In compiling this list, I began to realize that the three-pack is a strange creature. A box set of multiple figures (like an SDCC set) is easy. Two-packs are even easier. But three packs have to straddle a line, maintaining a theme while being optimistic that at least two of the three will appeal to the average consumer. They simply need more of a reason to exist than anything else, because not everyone is in the camp of wanting it all.
With only three slots, you have to be choosy, and realize what you can’t do. Usually, you won’t be able to get a team; that’s best left to box sets. It needs at least one headliner, so you can’t go super-obscure. It’s so easy to get bogged down by “what would sell? Would people want this? If they got this and this, would they be willing to buy this?”
So instead of over-thinking it, I ignored all of that, threw my hands in the air, waved them like I was apathetic to the situation in question, and went for a pure fantasy wishlist, unbothered by armchair analyzing, reason, or sense.
So without further boring setup, these are the top five three-packs that I’d be happy to see.
Spider-friends
Nope, this one isn’t comic based, but the Spider-friends have that special iconic flair that extends past comic-dom and into pop culture itself. Firestar would be the unique figure in the set, and I can hear the grousing that people would have to buy two figures that have already been done to get brand new figure. But I’m thinking Spider-Man could be on the Sunfire body, thus allowing him to have those sweet sweet butterfly joints, and Iceman can utilize parts of the classic Beetle figure, so he has that blockiness that we haven’t had with any Iceman figure. Also, make him white, not clear.
Blue Marvel, Black Panther, Miss America
Hey kids, have you read the Ultimates? No, not the Mark Millar stuff, but the Al Ewing-scribed comic that went as cosmic as comics can cosm. It was full of big ideas, bold characters and lollapalooza storytelling. Essentially, it ranks as one of my favorite recent comics. Well, we’ve got a few members of that team so far: Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau. I’ve been dying for a Blue Marvel figure ever since he debuted. Put out an unvibraniumed version of that Walgreens Panther, and add in the brand new Miss America and we can finish off at least one team.
Wonder Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch
What a threesome this is. One’s a synthezoid. One’s an ionic powerhouse. She’s a magical mutant gypsy. What happens when the synthezoid gets the brains of a dead guy, who then gets undeaded and falls in love with the woman who is married to the artificial person that is wearing his brain stuff? And then they divorce or something and she hooks up with the first guy, and then…ok, you get the picture. The brain-brothers and the woman they love are all linked in very weird and comic booky ways. We’ve had all of these characters before, but we’re still in need of a true classic Vision update. Wonder Man? I don’t know. I like so many of his costumes, I’d be okay with any of them, from Safari jacket to First appearance to second appearance to his 90s costume. Scarlet Witch could be anything from modern to her Busiek/Perez era gypsy-inspired look. The important thing is to get a new classic Vision.
Team X
It’s got a Wolverine, so it checks off an important box, and that box is “Wolverine sells, so stick him everywhere.” Add in Maverick, the never before done figure, and then a tactical version of Sabretooth. Sabretooth is probably the least interesting/necessary of the set, but this Wolverine and Maverick are both essential, at least to me.
Heroes Return Iron Man, Thunderstrike and the Captain (USAgent alt-head)
They’re the big three Avengers…kind of. This is a more out there choice, but it gets three things:
The Heroes Return Iron Man armor, which has yet to be made.
Thunderstrike, which takes care of the Thor component…if you squint and ignore facts.
A Brand new USAgent on a better-size body. With two heads you can choose to have him be Steve when he wore the USAgent costume, or USAgent himself.
Ok, those are my choices, and it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down. It could change tomorrow. It could change five minutes from now. But right now, I’d hit the preorder button for all of these. There are so many more options, this could be a top 30, but I don’t have the intestinal fortitude for that. Now, you absolutely have some other choices, so tell me how much I suck at this and let us know what they are!