Mego 50th Anniversary WGSH (Wave 18)

I was super-excited about getting these Mego Wave 18 World's Greatest Super-Heroes, which included some bonafide B-Tier DC heroes and villains like Red Tornado and Dr. Fate! None of these were produced during Mego's halcyon days in the '70s, but they really capture the spirit! Check out the video:

There was also a Bizarro included in this wave that I could have pitted against my Mego 50th Anniversary Superman, but I just never cared about that character. I'm much more a fan of Brainiac!

As much as I loved Mattel's DC Retro-Action figures back in 2010, the quality of the figure construction can't match the new Mego figures. That said, the Retro-Action Two-Face is still a treasured item in my collection...

Below, Nightwing joins my modern Mego Batman and Robin for an evening patrol!

Below, Deadman, Firestorm, Dr. Fate, and Red Tornado team up with Aquaman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and Shazam- what a great time to be a Mego fan!

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Spooky Six Inches!

After my last post on the Batman Unlimited Vampire Batman, I started to think about who he may go trick-or-treating with, and decided Sinestro Corps Scarecrow, The Spectre, and Deadman would be likely candidates! Enjoy some random shots of these creepy DCUCs in my collection...

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Wave 12 DCUC Spectre

Yes we've all seen Mattel's 6" DCUC Spectre, but my last post on Day of Vengeance prompted me to open this long ignored, surprisingly cool action figure. There was also a glow-in-the-dark variant of this released in 2010, which I can't explain why I passed on. Spectre was one of seven in Wave 12, carrying the connect & collect right arm/"killing glove" of Darkseid. The Mattel Darkseid looks cool, but I have a pretty great DC Direct Darkseid. I have dozens of connect & collect parts, but not one dadburned figure complete!

The collector button features Spectre along with fellow Justice Society heroes, Flash and Green Lantern- according to Yo Go Re over at OAFE.Net, this is from the cover of All-Star Comics #2. Spectre started out as the avenging undead spirit of murdered cop Jim Corrigan, assigned to be the Wrath of God, but came to be much more than the JSA hero of the 1940's, later taking Crispus Allen and Hal Jordan as his new hosts. He is arguably the most powerful being in the DC Universe, essentially the embodied wrath of God. Kinda scary!   :D

One thing the glow-in-the-dark chase variant is missing is the subtle paint shading that makes Spectre's eyes look as though they are glowing- very effective! Spectre's cape is a seperate piece from his head, a swivel joint at the neck. He has the typical, great articulation all DCUCs share, and the sculpt is artfully simple, absolutely nailing the iconic look of this other-worldly character. There isn't a lot to the Spectre's outfit, so the cloak, gloves and boots had to be perfect, which they are, even in the way the folds pleat his cape in back.

When author and former theology student John Ostrander brought the character into the modern age, he placed the Spectre in complex, morally ambiguous situations that posed certain ethical questions. He also added several new concepts into the Spectre's history, revealing that the Spectre was meant to exist as the embodiment of the Wrath of God, and Jim Corrigan was but the latest human spirit assigned to guide him while he existed on Earth. He also portrayed the Spectre the fallen angel named Aztar who had participated in Lucifer's rebellion, but then repented, serving as the embodiment of God's anger as his penance. (Wikipedia)

My favorite part of the Day of Vengeance series I just read was the Spectre's battle with Captain Marvel, in attempt to destroy all magic in the Universe. Convinced by Eclipso that that all things that follow the rules of the physical universe follow God's law, and anything contradictory breaks God's law and is therefore evil. Though the Enchantress channel the power of magicians around the world through Captain Marvel, it's too much in the end, driving her temporarily mad and allowing the Spectre to defeat the Big Red Cheese!

Another perhaps greater battle in Day of Vengeance is that between Spectre and Nabu, the powerful entity that trained Kent Nelson/Dr. Fate in the magic arts after he opened the ancient wizard's tomb. Long unsuccessful in finding a host for the Spectre, Nabu, last of the Great Lords of the Ninth Age, is forced to confront him. In fatally injuring Nabu, the Spectre gains attention of "the Presence", who is finally forced to contain the ramaging spirit. The dying Nabu hands his helmet to Detective Chimp, who has Capt. Marvel throw it into space to let chance find the new Dr. Fate and welcome the Tenth Age of Magic. Pretty heavy stuff!

Along with Dr. Fate, I often think of Deadman when in the same category as Spectre for obvious reasons. Deadman wasn't a big player in Day of Vengeance, but he was shown in one of the panels, part of Phantom Stranger's team hunting down monsters that escaped the Rock of Eternity that Spectre smashed while killing the wizard Shazam. Like the Spectre, Deadman used another being as a host to search for his murderer and serve justice. Below are pictured the Spectre and Deadman with The Spectre Annual #1, Vol.2, 1988, in which the two spirits battle the Proto-Demon at the gates of Hell! Riveting!

Some other great Spectre issues in my collection:
*All Star Squadron Vol.3, No.28 (DC, Dec. 1983) The Spectre Vs. The Justice Society! Goofy, but fun  :D
*The Spectre Annual No.1, "Lost in Memory" (DC, 1995) Team up w/Dr. Fate! BubbaShelby turned me on to Mankdrake & Ostrander's work on Martian Manhunter, which I loved, and wisely recommended their work on the Spectre as well. Great stuff!
*The Spectre, No.38 (DC, Feb. 1996) Check out that spooky cover by Donald David- brilliant!

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DC Action League Martian Manhunter/Deadman 2-Pack

I picked up this DC Action League Martian Manhunter/Deadman 2-Pack at the same time as the  Arkillo/Sinestro 2-Pack last week. There was a Professor Zoom/Flash pack as well, but I was watchcing the bucks, and I believe a Batman/Bronze Tiger was released with this wave as well. I love the packaging, on these- it looks like a squashed version of the DCUC packaging I know, but it says FUN.

Obviously a tip of the hat to Jonn Jonzz & Boston Brand's resurrection at the conclusion of Geoff Johns' Blackest Night for the following Brightest Day series,  Martian Manhunter and Deadman are paired together, Jonn having been murdered by Libra in  Final Crisis (2008), and Boston having been dead his whole career.

What can I say about this tiny Deadman? Extremely cute! I've read a few comics in which he appeared, including some team action with the Spectre & his appearance in Alex Ross' Justice, but am still hardly a novice concerning the ghost of a circus aerialist. Jonn was the clincher for me in this 2-pack, but Deadman is a great little figure, his body and collar molded in translucent, dark red plastic, a small "D" engraved into his abdomen. He stands well on his pedestal footprint, his white head able to turn to either side, looking around his tall collar. Extremely diminutive, but cool!

While my Martian Manhunter collection is becoming a nation of it's own among my action figures, this little guy is by far the shortest! I have a 7" DC Direct Brightest Day Martian Manhunter in this new outfit with black pants, the red bandoliers crossing his bare chest again, but with a new ornamental buckle at the center. I dig. He stands well, and has four point of articulation like most in this line: neck, shoulders, & waist. I'm a huge fan of Jonn Jonnz, in case you didn't know- I highly recommend The Idol-Head of Diabolu Martian Manhunter blog!

Of course here at the Super-DuperToyBox, I love to play BIGTOY/littletoy, so here are the pair with their 6" Mattel DCUC counterparts... now how is this not fun??  :D

Click this link to see all my posts on these Action League figures :)

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DCUC Haul

Let's take a quick look at the DC Universe Classics I picked up on sale this weekend for $6.69 each, an amazing deal that I took full advantage of. Some of these are a little harder to come by, especially at that price. I only started collecting these last winter, so I missed a lot from this really GREAT action figure line.

*Wave 6 Hawkman

This puppy caught my attention immediately- such an great action figure with the expanding wings. He was clean as the day he was made, with all his accessories. WOW. True, I just got a DC Direct Brightest Day Hawkman, but this DCUC is exception & unique. Plus, I have a DCUC Hawkgirl that was lonely   :D

*Wave 13 Negative Man
Tragic member of the Doom Patrol, Negative Man, will keep my keep his teammate Robotman company. His bandaged visage, meant to keep Larry Trainor's radioactivity away from innocent passersby, remind me of the invisible man. I've read little with the Doom Patrol, but it's great stuff.

*Wave 9 Deadshot

Enemy of Batman and member of the Secret Six along with Catman, Deadshot is an expert assassin who kills for whoever is paying. I thought he was unique and liked his gauntlet guns. Pretty simple.

*Wave 9 Wildcat (purple variant)
I love the clawed toes on this one! Wildcat is a golden age DC Character & longtime member of the Justice Society of America.  A heavyweight boxing champ who trained Batman, Ted Grant relies on his heavily conditioned strength & endurance to fight crime.

*Wave 2 Aquaman & Black Manta
I've been wanting A DCUC Aquaman & Flash for awhile, but not at any price I've seen on eBay- they had two other DCUC versions of Aquaman there as well, but I couldn't resist the classic! I have these two from the Retro-Action line & Batman: Brave & The Bold line as well- time for a group shot!

*Wave 8 Dr. Fate & Wave 11 Deadman (variant)
These two will be great with the DCUC Spectre I already had! The Deadman is the variant, which I preferred, his hands & feet fading into translucent plastic- Killer!

*See the DC Universe Classics checklist at DCClassics.Com! 

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