Cap'n-Merica

I would bet you could never guess what I finally watched last night?

Don't forget the Red, White and Blue!

Today was the deadline to get something in for the Red, White and Blue photo assignment, but Captain America(s) convinced me to give you a little extra time, so if you can have your picture to me by Friday, I will post it. After that and not even a motorcycle full of Captain Americas can save you!

Marvelous Mondays! Origins Edition 1!

So, I have been cleaning up my home office, trying to get it all sorted and organized and I came across some Marvel Trading Cards from 1992. I think these are from the Third Series of cards. I know I have a complete set of Series One, Possibly Series Two, but I had no idea I had any of these. Anyway, today I thought I would throw up the Big Guns, or at least the ones I think are the Big Guns of the Marvel Universe. I even scanned the backs larger so you could read them, so enjoy.



As a kid I loved this character, as an adult I still have a soft spot for this classic. I had a Mego Captain America and I used to throw his little sheild and try to knock over the bad guys, who were usually played by a GI Joe and my friends Mego Penguin figure.





Iron Man, you know the only thing I knew about Iron Man as a kid is that I wanted his Mego Action Figure soooooo bad, it just looked awesome, you know I don't ever remember seeing one in a store and my parents must have not seen him either because I had to buy my own years latter.





Spider-Man, I have an on again off again relationship with Spider-Man, as a kid I liked him, had the Mego Toy and read his comics. As an adult I like him for the most part, have his Mego Toy and every once in awhile I read his comics. Now, my nephew loves, or should I say LOVES, Spider-Man. When we go out to dinner with him and the family the first thing I get assigned to do is draw a Spider-Man on the back of the children's menu. I can't wait to see when he grows up if he still loves the character as much as he does now.

Well, thanks for tuning in for another Marvelous Monday! True Believers, see you next time!

Excelsior!

A Little Toy Break...

For my readers that are toy fans and might be getting tired of Spockcation and Puppies, like who could get tired of either of those? Anyway, here are some pics of Marvel Universe 3-3/4" Captain America and a GI Joe Resolute Cobra Trooper, so it's a two for one!

oooh, very mean looking

Let's start with the Cobra Trooper. GI Joe Resolute is a new cartoon with a little more grittier feel to it, so far all I have seen of it is this YouTube Video:



Oh man, "A Ninja? I didn't know we had a Ninja!" That get's me every time. See what I mean about grittier? Bullets instead of lasers. I do miss the lasers, kids shouldn't have to grow up so fast. I do think this cartoon has an older audience in mind though.

with all his gear

The figure itself looks sort of like what I would have expected the troopers from the new movie to look like, except maybe with the Cobra symbol on them. I'm not disappointed that the symbol is not there, it makes him generic enough to fight other figures like Cap here.

Heeeeeere's the Cap'n
some nice shield storage

Captain America, from Hasbro like the Trooper, is part of the new Marvel Universe 3-3/4" line. This is a modern version of the character, I personally would like to have seen the classic version first, but hey you take what you can get. Makes more sense that he's modern fighting this modern looking Trooper. If he was classic I would have to hunt down some of those Indiana Jones German Soldier two packs on clearance. Which I might end up doing since the classic is supposed to make an appearance in a Secret Wars Comic Two Pack (I believe this summer).

Look out Cap!

When Captain America throws his mighty shield!

Victorious, Yo Jo...err Captain America!

I think this is a pretty cool time to collect 3-3/4" figures, we've had GI Joe and Star Wars for years, last year it was Indy, this year we get Marvel Universe, DC joined the fray not too long ago, and in a few weeks Star Trek in the same scale. I can finally have that Battle Royal with all my favorites, I think it may look something like this...

Now I wish I picked up Namor!

While we're talking about the Invaders, a few weeks back I left a comment on in Toyriffic about finally finding this First Appearance Captain America, now I'm wishing I picked up that Marvel Legends Fantastic Four Series Namor so I would at least have the beginnings of a Invaders Team in the Marvel Legends scale.



Let's face it I can find a Human Torch easy, there are still tons left over from the last Fantastic Four Movie, plus it doesn't matter if I don't have Buckey, I always liked the team when the line up was Captain America, Namor, and the two Torches.

The Invaders

A little update on my “Mini Collection” with the Invaders Box set. Back in May I saw these and knew I was going to order them, which is not my usual M.O. I usually say I’m going to order a con exclusive and then forget about it. But since I was picking up the next set of EMCE’s I saw this and added it to the ole’ cart.



I have to say that this set is plain sweet! The decos are all really nicely done, usually it’s hit or miss with the paint on Minimates, not as bad as the recent rounds of Justice League figures, just that sometimes you can tell they were a sleep in the line.



Beside the decos, this set excels in accessories. There are three shields, holders for the shields so you can pose Cap with his shield on his back, extra hair for Cap, a modern and vintage mask, hands for poses with shields, the possibilities seem endless as to styles. I really dig this feature and Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys would just incorporate this into all Minimates. But then again they couldn’t sell multiple copies of characters if you had all the different pieces to make costume changes.



Okay so besides Cap and Buckey’s Sheilds, what makes this set cool is a Transparent Human Torch (not Johnny Storm, before him) and Namor has these little wings for his feet. This I wasn’t really expecting to be so cool, I mean he is Spock in a Speedo after all.



The only thing I could think of that would make this set cooler, or hotter, would be one of those “jump” jets they flew around in. I think I might have to try and make one, if I do it’ll find it’s way up here.



Enough with the words and pictures I’m off to find my old Invaders comic, I gots a jet to make!

Happy Fourth Everyone!

When Captain America throws his mighty shield!

Have I started a post with that before??? Here's a Toy Biz Captain America from Series One. When these started hitting you could go to a store and see the whole set, buy one, and return the next payday to pick up another. Man, how times have changed. I remember it took me like half a year to buy the four Ninja Turtles, now you don't pick up that toy you've been looking for you won't see it again, unless you shop online. Even then you could miss out!



This is on my list of favorite renditions of this character, he came with a sweet base with a tore up enemy tank and an American flag to plant on it, go Captain America! You know the articulation on this figure is insane, like many of the Marvel Legends, but all those crazy joints kinda take away from the lines a bit. Not that I'm complaining, especially after the original Toy Biz version of this guy (another fav, but man that one was sucktacular!).

Anyway I leave you with the Captain America theme song, I can start signing this in my house and who ever happens to be in ear shot, nine times out of ten, will finish it. Enjoy. Klang!!!

I will own these!

Okay so checking the toy news today I see that this year's SDCC will have some pretty cool exclusives. I usually just go cool and forget about them since I will never make it to SDCC. Though this year I will get this set of Invaders, even if I have to hit evil bay!

The thing I think is really cool about this set is the ability to make all the different versions of Captain America. Read more about them here, and know this... they will be mine, I don't know how, but they will be mine! Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!

image from Diamond Select Toys.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Well, observed Veteran's Day anyway, yesterday being the true holiday and all.

I also don't know if you really wish people a Happy Veteran's Day, being that it is in remembrance of all that have fought for our country, so maybe a Salute to all Veteran's on this Day is in order!

I have a few Veteran's in my life, so in my own weird way here's a salute as I rank them up there with one of my favorite heroes!



The card is the first in the 1990 Marvel Comics Super Heroes trading cards set. Probably one of the only card sets I have ever completed in my life! Wow, 1990 these things are seventeen years old, seems like yesterday, man I feel so old right now.

Why Alex, Why?

Okay I know they (Marvel) are going for a reaction, and it's not Steve Rogers, but why give Captain America a gun and a knife? I say No! This isn't Captain America!

So to further drive the point home that we live in modern America we give Captain America a pistol, my Grandmother used to say "Real men do not need guns." This is like giving Aquaman a hook hand or turning Superman into a killer.

I usually dig the treatments that Alex Ross gives these classic characters, but not this one, I do not approve Mr. Ross, not at all.

Freebie Friday!

This Freebie Friday is a sort of Double Freebie. A buddy of mine at work knows I'm crazy for Super heroes, Star Wars, Batman, and the like, plus being a retired military man he still has access to on base shopping. He was strolling through the Base Exchange and came across some free comics and thought he would pick one up for me!

I really like comics like this, it's obvious that it is one of those special advertising issues, but this one is done for AFFES, the Air Force base exchanges. It is the New Avengers staring Captain America, The Punisher, Ghost Rider, our pal the Silver Surfer, and the brave men and women serving in Iraq.

The story goes that Hydra has taken control of a satellite station that controls a military satellite that happens to have a particle beam on it. Why not, right? That is the least of the problems Hydra has caused, because this satellite also carries the "low-priority communications channel" that allows the soldiers to e-mail their loved ones. Dammit, Captain America is not going to stand for this crap anymore. Hydra has to be stopped!


Turns out it's the Holidays and the Avengers are all off with their families, so Cap puts together a team that really has no ties to family and friends and can work the Holidays! New Avengers Assemble!!! Answering the call is our four heroes above. Ghost Rider goes to take out the Hydra Agents that are surrounding a U.S. relay station and help the soldiers there to get through to the satellite. When their up link fails, Ghost Rider tosses them a USB drive to download their e-mails too and he'll deliver them to another station himself. Those USB drive sure are handy.

Silver Surfer is to intercept these creatures that threaten to destroy the satellite itself. Seems Hydra set up a back up plan. This poses no problem for the Silvery Hero and he stands guard in orbit just in case. Cap and the Punisher rush to the main station to take out the rest of Hydra and re link the satellite. The task is complete just in time for the Ghost Rider to show up and give Cap the USB drive and upload all the troops e-mail. The day is saved and everyone can have a happy holiday.

Okay it's not the best of stories, but during each of the individual hero's mission they are thinking of their long lost families and what they meant to them and this fuels their desire to complete the mission. It's sort of a nice way for each of the characters to relay a brief origins story to the reader. Also it seems that each have no problems taking out the Hydra Agents that have given the Military and FBI trouble in this story, that they have time to let their mind wander.

Comics sure are fun, especially free ones!

Mego Knock-Offs Assemble!

I am totally digging these new Signature Series Figures from Hasbro. These are a continuation of sorts of their previous line of "mego like" figures that featured DC characters. This time around it's Marvel that's getting the retro retread treatment. I like these because they remind me of Megos back in the day and I finally get a chance to get characters that I didn't get back then.

So far Hasbro has churned out a pretty good number of these things starting with Spider-Man, Black Costume Spider-Man, Doc Oct, and the Green Goblin. The second series featured Captain America, Wolverine, Dare Devil, and Iron Spider-Man (from the Civil War story arc). Somewhere in between they did a couple of Target exclusives of First Appearance Spider-Man and the Punisher. That's just the Marvel characters!

More recently they produced a Cyclops figure and rumor has it a Sandman figure will make an appearance soon. My hopes are high that this line continues strong into the future, but by the looks of Hasbro's spotty distribution of these and the series trickling down to just one figure per release, I'm afraid it might be the DC line all over again. I hope I'm wrong on this one.

My goal has been so far to get one of every one of these toys Marvel and DC. So far I've been pretty good about picking these up, to date I am missing only a couple of the DC figures, hopefully Ebay will turn up these at decent prices.

Goodbye Captain America

I just found out about this today. What is the world coming to?

The full story here.