I’ve been in a ’90s frame of mind lately, which is unusual for me since I tend to strongly identify as a ’90s hater, at least as far as Marvel and DC are concerned. I tend to remember the bad from that oft-maligned decade more than the good, so it’s been a nice change of pace for me to be reminded that there was a lot of good to be found in that decade if you were able to see past … well, let’s not worry about that. Let’s just focus on the good. Getting Darkhawk in the recent Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy wave had me thinking about other members of The New Warriors that haven’t seen plastic representation yet, and it struck me as surprising that, while we have gotten key members of the New Warriors and X-Force, there is one ’90s character who is sorely missing: Speedball, The Masked Marvel!
Speedball was introduced in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man back in 1988. His debut generated a good amount of hype, and he was soon granted his own title, which further cemented his position in the Marvel Universe as the ’80s slowly morphed into the ’90s. What’s notable about his induction into the Marvel Universe is who is credited with his creation — it was none other than Steve Ditko and Tom DeFalco who brought him to life in the comics. Ditko needs no introduction, of course, and it’s hard to argue a character’s legitimacy with that kind of creative team behind him.
Speedball #1 was also published in 1988, and I can remember taking an instant liking to the character. His costume was pretty basic, but it was cool, and he had an interesting power set: he would bounce around like a superball, but he couldn’t be hurt and could inflict damage while he was moving — I mean, that’s completely fun. And like my other favorite Marvel character from the same time period, Longshot, it seemed as though no one really had a clear idea as to what to really do with him. Like Longshot, Speedball’s solo series would see a short run (although Longshot’s was an actual limited series), and the character would eventually be folded into a team, which is where he would spend the majority of his time.
Speedball and the New Warriors would come into prominence again in 2005 as the catalysts for Marvel’s Civil War, after which Speedball would undergo a radical transformation, assuming a new identity as “Penance,” but if we were to get a Speedball figure, I would definitely prefer a classic late ’80s/early ’90s costume, though some of his more modern appearances have been pretty decent too. And since Hasbro tends to skew modern, that may not be such a terrible thing.
In terms of base bodies to use, the Pizza Spidey body leaps to mind first, but it should be a body that can pass for a “teen,” so most Spider-Man bodies would work. He would just need a unique headsculpt and appropriate paint apps — simple. I think as long as we get the blue suit with yellow/gold accents, as well as the “exposed hair” thing he had going on, then my needs for a Speedball figure will probably be met. But if I had my wish, we would definitely get this version:
As ’90s nostalgia keeps building momentum, and characters like Shatterstar and Darkhawk start popping up in Marvel Legends, it would be good to keep the ball rolling (no pun intended) with other fun and interesting characters from that era. I think Speedball fits that description, and I’d love to be able to add him to my shelf alongside the other ’90s “all-stars.”
What say you? How do you feel about a Speedball Marvel Legends figure? Sound off below!
