Review: Cerebro Gift with Purchase from LEGO® Marvel

From midnight Friday 1 November 2024, two new LEGO® sets come with their own Gifts with Purchase (GwP) only for LEGO® Insiders: set 21353 The Botanical Garden comes with 5009005 Entrance Gate, and set 76294 X-Men: The X-Mansion comes with the subject of today's review, 5009015 Cerebro.  

Let's roll with Professor Charles Francis Xavier to find out if his mind-enhancing machine is a big ball of fun, or sends us into a coma.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

5009015 Cerebro

• Price: Free gift with purchase of set 76294 X-Men: The X-Mansion by LEGO Insiders only, membership required, all stores and online.
• Pieces: 153
• Age mark: 10+
• Release date: 1 to 7 November 2024, while supplies last

You would also receive the Books are My Passion GwP, if supplies last.

The first thing I noticed when holding the box is that it is heavy for its size. Indeed, it is stuffed to the brim. This set may only have 153 pieces, but they're big ones! Most are extremely common, but there's a couple that are relatively rare and two that are exclusive new prints.

First, however, let's examine the completed structure.

The model

Rather than the classic comic/ X-Men '97 style used in set 76294 The X-Mansion, the Cerebro GwP draws upon the version from the X-Men movies, but it is a loose interpretation. It is a scaled down version featuring mini-versions of the core elements: the suspended platform, a hint of the huge spherical interior, and the iconic circular door.

I think it looks most dramatic viewed from the front, with the full symmetrical effect in force and Professor X focused in the centre, looking up details of a mutant on the transparent screen. The big gaps in the walls are minimised from this perspective, and I also think the angular podium looks better framed against the X on the door. 

The 45° angle of the X door is achieved by a turntable under the azure round plate.

This turntable creates the possibility of an unintentional alternate universe story-starter. To me, my + Men!

With just the power of his mind, Professor X has kindly adjusted all the hinged sections to reveal the construction. It's a heavy-handed approach to creating curved walls, but does the job within the budget of a GwP. 

I was not a fan of the striped walls as I was building, but they do add some necessary visual interest to the final construction. 

No wonder Professor X looks so cross; he could do with his hoverchair right now as the studs on the round plate prevent his rear wheels rolling all the way to his podium. He has to mount the studs, tipping him forward, as you see above right.

You might also note the model has a rather limited range of viewing angles, because the rear of the model is folded forward at the sides and top. This is exacerbated by the mismatched colour of those inverted curved slopes on the sides (part 13547) and top (32803) all in dark tan. From my quick research, both elements appear to be in production in 2024 sets in light and dark grey, black, and the two blue hues used on the X door – any of which would surely have been more cohesive?

Seen from straight on, as shown above left, the dark tan parts are barely visible. But even when viewed from the shallow side angle shown above centre, they become distracting. Go any further sideways and you start seeing more and more of the rear construction, which of course is a very different look.

And it's actually a great look, aside from that tan! I genuinely like the rear, although I don't know if it was intended to be viewed from this angle. The undersides of the LEGO pieces feel appropriately industrial, and it looks awesome peering back in with the door open. 

In fact, weirdly, the rear is the only angle from which you can actually see the screen readout – a beautiful new design. It's great to see Jubilee represented, since she did not make the X-Mansion set. 

Let's take a closer look at the noteworthy parts in this set.

New decorations and the Professor X minifigure

There is no sticker sheet in this set, which is wonderful for a GwP. There are two new printed pieces, and I've photographed them with the minifigure of Professor X – which does not use any new parts.

• Brick 2 x 4 in Black with "CEREBRO" print (6545530)
• Tile Special 2 x 3 with 2 Clips without Tab between Clips in Trans-Light Blue with print of Jubilee on screen (6545556)
• Minifig Head, Eyebrows, Cheek Lines, White Pupils and Frown Print [Hollow Stud] (4662141)
• Torso in Black with Jacket, White Shirt, Blue Tie Print, White Arms, Light Nougat Arms (6343737)
• Hips and Black Legs in Black (4569093)

As with the X-Mansion, Professor X is a bit of a disappointment given he does not have a helmet or a specifically designed head – or even just a less-commonly used head! His torso is rare though: it only appeared in two 2021 sets, 76178 Daily Bugle and 76183 Batcave: The Riddler Face-off.

Other pieces

There are also some equally rare dark blue macaroni tiles, but that's about it for rarity really – next rarest are two elements that have appeared in 10 or fewer sets.

• 4x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni in Dark Blue (6446696 | 79393) found in 43248 Inside Out 2 Mood Cubes and 31141 Main Street 
• 3x Plate Round 8 x 8 in Light Bluish Gray (6353794 | 74611) found in 6 sets
• 4x Plate Round Corner 6 x 6 in Light Bluish Gray (6368430 | 6003) found in 10 sets

These are useful rounded pieces, and indeed, the set is awash with lovely curved elements:

Conclusion

It's wonderful for the X-Mansion to receive its own GwP, and I don't feel it is essential for GwPs to always match the set they are paired with. 5009015 Celebro is a neat display piece that should sit well alongside other small models.

I would have liked even more rounded elements – another solution for the walls and podium could have improved the model a lot, but was perhaps not within budget. The presence of the dark tan inverted bows, however, completely baffles me, unless I'm missing something in the source material. I recommend swapping these out so that seeing the model from the sides isn't so jarring.

The two exclusive printed elements are a joy; it is somewhat bizarre that you can't easily see the screen of Jubilee, although it's cool you do see her through the back of the element. It's a clever touch that her face has been aligned with the underside tube so that it is not obscured.

Aside from these printed parts, I can't recommend getting this for the parts alone. If you want The X-Mansion straight away, the Cerebro is a great freebie – not a substantial build, but a substantially sized model. It feels like something that kids might like to extend further with their own parts. 

You will also receive the Books are My Passion GwP, because the cost of the X-Mansion exceeds that threshold.

https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=F88H3o4tmuU&mid=&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lego.com%2Fen-au%2Fpick-and-build%2F

76294 X-Men: The X-Mansion

• Price: US$329.99/ £289.99/ 329.99€/ AU$499.99/ NZ$549.99 – for all other countries, see here
• Pieces: 3,093
• Dimensions: W: 40cm, L: 25cm, H: 27cm
• Age mark:  18+
• Release date: 1 November 2024 for LEGO Insiders,  4 November for all

76294 X-Men: The X-Mansion on LEGO.com

Gift with purchase

• Price: Free with purchase of set 76294 X-Men: The X-Mansion by LEGO Insiders only, membership required, all stores and online.
• Pieces: 153
• Age mark: 10+
• Release date: 1 to 7 November 2024, while supplies last

Celebro Gift with Purchase on LEGO.com

 

READ MORE: The Botanical Gardens LEGO set is expected to be popular upon release, and has its own GwP too

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