It’s funny. After several posts of staying silent while I had a lot to say I sit here now ready to speak and have nothing to say. I don’t feel like circling back though. Those thoughts will simply stay with me and be forgotten.

Marvel Legends, the action figure range from Hasbro based on Marvel comics characters, has been releasing versions of the characters as they appeared on the 1984 Secret Wars arc. At first it was pretty low key. Sets like the Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) VS Dr Doom two pack, for example, has Monica in her white and black uniform and Doom done up like the Mattel Secret Wars figure from the original toy line. They also recently released Molecule man, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Ultron, Dr Doom in his regular attire, Reed Richards, Human Torch, Ben Grimm, Rogue in her Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants uniform, Hawkeye, and others. They weren’t released explicitly as part of a subline dedicated to Secret Wars. A few months ago though they started releasing figures explicitly made in homage of the actual story arc and original toy line. I’m old enough to remember the original toys, although I only owned Captain America. It’s a time period in comics I like very much, so I made it a priority to obtain the characters I didn’t already own. Captain America in particular was desired because they haven’t made a proper Cap in a very long time. What I mean by that is I disliked the sculpts of the previous figures. They didn’t match the art in the comics very well IMO. Secret Wars Cap is exactly right. He has a normal head (two in fact) that isn’t all weird and wide. It matches the art of 1984, which is how I think he should look. (and generally always has.)
They actually used the same, wide head, mold to make US Agent and I like that figure because He’s a different character and it actually suits his bad attitude and more violent nature. So he retains his spot on the shelf.
In the original Mattel toy line all the characters came with a shield as a play gimmick. Of course Captain America already uses a shield, so they subbed in the orange image shield instead of his proper one, which drove me insane as a kid. In the new Hasbro release they added in a destroyed shield so there’s a reason for him to use the orange one temporarily. I, of course, simply gave an older Cap’s shield to new Cap and flipped the orange one into my parts bin. So, after 30 years, or whatever, that hole in my brain is filled in. For whatever that’s worth. Clearly it’s worth something to me since I spent money to make it happen.
The new wave is Cap, Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-Man (black suit), Titania, and Beyonder. Wolverine is a little more brightly colored than usual, but not so much that it bothers me, and it’s the best sculpt in every way that’s important to me. Spider-Man is the standard body for that suit they’ve been using as far as I can tell, but I don’t actually have that suit, so I need that.
Iron Man is interesting in that in the comics he’s not Tony Stark. James Rhodes is in the suit for the events of Secret Wars because Tony was in rehab. On the original toy however they used Tony’s face. For the new release it’s the same thing because it’s an homage to the toy line as much as the comics. I feel like they should have given you two shield inserts so you could choose, but whatever, I guess. I think it’s the Mark V armor which famously gave Rhodey terrible headaches since it was made for Tony’s brainwaves. This all eventually resulted in the creation of the Silver Centurion armor that was seen in Avengers West Coast and Rhodey becoming War Machine. Hasbro recently made fantastic versions of both of those suits, but I really like the Mark V since it’s kind of the armor I think of if you say “What does Iron Man look like?” It has a very slim look to it that I actually don’t like as much as some of the later versions, but it’s definitive in my memory, so I must obtain it.
They also added in his roller skates, blast effects, and the completely unnecessary gun the toy came with. Adding in a Tony and Rhodey head would have made it perfect, but this is Hasbro we’re talking about here.
The final two figures weren’t ever actually in the original toy line. Beyonder was the godlike essence of another dimension that caused the Secret Wars, and he didn’t look like a very interesting toy, if we’re being honest. They new figure is exceptional though. It really captures the look of the character, so he was a top priority. Titania was actually created as a result of the events of Secret Wars by Doom and went on to be a foil for She-Hulk. There were no female characters released in the original line, as was the style at the time. In unreleased waves Dazzler was suggested that I know of, but the entire series died before that ever happened. Characters who didn’t even appear in the series actually got made before others who did. The idea was to sell toys though, so I get it.
Anyway, this new Titania is inaccurate in that her boob window is painted over. I guess Hasbro lost their nerve before releasing the figure. It’s not a deal breaker, but it is annoying in that it doesn’t match the actual comics. Other than that it’s great. They made her look as bulky and tough as she did in the series, so she actually looks like she can kick She-Hulk’s ass. Additionally, in both cases, they made square silver shields with the lenticular images in them just like the original bad guys came with.
Hasbro and Mattel have clearly come to some arrangement over this whole affair since Mattel is making GI Joe figures for the megabloks brand in addition to Transformer Hot Wheels and other things. I think that’s fantastic. Everyone gets to make money, people get cool toys, what’s not to like?
I’m hoping they continue with this theme at least long enough to get some of the characters who never get figures. Volcana, Wasp, and The Wrecking Crew, are top of that list for me, but there are several others I would be desperate to have as well. Wasp has had several figures already but never that particular uniform that I can recall. In fairness it’s one of her worst uniforms ever, but it is what it is and I want it.
They could also do the blue, no X, pirate boots version of Cyclops, which hasn’t been done in a while. (Even though they just announced the nearly identical yellow X version of essentially the same suit.)
Technically the recent short haired Rogue is in the wrong uniform too, I think. I seem to recall her having green with white trim in Secret Wars, but I’m not sure.
Regardless, there’s a lot they could do and since the first run of the first wave has sold out 3 time or so I feel like the numbers speak for themselves. They could make a decent return on investment with more Secret Wars stuff. I would even be willing to tolerate a Deadpool retcon figure.

Anyway, that’s what I started thinking about as I sat here. If you want to help me see this dream become a reality the support links are where they always are. If not, well then fuck me, I guess. In any case I hope you remain safe in this dangerous world until next time.

Posts authored by Jackie

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