Marvel Legends Wolfsbane & Cable

 

I picked these two Marvel Legends up loose on the secondary market because I could see that at least Cable was soon going to skyrocket in price. I'd been kind of burnt out/overloaded on Marvel Legends, but I have a soft spot for the blue/yellow X-Men outfits.

I actually had another Wolfsbane- a portrait and hands for the New Mutants member Rahne Sinclair was included with the Dani Moonstar I found at Walgreens in 2019...

Below, Wolfsbane with another feral Marvel character, Tigra the Feline Fury ...!

I love Cable in the X-Men blue/yellow- the floating belt with partial torso harness extensions appear more seamless if you keep the belt adjusted higher. I wish he had butterfly joints, but he has decent, modern articulation and he looks great.

X-Men Cable with my Marvel Legends X-Force Cable ...

Below. Cable with his parents, X-Men Jean Grey and Scott Summers, aka Cyclops...

I have more Marvel Legends to share than I have time to photograph, including a bunch more X-Men figures- I'm going to bring some more of that out since I haven't posted on any Marvel Legends in a year. Below, Wolfsbane and Cable with Forge, Wolverine, and Bishop:

More Later- Make It FUN!

Marvel Legends Deadpool 2 Cable

Uncharacteristic of most my experience hunting Marvel Legends at Walmart, I stumble upon four of the new exclusive Deadpool 2 Cable action figures on my first try recently. I was excited about this Cable from the moment he was solicited, and thought he would be harder to track down before the scalpers pinched them all. I became a fan of the character while writing this blog the last ten years, reading as many of the early issues of X-Force that I could hunt down in the dollar comics bins around town, going on to read Messiah War  and several other Cable TPB related to the series later.

The likeness to actor Josh Brolin is stunning for a mass produced 6" action figure, and his paint/sculpt detail are also very accurate. Armed to the teeth, Cable can attach his grenade launcher or shotgun to the barrel of his large assault rifle, and also has a sidearm that can be holstered onto the figure. While mildly cumbersome, the poncho overlay does add a lot to the look of the figure, and can easily be slipped off without removing his head.

While odd timing for release of these figures, a full two years after Deadpool 2, I really enjoy having this Cable, and am considering picking up the others coming out in the 4th quarter of this year. The detail, articulation, and accessories are about as good as they can be - recommended! 

I couldn't do a post on this figure without a comparison pic with my Marvel Legends Endgame Thanos BAF, both characters portrayed expertly by actor Josh Brolin...

And finally, Deadpool 2 Cable with my Marvel Legends Comic Deadpool Wave Cable- a fantastic action figure true to artist/creator Rob Liefeld's original design from the early '90s. Pictured further below with these figures are my 10" ToyBiz Cable and 3.75" Marvel Universe Cable. I sold off most all my Marvel Universe collection two or three years ago, but held onto my Cable and a few others. I hope we see Cable in the next Deadpool movie, Brolin nailed it!

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

Marvel Legends Deathlok & Cable

I picked these figures up in March of 2018, not quite a year after getting back into Marvel Legends, and am finally getting around to photographing them, not for lack of enthusiasm regarding, but rather lack of time. While Cable is a longtime favorite character, Deathlok did not disappoint, and I enjoyed him every bit as much.

First appearing in Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974, the Deathlok identity has been employed by several Marvel characters, including a mostly cyborg Steve Rogers in X-Factor #231. And his likeness to British metal band Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie is undeniable! Hasbro revealed recently that Deathlok will be rereleased in his Uncanny X-Force black & gray, but I prefer this classic color scheme. I feel like Deathlok was a greatly underappreciated figure upon his release over a year ago, but is certainly on of the best figures from this Deadpool wave- his sculpt and deco are fantastic, regardless of the character's standing in the Marvel hierarchy.

Below, Deathlok with my Marvel Legends Colossus, a modern version that wasn't favored by a lot of collectors, but I liked very much. I'm unsure these two characters had much crossover in the Marvel Universe, but the figures have a lot of aesthetic similarities I couldn't ignore...

Hasbro certainly captured the Rob Liefeld/'90s aesthetic with this Cable figure- the bulk of his shoulder harness hampers his articulation somewhat, but I feel like this is the classic X-Force version I'd been waiting for. He's armed to the teeth as well! I appreciate the inclusion of a peg for stowing his rifle onto the back of his harness and holster for his shotgun, but an additional left trigger hand would have been nice

Below, Cable with my Marvel Legends Hope Summers- I loved the Messiah War story arc from a few years back! Hasbro was bringing 6" Marvel Legends back around the time they produced this Hope figure, and while I love the sculpt/paint, the articulation leaves a lot to be desired and she doesn't hold her rifle well at all.

Below, Cable and Deathlok with their wave mate, and possibly best Deadpool action figure Hasbro has produced, the 1st Appearance Deadpool- no, he didn't include an arsenal of firearms that we associate with the character, but his articulation, deco, and sculpt are top notch. Recommended!

Be Sure to follow me on the Super-DuperToyBox Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

ToyBiz 10" Deluxe Cable (1994)

I featured this Cable on the Super-DuperToyBox in a Hey Mr. Postman installment from 2012, but didn't post enough adequately lit photos of the toy. Upon putting him up for auction on my eBay store, I realized my error in failing to properly document this fine example of '90s comics/action figure excess. He did make an appearance in my post on the ToyBiz 10" Polaris action figure, but I saw him with new eyes after unearthing him while reorganizing after a recent change in residence.

These deluxe format ToyBiz figures were an inexpensive way to wow consumers, large and colorful at an attractive price point, much like the Titan Hero format figures produced by Hasbro today. Cable has limited articulation- none in the head/neck- and despite his knee joints, he can barely stand any other way than straight up, knees locked. His proportions are severely exaggerated, much like the zeitgeist of the times and the comics written from this period. I'm excited to hear of Cable's forthcoming appearance in the Marvel cinematic universe! See my December 2016 post on the Funko POP! Cable and Marvel Mystery Mini Cable!

Below, my Toybiz 10" Beast with Cable, one of my favorite toys...

More Later- Make It FUN!

Funko X-Men Series POP! Cable & Marvel Mystery Minis Cable

Like Archangel, Cable was one of those Funko POP! X-Men bobble heads I felt strongly about getting based on my enthusiasm for the character and design. I went through a Cable phase starting around 2012 while going back to catch up on the X-Force title from '92. I was an instant fan, going on a burst of reading whatever else I could find featuring the character, including the X-Force/Cable Messiah War saga. The Marvel Mystery Minis Cable bobble head is a Gamestop exclusive I found on eBay, knowing he'd make a great BIG TOY/little toy pairing with the new POP! Cable- one of my favorite ways to collect!

Check out my video:

Below are a couple 1995 ToyBiz Cable figures in my collection:

Below, some of my more recent Funko bobble heads:  Funko X-Men Series POP! Archangel and Cable, and Marvel Mystery Minis Cable, Capt. Marvel, and She-Hulk:

More Later- Make It FUN!

ToyBiz 5" Cable Figures, 1995

I recently scored these two ToyBiz 5" Cable action figures on eBay, my enthusiasm reinvigorated by reading the Cable/Hope books, in which our man-out-of-time time-slides ever further into a post-apocalyptic future to rescue the infant from Bishop during the Messiah Wars. Riveting! 

I became fascinated with Cable after reading the first forty issues of X-Force a couple years ago, and the soldier from the future, son of the X-Men's Cyclops, became somewhat an obsession of mine. A young musician and art student at the time of Cable's introduction in Marvel Comics, my mind was elsewhere, having shed my childhood interests and became a man. I'm oddly fascinated with pop culture of the 90's now, for all it's good and bad highlights, much as I am with the '70s and '80s. Perhaps Cable is a symbol of my recently rekindled love for comics and action figures- myself a visitor from the future, in a manner of speaking, visiting a time now gone through my adventures here on the Super-DuperToyBox!

Released in the middle of the decade, these practically scream '90s! I hadn't really intended on opening them- the colorful packaging is part of their appeal, and they will look great pinned on the wall with some of my other carded Marvel figures. Urban Assault Cable features a shoulder-mounted missile launcher, and Cable Cyborg has a giant rifle and removable face and arm plates that expose the ravages of our hero's techno-organic virus. Rad! These are simple in their articulation like the 10" Marvel Universe line released around the same time, ToyBiz just a few short years away from producing the much lauded and superior articulated Marvel Legends line in 2002, indelibly changing the action figure as we knew it before. Still, I have a great appreciation for simplicity, a trait not likely associated with these two figures in their time with their paint detailing and multiple accessories. There were a few other variations of the character released by ToyBiz in this scale, but I like Cable dressed in his 90's X-Men blue & yellow. The back of the packaging is covered with photos of other action figures/toys from the X-Men & X-Force lines, including a fun looking Blackbird Jet and Sentinel!  Enjoy...

More Later- Make It FUN!

More Recent Marvel Now! Pick-Ups...

There is an enormous amount of reading going on here at the Super-DuperToyBox lately, so much that I haven't had time to talk about it all. In addition to Indestructible Hulk and Iron Man, I bit the bullet a couple weekends ago on some other Marvel Now! titles that have piqued my interest. I'm unsure how long I will continue each title due to the expense involved, but it's been hella fun so far. As I explained previously, Marvel NOW! is a 2012 relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics following the conclusion of the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline (which I also want to read at some point). To attract new readers, publishing changes include new creative teams for each of the titles, new character designs and new storylines.

*Marvel Now! Thunderbolts
The cover art sucked me in on this, I admit it. Originally, the Thunderbolts were the Masters of Evil led by Baron Zemo in disguise, a successful marketing stunt that sold big time in 1997, after the Avengers were thought dead following the Onslaught Saga. A later incarnation was government sponsored, and led by Luke Cage. I was unfamiliar with all of this however, drawn in by this dangerous looking roster of Red Hulk, Deadpool, Elektra, Punisher, and Venom. Red Hulk assembles his incarnation of the Thunderbolts to be a strike team that is clandestine in nature, similar to X-Force, the members "conditions" incurable. I'm interested in the Red Hulk more lately, (General "Thunderbolt" Ross, the classic green Hulk antagonist), and have seen more of this paramilitary  version of Venom around lately.

*Marvel Now! Thor: God of Thunder
I kept hearing this was a must, and I have not been disappointed! There's been a God Butcher on the loose throughout Thor's life, and we get glimpses into his life across the millenia at points when this phantom from his past has reared it's head. Really different! Esad Ribic's art is outstanding, like a modern age N.C. Wyeth in it's illustrative beauty. Excellence, I say!

*Marvel Now! Cable and X-Force 

I'm a huge Cable/X-Force fan so I had to give this a go. Starts off with a bang, an immediate conflict with the Avengers. Cable's makes his obligatory, mysterious reappearance, followed by a hidden agenda, his obtuse lack of explanations to all involved, and of course he dying. And breaking his daughter Hope's heart. We'll see how it goes. Art is fantastic, dark & moody...

*Marvel Now! Captain America

I am crazy for John Romita Jr's art- it reminds me a lot of Frank Miller's sketchy line in The Dark Knight Returns, an influence I'm sure Romita would claim. I haven't picked up a great deal of Captain America, during my youth or my 2 year-old return to comics as an adult, but again, that cover pulled me in. Marvel is pressing a lot of the right buttons for me on these Marvel Now! titles. The story gets cosmically bizarre in a Jack Kirby kind of way, pulling Cap onto Dimension Z to protect a child from Arnim Zola and the murderous inhabitants of his desolate world. This has been fun...

*Marvel Now! FF
This book featuring Mike Allred's cool artwork is what originally brought the Marvel Now! titles to my attention! I loved the X-Force books I read recently, and his guest pencilling on Wolverine & the X-Men #17 was hilarious! She-Hulk, Ant-Man, Medusa, and Johnny Storm's rock star girlfriend Darla Deering in a Thing suit take the F.F. Mantle over for Reed Richards while he looks for a cure to his "condition" in another dimension. The Fantastic Four was only supposed to be gone for four minutes, but as expected, something else happens. This is turning out a lot of fun  :D

*Marvel Now! Fantastic Four

I'm a Fantastic Four fan I'd say, and in spite of the criticism I've heard about the title recently, I wanted to see the other side of the group's journey as it pertains to the Marvel Now! FF title. I just couldn't let it go. More fleshing out of the transfer of power, the temporary replacements, and Reed's condition are given in the first two issues. I'm glad to be reading them, and I think they do and will tie in well with the title above, but I'd imagine you could enjoy Marvel Now! FF without reading this.

In addition to these new titles by Marvel, I'm getting into Brian Bendis & John Romita Jr's run on Avengers: The Heroic Age from 2010, a stack of Future Foundation issues for that title just before it relaunched under the Marvel Now! banner recently, and John Romita Jr's run on the Mighty Thor with Dan Jurgens from the 90's. I'm also still reading DC's New 52 Earth-2 and World's Finest: Huntress & Power Girl as they are tied into the same universe, the latter of which I'm loosing my enthusiasm for somewhat. I'll try to touch on those as time permits. 2013 is starting out pretty busy!

More Later- Make It FUN!