything resembling an actual face, should be impossible. The versatility that this gives the figure is pretty crazy. I never thought i would be able to get expressions of shade and casual disdain from a tentacled eldritch horror, and yet here we are.

RECOVERED EVIDENCE:

FINAL RECKONING:

Admittedly, this figure is not going to be for everyone. It is not a typical comic character. It is weird and Lovecraftian and crazy. But for all those reasons, I absolutely love this guy. He looks great with other Marvel Legends, but he also looks fantastic posed with Mythic Legions fantasy figures, or some of the incredible Savage Crucible figures I have reviewed on here. He’s funky and a ridiculous amount of fun.