Comments on: Evolutions: Super Powers

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:29:36 +0000

Oh and I don’t think the new Young Justice line is too much of a butchery…first near acurate Hall Of Justice…Just a Prop tho…Still…displays his
SuperPowers pretty well.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:27:14 +0000

I know my son and I do…I had a couple when I was a kid but, with his Young Justice craze he loves the older fellas too which I’ve been scooping, and fit in nicely.lol

By: Cantina-Dan

Cantina-Dan — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:11:50 +0000

Danke!

By: Russisch Tastatur

Russisch Tastatur — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:51:20 +0000

Sehr gute Mitteilungen�

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:57:34 +0000

I think that’s a fair thing to say, yes.

I really appreciate this blog, and that there are others out there who love SP as much as I.

By: Cantina-Dan

Cantina-Dan — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:56:31 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Matt! I really enjoy hearing your childhood Super Powers reminiscences. I’m a lover of the “toy quality” of vintage, myself. Hope my Green Lantern photo captured some of the magic!

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:49:40 +0000

I don’t think there are many tangible, real objects I love more than Super Powers. The funny thing is, I didn’t “just discover” SP one day as an adult fanboy–I have loved this line since Day One as a 10 year old and my love for these toys has never abated.

Not to get too obsessive here, but like a good stable marriage my love for SP has evolved over the years. I loved SP as a kid in part because obviously they were the only DC figures around at the time which allowed my friends and I to create our own “super friends” style adventures. But even back then I appreciated the craftmanship in the sculpting. I remember having discussions with my friends about the perfectly detailed costumes and how awesome that was. I am not kidding when I say that the very first time I saw the Green Lantern figure hanging on the peg, it was as if it had come straight from my imagination (fueled by the GL comics I was obsessed with) and willed into hard reality…

Today I still love GL and each and every one of the other “33.” In the twenty five years since SP, I have seen many toy lines come and go but none, IMO, have recaptured the magic and fun of SP.

DCUC is great, no doubt about it. And I certainly meant no disrespect to those who love that line. I get it. It’s just that, in my HUMBLE opinion, I don’t really see a “toy” when I look at a DCUC sculpt. In most cases, I see them as beautifully realized statues for fanboys that just don’t resonate the same way SP does (at least for me).

I guess to sum all this up…when I was a kid I thought SP were “awesome.” Today, as an adult, they’re simply adorable, loveable toys.

By: Sector1014

Sector1014 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:48:21 +0000

Yeah, I’m glad you pointed that out. Now please mail me a real SP helmet for him.

By: Mrs. Pretticute

Mrs. Pretticute — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:30:14 +0000

Wheres the “like” button on this thing??

By: Sector1014

Sector1014 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:29:35 +0000

I have to agree that Hawkman has a very high TCF.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:24:08 +0000

Well, excuse freaking me for playing fast and loose with your TCF (Total Coolness Factor). I obviously overlooked the “Total” part of that equation. Yes, you did explain to me the blunders on the DCUC Red Tornado. So I’ll apply for a do-over. IMHO, TCF winner goes to Hawkman. First of all, because he was one of the handful of SP figs I had as a kid. Still have him, in fact. Guess I’ve always like the color combinations of his costume. He’s got wings and a mace. Ya know, I’d like to see him in a fist fight with Steppenpuppy. Finally, the modern version of Hawkman is one of the few DCUC figures I own. See: http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/blog/cantinadan/short-tale-of-a-geeky-coincidence/

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:13:26 +0000

Thanks, Z! It was really fun to do this blog. Trying to get each pairing set up so that they were in almost identical poses was sometimes challenging. But, hey, what is this if not an excuse to PLAY with our toys, hehe.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:11:42 +0000

Thanks very much for pointing that out, Brad! You’re not being a jerk at all. Glad you brought it to our attention.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:09:42 +0000

Let’s hear it for the Four Horsemen!

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:08:37 +0000

I’m also not a fan of articulation that detracts from the aesthetics of a figure. I think the 4H are doing the best they can. Lord knows, DCUC looks a million times better than Marvel Legends! Totally agree that Super Powers are the bomb.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:05:14 +0000

So, Matt, are you saying that, in general, you’re a fan of Super Powers? Of course, there’s lots of great info collected in AFi’s Super Powers Blog: http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/super-powers/

By: Sector1014

Sector1014 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:00:32 +0000

Yes, the SP Red Tornado is great. But the problem here is that I was talking about the total coolness of a character if you take the coolness of the fig from each line and combine it into one total cool factor, and in this case, the DCUC Red Tornado has some issues. The way they did the paint on his collar, the stiffness of the cape, the wide stance. I wouldn’t mind a re-do on him actually, although I’m sure that would annoy everyone else.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:59:35 +0000

Yes, super close now. Are you in the camp that says we still need a Sy Snootles?

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:58:45 +0000

ROTFL. Thanks for the observations, Miss Pretticute. Its sad that in a line of 34 figures only one is female: Wonder Woman. But like a girl on an action figure collecting message board, she was prolly pretty popular!

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:56:06 +0000

w00t, the boss is happy! Is it time to ask for that raise? Seriously, though, I love the dedication so many here at AFi have to the Super Powers line. Although I only have a few figures, I’ve really come to appreciate just how rad it really is!

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:53:53 +0000

Yeah, I know this kind’uv comparison has been discussed ad infinitum, but since I don’t collect either line I haven’t been paying as close attention. (Not to say I don’t LOVE both lines. I do. Really.) But as I was photographing this series, those were the two I had the hardest time with. Oh, and Orion. Had trouble deciding whether or not to include the DCUC harness. On this topic, in the spirit of full disclosure, the only bit of photo manipulation I did was to retouch out Mr. Freeze’s big red gun.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:50:29 +0000

Perhaps, but that’s because I’ve slaughtered his beautiful theory for the sake of an action figure blog! (Well worth it, IMHO.)

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:49:35 +0000

Yeah, that’s tricky. Having had a chance to really examine each figure for this photo shoot I think I got most excited about the Super Powers Red Tornado. Just a cool looking figure. Good thing I stole yours.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:45:24 +0000

Yes, such a bummer that the “Fourth Wave” and beyond never made it. Yet another line to die an untimely death! Blue Devil!

By: Evolução de 32 Action Figure - Nerd Pai

Evolução de 32 Action Figure - Nerd Pai — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:39:15 +0000

[...] via [...]

By: Zodach

Zodach — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:45:04 +0000

Great comparison pictures! What an accomplishment by Mattel and the Four Horsemen to get through every single Super Powers character in the DCSH/DCUC line. It’s been a lot of fun to collect and watch this come together.

By: Brad Rader

Brad Rader — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:57:18 +0000

I love this article because I truly love SP and the Horsemen’s versions as well. But there is a tiny mistake in the pics. The Kenner Mr. Freeze is wearing the clear Toy Biz Super Heroes dome instead of the colored dome that actually came with the Kenner Super Powers version. Sorry to be the jerk that had to point it out, but I thought you would want to know so it could be fixed. It really is a great assortment of pics.

By: Mikey

Mikey — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:50:53 +0000

I think Mattel and the Horsemen deserve a huge amount of credit for trying to give us back a version of the toys we loved as kids.

And maybe our kids will look back in 20 years and these will be their “Super Powers” memories…

By: Nick in NY

Nick in NY — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:34:56 +0000

No doubt about it, SUPER POWERS is superior in sculpting and overall quality. Mattel’s are more articulated, of course, but the larger size makes
the articulated joints too obvious and sort of goofy looking. Mattel’s are also not well proportioned and in some cases, like their Clark Kent, way out of scale. Not only is he a pin-head, but his arms are waaay too long like some circus freak. Someday, I hope someone brings back SUPER POWERS in the ORIGINAL scale and quality that Kenner had in the mid 1980′s.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:03:02 +0000

I love Super Powers.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:02:35 +0000

Winner: Super Powers

I love Super Powers so damn much.

I wish someone on this website would write a full-fledged, now-it-can-be-told retrospective on Super Powers figures. I mean, just go all out and do a full-fledged investigation. Interview sculptors, designers, and everyone involved with the creation and marketing of the line.

I just can’t get enough Super Powers. When I am 80 years old, I’ll still love Super Powers.

By: MisterPL

MisterPL — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:33:49 +0000

Someday (hopefully soon) we’ll be able to do this with Kenner’s Star Wars line.

By: Don Ricciardi

Don Ricciardi — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:06:25 +0000

I need this set up as a poster.

By: Mrs. Pretticute

Mrs. Pretticute — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:16:47 +0000

Being a lover of vintage everything with a general belief that o.g. always rules, I was fully prepared to comment that the vintage figures were better than the new guys but alas, I couldnt. The new Robin, complete with a neck, is way tougher looking than his older, Donny Osmond looking friend. Green Arrow, old and new, looks like he should be the cover model for Out Magazines Super Hero issue. Old Penguin, however, WAY WAY cooler than the new one that looks like he had lap band surgery.

Nice work fellas.

By: Julius Marx

Julius Marx — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:42:20 +0000

This makes me happy to look at.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:36:02 +0000

Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam comment, Professor Vader.

By: Vader

Vader — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:30:56 +0000

It’s part of a 2-pack under the older DCSH line:
http://i55.tinypic.com/2wpsbd4.jpg

By: StrangePlanet

StrangePlanet — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:31:11 +0000

Like a lot of toys up there, that Clark Kent is not from the DCUC line, but rather from the DC SuperHeros line that preceeded it. The Clark Kent figure was in a 2-pack with Superman very early on in the DCSH line. The suited buck was later re-used for Two-Face and Riddler.

By: ero

ero — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:44:48 +0000

I can live with the Freeze repaint, but we have to have an SP Kalibak and Orion for it to truly be a complete Super Powers redux. Their current looks are just too comic-accurate to display with Super Powers figures. I can’t do it!

By: George

George — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:37:50 +0000

When was Clark kent offered?

By: Chris Daugherty

Chris Daugherty — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:21:31 +0000

Man, what an awesome trip through memory lane. I love the comparisons, though some are streching(Mr. Freeze,Kalibak), but that is no fault of yours. I agree that the Clark DC superheroes is pretty lackluster and needs to be redone. I would like a Bruce Wayne\Clark Kent two pack, but with the new reboot line coming I really doubt we will get them.

By: Clutch

Clutch — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:23:28 +0000

Great work you guys. Darwin must be smiling somewhere right now.

By: Sector1014

Sector1014 — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:11:01 +0000

As I looked back through the pics, I tried to pick my favorite character based on the sum total of pure toy badassedness across both lines. I’m going with Steppenwolf. While I prefer the original Kirby design of him, and love that they made that version too, the SP-design of Steppenwolf is just a badass dude in both SP and DCUC. Spikes! Electro-Axe! Fu Manchu! Mean looking SOB. Name with “wolf” in it. STEPPENWOLF!

By: Vader

Vader — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:50:27 +0000

Mirum blog. Amor imagines istorum comparationes.

By: mat-chow

mat-chow — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:12:46 +0000

The Mattel Clark Kent is tres lanky. With a pinhead. Not a wonderful execution.

By: demoncat

demoncat — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:35:30 +0000

nice pictures and article. the pics prove that dc classics is the super powers line reborn. with the figures and characters from the original line upgraded in size plus also mattel doing the characters who were suppose to be in the line like blue devil and never happen in the original.