Here we have Iceman in hand, being one of the older retro card figures made on the Sunfire body. It's a decent choice for a character like him isn't too buff, though the shoulders are too low. Being an earlier release, I could be a bit more forgiving on how the figure was executed compared to the later Secret Wars version. Given how similar he and the Silver Surfer are at first glance, Hasbro opted to not only give him an X belt but also cast him in translucent plastic and then coat him in a glacial coat of paint to give him that icy look. Is it the best stab at the concept? For Hasbro standards, probably, though making him opaque would have worked better like the Amazing Friends 3-pack (only less shitty). So for aesthetics, he's passable.but nothing too great.
His head sculpt is not so great, mainly from how hard it is to decipher the facial features without a proper coat of paint. As a result, the eyes end up looking sloppy in this thin coat of glacial paint. I could also barely see a smirk, which is appropriate for Bobby Drake; either way, the head sculpt could have been done better. His articulation consists of a ball and hinge combo, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, double jointed elbows, wrist rotation and hinges, butterfly joints, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball jointed hips, thigh rotation, double jointed knees, rotation at the boot (which should be at the ankles instead), and hinges as well as pivots for the feet). His sole accessory is an ice slide with only one peg that he can't stand on that great; it already sucks his accessory is weak, but to not come with anything else?! And they want us to buy the Secret Wars version at nearly $10 more just to have those open hands?!
As for the Ghost Rider, he is a reuse on a more intricate level. The body originally belonged to the AIM Scientist and comic versions of Star Lord before having some versions of Ghost Rider to utilize it. While it isn't perfect of a body due to the gangly arms and the birthing hips, I think the figure could be even better with a few tweaks. I love the jacket and the addition of a collar as well as the chain that goes around his neck; I guess you could say it works for a more disjointed and malnourished take on the character, but I still think that if you're going to give a character birthing hips, at least give him a motorcycle! Seriously, what is it with Hasbro having a tendency for Ghost Riders that DON'T have his bike? I know not everyone has the space or money for the Deluxe riders but still.
Head sculpt is easily the best part of the figure, from the wicked skull with an articulated jaw as well as the fire fading from orange at the scalp to red at the tips. While his articulation is mostly the same as Iceman's, he does have a few more accessories, such as a chain whip with fire molded on top. Much easier for him to pose and hold than the shitty Whiplash from last year.
Even his alternate hands with additional flame accessories and a scorching Johnny Blaze head are enough to make me appreciate this figure more than I do Iceman. Is he perfect? No, but I get a sense of more effort being put in a figure like him much more than I do the way our frozen mutant turned out. If you have to have an Iceman, maybe wait for the retro version to be at a decent price on eBay because I did the same and it only cost me a bit less than the MSRP. Ghost Rider is a reissue so he should be easier to get.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Iceman)
⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Ghost Rider)
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