San Diego Comic Con Wrap Up
Today is the final day of the annual San Diego Comic Con, which is THE Comic Con of all Comic Con's. From comics, to entertainment, and of course toys. Lots of toys. And while this is a Star Wars themed blog, I'm going to cover some other toy lines as well, including the return of a vintage science fiction franchise to the world of 3.75 inch figures once again! I'll cover a bit of Masters of the Universe, a GI Joe figure I thought I'd never see, and some DC and Marvel figures. Of course I'll be reviewing Star Wars figures, and the new VC HasLab: the Republic Gunship!
Before I begin, none of the photos are mine. Photo credits come from the following sources: Hasbro, Mattel, Toyark, For Eternia, eternian royalty, Preternia, Playmates, In Pursuit of Toys, Classic Toys UK, Toy Wanderer, Nacelle Toys, Screen Rant and many others. So if someone sees this and I didn't give credit, please let me know and I'll give out credit. But I think I covered everyone.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES/GODZILLA BY PLAYMATES
While Mattel has wrapped up the MOTU Origins/TMNT line, Playmates gets in on the crossover action this time with Godzilla inspired Turtles! They do resemble the Vintage Turtles, but are more likely to be compatible with the newer figures. I don't know when they're coming out, but they look neat. And it's not the only crossover I'll go over.
GI JOE CLASSIFIED
Pythona comes from the 1987 GI Joe movie, and her 3.75 inch figure is an expensive convention exclusive. Here, she gets a Classified 6 inch figure. Serpentor's main squeeze comes with an extra head, hands and various scale themed accessories, including a cloak. While I don't collect this line (the Battle Armor Cobra Commander is a figure I can't pass up though), she's interesting to have. Once they do Golobulus, the full Cobra-La group will be in the Classified line. She's a Hasbro Pulse exclusive.
STAR TREK BY NACELLE TOYS
I really don't understand the thoughts on character selection, but Nacelle does give us another Trek figure debut in wave 2. In wave 1 we got Jelico from the TNG 2 parter Chain of Command, and now we get Valkris from ST 3. Kruge's main squeeze who got blown to bits will have Janeway from the Year of Hell episodes, Nog in duty uniform and Generations Kirk in his vest. Valkris looks to come with the Genesis control panel, while Kirk might come with a horse. If they stuck to a themed wave, this could be a line I'd get. But the figures look excellent.
But wait, there's more! Wave 3 will soon come in 2026, in time for Star Trek's 60th anniversary, and it will have the entire original crew in the wave! Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chekov, Rand, Chapel and a mystery 2 pack. Wave 4 will be another mix, but will include Saavik from ST 3, David Marcus from either ST 2, Dr Crusher from the TNG episode Sub Rosa, Picard from Generations, Cameron, I mean, Captain Harriman from Generations (he commanded the Enterprise B), Captain Sisko, ST 4 Chekov, and Lt Hoshi from Enterprise. I couldn't get the image, but the OS Uhura will have an alternate head, Vulcan harp, tricorder, Type 2 phaser AND a phaser rifle!
MARVEL
X-Men 97 have a lot of toy love, with a trio of 2 packs that feature "couples". I don't know if Wolverine and Storm are an item, but Cyclops and Phoenix are, as well as Gambit and Rogue. From the promo shot, it looks like Jubilee, Morph (I guess that's Morph), Sunspot, Emma Frost and Cable make their X-Men 97 debut. That Cable figure makes me want the 1990's X-Force lineup in Marvel Legends. Which with the reveal of Feral makes it possible! No clue about prices.
So there's a Spider-Man and Magic the Gathering collaboration. I have images of a battle damaged Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson in the Iron Spider suit. Man Wolf and Anti Venom rounds out the the 4 figure wave.
There will be a classic Storm (Target exclusive), which resembles her 1st Toy Biz figure from the 90's, and I've always been a fan of that outfit. You get a better look at Cable, plus a Wolverine in normal clothes, both from X-Men 97. And if you see anyone wearing the Wolverine mask, ask them what the wind resistance is on those bl*w j*b handles, and tell them Deadpool told you to ask that question.
POWER LORDS BY NACELLE TOYS
One of the most unusual toylines of the 1980's was The Power Lords. And, I had no idea that Nacelle was also the company who is bringing back another obscure 1980's brand: Sectaurs. There is another wave of those figures, but I'm more fascinated by Power Lords. I'm wondering if Adam/Lord Power has the same double sided upper body as his 1980's counterpart had, or better yet a swappable upper body that's interchangeable. The leader of the bad guys is Arkus, and he's coming in at 10 inches tall! His 1980's figure was also larger than the normal figures back then. As an 80's fan, toylines like this fascinate me, even though I probably won't collect it, unless the price is decent. If successful there will be more figures, some which weren't made in the 1980's:
DC COMICS FIGURES
The McFarlane Toys era ends this year, as Mattel will take over next year. But, there are a couple other companies who will make DC figures: Spin Masters, Jakks Pacific, Mondo Toys all had some reveals. Including a crossover line.
McFarlane Toys
DC Multiverse gets a neat near final wave, highlighted by the Batman Incorporated Bruce Wayne Batman, one of my favorite comic book costumes. It also has the McFarlane debut of Static Shock, plus another Batman, a Barbara Gordon Batgirl, plus Scarecrow and The Riddler. The long rumored Batman Returns line is a perfect end to the early Keaton era Batman figures, but sadly, no Jack Nicholson Joker figure. But, getting Penguin, Catwoman and a Christopher Walken action figure is amazing! I'll avoid my rant on the Super Powers line, once the future of that line is made known. I'd love for McFarlane Toys to be able to continue it, or if Mattel takes it over. But no Joker, Penguin, 1984 Brainiac and Lex Luthor is a crime.
There's also a crowdfund project which is the Batmobile from Batman v Superman.
I do hope that if it funds, that The Trinity gets a full paint job. These 3 figures are prototypes. But I really like those cloth capes on Superman and Batman.
Jakks Pacific
The DC figures are 5 inches, while the Sonic figures are 2.5 inches. The superheroes have plenty of articulation, but I'm not a fan of the plastic capes on Batman and Superman. If you're a Sonic the Hedgehog fan, these figures as DC heroes might be your thing. Will I get these? No. While I like super articulated figures the plastic capes are a big no for me.
Mezco Toyz
The 5 POA 3.75 1989 Batman gets a 2nd wave. The sculpts look incredible, and I'm interested to see how the Batman figures shoulders are articulated. I suspect swivel shoulders, but if they're ball jointed this Batman might be an instant buy. I'm honestly looking for the 1st wave of these figures, as they look good. The 1st wave is a standars Batman & Joker, plus Bob the Goon.
Spin Masters
Now these figures have already been announced, but the Target exclusive Retro Superman figures are going to change the Retro figure genre, and make Hasbro and Super7 possibly change their tune. Why? These figures are all under $10 each. Hasbro must be charging Super7 a ton of money to do their GI Joe Retro figures, while Hasbro's Retro Collection has gone to 6 packs at $60 is comparable to Spin Masters, you can get the Superman figures individually. Hasbro, Super7, this is the way.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Snake Lair Crowdfund
Teased last year, Mattel tweaked it after collectors groaned that it looked nothing like the drawings of it, which won a fans choice poll by Mattel. Remember when Star Wars had those?! Anyway, it comes with a new bones version of Lady Slither, and a Snake Priest (I forgot his name) is a tier. If you love the Snake Men, you might want this. The campaign kicks off August 1st.
Origins Castle Grayskull
This gets a new paint job, and a new included figure which is the Space Man, from the original artwork in the 1980's. Other than that, it has all the accessories of the Vintage and Castle from a few years ago. But, the previous release was $75. This time it's $125.
200X (2002) Masters of the Universe
Now these figures are technically Origins, although they appear to be similar to the Filmation Cartoon Collection figures. So instead of the standard 5.5 inches, these figures appear to be 6 inches tall, and that's according to Pixel Dan's video review of them from the convention floor. There were 200X versions in the 5.5 Origins line but they weren't great, except for Evil Lyn and Randor. But it's who wasn't shown that has me cautious about supporting this. Here's the list of all the figures shown:
Roboto in the images is a prototype, and will have gears in his chest. But there are some noticeable abscenses: heroes Teela and the Sorceress, and villains Mer Man and Trap Jaw. In that show, Adam without Teela just doesn't work. But He-Man without a Teela is just unacceptable. The figures look amazing, and have great detail. Could be worth getting.
Target Exclusive Sketch Series Spikor
My favorite vintage MOTU figure was Spikor. He's also my favorite Origins figure, too. Now Target will have this prototype based off his original sketch, where he was combined with a porcupine. He comes with his Trident, and I'm unsure if it can be extended, and a new battle mace. I do wish they would have given him another hand which he could hold his trident, had they done that, I'd love this figure even more. Also, this figure has a tail, which is removable.
Masters of the Universe/Transformers
Admittedly, I did NOT see this coming. As a matter of fact, I never EXPECTED to see this coming, but it's here. Skeletor is combined with Megatron, while Man At Arms us combined with Bumblebee. While the Skeletor figure may be skippable, I actually like Man At Arms because I see custom potential with the accessories.
And while not directly MOTU related, there are some WWE Superstars figures that have Origins style design and articulation including a new Undertaker and Mankind, plus a trio of wrestlers that Im unfamiliar (they aren't Animal and Hawk, but I'd love to get them in this line) with that look to be either Mad Max villains, or better yet Eternian villains. She Ra gets a Filmation Cartoon version of herself and Swift Wind. I didn't get pictures because I've got a lot already.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA BY FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT
News of this line absolutely blew me away! And for the 1st time, there is a scaled vehicle in the line! The Mattel vehicles back in the day were scaled for 2 inch figures. So your Starbuck figure couldn't fit in a Colonial Viper, and your Cylon couldn't fit in a Cylon Raider. And as a fan of the original Battlestar Galactica, this is a dream come true! Now these figures can fit inside the Viper!
Apollo
The original Mattel line didn't have Apollo, who was the main character. And since he's a Southpaw, his blaster holster is on the correct side. The pilot helmet looks removable.
Boomer
The original Boomer wasn't a Cylon. Or was he?! But like Apollo, he also didn't get a Mattel figure back in the day. Like Apollo, the head sculpt looks very good.
Starbuck
Starbuck was the only pilot who got a figure back in the Mattel days. I can see ankle articulation, so that's a plus. The headsculpt does slightly resemble Dirk Benedict. Another plus.
Cylon Centurion
The "squad leader" of the Cylons comes with a sword. I do hope he comes with a blaster as well, but if not I'm pretty sure I have a spare GI Joe weapon I could give him. I give credit to whoever did the hand sculpt, as that pose is perfect! Being able to hold the scabbard AND sword?! Is Hasbro paying attention?!
Cylon
Relive all the cool moments of the show with the one Cylon who always gets pushed around. "By your command!". Literally! He comes with a rifle and sword, and I can see so many possibilities with this figure and the Centurion. Depending on the price, I hope to troop build these guys. If they make a Cylon Raider, you'll need 1 Centurion and 2 Cylons.
I hope more will come. Adama, Colonel Tigh, Athena, Sheba, Space Whore, um, I mean Cassiopeia, and they can do Boxey, but pack him with a Dagget. The Cylons need their Imperious Leader, Lucifer, and Baltar. If they ever so Serina (Jane Seymour), that would be great. So would making the Chameleon (Fred Astaire). Oh and Porkins, um, I mean Jolly.
STAR WARS HASBRO REVEALS
1. Sixers
I'm obligated to show these, but I'm not showing the Mace Windu vs Chancellor Palpatine 2 pack (honestly they should have done a Palpy vs Yoda 2 pack to mirror the Obi-Wan vs Anakin 2 pack). I do hope that the Vintage Collection gets upgrades for 3 of the 4 figures I'm showing.
Bounty Hunter Asajj Ventress
The helmet is removable. But she's got her lightsabers, and presumably the blades can be removed from the hilts which can be placed on her belt. I hope that her VC figure comes with an Asajj with a headful of hair.
Qimir aka The Stranger
I hate the Acolyte series. "The failure of one! The failure of two! The failure of maaaannnnyyyy!" But from a toy perspective, and a toy perspective only: I like it. His hilt can break off into a smaller lightsaber, and his head sculpt is good. But a new feature, a swappable neck, makes placing his helmeted head on the figure to look better. He has a removable forearm guard as well. I might actually get this figure, because I need another figure to push Kylo Ren around. But, I would prefer Qimir in the Vintage Collection.
Darth Vader vs Luke Skywalker
This looks very good, and is a compliment of sorts to the Obi-Wan vs Anakin 2 pack. The Luke is all new, and Vader has a wired cape. Luke's right hand is also removable, so you can recreate the scene that changed the OT.
Jango Fett
This looks to be Geonosis Jango. The helmet is removable, and with all my Mandalorian Sixers having removable helmets (except my ROTJ Boba), I might have to get this. Jango is an all new sculpt, and has those butterfly shoulder joints which provide a great range of motion.
REPUBLIC GUNSHIP HASLAB
Sometimes your first guess is the right one. I had this as my guess at first, but switched to the Geonosian Arena. The price is $450, but features a lot that the 2013 version doesn't have. The bubble turrets rotate up and down plus side to side. There are missiles which can be "loaded" similar to what was seen in Attack of the Clones. Plus it comes with custom sides featuring Kit Fisto and a Kowakian monkey lizard. So if you want a Padme or Aayla painted decorations keep an eye on eBay. Included are 2 pilot figures. The 3 tiers are all Jedi: Coleman Trebor, Sasee Tiin, and Agen Kolar. It even comes with a display stand! I'll discuss this HasLab later in a future post, but the campaign ends September 8th!
VINTAGE COLLECTION
1. Force Spirits 3 Pack
The good news: there's a swappable head/neck so you can make Anakin either Sebastian Shaw or Hayden Christensen. The bad news: it's a Hasbro Pulse Fall Convention exclusive. But I do hope this gets a large enough release because I really want this, to open. Who will I choose: Shaw or Hayden? Well, it's Hayden. But for when Anakin appears to Leia? Shaw. Nice to see the swappable head/neck come to the VC.
2. Shocktrooper
I'm going to tell you why I'm passing on this figure, as far as preorders go. At least for now. The primary reason is I would want to troop build. But my wallet won't let me. Maybe in the future I'll get a couple. Just not now.
2. Chewbacca
With 2025 being the Return to Tattooine, 2026 will be the Battle of Geonosis. And you can bet I have something to say about that as well. I've already put some figures on my Last Figure Standing Top 10, but I'm not changing the list. By the way LFS starts very soon...
And I'm spent! Thanks for reading! Please share this link on your social media accounts so I can get more readers! A special thanks to Chris and Nomad at BanthaSkull for allowing me to post this link in the comments section!
Future posts: a figure review, a wish list and a celebration of the 30th Anniversary of POTF2!
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