Hero World Cyborg from Fisher-Price

Scored this Fisher-Price Hero World Cyborg from the flea market last weekend. I love Cyborg, but never got too deep into the short-lived Fisher-Price Hero World series. When this figure was at retail (included in a set with an ATV which just didn't appeal to me at all) I passed him over.

I'm glad I was able to find him now, and for so cheap (and especially without the lame ATV) because this is one great looking Cyborg!

I love the classic armor Cyborg; he's cartoony enough to remind me of the latest version of the Teen Titans cartoon, which is absolutely hilarious.

Even though I never really got into the Hero World theme, this is actually my second Hero World Cyborg! The first, from the later Voice-Comm sub-line, I found at Marshall's long after the line had died. The Voice-Comm version is a more modern Cyborg, and while he's cool, I much prefer the classic look.

As you can see, standard Cyborg and Voice-Comm Cyborg are completely different, which is interesting considering how easy it would have been to re-use a part or two (like the head or hands). And since Fisher-Price is owned by Mattel, parts re-use kind of comes with the territory. But no, each is figure is completely unique.

Hero World was a great line, sort of an upscaled Imaginext for kids a little bit older than Imaginext's target audience. It would have been fun to see the line last, grow and evolve, but it was never meant to be.

Hero World Mr. Freeze by Fisher-Price

I only picked up a handful of the now defunct Fisher-Price Hero World DC Superhero action figures when they were in stores. These guys basically amounted to large scale Imaginext figures in their design and target audience, and it appears Fisher-Price decided to put all their effort into that smaller scale line.

I snagged Mr. Freeze here when the line was being clearanced out at Toys R Us over a year ago. And by 'The Line' I mean the fifty Mr. Freezes, Penguins and Green Lanterns Toys R Us had let clog their shelves for what seemed like half a decade. Letting old product clog shelves until people got sick of them and never making space for new product may very well have been a factor in the line's death too.

Anyways, Mr. Freeze is fun in this basically articulated figural form. I like the white/light blue color scheme. He has a bit of an astronaut vibe to him.

All the Hero World figures had an 'action feature.' Mr. Freeze's makes little sense - roll a dial on his back and an ice shield pops up in front of his face. Maybe this emulates what happens when his containment suit is compromised, or...I can't imagine what else it could be. It would have been cooler (pun intended) if it had been some sort of robo-armor or even ice sculpted armor or something, instead of just an icy layer of nothingness. Oh well, at least it's an action feature that can easily be ignored if one so chooses.

Hero World figures also came with an accessory, often in the form of a separate figure. Mr. Freeze came with his companion...

...Ice Bear. Wait, what?

I don't remember Mr. Freeze ever hanging out with living ice in any form, let alone that of a bear. Again, this would have made much more sense if it had been an actual Polar Bear, or even a robotic bear of some sort. But I do have to admit that clear/ice/crystal action figures are pretty awesome, so the fact that this bear falls into that category makes up somewhat for the lack of logic in his existence.

Ice Bear also gets an action feature, one a bit less lame than his partner. Spin the dial on Ice Bear's back and his arm waves up and down. I mean claws and disembowels Batman. Yeah, that's much more exciting.

Bonus pic: Mr. Freeze is in scale and looks pretty good paired with the new TMNT Rocksteady action figure!

Hero World Robin The Boy Wonder

I didn't even know this figure existed before finding him today - the DC Super Friends Hero World Robin by Fisher-Price:

This Tim Drake Robin came out in 2012, at about the same time as the hard to find Hero World Hawkman and Flash - right at the end of the standard Hero World line, before it changed from standard action figures over to the electronic Comm-Tech versions (that didn't appear to do all that well at retail.)

The strange thing is, I knew there had been a Hawkman and a Flash and an Aquaman and a Cyborg, but I had no idea there was a Robin! To paraphrase The Joker: 'Why didn't anyone tell me they had one of these...things!'

These Hero World figures have been fading out of retail for a while now - I found this one at Big Lots, who appear to have picked up the last of them from retail establishments who have now phased them out completely. I also saw Flash and Hawkman but (as I have mentioned before) I am not collecting this line (at least I thought I wasn't!) so I left them behind.

I still don't even have a Hero World Batman, for heaven's sake! But I do now have Dex-Starr, The Joker, The Bat-Copter, and now Robin. So it's now officially a 'collection' whether I like it or not.

Robin is a beautiful figure. He comes with a bo staff and his wrist rotates 360 degrees so he can spin it around helicopter style!

And unlike his Imaginext counterpart, Hero World Robin has a cape! A cloth one to boot. And it has a nifty split at the bottom - that's some cool attention to detail; they could have just as easily went with a flat bottom to the cape and no one would have really cared. But to quote Luke Skywalker: 'I care.'

Hero World Robin's sculpt and costume design are just awesome - lots of armored details and the areas of silver really make his gloves and boots pop!

Robin of course comes with a massive lame accessory, but I won't complain because Fisher-Price included the perfect and simple bo staff too.

The massive accessory will just sit in a drawer here, but it does shoot a couple discs (and shoots them well) in addition to clipping to Robin's back into a couple relatively unobtrusive holes WITHOUT making him topple over! I don't like the accessory, but I applaud the engineering of the whole package.

I love this Robin, and am glad to not have known about him before finding him because I might have gone crazy looking for him! And at only $8 at Big Lots grabbing him was a no-brainer.

Now, go crazy looking for him yourself!

Have a Batty Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to you or the Dad(s) in your life!

I'm writing this post early in the week, as I will be having fun with my kids and my Dad today, but I did get some early Father's Day toys and was able to photograph them for this post, so it's win-win for everyone!

First up, I got the Hero World Batwing!

This thing is massive and pretty darn cool - even though it's for a Fisher-Price kiddie line it's a pretty detailed and badass vehicle. It reminds me of the Whirly-Bat crossed with a VTOL Helicopter. The blades spin and rotate, a capture net shoots out from the back, the grips rotate up and down and the canopy opens. It's not gaudy or multi-colored or corny at all, it's actually pretty seriously designed. It makes noises and talks and such too, but not in too goofy a manner either; also, that feature can be turned off, which is always a plus!

The Mrs. found this at Target, on clearance, for under four bucks! I know I know, sounds like she cheaped out on Father's Day, but really, if anyone can appreciate a bargain, it's me. Also, the fact that she saw it for cheap AND bought it for me (even though it's huge and she's always complaining about my toys taking up too much space, me having too many toys etc etc etc) says a lot ;)

Unfortunately I do not own a Hero World Batman to drive this thing...yet.

Fortunately, she also found me a Hero World Joker on clearance for 96 cents!

And it doesn't even smell like R. Kelley's sheets!

I actually LOVE this Joker, and would have bought him long ago but I didn't want to start the insanity of getting into yet another Batman toyline (so much for 'best laid plans...')

What I love most about this Joker is his 'action feature...'

Just like with Mr. Sleaze from the Police Academy action figure line, when Joker raises his arms in defeat (via a wheel on his back) his tie pops up to reveal a hidden gun! BAM! Dead cop! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

As if that weren't enough, Joker also comes with a smiley pie...

...and pie launcher. Fun!

Well, that does it for my pre-Father's Day toys posted on Father's Day: Two awesome toys for less than five bucks! Who says being a Dad is a thankless job?

League of Extraordinary Bloggers :: Seeing Red

This week's League of Extraordinary Bloggers assignment was a simple one: 'I'm Seeing Red.'

What better way to represent Red than with one of my favorite action figures: Dex-Starr from Fisher-Price's Hero World line!

Dex-Starr originally came with Atrocitus, he was actually more of an accessory than a companion figure, but I got the set specifically for Dex-Starr and therefore I got rid of Atrocitus long ago, as I had no emotional attachment to him. I kind of regret doing so, because I never saw this set on shelves more than once and never see them pop up on eBay or anywhere else. They appear to be a bit rare. It's like they made a handful of them and POOF they dissapeared from toy shelves never to be seen again. Weird.Oh well, at least I still have Dex-Starr, the star (haw haw) of the pair!

Are your corneas burned out yet? If not, look around elsewhere in the League for more crimson coolness...
Flashlights Are Something to Eat sees something Redd AND Foxxy
Nemesis Complex ist shpeaking uf der Red Shkull's kinderhood, ja!
Henchgirl gives us Dex-Starr's origin, in case you were wondering
and least but not last, The 30ish Year Old Boy sees red EVERYWHERE!

Random Toy Pic :: Dex-Starr power-up!

Dex-Starr from Fisher-Price Hero World.

Despite all my rage I am still just a cat roaming space...

I love/hate having a birthday a month before Christmas. I love it because all sorts of cool new toys hit the shelves in anticipation of the holiday season. I hate it because mad hordes of crazy people are out and about; making your way through any toy aisle/toy store this time of year is an exercise in patience...or more accurately an exercise in futility, because there's no way to maintain patience within the throngs of clueless parents and screaming kids sullying the toy aisles that were, mere weeks ago, places of peace and tranquility.

Anyways, I picked up a couple toys for myself for my birthday this week, (it's what I do,) and was lucky to find some new things I've been anticipating...including this Fisher-Price Hero World DC Super Friends Atrocitus and Dex-Starr set!

I'm not a massive Green Lantern fan, and although I followed along with all the rainbow lanterns storylines, I don't really have a personal affinity for Atrocitus.

I bought the set for Dex-Starr, whom I do think is a brilliant character.

Regardless, this is a pretty neat Atrocitus figure:

Atrocitus was the first Red Lantern, so he's pretty important in current Green Lantern mythos. I believe he was also (maybe retroactively) Abin Sur's prisoner back before Abin Sur died and his ring went to Hal Jordan, and he may have played a part in Abin Sur's self-doubt that led to his death. Again, I don't follow the Green Lantern tales all that closely, so I may be way off mark.

Whatever; Atrocitus is ugly and mean and red and full of rage. What's not to love?

Fisher-Price even painted his ring which is a nice touch, although it's way more black and white than red.

These Hero World figures are like giant sized Imaginext figures, and that's a compliment. They are solid and well designed and fun to look at. Atrocitus has an 'action feature' similar to the Hero World Green Lantern; you spin a dial on his back and his staff-holding hand rotates to spin his weapon. The best part though is that Atrocitus has a unique weapon with his Red Lantern symbol branded on it - it isn't just a re-color of the GL staff, which would have been an easy way for Fisher-Price to save a couple pennies and few kids would have noticed anyways. In a world of toy parts re-use, that's a nice touch as well.

Now on to Dex-Starr. He's the real reason I wanted this set, and he doesn't disappoint. He's technically Atrocitus' 'accessory' here, but he makes a great stand-alone action figure; they didn't skimp just to make him an add-on to the pack.

Dex-Starr is an Earth cat who watched as his owner was murdered, and was then subject to near-death cruelty before a Red Lantern ring found him, harnessing his rage and making him into one mean pussy.

Dex-Starr doesn't have an action feature and has pretty basic articulation at the head shoulders, tail and hips (although his legs move as a pair, not separately.) But again, the basic-ness of toys like this is a huge part of their appeal to me.

On the packaging his shoulder pads are colored red, but here they are black. I don't know if that's a mistake or if they will all be released like this, but it's a minor issue and would not have dissuaded me from buying him either way.