Of Marvel’s many muscle-bound kill men, Cable is probably the most deserving of a high quality, collector’s grade action figure. He’s gruff, he’s got scruff, and he has many guns with which to shoot stuff. And, oh, how various toy manufacturers have tried to make a good Cable figure. Take the Diamond Select, Marvel Legends, Toy Biz, other Marvel Legends figures — all good, and lacking in their own ways — for just the beginning of examples.
Mezco, however, may have perfected the Cable craft with their newest One:12 Collective release.
Standing slightly over 6″, with exceptional detailing, weight, flexibility, and accouterments, the One:12 Cable is a sight to behold with only slight inconsistencies. Let’s dig into the details and see why.
A breakdown of the Cable figure, accessories, and features | Credit: Mezco
What’s Good
The good here easily justifies the higher-than-usual price point for a 6″ figure. Most notably, the model is far more responsive than a Marvel Legends or other production might be. Bending and posing easily, Cable’s knees, elbows, wrists, and neck all turn fluidly, keep their positions, and support the rest of the model’s weight impeccably. This is great, because my new expensive son is very impressive looking — one of the best and most consistently well-painted figures I’ve seen outside of, say, people that spend $6k on paints for one Warhammer figure. Cable, for all the better, looks like he’s been through hell here. The face molding and armor are consistently weathered, aged, and dented in a way that I find satisfying in particular for this character: the Tron Rambo of action figures. There’s a cherry on top with the variation in textures, too: the techno arm, flat plate armor, and fabric pants all combine to give a real air of authenticity.
The armor’s weathering and detailed paint job really pop under the right light.
Similarly, the accessories and various extremity swaps included with the base figure look great. I quickly slotted the accompanying combat knife and handgun into the holsters on Cable’s body, but I was really impressed by the detail in them while doing so. The over-the-top grenade launcher and cannon also give a suitable air of aggression and bulkiness to the figure’s already hunky frame while they’re equipped. It’s a minor disappointment that you can’t slot one onto Cable’s back while he’s holding the other (a feature that surprisingly the most recent Marvel Legends does have) but the various hands, flexibility, and detail here make it a real pleasure to equip the future-post-future Summers kid with whatever you see fit.
The grenade spool here spins – that’s neat!
Do you think Cable still has to target this arm in workouts?
Full Cable action!
Lastly, the embedded lights in the figure’s chest and techno-eye are well implemented and eye-catching. I’m not entirely sure how to activate the lighting in the Plasma Cannon (I’m still a little afraid to really handle a model I feel should be kept in a safety deposit box) or if it does light at all like Mezco’s advertising suggests, but at the very least, the eye and chest are quite noticeable and frankly a little imposing when activated. I will probably rarely if ever use this feature of course, but it does feel like the right fit for Cable.
Ridiculous in the best of ways
What’s Bad
I have very few complaints about this figure — it is truly impressive. That being said, there were things both during the initial setup as well as during the posing stage that I found disappointing. First and foremost, the battery and lighting switch construction for the light-up features embedded in Cable’s chest and eye are frustratingly obtuse. To get the right glow going, I had to carefully remove the figure’s back panel, unscrew an infeasibly small fastener, and place three manufacturer-supplied batteries no larger than my pinky fingernail into Cable’s back with a kind of deftness that only Gunpla builders have. This difficult task, coupled with the fact that you have to lift the back panel every time you want to turn the lighting on is frustrating and precarious feeling when you’re handling a figure this expensive and delicate, especially knowing those batteries will eventually need to be replaced.
This backplate needs to be removed every time you want to turn on the figure’s admittedly impressive lighting.
The battery and light switch assembly.
Secondly, the X-Men style baseplate the figure’s feet slots into puts Cable in a weird position, with a bulk of the plate sitting empty in front of or behind him rather than squarely centered. I was also unable to remove the peg installed into the base even though it looks removable for the purposes of adding the adjustable posing post, leaving the figure feeling a little flimsier than desired when standing. It’s not a huge issue, but its noticeable as several of the accessories — notably the cannon and grenade launcher — feel kind of thin and droppable, suggesting the whole thing might fall if bumped more than ever-so-slightly.
While not unusable, the base plate Cable is situated on here is slightly disappointing.
The Verdict
This is one of the most impressive figures I own, and although it took a very long time to get to me (most of the One:12 Collective is preorders — look for that shipping date!) it was totally worth it. The articulation, detailing, weight, and impact of Cable’s best physical depiction yet really make a statement on my desk and likely will for any other devout fans of ’90s evoking ridiculousness, too. I think it’s safe to assume Mezco put a lot of thought and attention into this piece and it has really paid off, minor disappointments aside. This is my first One:12 Collective figure, but it will not be the last.
This figure is available from Mezco for $100, but there is currently a waitlist. Join it now if you’re interested.
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