Marvel Legends - WASP!

Marvel Legends - Avengers Classic Giant-Man and Wasp 2-Pack - Hasbro 2024

Way back in 2010 when the Avengers (2012) movie was first announced and rumors started to fly, I was very excited at the prospect of seeing Janet van Dyne as the Wasp on the big screen (and of course getting lots of cool toys). Janet was one of the original Avengers from 1963 so I (wrongfully) assumed her presence would be a given. But no, in her place was Black Widow, a non-powered espionage-based character who didn't join the Avengers until 1991. I was baffled and upset. I eventually grew to really like the MCU Black Widow, but Wasp was a glaring absence to me. The character eventually appeared in the Ant-Man movies (not donning a costume until 2018) but as a new character, Hope van Dyne, the daughter of Janet and Hank. Janet eventually appeared in the MCU played by Michelle Pfeiffer and got decent costumed screentime in Quantumania (but almost no merch). In the time, a classic helmeted Wasp figure rose to the top of my most-wanted Legends list. It took years but she is perfect.

Labyrinth - SARAH!

Labyrinth Retro Style Action Figures - Wave 1 - Sarah - Plastic Meatball 2023

Few movies bring me as much joy as Jim Henson's Labyrinth does. The first few times I saw it in the eighties, it actually quite scared me. But in high school I had an art teacher who loved the movie and his adoration was contagious. I swear it was always playing on the TV in the background and I am now a fan for life. It's surprising how sparsely Labyrinth has been merchandised considering its cast of iconic colorful characters. I have all the Funko Pops from 2016 and the Neca and McFarlane Jareth figures. The only modern collectibles I don't own are the ones from Weta Workshop. But even at this early stage, I'm most excited for these 3.75" figures from Plastic Meatball. The first wave had the expected assortment of Jareth, Sarah, and Hoggle. But the sneak peeks at the second wave show Sir Didymus and Ambrosius, which to me signifies a commitment to giving us a more complete cast. I can't wait to see who is next. Ludo and a few random goblins are my most wanted. Fingers crossed!

The Princess Bride - PRINCESS BUTTERCUP!

ReAction Action Figures - The Princess Bride - Princess Buttercup - Super7 2023

I'm loving the recent trend of merchandizing the major 80s fantasy/fairytale movies that were such an instrumental part of my childhood. In a few short months last year I picked up figures for Willow, Labyrinth, and The Princess Bride. And, despite not even being from the same toy company, they were all produced in the retro 3.75" Kenner style so they display perfectly together. The wave of nostalgia was palpable. I'm hoping the trend continues with the likes of Legend, Ladyhawke, or The NeverEnding Story. Few movies have such visually iconic characters as The Princess Bride, despite not being a particularly "costumey" movie. Aside from Westley's mask, all the costumes could easily fit into any generic medieval or storybook setting. But when you put those characters side by side, they are absolutely iconic. And thankfully Super7 put out the main five characters in one wave instead of making us wait. I would love more characters, but perfectly happy with just these. Let's check out Princess Buttercup below!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ALOPEX!

BST AXN Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Alopex (Target) - Loyal Subjects 2024

Alopex is my favorite new character discovery in a long time. When this toy was first announced a few months ago, I had never heard of her, but I was immediately interested because I love fox characters. In the time since, I have read a handful of issues and have become quite a fan. Alopex is a mutated Arctic Fox (sometimes known as Alopex lagopus) who first appeared in TMNT Micro Series #1: Raphael (2011 IDW).  She is generally an antagonist working with the Foot as Shredder's personal assassin. But she has a romantic connection with Raphael that plays on her allegiances. The first story I read of hers was wonderful. She reminded me of an amalgamation of several favorite characters (namely Elektra from Marvel Comics and Jinx from G.I.Joe) but unique in her fox appearance and cunning viciousness. This BST AXN figure is the Target Exclusive deco with red facepaint (the standard version is blue). I think she's amazing and I can't wait to get both to display both heads. Let's check out Alopex below!

Marvel Legends - GOBLIN QUEEN!

Marvel Legends - X-Men '97 Vintage Wave 2 - Goblin Queen - Hasbro 2024

Sometimes I feel bad for all the casual X-fans tuning into the movies and cartoons and trying to figure out the history of Jean Grey. She is an intriguing character that finds herself in the epicenter of the X-Men's greatest stories. But even as a longtime fan, I can't deny it gets a bit confusing. One of her most iconic incarnations (for me) is when her clone, Madelyne Pryor became the Goblin Queen in the Inferno storyline from 1988-89. I was an avid reader of The New Mutants (and X-Terminators) at this time so I was getting a live feed of this story as it was being published (albeit focusing on Illyana). When the promotional material for X-Men '97 was first shown last year, I was excited to see the Goblin Queen. The Inferno storyline was one of the few major X-events that wasn't ever touched on in X-Men: The Animated Series. Amusingly, even though we've now seen the Goblin Queen in the new series, the story was barely scratched. But, hey, at least we got this great figure of her. Let's check out Madelyne below!

Batgirls - CASSANDRA CAIN BATGIRL!

DC Multiverse - Gold Label (Target Exc) - Cassandra Cain Batgirl - McFarlane 2024

One thing I have always loved about Cassandra Cain is that she is the first Bat-female to be unmistakably badass. As a specific sub-genre of comicdom (that I am wholeheartedly obsessed with), the female characters in the Batman universe are always strong, independent, and capable. But the comics community is inundated with fanboys who think Wolverine, Deadpool, and Lobo are the pinnacle of cool. And trying to convince them that characters like Barbara Gordon were deserving of their respect was always a tough task. But then Cassandra Cain took on the mantle of Batgirl from Huntress in 1999's No Man's Land storyline and changed all that. Cass was a violent assassin with a deadly pedigree (she is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva). She was raised to be as lethal as possible, even foregoing verbal communication to dedicate all senses to body language. She was awesome, and her costume was cool. And she has remained as a consistent, but underused, character ever since.

X-Men '97 - ROGUE!

Marvel Epic Hero Series - X-Men '97 5-Pack (Target Exc) Rogue - Hasbro 2023

X-Men women are some of the most interesting characters in all of comicdom. Their powers, personalities, and histories merge together to create a dynamic fully-realized person. I think the most widely-embraced example of this is Rogue. She's powerful, but delicate. She's flirty, but untouchable. And she is widely viewed as oozing sex appeal, but she is covered head to toe and is essentially chaste (out of necessity). And all that intrigue doesn't even take into account her villainous history and relation to Mystique. She has also had a lot of great costumes. This yellow and green bodysuit with a bomber jacket and headband is actually my least favorite, but it has really grown on me in recent years. And clearly, it's her most popular look. I'm impressed with this Epic Hero Series. Typically 1:18 scale ladies have weird limbs and oversized joints. It's like the engineering needed for the articulation is always fighting against the smaller female sculpts. But these figures look great. I can't wait to see who is next.

X-Men '97 - STORM!

Marvel Epic Hero Series - X-Men '97 5-Pack (Target Exc) Storm - Hasbro 2023

I've been eagerly watching each episode of X-Men '97 on Disney+ since it debuted a month ago. Leading up to the first episode, I watched every episode of the original X-Men the Animated Series (which I had never completed before) and was excited to see how the adventures of all my favorite characters would continue. Without giving any spoilers, Storm's storyline was shockingly dramatic and upsetting (but by episode six it was all better) and I'm hoping she gets plenty of screentime in the final four episodes. Hasbro's new Epic Hero Series is a long overdue reboot of their 3.75" Marvel Universe line (2009-2015). (At least that's the way I view them). Regardless, it's nice to have the basic-level figures of all their different media franchises (Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and now X-Men '97) in a consistent scale. I only wish they were produced with more regularity and with more properties. At the very least I would love to see a Jean Grey and maybe a Jubilee. Let's check out Storm below!