Pegs

The pegs that are used to hold the hands and feet on, as well as most of the joints are not the same as Mego pegs. These pegs aren't simply straight lengths of plastic, but have nipples or buttons on their ends to help keep them in place. This also makes them far harder to remove, since all you had to do with the Mego parts was push them through. These are made of the brittle plastic so they can be broken and damaged by removal (as you can see in the second from the left above). I haven't tried to replace any with straight plastic pegs, but I suspect they would probably work as replacements, provided you can find a good size that is tight.

There are only two sizes of pegs used on the figure. The smaller size (the two in the center of the picture) is used in ankle and wrist joints while the larger one covers the thigh, knee and elbow joints. Removal and restoration of pegs are covered in the sections on those joints, but as a general rule I found it easier to leave the pegs with the removed part and take them out as one piece rather than simply removing the peg and then the part. Overall, there are 4 small pegs and 6 large ones on each FC body.

Hands and Feet

DESC: The hands and feet are made of the softer plastic, though it's hard to tell at times. The exception is Black Widow who has brittle boots (which are slightly different from Storm's feet) So far there have been a variety of hands for the male and female characters, including splayed fingers and fists (as well as Thor's gripping hand). The feet aren't as varied with basic male feet for all the males and boot feet for the female figures (except Aunt May who has the only pair of female feet so far). The male feet for different bodies are differently sized, which is a very nice touch. There are at least two types of female boots, but the difference between them is minor. These are the easiest parts to remove and replace on the figures.

When I picked up Black Widow I didn't bother to check her very closely (other than her paint job and costume) because I was happy to find her. When I got home and opened her I noticed that her hands were reversed! She had a left hand on her right wrist and a right hand on her left wrist. But following the steps below she was swapped and looks great today!

Some of the characters costumes can't be removed without removing hands. Black Widow and Storm both have bracelets that can't be removed without the hands off of them (unless you simply cut them off), so removing the hands may become imperative for the customizer.

NOTE: For feet just use the same directions below but substitute 'ankle' for 'wrist' and 'foot' for 'hand'. Also, keep in mind that ankles are a little harder to remove and replace and the female boots are made of the brittle plastic, so they don't bend that much.

REM: First, start wit a hand as in figure 1 above. Next, bend the figure perpendicular to the bendy joint on the wrist or ankle in question. Don't bend it with all of your might or you may damage the joint, but do it just enough to get a small, flat screwdriver (or similar device) in the gap between the wrist and the hand (see figure 2). Once you get the tool in there slowly work it to pry one side of the hand off the peg. Work slowly and don't be alarmed if the wrist seems to be bending more than you would expect. Once you get it off of one end of the peg (see figure 3) you can slide the other half (with peg still in place) through the loop in the wrist joint and remove the hand. Since the hands are molded in color you don't have to worry about a small scratch ruining the paint job and you'll end up with figure 4.

REST: Once you have the hand you want in on the wrist, bend one side of the wrist back so it looks similar to when you removed it. Make sure the peg is securely in the other side and slide the peg through the loop in the wrist joint. Once you get it through the loop you can slowly squeeze the other wrist part into place over the other end of the peg. Squeezing with bare hands can get it almost right, but you may want to use a pair of pliers to help it seat properly. If you use pliers, place a cloth over the teeth on it to prevent marring the surface of the hand and very slowly squeeze it into place. I hate to admit it, but I've also used my teeth to squeeze it into place!

Ankles and Wrists

DESC: The ankle (bottom left and upper right) and wrist (opposite of ankles) joints are made from the brittle plastic. They actually have a shape that is very similar to the symbol for Mars (which also happens to be the symbol for male as well). It is a loop or circle with a point sticking out of it (see above). The way it works is that the foot or hand is attached to the loop by a peg and the arrow snaps into a hollow (shown at the bottom of the picture above) at the end of the forearm or lower leg. You can see a much better view of what a cross-section of the hollow looks like in the section on the shoulder joint. The wrist and ankle joints can be removed and replaced without damaging the arrow or the loop fairly easily. These joints are very similar to the Mego wrist joints.

REM: I found that it is easier to remove the wrists and ankles once the foot or hand attached to them has been removed. But they can be removed while still attached, but it makes it harder to remove the hand or foot later since you have a lot less to hold on to and apply leverage. If the hand/foot is already removed the easiest way I found to get it off is use a keychain that has a pretty big loop and is sturdy. Place the loop of the wrist/ankle on the keychain loop. Hold the forearm/lower leg firmly and yank it out. It will come out with a snap, but since it is attached to the keychain it is easily found. If the foot/hand is still attached, then you'll have to grip the foot/wrist and the forearm/lower leg firmly and pull them apart. If you want to use a vise to hold parts as you pull on the other, remember to place a cloth or some other soft material between the teeth of the vise and the plastic. It will minimize marks that are made on the plastic by the teeth. I would tend to avoid the vise simply because it is too easy to apply too much pressure and leave marks in the plastic.

REST: To restore these you'll have to snap them back into their hollows. These can be replaced simply by pressure from the thumb with the arrow lined up to the hollow. Once you get part of it in there you can press the loop against a counter while holding the forearm and pushing down. Also, if you have a small metal rod that will fit through the loop you can press on either side of it to push the arrow into place. You will hear a snap when it's in place and you'll be able to tell that it is properly seated by the way it twists. If you have a hand or foot still attached replacement is a little easier to do by hand since the appendage will afford a better hold on the non-arrow end of the piece.