The Super Powers Toyline Thread

[K.B.]

Here is a thread dedicated to my all time favorite toyline...DC's Super Powers line from the 80's.
I think this is one of the greatest toylines ever produced and it is cetainly one of the purest. A Great assortment of DC characters got their due in this line such as Plastic Man and Shazam and we were treated to only one (and some would say definitive) version of Superman and Batman. No vairiants within a hundred miles of this line.
The playsets and vehicles were also some of the funnest you could ever find in a toyline as anyone who had the hall of justice playset can attest to.
Like I said above, I feel that this toyline stands head and shoulders above many others both of their time and current lines of today.

 

[Roughneck]

I kind of agree with you...Up until you said it stands above toy lines of today.....

Why would it stand above toy lines of today? Because you can squeeze thier legs and thier arms go up? Or simply because of character selection?

Cause if it's the leg thing then yeah, you're bang on....but if it's character selection then I'd say that the upcoming DCSH line of 2008 is going to blow this away.

I'm looking at the pic there, and judging by the first two waves of the new DCSH we are getting some of those guys already in the first two waves (Aquaman, Penguin, Batman, Firestorm, Superman, Orion, Red Tornado) in adition to guys not in that line like Black Manta and then two BAF figures of Grodd and Metamorpho.

Add to that the previous DCSH line that was just batman and Superman that gave us Luthor, Darkseid, Joker and Braniac.....as well as Freeze, Two Face, Cat Woman, Mongul...and others......

So if your choice for greatest toy line ever depends solely on having Mantis in it....then yeah, that old line does rock.....and I do love the Mantis.....But as far as greatest DC Toy line....the new DCSH wins it....and the greatest toy line period is Marvel Legends

 

[lars573]

I have exactly one SP fig. Green Lantern, minus the lantern (possibly his tumb too). Ring action still works. Still it's remarkable how much the Toybiz DC Superheros figs look like the Kenner stuff. Which we (myself and both siblings) had as kids.

It's also funny how much life Kenner got out of those molds. As they remolded a few for the "Robin Hood Prince of theives" toys. Srsly the bow armed Robin hood had (under his cloth bits) Green Arrows body. Little John was fracking Hawkman. All of them with the knees molded out too.

 

[Roughneck]

Another fun fact.....Friar Tuck used the body of a Gamorean Guard from Return of the Jedi

 

[lars573]

I wondered where that body came from. The celtic merc fig also had Hawkmans body but a different set of legs to what Little John had.

 

[Roughneck]

there was actually an article on it in toyfair a couple months back and it explained the whole Robin Hood line....Will Scarlet used Robin's body

 

[lars573]

What month? Or could you find it on their website?

 

[Roughneck]

http://www.toyotter.com/sp/robinhood.html

There`s got some....the Toyfair article had pics and stuff...I am also remembering that the Sherwood Forrest playset was the Ewok Village......funny that they mixed in Star Wars stuff since they are two different scales....look how tiny Tuck is there.

 

[Roughneck]

http://theswca.com/images-speci/recycle/

here`s another great article.....the Robin hood part is towards the bottom...but the whole thing is good

 

[K.B.]

Yeah I've seen a lot of the pics of the new DC guys coming out and I do love it and am glad we are getting more toylines with characters we never would have seen (or never thought we'd see) like in that line or the JLU stuff.

The reason I said it stands out was simply based on assortmant,play value, look of the figs,etc (and my own biased love for the line and good memories I have of it ) Maybe many won't agree that it is the greatest, and thats ok,but it does certainly belong in the top 10. I don't think that could be argued.

 

[K.B.]

Oh and here's a good link to an article on future super powers lines complete with artwork, customs to give you an idea and original pitch material.

http://www.toyotter.com/spfind/

Deathstroke, John Stewart,Bizzarro, and Vigilante to name just a few.

 

[Roughneck]

The best part of the line were some of the crazy mexican released ones...they made no sense.

but yeah, I will admit that these were a favorite of mine as a child.....I got Dr Fate for christmas one year and for many many years after that Dr Fate was always my favorite super hero....I had no idea who he was, but he was aweomse....Squeeze his legs and his arms go up to cast a spell.....ooooo.

Now....I dunno...I'll get arond to collecting them again MOC....Right now I am working on the ToyBiz Gold Carded DC Super Heroes line....not working hard on it...but I'm getting them.

 

[lars573]

http://www.toyotter.com/sp/robinhood.html

There`s got some....the Toyfair article had pics and stuff...I am also remembering that the Sherwood Forrest playset was the Ewok Village......funny that they mixed in Star Wars stuff since they are two different scales....look how tiny Tuck is there.

I still have Long bow Robin Hood, Little John, and Friar Tuck. Lost Robin's bow and Tucks staff. I don't remember what the eff happened to the Dark Warrior fig I had. I also tried to customize them for kicks when I was 15. I painted Robin red and green and Little John brown and green. Dark Warrior, if he still is around, looks like Punisher too.

 

[K.B.]

Yeah that should be a really easy (and cheap) line to complete. I always liked the Two-Face. Friends of the family once bought me the Riddler but all the riddles he came with were in french...f'ing useless.

 

[lars573]

I happen to speak French. Could have been useful to me.

 

[The Shredder]

Yeah, this was a very great 1980's superhero toyline. And one I have to say I have some very fond memories of as a kid of the 80's. Out of the line, I think the ones I got, and still have somewhere, was; Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Brainiac, Lex Luthor, Darkseid, The Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Red Tornado. Definately the best comic book superhero toyline to come out of the 1980's. And yes, better than the Secret Wars toyline. Which would come in at a close second with me.

 

[toddly6666]

Is this Super Powers series only based on the Galactic Guardian 10-episode series or based on other series as well? I mean did the Super Powers figures come out when the Galactic Guardian cartoon came out?


Is the Marvel Secret Wars figures considered to be based only on the Marvel Secret Wars comic book or on a particual cartoon? Did the Marvel Secret Wars figures only come out when the Secret Wars comic books were coming out?

 

[lars573]

No they were based on the comic characters. The sculpts were based on the official DC character sheets of 1983/84.

 

[Roughneck]

The Secret Wars figures were all...kinda loosely based on the Secret Wars comic series.....each figure came with a shield and on the shield was a picture of thier secret Identity.

Eventually thought the series did stray from characters that were no in Secret Wars....I think Quicksilver and Daredevil were the only ones though.

 

[Roughneck]

http://www.toymania.com/archives/secretwars/swfigs.shtml

 

[toddly6666]

I always liked those Secret Wars/Super Powers figures, but for some reason, I was just happy with my main event figures (G.I. Joe, MASK, Transformers, Star Wars) that I really wasn't that tempted to ask my mom to buy them for me. I remember I was impressed with the Black Spiderman and Hobgoblin from Secret Wars, and I was impressed with Green Arrow and Dr. Fate from Super Powers. But I still didn't really want them. I also remember being annoyed with always seeing Kang (Secret Wars) and Joker/Penguin/Brainiac (Super Powers) on the racks. Now as an adult, I would love to have all the Secret Wars and Super Powers figures.

I remember seeing that Wolverine Secret Wars figure, and all I fantasized about was shoplifting his claws out of the package. I didn't even care about the figure, I just thought those claws were the coolest accessory ever and would be a pretty sweet add-on to my Storm Shadow or Zartan figures...and eventhough I tried, it was never the right timing to shoplift those claws.

 

[K.B.]

See? Everyones got good memories of the super powers guys lol

Myself, as I said, had almost the whole line and in some cases doubles or triples. Literally the only ones I were missing were Brainiac, Steppenwolf, Dessad,Cyborg (but I wanted one big time cuz I LOVED teen titans back then) Golden Pharho, Orion, the dude who exploded and the dude with the mowhawk. The 2 figures I wanted the bsolute msot but never got were Plastic man and Shazam..I LOVE those 2 and was always sad when I never ended up getting him.

The vehicles I had were the supermobile, the batmobile, batcopter and one magical christmas (which is also my b-day) my oldest sister got me the hall of justice which rocked my socks off.

I lost the lantern to every GL I got and in second grade I ended up stealing the lantern off another kid at school. It has been complete ever since lol

 

[toddly6666]

Newly sculpted Alex Ross 3-inch action figure releases of Super Powers!!!!!!! Check it out at:

WONDER WOMAN:
http://www.thumbnailcafe.com/viewFolder.aspx?md=sel&s=75886449

 

[Roughneck]

Hmmm....doesn't look in the least bit real....but damn that would be cool

 

[K.B.]

Obvisuly photoshoped but looks neat