Goofy in-house characters for the win! Yup, I’m of the minority, I know…I actually *like* these guys. While news of their upcoming release in the DC Universe Classics line has caused tremendous uproar and their original inclusion in Super Powers (instead of some of the 3,000 characters already inhabiting the DC Universe) has never been explained…I still like ‘em. On the surface, they’re goofy…they’re neat…and they’re a couple of the more difficult figures to find carded in the line. Due to the quality of plastic Kenner started using during those years (and also on the Return of the Jedi and Power of the Force Star Wars waves) yellow bubbles are very very common. I believe I’ve only seen one Golden Pharaoh with a clear bubble, and the price nearly hit $200 on eBay last year.
Proof cards, on the other hand, are an entirely different beast. Most Super Powers pre-production items are very difficult to come by. First shots and proof cards are very rare with most items having 2-3 examples out there. In most cases hardcopies and presentation boards are one-of-a-kind pieces. I’m certainly fortunate to acquire what I’ve come across, and in the case of these two proof cards there are only two or three of each known to exist. Since this blog will be primarily visual (there’s only so much you can say about these guys), I’ll get right to the pics.
One of the neat aspects of the GP proof is that you can actually *see* the artwork. Since he was packaged with his arms outstretched to the sides, the bubble had to be massive in width. This obscures most of the artwork and was the driving force in me pouncing on this proof card. It also really showcases how the third series card back design was the best. Very bright & clean.
Another thing about the GP figure that not many others had was the inclusion of not one, but two ‘features’ to the figure. This guy not only had the ‘action’ wings, but also the translucent chest that you could shine a light through. Kids, of course, loved it. It’s probably why they created the character in the first place…an easy "toyetic" design that would appeal to the target audience.
A large close-up of the character artwork, quite possibly pictured in full for the first time online. I love being a pioneer. 
The standard 33-back card back…exactly the same as the released version. The Tower of Darkness and All Terrain Trapper were not released, as the line was canceled before production.
Ashley Halberstam? Seriously?
Paging Yul Brynner! Paging Yul Brynner! Wait…he’s still dead? Okay…paging Telly Savalas! Wait…what?
For any 33-back proof, this is the way to differentiate between "unused card back" and "pre-production proof." The punch on a proof is this thinner shaped design instead of the ones with the larger balloon-like "peak."
Cyclotron always seemed (at least to me) as a kind-of Masters of the Universe Sy-Clone/Roboto love child. Kids ate it up, tho…they love robots. Again with the "toyetic" theme…and I suppose Kenner employees being lazy as opposed to actually finding some other existing DC character that could sell just as well.
Another figure with two "features" included…the spinning action and the removable face plate.
A close-up of the character artwork, and a testament to how wonderful the upcoming DC Universe Classics figure (sculpted by the Four Horsemen) truly is. I can’t wait to get him, for sure.
Alex LeWitt? Cycloclobber? Seriously?
Yup. Seriously.
Until next time, thanks a lot for reading and following my blog! There’s lots more on the way during the upcoming Toy Fair news blitz and AFi’s 5th Anniversary celebration week!
Peace,
Chip
So an android only capable of limited thought has an alter-ego? At least Alex LeWitt is a better name than Ashley Halberstam.
How about “Rob Otman”? Or maybe “A. Tom O’ton”? And his girlfriend “Anne Droid”?
What always bugged me about the 33 back cards is that the first two years are divided between heroes and villains with all the heroes first. And the figures are numbered. Lex Luthor, Joker, Brainiac, and Penguin should be before Red Tornado as they were released in the previous year.
never cared for either golden Pharoh or Cyclotron for thought they were just made for the line as filler. and cyclotron always though was the love child of red tornado and tomorrow woman . plus was going mention the tower of Darkness never got made. which would have been cool to have.
Some one must have the prototype Tower of Darkness the promo-photo uses….right?
Cyclotron…..yeah, HUGE pegwarmer back in the day. Can’t believe how much people pay for a carded one now. As a kid I was so sick of seeing that character everywhere instead of, you know, characters we actually know like Cyborg and Shazam. His design always reminded me of Fastbak (I think that was his name), a New God character. They seemed to design from the Kirby handbook on that one.
Oddly though, the DCUC one I will actually pay $15 for, but the pegwarming possibilities will be ironic.
The Tower of Darkness full prototype (also on the cover of an issue of Tomart’s AFD) is owned by some collector in Oregon, I believe. That’s all I’ve been able to find out…there are people that know who have the large SP collections in the world, but they won’t say who they are. It’s amazing how much is shared by the big-time Star Wars collectors, yet there’s a ton of secrecy in the big-time Super Powers world. For some reason it really bothers me.
Hey Chip, thanks for another in-depth and informative Super Powers article. Your knowledge of this line is SICK! A few years back I completed my SP collection, but had to buy some of the figures loose. I was wondering if you knew of a site that had scans of all the character bios from the card-backs? That was one of the coolest parts of the packaging that you just don’t see in a lot of modern lines. Any chance you could do this for a future article? Thanks again for sharing your collection with us!!