SDCC ’15 proved anticlimactic to Marvel Legends collectors hoping for the deluge of views and product news seen the year previous.
The lineup of 2016’s first Spider-Man wave had leaked a few days before the Marvel presentation, diluting the punch of that particular announcement. The long-awaited Walgreens exclusives seemed middling, while what was revealed of the forthcoming Avengers Red Skull Onslaught series proved more divisive than exciting. Fans of the X-Men and Fantastic Four were dealt a telling blow, with zero representation in the ongoing 6-inch Infinite Series line. All in all, it was a mixed bag. Promises were made, gifts were exchanged, and dreams were crushed. Now that it’s over, your very own armchair quarterback in the Anthill will tell ya the Seven Marvel Legends Reveals We Should Have Seen at SDCC ’15!
The Fantastic Four
Yes, I’m cheating right out of the gate by picking four characters for one slot because its a stinkin’ outrage we’re not getting any FF product to tie in with this summer’s film. I get that Marvel is looking to “focus on other characters right now,” but come on — this is the MU’s First Family were talking about! When Tony Stark or Peter Parker has a problem, they go to Reed Richards. When they need something clobbered, they call up Ben Grimm. And when they need to burn down a building for the insurance money, they ask Willie Lumpkin. Point is, the Fantastic Four are the keystone of the Marvel Universe, and action figure collectors still don’t have a decent version of the team. Pretending that they don’t exist just doesn’t cut it.
Classic Beetle
At SDCC ’14, the unexpected appearance of Batroc and Machine Man whipped Marvel Legends collectors into a frenzy. Getting fan-demanded characters always feels like a huge victory, a feeling that was conspicuously absent from this year’s showing. Yes, RC car Silvermane is awesome. Of course Capwolf is cool. And I agree, the new female Beetle looks great — but most collectors would have preferred the original. Abner Jenkins fought Spider-Man, the Human Torch, and a host of other Marvel heroes — his inclusion would have hit the geek bullseye in a way nothing else that was shown had. It’s not that the new female Beetle is bad, it’s just the old version would have been so much better.
Punisher
Poised to appear in season two of the runaway Netflix success Daredevil, the Punisher has had a lot of action figures in the past, but all of them have missed the mark. They’re either held back by lackluster body sculpts or hobbled by poor articulation choices. The fact that most collectors feel the best Punisher to date was released by ToyBiz over ten years ago makes the point better than I ever could. The new Grim Reaper body seems tailor-made for Frank Castle — it’s even sporting a skull! Come on, we need someone to take rooftop pot-shots at Pizza Spidey!
Eric O’Grady Ant-Man
Why Hasbro is giving us the Black Ant and not the Irredeemable Ant-Man is anybody’s guess. In fact, it’s one of the biggest head-scratchers of the summer season. Some theorize that this brazen, tongue-in-cheek take on the character would damage the Ant-brand, while others feel O’Grady is coming, just in some later wave. Either way, Black Ant is the very embodiment of the SDCC ’15 ennui. He’s okay, but something, anything, seems like it would have been better.
Any of the “Lost” Legends
Blizzard? Check! Radioactive Man? Check! Bulldozer? Check and double-check! But fans are still waiting for a number of shown-but-never-released Marvel Legends like the Hood, Songbird, Blade, Dani Moonstar, and Multiple Man. Getting news that any of these characters had been updated to new bodies and placed in an upcoming series would have gone a long way towards alleviating collector paranoia about product that’s announced but never released. While there was some talk of the Iron Man 3 Rescue Pepper being included in a future Avengers wave, we’ve yet to see any die-hard confirmation, like group pics, so only time will tell.
Moon Knight
In the past few years Hasbro has provided collectors with some nice updates to previously produced ToyBiz figures. Hasbro’s versions of Black Panther, Iron Fist, and Daredevil boogie all over the ToyBiz offering’s graves. That commitment to redux continues with the new classic Cap, a winged Namor, and a sleek and stylish Venom. But for all of that, the one Hasbro figure most fans will agree needs an update is Moon Knight. While the original has, uh, nostalgia appeal (okay, even that’s a reach), it’s clear if Moony is ever going to get his plastic due its here and now. Word that we could expect a new ‘Knight with a stock of exotic weapons, extra hands and extra Marc Spector head would have had fans saying Udon-who?
Rogue/Havok/Multiple Man/Your favorite X-Man here
For many fans. the real kick in the ‘nards was the absolute lack of X-Men on display. Optimists had hoped to see something. But aside from a kickin’ Sauron custom, it was “No More Mutants” at the Hasbro booth. It seems crazy to think that there isn’t some X-product lined up to take advantage of the one-two punch of next year’s X-Men: Age of Apocalypse and Deadpool, but if Hasbro has anything planned, they’re being damned quiet about it. With some serious rumbles of discontent from the Marvel boards, Fwooshers are demanding representation. Will Marvel and Hasbro hear it? Or will we be asking the same questions at SDCC ’16? Anyone here a time-travelling mutant?
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