ToyBiz Marvel Universe Dr. Doom & Mysterio

My collection of 90's ToyBiz 10" figures is quickly amassing, joining the ranks most recently "Spider Wars" Mysterio & "Metal Warriors" Ultra Doom! Two mean, green villains! Some of these Marvel Universe figures were given these sub-categorical titles, like my "Heroes Unmasked" Spider-Man/Peter Parker. I love the carton backers on these two packages from '98, detailed in Silver-Age Marvel graphics- it's hard to see head on, but when the package is handled the illustrated lining is a nice touch.

There is a another version of this Dr. Doom that has a brighter green cape & tunic packaged in a Fantastic Four box, but I found this "Metal Warriors" Ultra Doom more to my liking. While the paint apps are simple, the drybrushing on his arms & legs are really great, making Doom's armor look like distressed metal! His gold belt buckle & eyes were painted very carefully as well, and his tunic has a dull green wash filling the cuts in the sculpt. Whereas some of these ToyBiz figures were somewhat flat in their appearance, Doom has some depth.

Doom's comically oversized gun fits in his left hand snugly, his right arm featuring a swivel joint at the gauntlet as opposed to elbow articulation. The gun has the same silver paint has Doom's limbs, but is peppered with a black fly-speck paint application- cheap, but effective.

While slightly more poseable without it, Doom's cape looks pretty cool, and is a great flowing sculpt, attached only by wedging the collar around his neck. It's weight also limits his already narrow poise, but he stands pretty well with it on. A child would instantly discard the bulky accessory, but it does look great!

The skirt on Doom's tunic is split at the crotch like some of those old Star Wars figures, but hollow inside near the thigh- I prefer this to the legs being immovable, and it works okay visually. Truth be told, getting him in these poses took some patience anyway, and he'll be standing up straight in my display, so the split tunic will be no more visible than the seams in his leg molds.

I have to say you'd be hard pressed to find a better representation of the Latverian dictator in plastic form- this action figure totally rocks!  Yes, these cheap, goofy ToyBiz deluxe figures have limited articulation, but their simplicity appeals to me greatly. And Doom here is just a wonderfully fun toy  :D

Here's Ultra Doom with 3 3/4" Hasbro Marvel Universe Doom, Mattel Secret Wars Doom, and ToyBiz Famous Covers Doom. Consider yourself DOOMED  :D

Equally great is the enigmatic Mysterio, a clear dome in place of his head! Creepy! To the best of my knowledge, the "Spider Wars" reference on Mysterio's packaging is a reference to the finale of Spider-Man animated T.V. show in 1998, the year this particular toy was packaged. In my research, I found no ties between the villain and the two final episodes where Spider-Man meets his interdimensional counterparts, perhaps the association with the popular television show meant only to help sell the unusual figure. If he was hard to sell at KayBee Toys in '98, that's certainly not the case now, Mysterio being one of the more sought after of this line of 90's toys. I won him in an eBay auction for about eight bucks, but shrugged him off many times before due to the price being too high for the limit I'll spend- I'll pay twenty bucks for one of these (if that price includes shipping), but not much more.

Mysterio is a stand-out in this line! ToyBiz did a great job at capturing this villain, a former stuntman & illusionist who took the unintended advice that "toppling a superhero" would bring him the movie industry fame he desired, Spider-Man mistakenly chosen as an "easy target". There was another version boxed in the 10" Deluxe Spider-Man Animated Series packaging that has a white-to-green fade color scheme on his dome, but it just doesn't look as cool as the clear dome with no head. Again, creepy! 

You can't see much down inside Mysterio's domed head, which made it all the better. Dur to age, the plastic was mildly discolored, but not badly considering his age. While I was all "grown up" and past my childhood fascination with toys (Boy, did that come back with a vengeance!),  it's weird to think that these are nearly 15 years old. Boy does time fly! The figure's cape attaches to his collar via a slot behind the dome, and stays in place.

The Spider-Man Animated Series release of this figure has a lighter color scheme, and does not have the tampographed grid pattern on the body that make this such an interesting figure. Additionally, the "eyes" on this Mysterio's pectorals are only yellow dots on the Spider-Man version, cleanly tamped in black atop the red badges. Small details like this & the clear dome make the Marvel Universe version so much better looking in my opinion.

Boy, were these great to find and a lot of fun to photograph! Again, feel free to share any experiences good or bad you may remember about this line of toys. I was past collecting toys in these years while attending college, and some of you may remember them when they were new. BigDaddyDarth said he has a pile, and just posted 'em on Plastic Mayhem  :D   Thanks Pal! In spite of and because of their dodgy quality, and somewhat unspectacular construction, I'm somewhat fascinated by these  :D

More Later- Make It FUN!