Super heroes exhibit an enormous range of different powers and abilities, many of which have been represented by a minifigure since the Marvel and DC Super Heroes ranges were launched in 2012. However, shapeshifting is difficult to depict and has therefore been absent from the minifigure roster, until now. 76076 Captain America Jet Pursuit includes Ms. Marvel, here based on the most recent incarnation of the character, Kamala Khan. The unique design of this minifigure drew me to the set but I hope to be pleasantly surprised by the other figures and Captain America's jet which are also included. Captain America pilots a jet in this set and I am very pleased him wearing a suitable uniform for the role, particularly since the bomber jacket and goggles evoke his origins in World War II. The combination of the traditional stars and stripes with a brown bomber jacket is very effective and this continues onto the back of the torso where some stitching is visible while a strap for the goggles is printed on the reverse side of the head.
The bright blue legs look rather incongruous beside the muted colour of the jacket and I would have preferred to see a consistent military uniform throughout the figure. He could have worn a helmet with folding flying goggles and included a hair piece so you could remove the helmet to reveal Steve Rogers' face. Captain America is equipped, as ever, with his patriotic shield. The moniker of Ms. Marvel has been applied to several characters and the first of these, Carol Danvers, appeared in 76049 Avenjet Space Mission at the start of 2016. Kamala Khan is the most recent holder of the title and she is the subject of this minifigure. Her rubbery arms are able to move in any direction and you can also give the impression of stretching as the arms are made from one long piece which passes through the torso and one arm can be lengthened as the other becomes shorter. This piece is packaged separately from the others so presumably comes from a different factory. The end of each arm is made from a hard plastic which will not pass through the torso, leaving Ms. Marvel with a straight arm on one side and a very long and flexible arm on the other.
Standard minifigure hands are plugged into the ends of the arms and these can be expanded by the addition of some extra hand pieces which appear for the first time in medium dark flesh. I also appreciate the inclusion of Kamala's bangles, represented by some pearl gold printing on her left wrist. This hair piece has only previously been seen on the Wonder Woman minifigure in 76046 Heroes of Justice: Sky High Battle but it suits Kamala Khan perfectly, as does the outfit printed on her torso and legs. The head is double-sided, featuring a blue domino mask on both sides but with differing expressions. It would have been nice to see a normal torso included as an alternative for the one with flexible arms but I like this figure very much even without it and hope that a similar component will soon be used for a Mr Fantastic minifigure. The Super-Adaptoid has undergone numerous alterations since it first appeared in 1966 and this minifigure is based on the latest incarnation, as seen in the Avengers Assemble animated series.
This figure exhibits features of Iron Man, Thor and Falcon which is appropriate given the android's ability to replicate his foes' capabilities and gather data about their combat techniques, thereby making the Super-Adaptoid a dangerous opponent for even the mightiest of heroes. The head is formed using the new Iron Man helmet which is cast in light bluish grey and placed over a plain grey head. I like the metallic silver printing on the front of the helmet and this continues onto both sides of the torso where the circular armour of Thor's attire is visible. The trans-red wings are perhaps a little too bright in relation to the rest of the figure and would benefit from some subtle printing to match the light grey of the Super-Adaptoid's body. The android is armed with a pair of brand new Power Blast elements, replicating Iron Man's repulsors. I have been quite interested to take a closer look at these as they are reminiscent of the recent Super Jumper elements which were criticised for supposedly damaging minifigure legs.
This function is very simple and works on roughly the same principle as the Super Jumper. Pressing down on the tail of the blast will create tension in the hand of the minifigure and the piece will be released quickly when the stress exceeds the clutch of the hands. This works fairly well and I think it is a fun idea but I would question the design of the function as it is activated by building stress in the minifigure's hand so will surely cause damage during repeated use. Presumably it has undergone extensive testing to avoid this but the hard material used for the Power Blast seems likely to result in cracking. Time will tell whether this issue exists or not. Jet aircraft are a very popular subject for LEGO products and it is therefore quite difficult to come up with new and innovative features for every set. Unfortunately I think this set suffers as a result. It looks pretty good on the whole, with an attractive colour scheme and nicely angled wings, but is very similar to earlier models and does not make the best use of the space available as the functions are relatively limited.
I think the model looks significantly weaker with the wings swept forward as the leading edge presents an angle perpendicular to the fuselage. It is nice to be able to alter the configuration but this one does not work well in my opinion, particularly since one has to adjust the wings from this position manually, such is the simplicity of the function. The sweeping wings are activated from between the engine nacelles where a sliding tab can be pushed forward. This in turn causes a 1x8 tile to push against the wings which are mounted on click hinges. It works reasonably well but has been achieved using far more impressive techniques in the past, most recently in 31042 Super Soarer where one could move the wings backwards and forwards simply by shifting the engines. The wings are adorned with stickers which likely feature the initials of the set designer 'J.C.' and the year of their birth, 1987. Dark tan axles protrude from the trailing edge of each wing and these activate another simple play feature as disc launchers are hidden underneath.
These face outwards when the wings are swept back which is a shame as turntables would have allowed them to rotate with the configuration of the wings. Four printed discs are included and these are adorned with the design of Captain's America's shield so Steve Rogers can disseminate his own brand of American patriotism in response to any supervillain incursions. It is also worth noting that some handles are found underneath the jet and these allow Ms. Marvel to hang from the underside during flight so she can easily keep up with the action. The cockpit canopy looks rather large in relation to the length of the nose but I like the shape and the stickers on either side of the fuselage are a great inclusion, as is Captain America's emblem at the front. A red stripe runs throughout the entire length of the plane and this contrasts nicely with the white of the cockpit, although I wish the nose cone was a little sharper. There is plenty of room for a minifigure in the cockpit and the height of the canopy allows Captain America to sit quite naturally rather than lying back as is often necessary.
His shield can be clipped beneath the hinge of the canopy and a sticker adorns the console which shows the Super-Adaptoid in flight. 76076 Captain America Jet Pursuit would be an unremarkable but decent Marvel Super Heroes set were it not for the inclusion of Ms. Marvel. The minifigure looks fantastic and offers great play value based around her flexible arms alone. I quite like the other figures and Captain America's jet is perfectly serviceable as well, although it does not offer innovative building techniques or style to match the aircraft in 76047 Black Panther Pursuit which is comparable in size. If you are a fan of Ms. Marvel as a character then this set is a must-have and I think it has great potential for play given the relatively low price of £19.99 or $19.99. However, it may not offer the same appeal to adult fans and I think one could perhaps skip this set in favour of 76077 Iron Man: Detroit Steel Strikes or wait for a reduction in price. I hope you have found this review informative.