Released in 2006, the epic battle between Captain America and Red Skull is a basic element of the group of classic dioramas made by Sideshow and a further demonstration of how both quality and aesthetics represent two essential attributes of any great collectible. The availability of this piece on market, in fact, has always been rather poor and its quotations quite high, although not comparable to those of the most prestigious dioramas of the American Company. Sculpted by Martin Canale and the Core Group team, the statue has a relatively small dimension: the size is 20 x 23 cm, the height 30 cm and the weight is about 4.5 Kg. The regular version has an edition size of 600 pieces, while the exclusive was released in 450 pieces worldwide and is characterized by an additional hand of the Red Skull, which he holds the coveted cosmic cube with. The scene depicts the final moments of a burning melee between the two bitter enemies: Captain America brandishes his famous shield in hands and is ready to inflict a final, fatal blow to the opponent, while the skull, lying at his feet on a cold stairs (inside, probably, a gloomy Nazi den) tries a desperate defense by pointing his weapon against him. The drama of the moment is highlighted by the dynamic pose of the characters and the furious shout of the American hero! The pose chosen by Martin Canale, with both arms raised and pointing backwards, is perfect to emphasize the powerful physique of the super-soldier: the ribcage is impressive and stands on the Nazi criminal with the bright colors of the typical stars and stripes costume. Wherever the body muscles are tense and pumped to the maximum: hyper developed dorsal muscles and biceps, swollen quadriceps to support the weight of the body and the dynamics of the pose, very well defined abdominals and all the incredible muscles on the back shining through the classic scaled costume. In this case, the Nazi uniform of the Red Skull is gray, with the typical black gloves and rigid boots. A red band on the arm, a big white collar, silvery buttons and ornaments chromatically adorn the clothing of the Skull, while the large number of folds, scattered anywhere on jacket and trousers, emphasize the posture of the character and provide the whole figure with a good realism. Also in this small masterpiece the attention paid to details is incredible. Note the perfect color and streaks on the face of Red Skull, which point out his mocking sneer to perfection; the finishing of the military pockets on the belt of the Cap, the small studs and the intertwining of the laces of his boots, the bluish hues that outline the muscles on his arms and the perfect bend of the fingers holding the shield. Even the base is beautiful and rich in detail. Behind the Skull and below the top of the stairs, an irregular multitude of skulls appears mixed with dried mud terrain, just to remind the Nazi war crimes. At one side you can see three wooden poles and an iron chain that serves as a support for the supervillain, while at the bottom there are two metal torches (embellished with ornaments in the shape of skull), presumably destined to nightlights. The whole base is masterfully sculpted and colored, with a lot of cracks and nuances aimed to achieve the maximum realism. For size and dynamism, this piece is quite similar to the epic clash between Wolverine and Sabretooth and certainly represents a point of reference within the dioramas Sideshow line, where style, figurative appeal and sculpt quality are combined to the best. Simply a timeless classic for all collectors!