Toy Review: ‘X-Men ’97’ Jubilee Is The Figure She Needed

Well, it’s better late than never, as I wrap up my week of looks at Hasbro’s Marvel Legends retro card line with the coolest hero in the Marvel Universe. Yes, that’s right, it’s Jubilee.

Many fans know Jubilation Lee as the entry point/point of view character of the initial episodes in X-Men The Animated Series. However, Jubilee is most notable as one of the last original creations of longtime X-Men scribe Chris Claremont, alongside superstar artist Marc Silvestri, in 1989’s Uncanny X-Men #244.

Jubilee was a privileged young woman raised in Beverly Hills, until a mysterious accident claimed the lives of both her parents. Now an orphan, she ran away from state care and hid out in a SoCal shopping mall, until a fateful encounter with the X-Men Storm, Rogue, Dazzler and Psylocke. She followed the quartet back to their Australian base, and eventually joined the team.

Jubilee has become one of the most iconic X-Men ever since, appearing frequently in the main series, several spin-offs and various X-Men media. She’s a fan favorite to some and an irritant to others, but there’s no denying her impact.

Now, the X-Men ‘97 retro card figures are simply some of the best waves of the retro card line. The cards themselves are designed like the legendary Toy Biz X-Men figures of the 1990s, with great art based on the Disney+ animated series. I personally have Jean Grey, Gambit, Logan, Wolverine (they’re two separate figures), Magneto, Nightcrawler and Cyclops. They’re all great, and double for each character’s iconic comics look. And frankly, Jubilee might be the best of all of them.

One of my favorite things about the figure is that she’s an entire original mold. Every bit of Jubilee, except maybe one or two of her hands, is completely original to this figure. That makes it a fantastic piece on the shelf, as she definitely stands out. She also looks like a teenager, both in her slightly shorter stature, and her body design. I always appreciate when character designers remember there’s more than one body type for women. The only thing I don’t love about her design is the black bodysuit, rather than her Generation X look or her iconic tee and shorts combo.

For posing, I was pleasantly surprised. I was worried that her raincoat would make her difficult to pose. Hasbro does not have a great reputation with capes and long coats. In this case though, it’s cast in a very soft plastic that makes it very easy to get out of her way, and create some fun poses.

I also love the accessories. The pair of fireworks hands are some of my favorite alt hands that have ever come with a figure, giving a fun way to show off her powers. The gripping hand with the soda is fantastic as well. I think the only thing lacking is a second headsculpt (like more of the rest of the line has), with Jubes wearing her glasses, angry or even a silly look.

I absolutely love this take on Jubilee. She’s going to be front and center with my X-Men.