12" Mego Spider-Man & Hulk (1978)

Not to oversell it in any way, but this post has been a long time coming, due in large part to this pair of over-sized Mego figures being my all-time favorites, and that lifelong tether to Mego leading me to starting this blog sixteen years ago when discovering lines like Mattel's 8" DC Retro-Action and ToyBiz 9" Marvel Famous Covers. Before even Kenner's dominating Star Wars presence, Mego were among my first action figures, starting with their 8" figures in '74-'75. Getting the larger 12" Mego later on in '78-'79 was just over-the-top!

We say 12" with this Spider-Man, but he's really more like 12.75". There was an earlier Parkdale version distributed in Canada and Europe in 1977, but the American release got a beefed-up body. Each of my three samples have this body with the red torso, but the outfits have small differences- one with a shallower neck fit, one with taller boots, etc.. The middle one is the brightest/cleanest, though the stitch at his belt from front to back on the left is the most egregiously aligned of all of them. But you can't see that from the front.

I actually just got ahold of an eight inch '74 Spidey. He's on a Type 2 Mego body and may be an earlier sample in the long run of this particular action figure on account of the narrower "hourglass" design on his torso. I loved both of these immensely as a child and still do. Spider-Man was everything to a kid in the '70s, through Marvel Comics, the "Spidey Super Stories" on PBS' Electric Company kids show, and the '77-'79 CBS live action TV show. Universally Loved!

Mego improved the fit of Spidey's costume, though the color on my 1974 sample is richer, dare I say. The older head is larger, but the new band-less Mego body appears more slender- be it the tighter outfit or smaller buck.

Below, 12.75" and 8" Mego Spider-Man with my 12" Marvel Legends Spider-Man, 

the new Disney Store 8" Spider-Man, and my 9" Hasbro Origins Spider-Man...

Below, a 1978 Imperial Toy Spider-Man finger puppet I found recently- I'm 99% certain I had this at some point during childhood, which tracks having been released the same year as 12" Mego Spider-Man. And further down another recent Spider find, a "Spider-Sense" Peter Parker Happy Meal Toy from 1996...

I actually have two samples of the 12" Mego Hulk, neither with the white lab coat my childhood Hulk wore, regrettably. The second one I found is the cleaner of the two and with nicer pants. Though comically shorter than Spider-Man, this 12" Mego Hulk was such an improvement over his 8" counterpart and is, undoubtedly, my all-time favorite Hulk.

In the years prior to finding a 12" Mego Hulk, I made do with the very charming 9" ToyBiz Marvel Famous Covers Hulk. A dashing stand-in I love, but not the OG, which towers over him...

Below, 12" Mego Hulk with 9" Marvel Select Immortal Hulk, 9" ToyBiz Famous Covers Hulk, 14.5" Hasbro Marvel Legends Hulk, and 6" ToyBiz Marvel Legends "1st Appearance" Hulk...

The Bulldozer Hulk was a fast-food premium from a 1990 Hardee's Kids Meal- I found it with a She-Hulk in a pink car recently, both of which roll nicely. I have a soft spot for simple toys like this. Like the Pez dispensers, they really take me back to the Marvel Bronze-Age era of licensed merchandise we had as kids in the '70s/'80s.   

Visit the Mego Museum's World's Greatest Superheroes Gallery

 to see the figures that started it all back in 1972!

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Mego Stan Lee

I want to say this figure dropped in Spring of 2021, with a light-yellow sweater, but I picked up this red sweater variant from an eBay seller at a deep discount. There was an earlier Mego Stan Lee released in 2020 without the web-spinning hands as well. I have been looking at him for years wondering how he'd fit into my purely DC Mego figure collection, but after I got ahold of the Disney Store Mego Spider-Man & Arch Enemies 4-pk, I felt he'd finally have some Marvel friends to pose with.

Below, Mego Stan Lee with my Marvel Legends Stan Lee ...!

Now that I have an official Mego Spider-Man in my collection, 

Mego Stan Lee will always have a trusted ally! Excelsior!

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MEGO Spider-Man & Arch Enemies 4-pk (Disney Store Exclusive 2025)

I was bummed out missing the first round of this Mego Spider-Man and Arch Enemies 4-pk on the first drop but lucked out in the second round. While I think these figures will eventually show up individually at some point, and there are surely business advantages to Mego, I still resent having to chase down exclusives from various retailers. Similarly, I missed out on the recent Fantastic Four set, also a Disney Store Exclusive. Complaints aside, I love the inclusion of the gold coin, the box illustrations are authentic, and the figures- classic Mego!

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I didn't have Green Goblin or Lizard back in the '70s, and Electro is new for Mego, but I had Spider-Man- quite possible my favorite Mego figure of all time. Spider-Man was on The Electric Company TV show and had a live action TV show of his own starring Nicholas Hammond in the '70s and was featured in three different ongoing monthly titles during the years Mego sold a Spider-man very much like this one. Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man was probably one of the first comics I pulled off the spinner rack back then. Spider-Man was everything when I was a kid, and he's still hot property. I'm mad for this set!

Below, Mego Spider-Man next to my 9" Hasbro Origins Spider-Man, one of my favorite action figures in the Super-DuperToyBox, and Electro next to my Mego World's Greatest Superheroes 50th Anniversary Flash...

This set may very well be the coolest thing I got my hand on all year, and I hope we see more Mego Marvel in 2026! I loved my 12" Mego Spider-Man and Hulk as a kid and would love to see at least a few larger-sized Marvel Mego! 

Visit the Mego Museum's World's Greatest Superheroes Gallery

 to see the figures that started it all back in 1972!

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Marvel Legends Dump -August 2023

 I didn't get all of these figures in August, but most of them I did, so I felt it was a good time to dump a bunch of them onto the blog!

Spider-Man 2 (Gamerverse)

I was disappointed in missing out on the first Gamerverse Spider-Man at GameStop a couple years ago, so getting this upgraded model was sweet. He came with several web accessories and has all the articulation you'd want in a Spider-Man figure, including a toe joint.

Above: Spider-Man Vs. The Lizard   Below: Spider-Man with my Gamerverse Velocity Suit Spider-Man and Spider Armor Mark III form the Marvel Legends Demogoblin Wave...

Quantumania Ultron

I'm not sure why Ultron was in this wave, but collectors who missed out on the Classic Ultron we got in 2021 with the Ursa Major BAF Wave will be glad to see him. His head sculpt is slightly different, and he is sculpted in that swirly metallic plastic instead of painted silver. Below, Quantumania Ultron pictured with Disney + What-If... Ulton BAF and my Classic Ultron...

Guardians of the Galaxy Yondu

I hate exclusives as much as the next collector, but I didn't have any problem preordering this Target Exclusive Yondu. What a presentation- live the color on this figure! He pairs nicely with the Walmart Exclusive Star-Lord we just got!

Moon Knight (Modern)

I've been a fan of Moon Knight since reading about him in Spectacular Spider-Man back in the '70s, and this modern interpretation hits all the right notes. I'm unsure what I'm supposed to do with the extra-small crescent accessories he came with, but he was packed with other useful weapons.

Below, Modern Comics Moon Knight flanked by Disney+ Moon Knight and Mr. Knight:

Heroes Return Iron Man/Model 01 Iron Man

How many Iron Man figures does a Marvel Legends collector need? Apparently two more!

Above: Model 01 Iron Man Vs. my ToyBiz 1st Appearance Hulk

Below: Heroes Return Iron Man with Iron Spider

Below, Heroes Return Iron Man and Model 01 Iron Man with some of the other Marvel Legends Iron Men I've collected in the last 3 years: Iron Man 2020   80th Anniversary Classic Iron Man   Modular Iron Man   Model 70 Iron Man   War Machine   Silver Centurion   Stealth Iron Man ...

Avengers: Beyond Earth's Mightiest Heroes Captain Marvel Vs. Doctor Doom 2pk

I read Secret Wars back in the '80s and was particularly fixated on this version of Doctor Doom that looks like the Mattel Secret Wars figure I had then. I was thrilled to see this set solicited a few months ago, and it did not disappoint!

Below: Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel with Mar-Vell Captain Marvel

Hasbro went all the way with Doom, including a Victor Von Doom head sculpt, collapsed hoodie accessory, and mask so we can relive issue #11 of Secret Wars "The Face of Doom" like it's 1985! So good ...!

Below, Secret Wars Doom with my Marvel Legends Classic Doctor Doom

Avengers: Beyond Earth's Mightiest Heroes Black Widow

And finally, a figure I picked up while shooting the rest of these, the newest Marvel Legends Black Widow. I passed on this figure in a local Target a couple weeks ago, but circled back to scoop her up- with three head sculpts, pinless joints (double hinged elbows as well), and all her other weapons/accessories, she is the Black Widow to have in your collection.

The 2018 Marvel Legends Black Widow also had an alternate head with a '60s/retro hairdo ...

Below, Beyond Earth's Mightiest Heroes Black Widow with my 2020 Walmart Exclusive Black Widow, Deadly Origin Black Widow and 2018 Black Widow w/Cycle. 

I'd have a difficult time choosing a favorite out of this bunch, but it might be the Secret Wars Doom Vs. Captain Marvel 2-pk. I'd love to have a 12" version of that Doom! Honorable mentions to the Model 01 Iron Man, Yondu, and Black Widow, but they are all pretty fantastic. Marvel Legends have become more expensive, but they often rival import-quality figures in the last few years. 

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