I've been a big supporter of the O-Ring renaissance in recent years. I didn't realize how much I loved this 80's staple until it started trickling back into the action figure world a few years ago. And companies like Super7 are riding this renewed wave of popularity hard and producing all sorts of interesting properties. Micronauts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Ghostbusters are not licenses I would have expected to work so well in this format, but they certainly do. My favorite line, aside from G.I.Joe, so far is the classic Universal Monsters. As much as I was always fond of the old Universal Monsters Remco and Placo toys, the production style was a bit unpolished for my tastes and they never included the Bride of Frankenstein.. so I never bothered to collect any of the vintage figures. But now finally getting a Bride in a vintage format scratches an itch I didn't even know was there. I think she's glorious. And I'm already anticipating an eventual GITD or a mummy-head variant. Let's check her out below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Super7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Super7. Show all posts
Friday, July 31, 2026
Super7 O-Ring - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - LADY JAYE!
Lady Jaye has always seemed like one of the simpler characters to be made into a cartoon-accurate toy. She has a classic 2-tone green military uniform, a short haircut, and her signature weapon is a classic (looking) javelin. But her first figure inexplicably had a hat, a single-color bright green uniform, and they turned her simple javelin into some sort of gun. It was still a great toy and probably the best of the vintage female figures, but you never realize how off it was until you see this new Super7 ReAction+ version. Before this, the closest thing to a vintage-style cartoon-accurate Lady Jaye was her 5th version from 2006, but that was in the era where all the figures had disproportionately small heads. This new figure is perfection. It makes me excited to see their take on an update Scarlett - who suffered the most from the limitations of the 80's toy design. If this Lady Jaye and the previous Jinx are any indication, she will be great. Let's check out this classic Lady Jaye below!
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - LADY JAYE!
I love the trend of holiday repaints in all the Hasbro toylines. The Christmas and Halloween Star Wars figures have been a fun annual gimmick to hunt down in various stores. The unfortunate thing for me is that they've rarely involved female characters. I was theorizing with some friends this winter that the 250th Anniversary of the United States this year would likely prompt some patriotic repaints. And by Toy Fair time in February, I was proven right. We learned of Hasbro G.I.Joe and Transformers Walmart Exclusives in Red, White, and Blue, and also a Walmart exclusive wave of Super7 Reaction+ G.I.Joe figures. I was thrilled with this announcement because the Super7 set featured a never-before-seen Lady Jaye sculpt. Of course, as of today's announcement we now have seen images of a traditionally-hued Lady Jaye coming in the next Reaction+ wave, which is very exciting because I desperately want an O-Ring hatless cartoon Lady Jaye. Let's check out the 250th Anniversary Lady Jaye below!
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - DAINA!
Super7 has given us yet another unlikely neglected character from the original G.I.Joe cartoon.... Daina. As young superfan of the G.I.Joe cartoon in the 80s, I loved the episodes when the Joes would clash with the soviet heroes, Oktober Guard. They were only in two episodes (about a year apart). The first was an episode about alien abductions called The Invaders and the second was the famous Arise Serpentor Arise. I always lean toward Sci-Fi themes (as opposed to straight-forward military plots) in my G.I.Joe fandom, so these stories were some of my favorites. The Oktober Guard's lone female member, Daina, was a standout. She was reimagined as a blonde mercenary decades later in the comics (which is where all her previous toy decos come from), but this raven-haired, sherpa-lined sharpshooter version from the cartoon was always my favorite. She is just the latest addition to the deep-cut characters in the Super7 Reaction+ line. I can't wait to see who's next. Let's check out Daina below!
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
ReAction - KERPLUNK GIRL!
I've been eyeing all the music figures in the ReAction line for years, but this is the first one I've purchased and opened (somewhere I have the Salt n Pepa set packed away untouched). Green Day is a formative band from my high school years. I personally never owned an album. However, my siblings did and three of us shared a bedroom (so I heard them constantly). As much as I like them, I'm even more thankful for their legacy and all the bands they directly inspired. The pop-punk era of the 90s and early oughts is my favorite genre of music, and I credit that sound with Green Day. Their 1991 album, Kerplunk! featured a punky rebellious girl on the cover widely referred to as Kerplunk Girl. And while not a completely proven correlation, it is widely assumed that she is intended to be Laurie L., a fictional girl whose essay appears in the liner notes of the album detailing how she killed her parents to follow Green Day on tour. It's somehow not as morbid as it sounds. Let's check out the notorious Kerplunk Girl below!
Friday, January 23, 2026
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - ARCTIC SCARLETT!
In the second episode of G.I.Joe, The M.A.S.S. Device Part II, Slave of the Cobra Master (September 1983). Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, and Snowjob (and others) head deep into the Arctic to seek a red radioactive crystal (one of the three elements needed for the M.A.S.S. Device). The scene is relative brief, but memorable - especially because it is so early in the vast G.I.Joe canon. Super7 seems to love G.I.Joe The Movie and The M.A.S.S. Device. The number of ReAction figures they've made based on these two storylines is pretty amazing. A figure of Scarlett in an arctic parka was not on my bingo card at all, and if pressed I could come up with a handful of never-before-made characters I would have taken in place of her, but now that she's in my collection I'm pretty happy to have her. The exciting is that their character choices are getting so obscure that I have no idea what might be coming next. (I'm always hoping for Oktober Guard and more Cobra-La though!) Let's check out Arctic Scarlett below!
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - MARA!
Sometimes my childhood memories don't hold up to my adult scrutiny. As a kid, my absolute favorite episode of G.I.Joe was "Memories of Mara" (S1E45, Nov 15th, 1985). The story featured Shipwreck rescuing a blue-skinned woman from the ocean. You're led to believe her hue is due to cyanosis, but during CPR attempts, he realizes she has gills on her neck and climbs back into the water with her to continue his revival attempts. Turns out Mara was an escaped Cobra Eel lab test subject. She was supposed to be amphibious, but accidentally turned out completely aquatic and unable to breathe on land. As a kid I found this concept mind-blowing and one of the first mer-people I ever saw represented in my cartoons. As an adult, it's a pretty odd 22-minute story with some major logic holes. But even still the nostalgia is palpable with this new figure. Despite me begging for her on forums for years ("Please! Such an easy re-use of parts!"), I never expected to actually get her. Let's check out Mara below!
Friday, November 7, 2025
Super7 ReAction - UNDERSEA GAL!
The Nightmare Before Christmas was a slow-burn of acceptance and adoration for me. It was released when I was in High School and at the time I didn't love musicals or "dark" aesthetics. Yes, it was playful, but goth was a true social strata at the time that I just didn't fit into. The goth kids were eating this movie up. It was actually my high school art teacher who first started my appreciation of the movie. He made us watch the film (on laserdisc!) followed by the "making of" documentary every semester. In late high school I became huge fan of Ray Harryhausen, which in turn made me appreciate all stop-motion film a lot more. But the big plunge was a decade later when I dated an NBX superfan. I would be coerced to watch the movie several times a year, and I would research all the Neca figures and slowly purchase them as gifts for every occasion. Flash forward 20 years and I love it. Any my favorite character is Undersea Gal, the Creature from the Black Lagoon homage who has several cool cameos.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - PYTHONA!
I think Pythona was the character that first made me realize the desparity between male and female action figures in the 80s. When G.I.Joe the Movie first aired on TV (serialized) in 1987, I tuned in and taped it every day that week. The first episode seemed dedicated to this new intriguing character named Pythona. It wasn't long before I saw toys at the local Hills department store dedicated to the movie. There was a 3-Pack of Cobra-La characters, including Golobulus, Nemesis Enforcer, and a Cobra-La Royal Guard. It seemed like a blatant mistake to exclude her considering she received more screen time than any of the others. So, despite my love for all things Cobra-La, I never got this set. It just seemed like an incomplete roster without Pythona. Like the Fantastic Four without Sue or the Power Rangers without the Pink and Yellow Rangers (both of are common toy exclusions). But who could have guess that 38 years later that Pythona void would be filled so spectacularly. Let's check out this beauty below!
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - COVER GIRL!
How crazy is it that after 40-some years, this original version of Cover Girl is getting so much attention. I frankly never understood why she got the weird redesign after her 1983 debut. I assume it had something to do with Hasbro's avoidance of long hair on their figures. But giving her short auburn hair just made her look like a variation of the Scarlett toy. Considering she would have been the only blonde main character as well made this a very confusing decision. But it seems like this "M.A.S.S. Device" design is finally getting some attention with three figures in a few short years. I bought this Reaction+ O-Ring figure just shy of a year ago. I bought so many versions of her because her eyes were always off-center, and by the time I secured a good one, the "newness" excitement was gone and I never opened her until this week. The new Pythona figure lit a fire under me and made me finally free these ladies from their packaging. They're pretty great. Let's check out Cover Girl below!
Monday, September 29, 2025
Super7 Reaction+ O-Ring - JINX!
G.I.Joe was the first action figure line that captured my attention as a youth.. mostly because it included a decent amount of the female characters from the cartoon. Then when I was in my twenties and made a conscious decision to start collecting action figures, my first goal was to assemble all the female G.I.Joes. It wasn't terribly hard to get them all back then, but I quickly realized many of the characters didn't really resemble their animated counterparts. A major one for this was Jinx. She has several very iconic scenes in G.I.Joe the Movie, but her toy just looked different. Mainly, she never wore the generic ninja mask that her toy sported. She was either completely unmasked or blindfolded (this figure really should have come with a blindfold). So seeing this figure so early in the Reaction+ O-Ring line really brought me joy. It's not quite as exciting as a never-before-seen vintage figure (like the just-released Pythona), but she is still super cool to have. Let's check out Jinx below!
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Super7 ReAction - VIOLET BEAUREGARDE!
When I think of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), the dominant scene in my memory is when the compulsive gum-chewer Violet Beauregarde swipes a piece of "The most amazing, fabulous, sensational gum in the whole world." And starts experiencing the full three-course dinner of flavors: Tomato Soup, Roast Beef and Baked Potato, and finally... Blueberry Pie. At which point she turns violet and inflates into a gigantic blueberry and the Oompa Loompas roll her away for juicing. Without having even seen this movie in full, I was somehow very aware of this scene. I love how the contest winners are all challenged to resist their greedy temptations only to fail in spectacular ways. Violet stands out for having a physical transformation and special effects (Mike Teevee's shinking doesn't really count). I was pleasantly surprised to see a third wave of Willy Wonka figures that included this representation. Quite possibly the largest (standard size) ReAction figure so far. Let's check out Violet below!
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Super7 ReAction - VERUCA SALT!
The interesting thing about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) is how all the characters (aside from Charlie Bucket and Grampa Joe) are so wholly unlikeable. If the movie is a test of these different characters' self-control and manners, they all fail in amusing and spectacular ways. Veruca Salt was special to me for two reasons. Firstly, she has the coolest name (I also loved her namesake band in the mid-90s). And secondly, her greedy voice most matches my own embarrassing inner mantras - specifically when it comes to collecting. I like to label my habits as obsessions or compulsions, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit there was a fair amount of childish greed in the mix too. Anyway, because of that, I've always had a special affinity for the bratty bad egg, Veruca. These Super7 ReAction figures don't especially resemble the likenesses of the 1971 actors, but the essence is certainly there (and I'm more of a fan of the books anyway, so I'm especially lenient). Let's check out Veruca Salt below!
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Super7 ReAction - VIOLET BEAUREGARDE!
I never watched the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) in it's entirety until I was in my 30s and was dating a big fan of the movie. I had seen snippets of the movie throughout my youth and was never a huge fan. This is mostly because I loved the books (Amusingly, I started with Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator and then backtracked to the Chocolate Factory). I remember having three big critiques of the movie: (1) Willy Wonka seemed more creepy than eccentric, (2) the chocolate river looked like dirty water, and (3) the factory looked too much like a factory. You could see big windows and pipes and it ruined the illusion I expected. I still stand by those opinions and I haven't truly enjoyed any of the adaptations of the books yet. But when Super7 announced these ReAction figures, my underlying nostalgia for the books won out and I had to get them. Violet Beauregard is the sole female from Wave 1 and is one of my favorite bratty characters. Gum-chomping and all. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, May 8, 2025
ThunderCats Ultimates - WILLA!
Willa was a regular recurring character in the original 1980's ThunderCats cartoon. I used to watch this show with feverish regularity, but somehow I have zero memories of Willa or her band of Warrior Maidens. I suppose I was too distracted by the outlandishly fantastic character designs of all the Cats and Mutants to commit the human-looking characters to memory. But Willa appeared in thirteen episodes, and she led a band of female treetop warriors who were fierce fighters and skilled archers. In any other environment, I would have been absolutely obsessed with her. But lined up against felinoid aliens, ancient mummies, and robotic teddy bears, her awesomeness was unfortunately diluted. One of my favorite things about modern toy collecting is that I am often exposed to these cool characters from the past that I had overlooked. Now when I watch the old cartoons I can't believe I ever ignored her. I'm also excited for Willa's younger sister, Nayda, due later this year. Let's check out Willa below!
Monday, January 27, 2025
Super7 ReAction - JANICE!
Modern Muppets programs have a tendency to get canceled too soon. The Muppets (2025) lasted just 17 episodes, Muppets Tonight (1996) ended after 22, and most recently, The Muppets Mayhem (2023) was canceled after a mere 10. I'll be honest, I only ever saw one episode of Mayhem and it didn't immediately capture my attention the way 2015 series did, but I had friends and family who raved about it and I really like the creative team behind it, so I will start it again this week. The series features the Muppet band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem as they tour and create an album. It features lots of classic Muppets but most notable (for me) is the iconic spacey lead guitarist, Janice. Even if the series didn't have a massive cultural impact, it still prompted this great Reaction line from Super7. It would be awesome to get a whole Muppets line to go along with the Sesame Street figures, but in the meantime, this lone Janice is the only Muppet ReAction in my collection. Let's check her out below!
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Super7 ReAction - STEELHEART!
When Super7 first announced the SilverHawks license a few years ago, they mentioned all the types of product they were planning to produce. While the Ultimates line gets the lion's share of attention (and the SilverHawks Ultimates have been amazing) I was personally even more excited by the ReAction figures. Of course, it took them nearly three years to finally make them, but they are amazing and very much worth the wait. In all the different vintage-inspired toylines I collect, the goal is always to assemble a Ladies of the Eighties lineup. And with some of the lesser-produced ladies, like Jem, already in the line, ReAction is ahead of the game. I predict we'll even see the TigerSharks ladies in the next few years. I suspect the delay of this SilverHawks wave had to do with the perfecting of the metallic deco. While I truly appreciated the pearlized gray animated look in the first Ultimates figures, the multi-colored metallic just looks so much better. Let's check out the ReAction Steelheart below!
Friday, December 20, 2024
ThunderCats Ultimates - CHILLA!
ThunderCats is one of my childhood properties that I have a fierce love for. But as an adult, I can acknowledge that my obsession was purely based on general concept, toys, and character design. Because my knowledge of the characters who were not merchandised and even my memories of the actual cartoon are scant or non-existent. Until fans started begging Mattel for an action figure of Chilla back in 2016, I honestly never heard of her and would have wagered that there weren't any cool female villains in the series. I do have vague memories of the Lunataks, but thinking they were a bit silly. In concept they are a formidable collective of ancient evil warriors from each of Plun-Darr's moons. But in actuality, they are a bit like a bumbling group of misfits. With the sole exception of Chilla. On her own merits, she is very cool (pun intended). She had the most traditionally human body of the Lunataks and her abilities are reflected in her icy appearance (I love a monochromatic design and elemental powers).
Friday, December 6, 2024
Super7 ReAction - GLENDA!
As a longtime collector of G.I.Joe, there comes a time when the only exciting thing left is rather obscure rarities. Most avid fans will know that the early G.I.Joe molds were sometimes used by other countries. Occasionally this produced a fun variant with an abnormal color swap. But in other cases, it created a whole new character. The most notorious one of these new characters (in my female-centric opinion) was a blonde release of Scarlett wearing Silver and Blue under the name Glenda in the Argentinean Plastirima line. One of my first big collecting "wins" was nabbing an original Glenda at a decent price. Granted my version has a broken crotchpiece, a fused shoulder, and lots of paint rubs, but she's still a treasure of my collection. This Super7 Glenda was a surprise drop this past Summer that thrilled me. There have seen some half-baked homages to Glenda over the years (usually with red hair oddly), but this was the first true attempt to release her in the US. Let's check out Glenda below!
Monday, November 25, 2024
Super7 ReAction - ARCEE (PROTOTYPE)!
Arcee has had a long history of neglect in the Transformers Universe. She was notable for being the only recurring female G1 character, yet she was underutilized and unmerchandized for 20-30 years. In 2004, she got her first unique transforming toy in the Energon line. But this was stylized for the Transformers: Energon cartoon. She didn't get her first classically-inspired G1 figure until 2014's Generations release. (And ever since, there have been a ton of Arcee toys). But in the decades in-between her debut and her eventual toys, collectors were continually teased with prototype reveals and cancellations. One of the most notorious of these was a very early mocked-up prototype from the 80s featuring an oddly-proportioned and oddly-colored Arcee. I often wonder if her orange color was meant as a stand-in for a chrome silver finish, because the orange and pink combination is not a very appealing look. But for fans like me, it has become iconic. This Super7 ReAction repaint is a great homage. Let's check her out below!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)