Toy Biz - MEDUSA!

Marvel Comics - Fantastic Four Series 4 - Medusa (Inhumans) - ToyBiz 1996

I have a great appreciation for the 1990's Marvel action figures from ToyBiz. I remember seeing ads in comics as a kid and thinking that I should buy them all, but I just never did. In fact the first one I bought was near the end of the era, a Magik I found in a Kay-Bee clearance bin for a dollar circa 1999. But as an adult, I've become pretty obsessed with them for their character variety, classic costumes, and creative re-use of molds. I also have a strong compulsion to collect every piece of merchandise for certain characters (especially when there is a new Marvel Legends released to motivate me), so backtracking to pick up these old figures on eBay is a common occurance for me. The new Marvel Legends Medusa inspired me to dig out this old Medusa ToyBiz figure that I've had forever, but sadly never really celebrated. She's a prime example of what I love about the 90's ToyBiz figures: and unexpected character in a classic design (and easy to pick up cheap, even 30 years later. Let's check out Medusa below!

Futurama - CLOBBERELLA!

Futurama - Basic Series Wave 6 - Leela as Clobberella - Toynami 2009

A couple months ago I randomly saw an episode of Futurama, Season 5, Episode 6 "Less than Hero", wherein the main characters don superhero outfits as the New Justice Team of New New York. This episode was notable for me because (1) as much as I'm a fan of (the vast majority of) Matt Groening's work, I've only seen about 10 episodes of Futurama in my entire life. And (2) I loved Leela's Clobberella design. I liked the obvious nod to Barbarella with the name, and I was drawn to the costume parallels to Electra Woman from the Electric Company. Even Clobberella's weird rolling pin emblem is bizarrely similar to Electra Woman's "EW" logo. I decided to check if there had ever been a toy made for this costume, fully expecting to find nothing, but surprise surprise, all three heroes (Captain Yesterday and Super King as well) got figures in the 2009 Toynami line. I snagged her on eBay before the episode was over. She's essentially a statue, but she's really fun. Let's check out Clobberella below!

DC Monsterverse - WONDER WOMAN!

Justice League Monsterverse - Wonder Woman vs Godzilla - McFarlane 2025

It seems like every time a robust DC Comics action figure line is established, there is eventually a rallying cry from the fanbase begging for a classic Wonder Woman. The tricky thing is that everyone has a different interpretation of what "classic" means. For me, it would probably be the 80's version that I would see on lunchboxes and notebooks as a kid. With bright yellow, red, and blue, and a simplified, almost animation-esque design. (FYI there are two rumored McFarlane Diana's coming in 2026: a Lynda Carter version, and an "80's version" - fingers crossed it looks like my ideal vision!).  But in the meantime, this Wonder Woman vs Godzilla set from 2023's Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong comics seems to be embraced as the most classic Wonder Woman in the McFarlane line so far. Although her metallic costume makes her look distinctly cinematic, and her face looks definitively modern, she does have a fantastic headsculpt and there are no distracting costume embellishments, so I understand the hype. 

The New Teen Titans - BLACKFIRE!

DC Mulitverse Digital Series - Blackfire (New Teen Titans)  - McFarlane Toys 2025

Of all the character who deserve a figure in McFarlane's DC Multiverse line, or even a second re-do figure, Blackfire no even on my radar. Last year's Platinum edition Blackfire in her Titans Reborn design was a great figure (albeit in a lesser-known outfit). So I was shocked to see this redeco solicited in an odd design reminiscent of her first appearance, but missing her voluminous hair, large cape, and ornate headdress/tiara. I was fully planning on skipping this figure, but FOMO during the preorder blitz this past fall made me cave. She's a pretty cool figure, and I know a lot of collector's missed the Platinum release last year, so I kind of understand how she was awarded a coveted figure slot ahead of so many other contenders. And for someone who was on the fence, I appreciate how significantly different the color palette is, and the multihued purple/blue legs are mesmerizing. They have a color-shifting effect like an oil slick, and I've never seen that on a toy. Let's check out Blackfire below!

Masters of the Universe - TEELA!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figures #6 - Teela - Altaya 2022/2023

I'm pretty sad that my reviews of these Masters of the Universe Altaya figurines are coming to a close. I discovered them shortly after they started being released back in 2022 and it became a major obsession of mine to get all my favorites. There were fifteen female characters released, which were all a requirement for me, and I cherry-picked an additional four male characters. Honestly if I could afford them I would get the whole series. But eBay markups and shipping from Europe were a major roadblock. Teela was the figure that got me hooked. She was the 6th figure in the series and looked just like the 2014 Pop Culture Shock statue I was so covetous of. But when I got her in hand, she was the most disappointing of all due to a mispositioned hairpiece and a stunned facial expression (I fixed the hairpiece that you see in these photos, but when I got her she had a gigantic forehead). It almost made me think the effort to acquire them was too great for the return, but I'm glad I continued. Let's check out Teela below!

Masters of the Universe - SORCERESS!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figures #HS1 - Sorceress - Altaya 2022

The Sorceress has always gotten the short end of the stick in the merchandising department. For such an iconic, powerful, and maternal figure that is in almost every episode of He-Man and whose mysterious origins are a major keystone in all of Eternian lore, she simply hasn't ever had a great piece of merchandise produced. There have been some close ones, like the Super7 Club Grayskull figure from 2018, but all her figures have been slightly off. Similar to the Evil-Lyn post from yesterday, this Altaya Sorceress figurine shares a lot of design similarities with the 2015 Pop Culture Shock statue, which I personally feel is the nicest-looking Sorceress product made. Of course that statue was always very expensive, and this newer figurine is much easier to display and (slightly) less expensive. This figurine is a bit of a mystery to me. I believe she was a subscription-exclusive figure unavailable in stores. She fetches about 8x the price of the other characters, but she's worth it. Let's check her out below!

Masters of the Universe - EVIL-LYN!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figures #9/10 - Evil-Lyn - Altaya 2022/23

Something I especially like about these French/Spanish Masters of the Universe figurines from Altaya is that they have very similar poses and styles to the Pop Culture Shock statue series (distributed by Sideshow). I always coveted these statues, but they were way out of my price range. These newer figurines are like miniature versions of those masterpieces. Despite all of Evil-Lyn's transformations over the year (thankfully almost always true to her signature design), I will always be most fond of her original 1983 Filmation design with pale yellow skin, purple and blue clothing, and a long black cape. Her scenes from the first (aired) episode, The Diamond Ray of Disappearance, are dynamic and amazing. The image of her standing atop a mountain with her cape billowing while Skeletor announces her, "Evil Lyn, Sorceress of Night!" was fused into my young brain. Having a new representation of her from that era to add to my collection thrills me. Let's check her out below!

DC Comics - THE CHEETAH!

DC Page Punchers - Cheetah (Red Platinum) 1st App - McFarlane Toys 2025

This figure was a surprise to me on several levels. Firstly, I never expected a classic Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah to be made in the DC Mulitverse line. A more modern Barbara Minerva version with her savage feral appearance seems much more like the McFarlane aesthetic. Secondly, I fully expected to hate this figure based on the leaked photos. Even after finding her at GameStop and seeing her first hand, my hopes were dismally low. Her awkward in-package pose makes her head look tiny and her feet look huge. But when I got her in my photo tent, my judgement waned and I kind of fell in love. Sure, I only like her unexpressive face, and her re-used upper thighs (with an obvious Catwoman boot-line) is annoying, but overall I still think she's great. With McFarlane winding down the DC lines, it's surprising to get characters like Cheetah and Jayna (and the upcoming Zatanna, Black Canary, Jessica Cruz, and Ice). It's a pretty impressive roster, and I'm excited for it. Let's check out Cheetah below!