It’s that time of year again, folks. With SDCC ’14 so close we can taste it, it’s time for another Fwoosh odds column. This time we focus on the upcoming Hasbro Marvel Legends reveals. What action figures will be shown to get collectors stoked for the new year? More importantly, what figures won’t be shown, causing half of the Fwoosh to suffer a blanket aneurysm? Place your bets, ante up, and don’t forget to pay the lady!
500 to 1: New Box Sets
While releasing the Toys R Us exclusive All New X-Men 5-pack was an admirable gesture on Hasbro’s part, the set hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. Whether this is a result of Hasbro’s lackluster craftsmanship or simply consumers balking at the $100 price tag is hard to say, but it’s clear that box sets aren’t working at retail anymore. They simply don’t cost out. Look at it this way: in 2006, $40 got you this:
In 2014, $100 gets you this:
Yeah, I know there were other figures, but ol’ Warren here is the set’s poster boy. Today’s multi-figure packs simply lack the quality of single-figure releases. Without that quality and the sense of value they once imparted, box sets become the domain of The C.O.R.P.S. or whatever pseudo-military outfit has occupied your local dollar store. It’s a safe bet Hasbro won’t bother with them again.
100 to 1: Non-Movie Properties
I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you won’t be adding 3D Man to your collection any time soon. Niche players like Charlie Chandler here can expect to warm the benches for at least another year. While we’ll continue to see comic versions of notable characters in the Marvel Legends line, you can bet they’ll all be at least peripherally related to whatever movie properties are current at the time. That means yes = Black Cat, Baron Zemo, and Stryfe and no = Brother Voodoo, Darkhawk, and Angar the Screamer. In other words, don’t expect any big announcements about Alpha Flight Legends in 2015.
50 to 1: More Spider-Man
With Amazing Spider-Man 2 now safely in our rear-view mirrors, it’s safe to say fans have reached a state of Spider-fatigue. Sony’s mishandling of the once-popular Marvel franchise has left ol’ Web-Head in a strange place: while he’s still one of the most recognizable comic book characters in the world, he’s been damaged as a brand. With his evergreen status at retail suddenly questionable, Hasbro would do well to step back and let the stink blow off the character before issuing any more product. My local Target is sitting on ten of those Superior Spider-Man figures. That’s two pegs full, folks. Other than the Walgreen’s exclusive Agent Venom, don’t expect much from the Wall-Crawler in the foreseeable future.
20 to 1: Cosmic Heroes
With Guardians of the Galaxy poised to blow the roof off of the summer movie season, it’s clear Marvel has a whole new sandbox to play in. By staking it’s claim to space, the company now has an organic and credible way to introduce cosmic characters like the Watcher, Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock, not to mention oddities like Pip the Troll, Starfox, and Moondragon. And while it’s unlikely someone like Moonie would get an entire film of her own, she’s only one of dozens of supporting characters that can be used in a sequel to GotG or new cosmic-themed projects like The Inhumans or The Eternals. However you slice it, there’s a better-than-average chance of seeing more cosmic Marvel action figures on the pegs in 2015 — after all, it’s the company’s Undiscovered Country.
10 to 1: The “Lost” Series
Mention Tiger Shark, Batroc, or Radioactive Man to most Marvel Legends collectors and they’ll crumple like a house of cards. No, they’re not suddenly reliving some long-buried childhood trauma, they’re suffering the still-debilitating pain of not having these figures on their shelves. While their one-time wave-mate Jubilie just saw inclusion in the new X-Men Infinites series, these figures (along with the Blizzard, Bulldozer, and Classic Hawkeye) remain AWOL. I think there’s a good chance Hasbro will make some positive announcement about the status of this set. The previously mentioned Walgreen’s-exclusive Spider-Man Infinites Venom figure shows the company is serious about getting it’s product to the fans, and the fans have been very vocal about wanting these.
5 to 1: The Netflix Gang
Hasbro and Marvel have been operating in lockstep for more than a year now. The new emphasis on movies doesn’t seem to have hurt the line, and the fact that both Captain America and Spider-Man Infinites offered comic versions of characters alongside the movie incarnations means that there’s a working model for 6-inch superheroes at retail again. With Netflix set to launch four Marvel television shows in 2015, it stands to reason we’ll see a line of Legends based around them. While featured characters Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have all received action figures before, many action figure fans are eager for updates on the newer improved bodies. If a few comic-based guest stars like Shang-Chi and Moon Knight show up throughout the line, then all the better.
1 to 1: Avengers, Assembled and Otherwise
Mutants or Miracles? Either way, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch) are currently hot properties. While Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past featured the film debut of the moody mutants, it will be next summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron that will propel the characters into the greater Marvel’s cinematic universe. Expect to see the Maximoff twins and a host of other Avengers on the shelves in 2015. The property has been pure gold for Hasbro, and the company will certainly be milking it for all it’s worth in the next year. Let’s hope we get some much-needed comic-accurate updates of characters like the Vision, Wonder Man, and Spider-Woman alongside of the tide of movie-related product.
So what do you think? Is ol’ Anthill onto something or has he finally cracked his cybernetic dome? Discuss it on the Fwoosh forums!
Jason R Mink is the Man in the Anthill!
