A character who finds his flesh consumed by hellfire, causing his head to become a flaming skull doesn’t seem like the most kid-friendly inspiration for a LEGO set. Yet the character has previously appeared in two past LEGO sets. As Johnny Blaze in 2016 and then as Robbie Reyes in a 2021 set. Now Blaze is back in an upcoming 2023 LEGO Marvel set. The basis of the character has remained pretty much the same across all three sets, showing the character in his hellfire form. But this particular version takes the character one step further by adding in a mech suit and that’s not all, he also has his iconic Hell-Cycle motorbike. As my 2023 LEGO set reviews continue, here’s a look at the Ghost Rider Mech & Bike set.
Product Details
Treat Super Hero fans aged 7 and up to mega motorcycle adventures with the large-scale LEGO® Marvel Ghost Rider Mech & Bike (76245).
Mighty mech action – on wheels!
Kids place the Ghost Rider LEGO minifigure into the opening cockpit of the Ghost Rider mech. The jointed mech has movable arms, legs and hands, allowing it to be positioned and posed for endless play-and-display possibilities. An attachable chain inspires imaginative action as kids take the supersized mech for a ride in search of bad guys. The bike stands upright unaided and features exhaust flames and a seat element that ensures the mech remains in the saddle when on the move. For added digital fun, the LEGO Builder app features intuitive zoom and rotate tools that let kids visualize their model as they build.
- Set Name: Ghost Rider Mech & Bike
- Set Number: 76245
- Pieces: 264
- RRP: £29.99/$34.99/34.99€
- Number of Bags: Bags x 2
- Stickers: N/A
- Minifigures: Ghost Rider
- Instructions: Booklet x 1 + LEGO Building Instructions App
- Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online and LEGO Retailers
Ghost Rider is a character introduced in Marvel Comics back in the 70s. The character is most famously known for the 2007 live-action movie from Sony, in which Nicolas Cage played the title character. The Ghost Rider is a human who can transform into a skeletal superhuman wreathed in ethereal flames of hell, giving them supernatural powers. Those powers also transfer to the Ghost Rider’s transportation.
Various characters have been given the Mech Suit over the last couple of years. Their overall style is pretty much the same with the outer armour styled to look like the character controlling it. In this case, it’s Johnny Blaze’s Ghost Rider. Without the minifigure it’s a pretty plain mech suit, there’s only so much of a black biker jacket you can recreate in LEGO form. You can add Ghost Rider’s chain weapon to the armour, which is a nice touch.
Unlike previous Marvel Mech Suits, this one uses the recently introduced rotated plates to form the arms and legs. This does limit their movement but they do have points of articulation at the shoulders, wrists, waist and feet. These are enough to be able to pose it as well as being able to be seated on the motorcycle. The chest section can be flipped open to access a space where the Ghost Rider Minifigure can be seated. Despite the difference in scale between the minifigure and suit, it still looks quite cool when combined.
Most of the mech suit sets feature just the armour, with some included in double packs. Ghost Rider is the first to include an additional build in the form of a motorcycle. It’s a pretty important part of the character’s history and in all honesty, if the set was just the mech it would be super disappointing. But adding the bike definitely elevates the appeal of the set. The build of the bike isn’t that complex and this sort of adds to the gothic feel. The best part of the bike is found near the handlebars. An element often used as a shoulder plate is used to recreate the fuel tank. There’s also a printed section used to form the skull-like badge of the bike. Unfortunately, a couple of blue Technic pins are used to connect the long front wheel to the body of the bike. They are very visible and look out of place.
When ridden by the Ghost Rider, the bike’s wheels burst into flames. This is achieved through the use of an orange wheel rim on the rear wheel and a couple of transparent orange wedge belt wheels. Plus there’s a set of flames bellowing from the rear of the bike. These add a little colour to the set. The mech can be clipped to the seat of the bike and once in place the legs sit nicely on the frame of the bike. The arms are a little difficult to line up with the handlebars though.
Although Ghost Rider is making his debut in the mech suits range, the character has appeared in a couple of previous sets. With Johnny Blaze appearing in a 2016 set. The minifigure here is pretty much the same and uses the same flame-haired skull, with the flame fixed to the head and it can’t be removed. The face print has been slightly tweaked but the torso is a little less detailed than in the previous versions, it’s lost the flame detail of the original, which is a shame.
Review Round-up
With some Marvel characters already getting more than one mech suit, it’s nice to see new characters getting in on the action. However, the Ghost Rider mech alone is very simple. It needs the bike to make this a worthwhile set and build. This is the second time Johnny Blaze has been portrayed in minifigure-form but I think the 2016 version is better, the version in this set ditches the flame tears on the jacket. The mech suit sets are a nice way to get hold of some unique minifigures fairly cheaply, obviously, that’s only partly the case here. The addition of the bike bumps up the price and there has been a better version of the character.
For
+ A fun variant of the mech suit
+ The bike is a much needed addition to the set
+ The Ghost Rider head is a great element
Against
– Mech on its own is quite simplistic
– The 2016 version of the Ghost Rider Minifigure is still the best
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This set was provided BricksFanz and provided by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
