Disney Power Icons - GHOST-SPIDER!

Marvel Power Icons (Talking Action Figures) - Ghost-Spider - Disney 2023

I've been waiting for a female character in the Marvel Power Icons since they first started showing up in Disney Stores years ago. I know Marvel is inundated with A-List male characters so I usually don't get my hopes up too high for a female character early in the line. But that patience paid off because Ghost-Spider was finally released this past Fall and she's pretty great. The Power Icons line features well-articulated figures in a 9-10" scale with electronic features. Ghost-Spider has light-up eyes and a talking feature. And while not officially branded for the Spider-Verse movies, Gwen comes with a small unarticulated animation-style Spider-Ham attached to her (removable) backpack. Since Disney Stores are few and far between these days, the ShopDisney webstore is your best bet to get her (currently clearanced). The line seems to have slowed down significantly, but I would hope to see a Black Widow and Captain Marvel before the end. Fingers Crossed! Let's check out Ghost-Spider below!

Gormiti - JESSICA THE AIR LORD!

Gormiti: Elemental Fusion - Jessica (The Air Lord) - Giochi Preziosi 2008

Gormiti is one of those properties that is a perfect recipe for great action figures. The characters are brightly-colored, creatively-designed, and nature-themed with great elemental factions. The television portion of the franchise essentially reboots every few years with a new assortments of characters, and I always scour the internet to check out the new toys. The main distribution is in Italy with availability across Europe, but here in the US we barely see any. I always wish for more female characters that can get merchandised, but it would also be a double-edged sword because they're really hard to get. As for now, there is only one merchandised female character, Jessica the Air Lord, who got three action figures between 2008-2010. This Elemental Fusion version is a repaint of her first figure with less (no) accessories but with an added voice feature. She was exceptionally hard to get (not because she's valuable, but because overseas shipping is out of control). Let's check out Jessica below!

Disney Heroes - MALEFICENT DRAGON!

Disney Heroes - 9" Maleficent Dragon (w/ Sound) - Disney Store Exclusive 2005

Back in 2005, I was very excited about this new Disney Heroes line of highly-articulated action figures. Previous the Disney Heroes brand had been small Kenner-esque figures featuring the casts of Peter Pan, Robin Hood, and Sword in the Stone (possible Euro-only releases). Then I saw the announcement for a wave of these large, stylized, highly-articulated figures of Peter Pan and Prince Phillip (with a note saying Captain Hook, Hercules, and Maleficent were also coming - to US Disney Stores). I was very excited. I had always wanted a Maleficent action figure. As one of the most visually striking Disney characters, I was surprised we only had PVC figurines and dolls. But when I finally saw an image of the toy I was crestfallen to see it was her dragon form. While it looked great, I was hoping for the mistress herself. But then years later I got the DST figure and immediately wanted to pair her with this dragon. It took a few years to finally hunt her down and display them together. Let's check out Maleficent below!

Women of Halloween Part 10 - MARTIAN SPY GIRL!

Everyone's Favorite Undercover Extra-Terrestrial from Trendmasters 1996

I loved Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!"  I haven't watched the movie in at least 15 years so my memory may be a little fuzzy, but I remember having a blast with my friends in the theatre. I remember shockingly violent quacking martians running around with ray guns and buggy eyeballs.  The celebrities cameos were plentiful and absurd (do I remember Sarah Jessica Parker's head on a chihuahua?).  But mostly I remember Martin Short being smitten over the giant, wobbly bombshell with a raygun in her purse.  She was hilarious and mesmerizing.  Whoever orchestrated her walking technique should have won an Oscar.  I didn't learn the history behind Mars Attacks until much later.  They were wonderfully subversive pulp trading cards in the early sixties that caused quite a commotion in their heyday.  For children of the eighties like myself, this film would be the equivalent of a Garbage Pail Kids movie. (Sounds amazing actually)