Marvel Busts - FRANKIE RAYE NOVA!

Marvel Mini-Bust Series - Frankie Raye Nova - Bowen Designs 2006

The Infinity Saga comic storyline really scarred me as a young comic reader. It was the first time I got sucked into a big "Event" storyline. I eagerly bought all three series (Gauntlet, War, and Crusade), as well three years of "Crossover" books that Marvel touted as essential reading: Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Quasar, Sleepwalker, Cloak & Dagger, etc, etc. And newsflash, they were not essential. The story got convoluted and boring and I felt like a total sucker for taking the bait and wasting so much of my hard-earned lawnmowing money. However, in retrospect, I love that these comics are what first exposed me to Frankie Raye as Nova. The MCU movies have clouded my memories about the comics, but I know that Silver Surfer and the heralds of Galactus played a significant role. When I first saw Nova, I thought she looked like a futuristic Firestar, but I quickly embraced her as a unique and awesome character. This 2006 Bowen bust is a rare and amazing representation of her. Let's check her out!

Marvel Mini-Bust - MYSTIQUE!

Marvel Mini-Busts - Mystique (Classic Comic Version) - Bowen Designs 2005

The recent announcement of a new classic-styled Marvel Legends Mystique in 2019 inspired me to snap from photos of this gem from 2005. I've always loved this character. Her blue skin and subtle voodoo decor honestly frightened me a bit as a kid, but back then things were a little more black and white. The heroes were good and the villains were bad. I don't think she really morphed into the standard modern antihero until Brian K Vaughn's amazing 2003 solo series. But back then she showed up in all my 25 cent bin treasures. I remember her in Avengers, Ms. Marvel, Dazzler, and even ROM. She eventually became an exclusively X-Men-oriented adversary, and I think she's actually the first serious mutant female villain (she predates Emma Frost by two years). She's had a decent amount of merchandise made, but honestly most of it wasn't super great. This bust and the 1996 ToyBiz figure are the only good ones in my opinion. That's why I'm so excited for the new Hasbro release and already celebrating!

Marvel Mini-Bust - WASP (RETRO)!

Marvel Mini-Busts - Wasp (Classic / Retro Version) - Bowen Designs 2007

I just bought my tickets to see Ant-Man and the Wasp this coming Saturday and I'm suddenly feeling super nostalgic for the classic Janet van Dyne with her red shoulderpads, pointy helmet, antennae and mouthpiece. I'm hoping there will be some flashback scene showing Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet in this costume. IMDB lists her as "Wasp" so the chances are pretty good. Then, of course, my follow-up wish is for a Marvel Legends figure in this outfit. Considering she was one of the founding Avengers, it's shocking that there are only a couple pieces of merchandise of her in this outfit. In fact, I think we are owed a Legends figure with a pack-in 3.75" figure as an accessory. And while we're at it a Nadia van Dyne as the Unstoppable Wasp would be welcome as well. I'm really curious to see the impact of this film when we see new product unveiled at SDCC in a few weeks. I'm always overly optimistic, but I think some of my wishes are a good bet this time. Let's check out this classic styles Wasp bust from Jim Maddox and Bowen Designs.

Character Spotlight on SNOWBIRD!

A Collection of Alpha Flight's Most Mysterious Inuit Demi-Goddess Snowbird

I discovered Alpha Flight very late in the game. I believe I was in college in the late nineties and I won an eBay auction for the first 50 issues for like ten dollars. I had become a fan of John Byrne through all his Legend titles and realized that he was the man behind Alpha Flight. I loved this series. The characters were interesting and weird, the stories were compelling, and the art was on point. I liked all the characters, but Snowbird always stood out to me. I always leaned towards Sorceress-type characters. Wise, powerful, mysterious, and animal-themed - it's like she was custom-made for me. Snowbird is the daughter of the Inuit Goddess Nelvanna and a mortal man. She is tasked with protecting Canada against the Great Beasts and is mystically bound to Canadian land. She can transform into any native animal, albeit snow-white in color. I always thought she was an odd addition to the team, but she captured my imagination like no other (except maybe Marrina). Let's check out her collection below!

Marvel Mini-Busts - SPIDER-GIRL(S)!

Marvel Universe Mini-Busts - Spider-Girl & Symbiote - Bowen Designs 2010

Six years ago I was in a totally different place collection-wise. I was extremely streamlined, I had many rules and guidelines, and I had a much more restrictive budget. But that doesn't mean I didn't crave lots of product that was hitting the shelves back then. Missing this Spider-Girl 2-Pack was one of my big regrets. At the time the only statue had ever let myself buy was a clearanced Firestar bust from a store that was going out of business, but I wanted these two Spider-Girls so bad. Years later I finally own the set (at a fraction of the original price I might add). And it's just in time for my burgeoning Spider-Lady collection. Within a month or so we'll be getting Silk and Ashley Barton Marvel Legends figures and I'll be dedicating a whole shelf to the collection. As much as I enjoyed the character of Spider-Girl, I never took a liking to her comics. So these busts were the first exposure I had to the black symbiote Spider-Girl. It's a very cool look and I'm glad to have it represented in my collection finally.

Marvel Mini-Bust - TIGRA!

Marvel Mini-Busts - Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) - Bowen Designs 2006

Tigra is one of the characters most deserving of a modern Marvel Legends treatment in my opinion. All she needs is a cameo in one of the Marvel TV shows and I'll bet we get her within the year. Greer Grant started her career as The Cat in 1972.  Back then she wore the yellow and blue costume later adopted by Patsy Walker as Hellcat.  After a few years in that original costume, Greer was mortally wounded while protecting the Cat People from Hydra. They saved her life by transforming her into Tigra, the mantle of their legendary protector. She has gone on to be an consistent, but underutilized hero in the Marvel Universe. She has been a member of the Avengers and teamed up with the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-man, etc.  She's received a decent amount of merchandise over the years, but in my opinion this mini-bust is the best.  Her Marvel legends figure from several years ago was passable, but I think a new one with the new female bucks would be amazing.  Let's check out the Hellcat bust below!

Bowen Designs BIONICA!

Bionica: The Bride of Metropolis - Bowen Designs 1999
 
Randy Bowen is a name synonymous with high quality products in the world of pop culture collectibles. I think it's safe to say that most toy collectors have been tempted by a Bowen statue. I have several busts in my collection and even more on my wish list. Randy was the first superstar sculptor I ever became aware of.  He may actually be the pioneer of the character statues and busts that fill glass cases in every comic shop today (although that's hard to prove outright.. this man needs a detailed wiki page!).  This figure is a nice surprise. It's actually the only Bowen Designs action figure I'm aware of. Technically she is labeled as a "fully articulated statue," but c'mon, she's plastic and has lot of joints and accessories - plus she comes carded behind a plastic bubble - totally an action figure! Bionica is an original creation by Randy Bowen himself (Bowen Designs employs many different artists, but this is all him) and is an amalgamation of Maria from Metropolis and Bride of Frankenstein.  Let's check her out below!

Character Spotlight: BLACK QUEEN (JEAN GREY)!

Your Favorite Brainwashed Dark Mistress of the Hellfire Club

Jean Grey seems to be the guinea pig for character transformations in the X-Men continuum.  She's been alive, dead, possessed, reincarnated, cloned, and everything in-between.  The impressive thing is that each new chapter in her dramatic life tends to create a wholly new character.  In the early 1980s and in the midst of the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean was possessed by Mastermind and took on the role of the Black Queen in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club (a clandestine group of evil mutants who liked to dress in inappropriate period costume).  The members were named after chess pieces.  The White Queen obviously being Emma Frost, the Black King being Sebastian Shaw, the White King being Magneto, and Donald Pierce being the White Bishop, just to name a few notable members over the years.  This possession of Jean Grey didn't last very long, but it definitely made an impact on the comic community and we've seen a small amount of merchandise released as a result.  Let's check them out below!

Mutant X - The GOBLIN QUEEN!

Madelyne Pryor's Demonic Alter-Ego - Mutant X: Previews Exclusive - ToyBiz 1998
 
Madelyne Pryor has a very confusing past.  Comic readers originally met her as a non-mutant Jean Grey lookalike who Cyclops met soon after Jean was killed during the Dark Phoenix Saga.  The writers' intentions were for Scott to rebound with Madelyne, retire from the X-Men, and move to Alaska to settle down and have kids.  But then the concept of re-establishing the original X-Men team as X-Factor was brought to the table and all those plans were scrapped.  Madelyne was dumped for the resurrected Jean and got really ticked.  Readers then found out that she was actually a clone of Jean created by Mr. Sinister in order to seduce Scott and produce the powerful Jean & Scott offspring that would have been difficult after Jean's original death (spoiler: they had Nathan Summers aka Cable).  During the Inferno storyline in the late 80s, Madelyne's Jean-like powers were unlocked and made susceptible to demonic forces (just like Jean was effected by the Phoenix force) to become the reality-warping Goblin Queen.  This incarnation has remained popular and still surfaces as an X-Men villain (or ally) every few years.

Character Spotlight on FIRESTAR!

X-Men, Avengers, Young Allies, Hellions, New Warriors... She's Been Everywhere!

Angelica Jones was one of the first super-heroes I became infatuated with as a young boy.  I remember watching Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and eagerly anticipating her change sequence when a wall of flames would wash over her and suddenly she'd be costumed in that awesomely retro yellow and red outfit.  It's interesting to read all the creation stories about this character and how she came to be.  According to most tales, they originally wanted the trio in the cartoons to be Spider-Man, Ice-Man and the Human Torch, but either the legal rights to the human torch were tied up or they thought a boy engulfed in flames would send a bad message, so they had to create a substitute character in a hurry.  Apparently they took inspiration from Spidey's longtime love interest, Mary Jane, and viola!  (oh yeah, and she's apparently named after the creator's ex-girlfriend).  No matter how she came to be, I love her in all her microwave glory.