Marx first released their "Noble Knights" in 1968.  The series consisted of Sir Stuart, the Silver Knight with his trusty steed Valor, and Sir Gordon, the Gold Knight with his horse Bravo.  In the United Kingdom there was a third set, a Black knight and horse, which were not available in the US.  In the sixties, with the popularity of GIJoe, 12 inch fully articulated figures were all the rage.  Marx had previous forays into the articulated Action figure arena, notably their "Stony Smith" figure, a GIJoe like fighting man with clothing molded on and a variety of weapons.  Of course with GIJoe dominating the articulated soldier arena, Stoney Smith fell a bit short.  They followed this up with the popular "Johnny West" series, similar to Stoney Smith but with a wild west theme.  Marx already had experience with medieval figures, having produced several playsets of smaller non articulated figures.  So it was only natural when their 12 inch figures met their medieval line resulting in the creation of the Noble Knights.  The Noble Knights were highly detailed, containing a full suit of very authentic armor and a vast array of weapons.  I really loved these figures as a kid and have since acquired a complete set of vintage figures for my collection.  Due to the many small pieces (especially the arrows) this was a difficult task, but the results are well worth it as the final complete figure is just awesome.  However, after multiple removals the small tabs that hold the armor together wear and break, leading to many vintage pieces not quite holding on as well as they did.  If I knew then what I know now ... 

The reissue Mark Knights come in a stunning presentation box (Figure 1). the front flap opens to reveal a short synopsis of the history of the figures, and pictures of the original packaging (Figure 2 )  The back of the box has full color pictures of Sir Stuart, Sir Gordon and Bravo (who has not been re-released at this time but we are hoping he will be), along with a black and white photo of Stoney Smith and the Wild West figures (Figure 3)  The best part of course, is the Knight himself.  Each piece of armor is laid out in a seperate section making the presentation of the figure really spectacular ( Figure 4)  However, since they are mostly held in with cellophane tape, there is a tendency for the pieces to come loose and find their way into neighboring areas.  So if it looks like your Knight is short a few pieces do not fear, they are all in the box they just might have come loose during shipping.  The figure is a dead ringer for the original.  The color match is right on the the materials used appear to be identical.  The intrinsically colored plastic armor is identical in every way to the original pieces.  There are roughly 50 individual pieces which form the suit and weapons.  Sir Stuart comes with three interchangeable helmets and seven weapons.  The crossbow is functional and comes with 5 arrows (there might be six but I only see 5).  My favorite helmet is the one that covers the complete face, it even has a red plume!  There is a wooden staff with banner to round out the accessories.  Each piece is a highly detailed accurate representation of the costumes and weaponry used by Knights in the medieval era.  If you are familiar with the original Knights, you will appreciate the accuracy of these reissues.  If you are an action figure fan seeing them for the first time, you will be blown away!  They really are more than just a tribute to the heroes of the past, they are a fine example of the art of creating articulated figures.  The craftsmanship used in creating these harkons back to a time when quality was a cornerstone of the toy makers craft, something that Marx has long been famous for. 

Last, but by no means least, they have included a pamphlet with the figures which details their lineage ( Figure 5, ).  It contains information not only on the history of the Noble knights, but interesting anecdotes about Knights throughout history.  Detailed instructions are also included to help you outfit your Knight as well and (Figure 6). Each set is numbered and includes a certificate of authenticity.

In summary the Marx Noble Knights reissues are, for lack of a better word, perfect.  They are nearly indistinguishable from the original superb figures.  The price is a fraction of the market price for a vintage set, and the packaging and paperwork are fist rate.  These are a must have for all 12" action figure collectors, I give them my highest recommendation.

The Noble Knights can be purchased for $27.95 each and are available at the links below:

Marx Noble Knights--Sir Stuart the Silver Knight 

Marx Noble Knights--Sir Gordon the Gold Knight 

You can find out mare about Marx Toys by visiting their website WWW.MARXTOYS.COM