Today I’m taking a look at the new Marvel Legends Namor figure, based on his upcoming appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This figure was a must purchase for me even though I haven’t watched the film yet. I had heard rumors that Namor and the Atlanteans were being reimagined as being Aztec/Mayan in origin or the originators of the Aztecs/Mayans as the case may be and loved the idea. Aquaman has its own Antlantean mythology that the films have introduced and it’s great that Marvel has gone out of the way to do something not only different but adding a cultural history to it that makes it both inclusive and interesting. In fact the Aztecs built Tenochtitlan in the middle of a lake so it looked like a city rising out of the water.

The figure itself is great. I also should note that I don’t mind Hasbro’s new plastic free packaging. I typically open my figures and have never minded if my figures had any imperfections, in fact in some instances I’ve embraced the little differences that make my figures uniquely my own. Also the way the figure was packed in the box made it seem very secure, almost guaranteeing figures are shipped safely even if Wal-Mart decides to send it to you in an inter-office envelope.

The face sculpt is perfect, very accurately representing actor Tenoch Huerta’s portrait. All his jewelry are separate pieces that don’t inhibit his poses. His accessories are basic and he doesn’t come with his headdress which makes me wonder if there will be another release or a deluxe figure. I might double dip if tempted but I do like this basic representation as it shows off the new character and is a great update of the classic comic hero.

My favorite part of the figure is his winged feet. They are wonderfully designed and detailed. I’m very happy that Ryan Coogler decided to keep them. I’m not very knowledgeable about the character but I know he has awesome winged feetsies. As far as I know it’s what makes him a mutant, making him the second known mutant in the MCU. The wings also help add to his legend, being called Kukulkan the Plumed Serpent.

This purchase also marked one of my final purchases during the period known as Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month, which I began with the edict of buying figures representing cultures I identify with. I myself am Mexican which explains my excitement for Namor. My first purchase of the month was of another Mexican actor, Ricardo Montalban as the nefarious Khan! Sure he’s playing an Indian man but still a great role. Due to a personal family matter I was actually in Mexico last month and was able to purchase 3 Latinx characters at a local Wal-Mart: America Chavez from Dr. Strange 2, Ahsoka Tano as portrayed by Rosario Dawson, and a character named Del Toro aka El Jefe from Adventure Force. It should be noted that this Wal-Mart had an enormous toy section that seemed more like a mini-Toys’R’Us.

In having a focus for my collecting I thought I was going to have difficulty buying figures to celebrate Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month but found it quite the opposite. I actually regret I didn’t find all the figures I was looking for including Spider-man 2099 (played by Oscar Isaac), Moon Knight (also played by Oscars Isaac), Neytiri from Avatar (played by Zoe Saldaña), multiple versions of Miles Morales, Din Djarin (played by Pedro Pascal), Boss Fight Studios will be releasing a Mexican version of Zorro (even though he was portrayed by a Spaniard), and as I’m writing this I realized I had previously missed out on Cesar Romero’s Joker. Another purchase I made recently was a previous release of Cassian Andor from the 3 3/4 inch Black Series on eBay. I found it disheartening that product promoting the new show has yet to hit shelves. I did have a previous basic Andor figure from the Rogue One line but I gave it to my son after he requested it after watching the movie on Imax a couple of months ago. I teared up a bit when he asked for a Mexican Star Wars character.

While the Latinx/Hispanic community is still underrepresented, not just in the toy aisle, but in many aspects of America life it was very uplifting to find so many figures that did justice to the community and mostly as heroes. Just this year Marvel has introduced 3 Mexican superheroes (Werewolf By Night needs a figure like yesterday). I hope things continue to trend in this direction and I look forward to seeing more representation in general.