I really tried to fight this urge, people. I did. But the hunger, she burns!
You might recall an announcement from Sideshow Toys last summer regarding their launch of a 1/6 scale Marvel line. This would be, of course in addition to the movie-themed figures that they (through Hot Toys) are already nailing the eff out of.
The three they’ve announced to date are Wolverine, Deadpool, and Punisher. All three in their “signature” looks, all sporting beautiful costumes and accessories, and all going to run you at least two-and-one-half Benjamins.
All this was met by me with a whole bunch of “ooooh pretties” followed by a bunch “awwww maaaaaans.” Because 1/6 scale is the hot chick I never got to score with in high school. And even after growing up, making some money, and collecting a whole buncha other figures, she’s still just a little too good for me.
But this was the Before Mezco era, i.e. before the prospects of the One:12 Collective line had truly sunk in, and long before the first figure jumped across my collection with the lightning striking in the background, roasting all my inferior toys. And now that we are indeed into that era, I’ve been simmering for months now, imagining what else could be done. If the gloves were to come off, and 1/12 scale figures were to become increasingly more like their larger counterparts, I don’t know that I could ever feel truly at piece if we didn’t get some Marvel action to go with.
These are the concept art for the next two figures. Take note, this is EXACTLY how you update classic costumes.
So how could something like this come to pass? The first obvious possible, which would be if Mezco themselves were somehow able to tackle Marvel as well, isn’t as ridiculous as it may sound at first. Certainly, Lego and Hot Toys are the most recent in those occurrences where the Marvel and DC licenses get toys from the same big tent. But it’s still a big stretch in my opinion.
A less negotiation-heavy and licensing gymnastics way would be if Hasbro themselves were to take this on. Before I get into how totally feasible this could be, let’s get a couple things out of the way. The biggest obstacle, at least as I see it, is the one that some of Hasbro’s guys (as well as a good chunk of the fandom) would throw out at first pitch —
“But we’re already doing that. It’s called Marvel Legends.”
Search your feelings, you know it to be true. And check the comments, because if somebody skimmed the article title and responded, you’ll see it there too.
Marvel Legends is absolutely nearing the pinnacle of what one can expect from a modern 6-inch, mass-market line. The have perfected body reuse to a science that makes Mattel look like butchers, they have a keen sense of character selection and variants, and they’ve managed to keep that classic Build-a-Figure concept a viable piece of what you’re getting with your $22 figure. And they’re hitting new corners and refinishing old corners of that universe alike, throwing down numbers of characters we haven’t seen since the ToyBiz heydays.
But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the “Signature Series” approach. I’m not even sure if I want to consider team-building in any specific terms, I’m talking about the mascots, the Marvel ambassadors. Guys like Wolverine, in his tan and brown uniform. Spidey. Cap, in classic colors. Hulk, ripped from a John Romita cover. Iron Man, in maybe a Romita Jr classic armor. And what the hell, Deadpool and Punisher. And “Signature Series” is something that Hasbro made up, not me. They used that tagline for their Famous Covers 9-inch figures they released with the Spider-Man Origins line. Just like “Masterpiece” is one of their own ideas, cooked up with Takara, no third party mega-designer needed, for Transformers. Only Transformers could pick up a design house like ThreeZero for premium figures and be met with “yeah, that’s cool, I guess….”
A nice cohesive scale, a variant head, some extra hands, and some sensible accessories. And if we could somehow keep it under half of a Sideshow price, all the better. Basically, exactly what this Marvel Sixth Scale line is proposing — just halved.
This might be an unpopular thought. But for those of you who have a Mezco Batman or two, just imagine him squaring off with an equally awesome looking Wolverine. Or Punisher. Or especially Deadpool.
**If you can afford the space and the coin for those gorgeous 1/6 versions though, you can pre-order Deadpool at the Sideshow site
