Toy Biz - MS. MARVEL (SHARON VENTURA)!

Marvel Hall of Fame - She-Force S3 - Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura) - Toy Biz 1997

In the late 80's I was about 9 years old and moved to a new town (from the boonies). This town had a main street I could walk to (alone) with three comic shops (plus ice cream parlors, newstands (with comics), and a Woolworths and a local drugstore that each had decent toy sections). It was amazing. Of course a few years later 90% of the storefronts were vacant - and the street still struggles to this day. But those comic shops kickstarted a lifelong passion for me. I only spent my meager allowance on G.I.Joe comics, but I browsed every item in the store with endless curiosity. I have vivid memories of this redhaired heroine wearing all the primary colors and seemingly holding her own in male-dominated titles. I never learned too much about her, and she didn't stick around very long, but I now know her as Sharon Ventura, the second Ms. Marvel. Sharon was a pro wrestler and love interest to the Thing. She underwent genetic enhancement, got powerhouse abilities, and took on a superhero persona. 

Toy Biz - MEDUSA!

Marvel Comics - Fantastic Four Series 4 - Medusa (Inhumans) - ToyBiz 1996

I have a great appreciation for the 1990's Marvel action figures from ToyBiz. I remember seeing ads in comics as a kid and thinking that I should buy them all, but I just never did. In fact the first one I bought was near the end of the era, a Magik I found in a Kay-Bee clearance bin for a dollar circa 1999. But as an adult, I've become pretty obsessed with them for their character variety, classic costumes, and creative re-use of molds. I also have a strong compulsion to collect every piece of merchandise for certain characters (especially when there is a new Marvel Legends released to motivate me), so backtracking to pick up these old figures on eBay is a common occurance for me. The new Marvel Legends Medusa inspired me to dig out this old Medusa ToyBiz figure that I've had forever, but sadly never really celebrated. She's a prime example of what I love about the 90's ToyBiz figures: and unexpected character in a classic design (and easy to pick up cheap, even 30 years later. Let's check out Medusa below!

Toy Biz - FERAL!

Marvel Comics -  White's Guide Exclusive - X-Force's Feral - Toy Biz 1998

There's an interesting trope when it comes to superhero team building in bronze and modern age comics. You typically see a big looming muscle guy in the background, a token female, some sort of "alpha male" leader,  and there is almost always an animalistic growling character squatting on the side. I loved the rare occasions when the wild character was female. To me, the most famous example of this is Feral, the runaway Morlock who joined up with Cable and the remains of the New Mutants just as X-Force was forming. I always found her very appealing, even if she could be chalked up to a simple Wolfsbane stand-in. Her backstory is very gritty in a typical 90's style with abuse, death, and drug addiction taking center stage. But I mostly found her design and aggression fascinating. Also, her antagonistic-but-protective relationship with her visually-similar mutant sister, Thornn, was amazing. This Toybiz exclusive figure is an awkward mash-up of the Deathbird head paired with the Tigra body.

Star Wars: Power of the Force - MON MOTHMA!

Star Wars: The Power of The Force - Mon Mothma w/Baton - Kenner/Hasbro 1998

In the late 90s, the excitement over the upcoming film Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) triggered an absolutely flood of nostalgic Star Wars product. I was pretty unaware of this movement at the time. Oddly enough, I remember my sister obsessively stopping in toy stores hunting for these Power of the Force figures that her boyfriend was collecting (this was several years before the action figure collecting bug bit me). When I revisited all the Star Wars collectibles years later, I was overwhelmed by the numbers of toy released in the late 90s. They were mostly in the same scale as the vintage Kenner figures, but had slightly more dynamic sculpts that gave them a unique aesthetic in the history of Star Wars collectibles. This Mon Mothma figure was the first time she was produced in plastic. As such an iconic character and such a long-awaited release (15 years), I'm surprised this figure isn't more valuable (I picked her up last week for $4). She's pretty great. Let's check her out below!

Saban's Little Mermaid - HEDWIG!

Adventures of the Little Mermaid - Collectible Figures - Hedwig - Toy Group 1991

I love a good sea witch. There is something so captivating about a mer-creature with villainous intent that it trumps all my other vampy character obsessions. An interesting thing about all the various interpretations of The Little Mermaid in popular culture is that the antagonist is always a fairly unique creation. In Toei's 1975 film, she is a very creepy-looking stingray. In the 1989 Disney film, she is voluptuous baudy octopus. And in the 1991 television series, Saban's The Adventures of the Little Mermaid, she is a crone named Hedwig with a mermaid-like tail that has dragon (or eel-like) details. I think she is a fun variation. I especially love that she rides on the back of a stingray and has fingers that magically grow into long tendrils. I believe this 1991 "collectible figure" from The Toy Group is the only time she was merchandised. She is made from a dense, but pliable, plastic similar to a floating bath toy. While I would have loved an actual action figure, I doubt the animated details would have been captured so well.

Saban's Little Mermaid - MARINA!

Adventures of the Little Mermaid - Collectible Figures - Marina - Toy Group 1991

I am a big fan of The Little Mermaid. I love mermaids in general, Hans Christian Anderson's folktale, and almost all interpretations of the story in popular culture. But, oddly enough, I'm not a huge fan of the Disney version with Ariel. I don't hate it or anything, but it's pretty far down my list. My favorite is the 1975 anime film by Toei Animation. It's well-animated and sticks to the original story. A close second though is Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid from 1991. The story is more cutesy and the animation isn't as refined, but there are a lot of notable similarities, mostly in the little mermaid herself. In both versions, she is a young blonde mermaid named Marina drawn with an anime influence. In the 1975 movie, she is topless with strategically flowing hair. But in the 1991 show, she has scales that continue up her torso in a design I find very appealing (the Disney seashell bra always seemed silly to me... and uncomfortable). I love Marina's two-tone green tail especially (but I could do without the little earrings).

Animorphs - RACHEL/LION!

Transformers Animorphs Deluxe - Series 01 - Rachel/Lion - Hasbro 1998

I think the biggest trend of the late 90s that I couldn't get behind was Animorphs. In five short years there were 54 books plus an assortment of ten companion books. They featured kids caught up in an alien invasion of body-snatching parasites (animal bodies to be specific) who are granted the power to take the form and abilities of any animal they touch for two hours. I won't lie, I would have been all over this concept as a kid. But alas, I was in my college years and way too cool for toys and YA adventures (that wouldn't happen until after graduation). A television series was made and ran for two seasons from 1998-1999 on Nickelodeon. The associated Hasbro toyline shared a lot of aesthetics and engineering with the Beast Wars lines on the shelves at the time, so a decision was made to have the Animorphs line under the Transformers banner, despite having no continuity overlap. The toys are.. interesting. They are clunky and a bit awkward, but definitely have a  quirky late-90s feel. Let's check out Rachel!

Youngblood Bendems - VOGUE & RIPTIDE!

Image Comics Youngblood Bend-ems - Vogue & Riptide - JustToys 1995

The news this week that LooseCollector will be producing action figures from Rob Liefeld's Extreme Universe has me very excited. In the late 80s and early 90s I was a huge fan of Rob Liefeld. His work on Hawk & Dove, X-Factor, New Mutants, and X-Force is some of the most nostalgic comic art of my adolescence. (I still read both his Hawk & Dove runs every few years). When the Image exodus happened in 1992, I was immediately obsessed with Youngblood. The characters were colorful and seemingly pulled inspiration from every trendy comic trope at the time, but with that signature Liefeld flare that embodied the era. The issues were beautiful, but sparse. The release schedule was very slow and the story was forgettable, but the character design and lore of this world still has my attention 30 years later. I have always wanted true action figures. Previous attempts have been almost entirely male-centric. Hopefully the Extreme Universe includes Youngblood or some other costumed heroines.

Nascar Racers - MEGAN "SPITFIRE" FASSLER!

Nascar Racers - "Spitfire" Megan Fassler - Figure & Rescue Racer - Hasbro 1999

From 1999-2001, Fox Kids Network and Saban Entertainment cashed in on the exploding popularity of NASCAR and created the animated series NASCAR Racers featuring two rival racing teams in a futuristic setting. The show was popular and lasted two seasons but fell victim to the sale of Saban to Disney before season 3 went into production. But before that cancellation, the show spawned books, a video game, and of course toys. Most of the toys are simple cars in various scales. And eBay is inundated with Kellogg's promotional toys and Wendy's Kids Meal cars. But hidden in the mix is this great line of "Figure & Rescue Racer" toys featuring nine of the most popular characters in action figure form along with their signature vehicles. Megan Fassler is the token female from Team Fastex (who later assembled a separate team of female drivers). She is the only female who got an action figure. Which is sad, but also a blessing because these are super hard to track down. Let's check out Megan below!

Toy Biz - PENANCE!

Marvel Comics - Generation X Series 01 - Penance - Toy Biz 1995

This blog often causes me to dissect what I like and dislike about certain characters. Because of this introspection, I can lump the majority of my favorite characters into one or two categories. But my very favorite category is one I rarely discuss, because characters that fit the description are rarely merchandised. It's also hard to describe succinctly. But here is an awkward attempt: I love a mysterious character, often noncommunicative, who is at first feared, has an otherworldly appearance, but who other characters quickly find themselves being protective of. Like a secret friend no one else could possibly understand. E.T. is a universal example. But I like them ever more when they are more human-like (my absolute favorite example being Skarrow from the Courtney Crumrin comics). A powerful example of this type of character is Penance from the the first few story arcs in 2004's Generation X comic. Later writers completely changed her backstory, but for a while she was my favorite thing in comics.

Gargoyles - DEMONA!

Disney's Gargoyles 8" Vinyl Figure Series - Demona - Applause Inc 1995

The upcoming NECA Demona figure has inspired me to finally review this old vinyl figure from the mid-nineties. This line was unknown to me at the time, but I discovered them on eBay in the early 2000s and I heard rumor that they were originally exclusive to the Disney Store (but can't exactly prove that). They are impressively large and well-sculpted. I only own Demona and she is not articulated, so I assume the rest similarly stationary. They have a quality of that reminds me of supersized PVC figures like the little ones that were so prevalent throughout the 80s and 90s. Demona has odd coloring that is more reminiscent of her daughter Angela. Angela has black hair and very dark wing-membranes. Demona has red hair and light purple membranes. But the sculpt with the crown, belt buckle, armband, and single shoulder strap are uniquely Demona.  It's a rare enough of a figure that I'm not comfortable painting her hair, however tempting that may be. Let's check out the 1995 Applause Demona below!

Macross - CLAUDIA LA SALLE!

SDF Macross - Character Figure Collection - Claudia La Salle - Banpresto 1998

One great thing about the trend of American media in the 80s and 90s co-opting Japanese properties for an English-speaking audience is the chance for us to double-dip into two collectible markets. Transformers, Voltron, Robotech, and Power Rangers all have distinct American and Japanese toylines, and avid collectors like me eat it up. The first season of Robotech (US) was a re-edited Super Dimension Fortress Macross. The US action figures of the human and Zentradi characters weren't the best, even by 80s standards. And until recently most characters have gone completely without representation in plastic. But the Japanese market continually revisited the property with interesting product. These 1998 mini PVC statues from Banpresto gave us what I believe is the first Claudia figure ever. Note that her name was changed to Grant for the US market. I have had this in storage forever, but the recent Toynami figure inspired me to finally open her for review. Let's check out Claudia below!

Gen13 - FAIRCHILD!

Wildstorm Gen13 - Caitlyn Fairchild - Wizard / ToyFare Exc - D-Boy Inc 1998

Most of 1990's comics were a blur to me. I never jumped on board the extreme train, and expensive cover gimmicks just made me angry. But one shining beacon among the  flood of new superhero books was Gen13. The comic was young, fun, sexy, entertaining, and beautifully drawn. Other comics at the time (even related titles under the Wildstorm banner) failed to combine all these traits in one book. The main team consisted of two young men (Burnout and Grunge) and three young women (Freefall, Rainmaker, and Fairchild) - an impressive ratio even now. Fairchild was the muscle, brains, and leader of the group. The cool costume designs and extreme popularity of the book would make you think there would have been a lot of toys, but you would be wrong. There were 12" clothed action figures, but they only made 4 characters, and the 6" action figures only saw Caitlyn and Caitlyn variants. I think a full roster of toys is long overdue (but for now I must settle for Heroclix). Let's check out Fairchild below!

Toy Biz - FRANKIE RAYE NOVA!

Marvel Comics - Silver Surfer 30th Anniversary Series - Nova - Toy Boz 1997

Frankie Raye is a step-daughter of Phineas Horton, the scientist creator of the original Human Torch (the android Jim Hammond version from 1939, not Johnny Storm from 1961). Frankie was accidentally exposed to the same chemicals that created the Human Torch's flame powers. Her father decided to give her a skin-tight body suit to contain the fire and then hypnotized her into forgetting about the powers and the containment suit itself. She lived a normal life until she was a young woman dating Johnny Storm. Frisky Johnny discovered the bodysuit and eventually she broke through her mental block. She became an unofficial member of the Fantastic Four before fate intervened and she became a Herald of Galactus named Nova, complete with a Silver-Surfer-esque metallic makeover. Recently I've been thinking how she would make for a great Marvel Legends figure. There are enough flame-based characters out there to justify the hair sculpt and the body is essentially a featureless buck.

Toy Biz - SHADOWCAT!

Marvel Comics - ToyFare Exclusives - Kitty Pryde (ShadowCat) - Toy Biz 1998

With the exciting rumors of a possible Excalibur Marvel Legends box set coming this year from Amazon, I thought I would revisit the only real action figure of an Excalibur character that I own. In the late 90's, exclusive mail-away action figures were a real thing. It sounds like a bizarre concept now, but between Wizard and ToyFare magazines and various comic and videogame offerings, there were always exciting little exclusives to be had. These were mostly simple repaints, but were often surprisingly significant characters - like Feral, Firestar, and of course Shadowcat. Kitty Pryde has always suffered a bit of an identity crisis in the costume department, but I think her blue, puffy-sleeved look is the most iconic. And ironically it's the costume where she looks most like a mature adult woman, rather than the youthful energetic X-Man she is typically portrayed as. But still it's my favorite and I really can't wait to get her in legends form (along with Meggan and Rachel of course!). Let's check out Kitty below!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - APRIL O'NEIL!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series - April O-Neil (Reissue) -  PlayMates 1991

I am well aware of April O'Neil's iconic status among action figure collectors. When I hear like-minded hobbyists rattle off their favorite vintage female characters, she's always right up there with Teela and Scarlett. But until very recently I never saw the appeal. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wasn't my favorite property. I had a personal aversion to martial arts, I liked more serious cartoons, and I never saw the appeal of surfer dude culture. So in the midst of this immensely popular cartoon, that I had very unpopular opinions of, was a sole female reporter who inexplicably wore a bright yellow jumpsuit all the time. She just failed to capture my imagination. It honestly wasn't until Super7 unveiled their TMNT Ultimates figure that I looked back and really began to see the appeal. I received this figure MOC in a random eBay lot many years ago but only recently opened her. While this orange-pocketed reissue isn't an ideal vintage representation in my opinion, she's a perfectly suitable stand-in for the yellow one.

Captain Simian - SHAO-LIN!

Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys - Series 02 - Shao-Lin - Bluebird 1996

In 1996 there was a short-lived 26-episode animated series called Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys. I think it has a cool premise. During the 1960's, an experimental space flight carrying a solo chimpanzee named Charlie goes off course and is intercepted by a highly advanced extraterrestrial race (that look like floating shadow amoebas). They altered Charlie's DNA and imbued him with enhanced intelligence and tech. They we so impressed that they sent him back to Earth to recruit others for the same treatment. The team stayed in space to battle the evil Nebula in his attempts to become a sentient black hole. Shoa-Lin is a Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey who had been worshipped as a Goddess at a temple on Earth. She retains some holier-than-though airs with the crew but eventually warms up and becomes first officer. She is known for her martial arts skills and Buddhist wisdom. Bluebird Toys produced two waves of action figures (with spotty distribution). Let's check out Shao-Lin below!

Toy Biz - MARVEL GIRL!

Marvel Comics - Marvel's Gold - Collector's LE 10,000 - Marvel Girl - Toy Biz 1997

It's difficult to collect vintage figures sometimes because every once in a while you come across a toy that has little to no redeeming qualities. One of my favorite collecting  goals is to get all versions of a specific character and display them in a cluster. Especially when there is a unique costume that I'm especially drawn to. This classic green and yellow mini-skirt look for Jean Grey has always been one of my favorites. She wore it from X-Men #39 in 1967 until X-Men #100 in 1976. The reprints of these stories in Classic X-Men was my first exposure to the X-Men, so it is a very nostalgic look for me. Nothing made me more excited than seeing the return of this costume for 2019's House of X storyline. But at the same time, I just knew there would finally be a great Legends figure made and I would feel compelled to track down all the early awful offerings of this costume. That brings us to this 1997 Toy Biz figure. The first time this costume ever saw life in plastic, and it was pretty tragic. Let's check her out below!

Toy Biz - SHE-HULK!

Marvel Comics: The Incredible Hulk - She-Hulk (Gamma Crossbow) - Toy Biz 1996

I've been sick for a week but today the announcement of a new Marvel Legends She-Hulk figure thankfully brought me out of my funk a bit. I adored the Gray Hulk version of Jennifer Walters we got last year, and I eventually read and really enjoyed that comic (the 2017 Hulk series), but I'll admit, despite my admiration for gray Jennifer, I always had my fingers crossed for a classic green repaint of that mold. And today was that long-awaited day. So in honor of my happy green day, I decided to post a flashback review to the first She-Hulk figure from the 1996 Toy Biz Hulk line. It's actually surprising it took 5 years into the Toy Biz Marvel lines to finally get us this green goddess. She seems way more popular that most of the B-and-C-listers that came before her. It's probably because she required an original mold. And it's quite a unique mold too, at over 6", she towers over almost every other Toy Biz figure, especially the females. She's not perfect, but still a really fun toy to have. Let's check her out below!

The Mighty Ducks - MALLORY!

The Mighty Ducks - Mallory McMallard (Standard & Spin Attack) - Mattel 1996

One of the unexpected perks of running this website and associated social media is meeting so many like-minded collectors. And on rare occasions some of them even send you action figures (Thanks Peter!) I had been eyeing these Mighty Ducks Mallory figures for years, but I never got around to actually purchasing them. When they came out in 1996 I was on an exclusively retro 80s cartoon kick (Robotech and Hanna-Barbera Heroes), so the show should have been completely off my radar. But I had friends who were obsessed with the Ducks franchise; the movies, the NHL team, and the animated series. So I when I discovered this toy line (a few decades later), they got me all nostalgic about my old high school buddies, one of which I'm miraculously still close with. The cartoon is bizarre. Puckworld is an icy planet inhabited by humanoid ducks that skate around fighting an invasion of reptilian enemies. Mallory was the main female and got an action figure and a repaint. Let's check them out below!