I think the inevitable dilemma of any hardcore X-Men fan is "what is your favorite version of Jean Grey?" As arguably the most powerful of the core X-Men roster, she has been the epicenter of multiple iconic storylines and had numerous iconic costumes in the process. I personally love her in green and yellow. My favorite is her skirted costume with the domino mask from 1967-1976, but this X-Factor (1986) costume and her green Phoenix suit (1976) are close runners-up. X-Factor was a book with a great premise - the original five X-Men brought back as government mutant hunters who were secretly saving all their targets. In the beginning, they all wore these classic "X" costumes in bold colors. Jean's was classic green and yellow for the first 25 issues until she swapped it for the red and yellow costume (I fully expect this figure to be repainted in red someday). This figure was a Target exclusive in the Summer of 2025 and became quite the shelfwarmer. She's great though. Let's check out Jean below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Target. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Target. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Marvel Legends - JEAN GREY!
Monday, September 23, 2024
Marvel Legends - WARBIRD!
Few comic characters can change names and costumes repeatedly and stay dynamic and interesting. But then there is Carol Danvers. Carol first became Ms. Marvel in January 1977. This original costume was my favorite with a very 70's feathered hairdo and bare midriff (sadly unproduced in the Marvel Legends line). But in less than two years she ditched that for a black outfit with a lightning bolt. I wasn't a fan of this look for a long time. Perhaps because it replaced my favorite or perhaps because it was often drawn as a high-waisted thong (which seemed gratuitously objectifying, even amidst the abundant cleavage and navels in comics). But I eventually changed my tune (specifically when her 2014 Legends figure was released). In the May 1998 issue of The Avengers #4, she first adopted the name Warbird in connection to the black costume. This Target Exclusive figure represents the Warbird era well and marks a new level of quality and articulation for female Legends. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Justice League International - FIRE!
I'm glad that McFarlane Toys is taking the opportunities provided by their exclusive Gold Label and Platinum products to include relatively obscure and under-merchandised characters in the DC Multiverse line. The recent Blackfire and upcoming Huntress (and variant) are great examples. Fire is a character with a huge fanbase. She first appeared in the 1979 issue of Super Friends #25 as the Green Fury (who shot green flames out of her nostrils.. no joke). I don't know long it took for her backstory to be fleshed out. But now the commonly-told origin is that Beatriz da Costa was a Brazilian model (and secret government agent) who was accidentally exposed to a mysterious substance called Pyroplasm which gave her the green flame powers (pre-Crisis her powers were mystical in nature). She has been a member of many teams over the years and gone by many names: Green Flame, Green Fury, and her most common, Fire. She is a dynamic character who is long overdue in the toy aisles.
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Super7 ReAction - LADY JAYE (DIC)!
This figure has been a long time coming. In 1989, when DIC Enterprises took over production of the new G.I.Joe cartoons, all the main characters got redecos (Some more extreme than the others). The main female trifecta of Scarlett, Baroness and Lady Jaye all had simple color swap changes from the Sunbow designs. Eventually the new Baroness and Scarlett designs were reflected in the Hasbro toy lines, but Lady Jaye was not invited to the party. Perhaps it's because her muted-green DIC design was too similar to her classic army greens, or maybe it's because her action figure was already being re-released in camo and stealth versions, but either way, the new design was never represented in plastic until now. I found this figure last Sunday at Target. The news of her didn't hit the toy sites until the next day, so it was a true shock when I saw her on the shelf. Her Ultimates figure in this deco was unfortunately canceled, so I'm glad Super7 was able to get her out in some form. Let's check out Lady Jaye below!
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Super7 ReAction - BARONESS (DIC)!
In 1989, two years after G.I.Joe the Movie aired and the Sunbow cartoon ended, a new animated series produced by DIC Enterprises began and ran for 44 episodes. In most ways, this new series paled in comparison to the 95 Sunbow episodes. The animation was more crude and most of the stories seemed like blatant attempts to sell toys (way more obvious than all the other 80's cartoons). But there were some cool highlights. I especially liked the Operation Dragonfire storyline. In this story, a jilted Baroness finds an ancient skull headdress with crystal horns that enables her to concentrate the Dragonfire power. This power is used to return Cobra Commander to his human form (after the events in the the Movie that left him in the form of a giant cobra). The power was also used to fuse vehicles and uniforms with animals - creating the Python Patrol. It was a pretty fun story. An added benefit is that all the character redesigns from DIC gives us fun color variants to collect. Let's check out the DIC Baroness below!
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ALOPEX!
Alopex is my favorite new character discovery in a long time. When this toy was first announced a few months ago, I had never heard of her, but I was immediately interested because I love fox characters. In the time since, I have read a handful of issues and have become quite a fan. Alopex is a mutated Arctic Fox (sometimes known as Alopex lagopus) who first appeared in TMNT Micro Series #1: Raphael (2011 IDW). She is generally an antagonist working with the Foot as Shredder's personal assassin. But she has a romantic connection with Raphael that plays on her allegiances. The first story I read of hers was wonderful. She reminded me of an amalgamation of several favorite characters (namely Elektra from Marvel Comics and Jinx from G.I.Joe) but unique in her fox appearance and cunning viciousness. This BST AXN figure is the Target Exclusive deco with red facepaint (the standard version is blue). I think she's amazing and I can't wait to get both to display both heads. Let's check out Alopex below!
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Batgirls - CASSANDRA CAIN BATGIRL!
One thing I have always loved about Cassandra Cain is that she is the first Bat-female to be unmistakably badass. As a specific sub-genre of comicdom (that I am wholeheartedly obsessed with), the female characters in the Batman universe are always strong, independent, and capable. But the comics community is inundated with fanboys who think Wolverine, Deadpool, and Lobo are the pinnacle of cool. And trying to convince them that characters like Barbara Gordon were deserving of their respect was always a tough task. But then Cassandra Cain took on the mantle of Batgirl from Huntress in 1999's No Man's Land storyline and changed all that. Cass was a violent assassin with a deadly pedigree (she is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva). She was raised to be as lethal as possible, even foregoing verbal communication to dedicate all senses to body language. She was awesome, and her costume was cool. And she has remained as a consistent, but underused, character ever since.
Friday, November 3, 2023
DC Rebirth - SUPERGIRL!
It seems to be very difficult to get a good, classic-looking Kara Zor-El Supergirl. I have quite a few in my collection, but there just always seems to be something slightly off about them. Luckily Supergirl always tends to sport a pretty classic costume. She goes through eras with a slightly tweaked costume, but it consistently comes back to the basic look. I personally think this newest Target Exclusive DC Multiverse Gold Label figure is the best Supergirl in my collection. Sure, she has a couple problems. Firstly, her eyes are often overstamped which makes her look a little angry (it you're patient you can find one with better eyes). And secondly, her thigh-high boots have been swapped for red leggings. I didn't even notice this detail until I got her home. It honestly doesn't bother me too much (because thigh-high boots are impractical in battle), but it's baffling that McFarlane skipped this detail, especially since she has no special accessories. Either cost-saving cuts or simple oversight. Let's check out Supergirl below!
Monday, June 26, 2023
TMNT Cartoon - LOTUS BLOSSOM!
In Season 3, Episode 28 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1989, Krang once again prompts some villainous in-fighting by introducing the kunoichi Lotus Blossom to challenge and overthrow Shredder for leadership of the Foot Clan. She is successful, but in a very typical plot point for female characters in this show, her romantic interest in one of the turtles prompts her conversion to the good side. In this case, Leonardo is the lucky ninja who shows her the light. Lotus appeared in only two episodes of the original series roughly a year apart, but in both episodes she was a focal character and even had her name featured in the episodes titles (Beware the Lotus and Farewell, Lotus Blossom). Despite being a repeat character, I think this action figure caught everyone by surprise. NECA has been showing no restraint with the deep-dive characters in their cartoon TMNT line, and I am here for it. I can't even imagine who the next female figure will be, but I'm excited for the reveal. Let's check out Lotus below!
Monday, June 12, 2023
Batman '66 Comics - BATGIRL!
This figure is giving me all the feels. When I was a kid in the 80s watching non-stop syndicated episodes of Batman on the Family Channel, there was nothing quite as exciting as seeing that 3rd Season re-edited opening sequence with Batgirl inserted into the animation. That was the indicator that she would appear in that episode and it was a highlight of my TV watching in those days. I love almost all iterations of Barbara Gordon, but there's something special about those bright complimentary colors and campy episodes that always makes this version stand out from the rest. As toy collectors, we've all heard the stories about Yvonne Craig's estate being very strict with the use of her likeness, so merchandise of Batgirl '66 is pretty scarce. But thankfully there was a Batman '66 comic in 2013 that technically used generic likenesses and therefore provides a licensing loophole. (You'll note that packaging has the comic logo in place of the TV logo that the other characters have). Let's check out Batgirl below!
Sunday, April 16, 2023
TMNT Cartoon - MONA LISA!
One of the main reasons I never fully bought into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise was due to the lack of costumed (read:mutated) female characters. The main female (in my opinion) was Mona Lisa, a mutated human physicist (mutated into a salamander) who appeared in a single episode of season 4 ("Raphael Meets His Match"). The setting of the episode is a costume party where the Turtles think Mona Lisa is a human in costume. By the end of the episode they all reveal their true identities and a romantic tension with Raphael is formed. An action figure was made of her a few years later in 1993 (which incorrectly labels her as a lizard). This original toy was my first exposure to the character and I never saw her episode until recently. Different versions of Mona Lisa have appeared in the turtles franchise since those early days, but this figure is only her second piece of merchandise made. I'm excited to see what other TMNT ladies NECA might highlight in the future. Let's check out Mona Lisa below!
Monday, December 26, 2022
Transformers Movie - ELITA-ONE!
I'm hard-pressed to think of a bigger tease than two female Transformers toys released with a huge merchandising wave preceding a movie release, only to have those characters be non-existent in the film. In 2007, there were Arcee and Elita-One figures released (both exclusive to Target) in the official movie line for the first Transformers (2007) live-action film. I was well aware ahead of time that these characters had no presence on IMDb and they weren't teased in any trailers or promotional photos, but my fingers were still crossed for a surprise cameo or post-credits scene. But alas, these figures were wholly unrelated to the movie (they wouldn't appear until the third movie in 2011 - with an entirely different design). I was bummed, but I still loved that we saw the Energon Arcee mold used one last time (the 7th and 8th redecos respectively). Plus this was the first Elita-One toy ever released. Despite being a simple repaint of Energon Arcee, the color palette is very recognizable as Elita. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Power Rangers - NINJA PINK RANGER!
The Ninja Rangers are an iteration of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that I was honestly unaware of until these Lightning Collection figures were announced. I only peripherally watched the original MMPR (my friend's little brother would always be watching it when we were waiting to play Super Nintendo.. which accumulated in a surprising amount of MMPR imagery in my brain). The Ninja Rangers were a power-up in Season 3 that was technically less-powerful than their standard forms, but useful in hand-to-hand combat. I think it's pretty cool that this iteration finally visually embraced the martial arts that were a focal point of whole franchise. In 1995 there was a 5.5" action figure series as well as a 3" PVC line featuring these costumes. The modern Lightning Collection figures are exclusive to Target and include both a Kimberly and Katharine version of Ninja Pink. I only picked up Kimberly since she was released first and I don't typically display unmasked heads. Let's check out Ninja Pink below!
Saturday, May 7, 2022
POP Funko - CAPTAIN MARVEL!
One of the most visually iconic characters of the 1980s to me was Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel. I admit I don't think I actually read any of her stories back then, but I would see her on comic covers and was always intrigued. In a world of bright colorful costumes that were getting more detailed and complex every year (culminating in the 90's explosion of pouches and warpaint), this character stood out for having a stark black and white costume with a simple but striking design. Her legacy has endured and thankfully her roles in Captain Marvel, WandaVision, and the upcoming Marvels is finally making her a household name. I only hope she gets suited up in some version of her classic costume. This Funko Pop was very unexpected but very very welcome. It was my first Funko Comic Covers purchase and it came with a few surprises (which I will detail below) but I am ecstatic to add her to my collection. And maybe this will prompt a Marvel Legends figure soon. Let's check her out below!
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Transformers - ROAD RAGE!
Road Rage is a character with a pretty fantastic backstory. The male Transformer Tracks was introduced in 1985 as a blue redeco of a red Chevrolet Stingray Diaclone toy from Japan. The art on the Transformers packaging in 1985 was made using early Diaclone models, so a mysterious illustration of a red Tracks was a point of curiosity for early collectors. Also, a European release of Tracks was simply a repackaged Diaclone toy, so a red Tracks figure in Transformers packaging exists as a foreign color swap oddity (Like Glenda or Canary Ann in G.I.Joe). But then in 2002, eHobby released an exclusive redeco of Tracks in the original Diaclone colors as a new female character, Road Rage. This makes her one of the rare G1 characters that was created in "modern" times and retroactively made part of the G1 universe. It reminds me of random background characters from MOTU artwork that have been given life and backstory in the Classics line (Like Sherrilyn, Battleground Teela, and hopefully Sultra in Origins).
Thursday, October 21, 2021
DC Multiverse - BATWOMAN BEYOND!
One of the greatest DC Comics thrills for me recently has been the introduction of Elainna Grayson as Batwoman in the pages of Batman Beyond. Elainna is the daughter of Mayor Richard Grayson (Robin) who stole Terry's bat-suit when he went missing (and had amnesia). I don't think it ever addressed in the comics who her mother is, but I assume it's not Barbara since she is a major character (the new Commissioner Gordon) and her history is pretty well documented. When Elainna wore the suit (first worn in Batman Beyond #37, Dec 2019), I was thrilled. The suit looks great on a female body. In fact, I always thought the Kate Kane Batwoman (which was inspired by an unused Alex Ross Batgirl design) was so great because it reminded me of Batman Beyond with the stark red on black. So this character was guaranteed to be a hit for me. It also provided a fresh starting point for me reading the Beyond universe. I never expected an action figure of her and I'm ecstatic. Let's check out Batwoman Beyond below!
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Spin Master - BATGIRL!
I have a hunch that Spin Master will produce a lot of repaints in the coming years that I will have no problem skipping. Their 4" DC line is geared towards children and play value, and I'm well aware I am not their target audience. However, I really hope they produce at least one standard, non-gimmicky Batgirl before the license ends. Their Batwoman, Wonder Woman, and Catwoman figures are amazing with perfect comic-accurate decos. But when the secondary iteration of the line started to emerge in the aisles, we started to see bizarre paint apps (like most kid-centric lines with a limited base of characters). In the 90s we would regularly see neon and camo variants. And so it seems the children of 2021 will have fond youthful memories of circuitry designs. This metallic repaint of Batgirl actually disguises the blue linework pretty well and I like the homage to her classic gray and yellow suit. I can't wait for the "Bat-Tech" theme to run its course, but if you squint she's got a pretty great overall deco.
Monday, August 16, 2021
Transformers - BLACKARACHNIA!
As toy collectors, we often see very bizarre toy decos that barely look like the characters they are meant to represent. Yellow Evil-Lyn, hat-wearing Lady Jaye, pink Serena from Dino-Riders, and the entire vintage She-Ra line are all examples of toys that are significantly different from their animated source material. But then years later there is just as much nostalgia among collectors for these bizarre interpretations and the toy companies seem happy to oblige us. This new Blackarachnia redeco is a wonderful example of that trend. Her first-ever figure back in 1996's Beast Wars line was a simple retool of the (male) Tarantulas figure, and her colors were wild: a purple head and legs, black torso with green spots, bronze spider-legs and claws, green arms, all topped off with a speckled chest. The overall effect was a godawful mess. Yet, somehow, when applied to the new Kingdom Blackarachnia mold, it's spectacular. This Peggy-Bundy-Pimp-Daddy-Destro chaos somehow works. Let's check her out below!
Monday, September 21, 2020
G.I.Joe Classified - BARONESS!
When I try to rank all the amazing animated ladies from my childhood, the Baroness from G.I.Joe is always very high on the list. I would run home from school each day and eagerly wait to see what wickedness she was up to in every episode. Her accent was intriguing, her scheming was devious, her glasses were unique (was there even another glasses-wearing female in 80s cartoons?), and her flirtatious interactions with all the other characters made her a back-stabbing wildcard. I was obsessed with seeing how she would fit into each plot (I was especially thrilled when she would be in disguise.. a super common trope for Cobra ladies). Plus her 1984 toy was the second female action figure I ever owned (after Voltron's Haggar). I still get overwhelmed with nostalgia when I hold her. So I was super excited that she was included so early on in the G.I.Joe Classified line, even though she was a highly sought-after Target exclusive and packed with an unnecessary vehicle. Let's check out Baroness below!
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Marvel Legends - BLACK WIDOW (White)!
I admit I don't think I'm going to be a big fan of the white-costumed Black Widow in the upcoming movie. The Infinity War blonde version with the green vest was enough a stretch and I'm kind of a comic book loyalist so cinematic reinterpretations always get heavy scrutiny from me. So when the initial white suit movie figure was revealed with the same head as the black-suited version, it was an easy pass from me. However, then this Target-exclusive Black Widow: Deadly Origin figure was unveiled and I was suddenly intrigued. The figure was clearly comic-based, and the headsculpt looked gorgeous (and original!) but I had never seen this outfit before. In 2010 there was a mini-series called Black Widow: Deadly Origin which told a modern version of her origin story. In the story, she dons this white Winter Stealth costume. I don't know this for a fact, but I'm willing to bet the story of this movie is based on this telling. Maybe i'll pick up the TPB before November. Let's check out Winter Stealth Black Widow below!
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