Mint in Box: LEGO Marvel Superheroes – Avenjet Space Mission
Time for some Avengers Assemblage!
While much of the LEGO Marvel Superheroes theme focuses on either movies or tv shows, there’s the odd set that doesn’t fit into those caegories and 76049 Avenjet Space Mission is such a set. While not quite based solely in the realm of comics, it’s also based on a vehicle in the LEGO Marvel’s Avengers video game!
76049 Avenjet Space Mission comes in at a whopping 523 piece count and retails for around £59.99. Included in the set are four bags of bricks, a Thanos big fig, a thick instruction booklet, a mini comic and sticker sheet.
Kicking off the minifigures is the Sentinel of Liberty; Captain America! This particular rendition of Steve Rogers is near identical to the ‘Scuba’ variant of the 76048 Iron Skull Submarine Attack set, just swap out the flippers for a jetpack.
Hyperion has been both hero and villain so seeing him here as Thanos’ lackey isn’t too far fetched plus it’s great to see more obscure characters, like Marvel’s own nuclear answer to Superman.
It wouldn’t be a Marvel set without the poster-boy for Avengers; Iron Man! This time decked out in a pretty sweet Mark 39 ‘Gemini’ deco, he’s the same old Iron Man you’ve experienced before but in a fetching white.
Fresh from the pages of her brand new series, Carol ‘Captain Marvel’ Danvers goes a long way to making this set a favourite of mine. I love Captain Marvel that much! While most of the minifigs have double-printed faces; Carol goes one better and includes an armoured face for when she means business.
Rounding out the bunch — emphasis on round — is a somewhat portly big fig of the Mad Titan, Thanos. He looks spot on to his video game appearances but regrettably suffers from the same problem as many big figs and that’s that they constantly look downward.
The first parts of the build are Thanos’ hover-boots and the minijet. The hover-boots are an odd choice, mainly because they seem backwards no matter what way they face but also because they’re not Thanos’ most infamous form of transportation. The minijet is a pretty bare-bones, build-by-numbers affair that’s nothing to right home about but I do dig how the wings lock into place with a satisfying click.
The main fuselage is where the action is as everything connects to this skeletal frame in one way or another. There’s a small cargo bay where Iron Man is stored before he needs to be launched and the turbine wings really do it for me.
The final part of the build is the primary cockpit, which connects to two ratchet joints on the fuselage, giving the whole Avenjet the feel of a Quinjet. Oddly, the main cockpit has a fire extinguisher in it. I mean, sure, a space ship should probably have one but it seems like such a random addition to the set. Throughout the build there’s been sticker applications and, maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about putting the Avengers logo on stuff that makes me smile.
The completed Avenjet is a fantastic-looking and surprisingly robust model that’s full of play features. The detachable minijet, the storage for Captain America’s gear near the engins, Iron Man’s shuttle bay deployment and the five flick missiles. For more added firepower, both the minijet and Thanos’ hover-boots include stud shooters.
Overall, I found the build experience pretty enjoyable and the minifigures definitely add a bunch of character but can I recommend the set for £59.99? Not really. Yes it’s a fun set and there’s plenty of play value here but I would probably recommend waiting for a price drop.