MARVEL

Hasbro really started off like a shot with the Marvel license this year, having only acquired it in January 2006. The first two waves shown of Marvel Legends were heavily influenced by the Toy Biz design team, but subsequent waves will be more indicative of what direction Hasbro will take the line for the rest of 2007 and beyond. To keep these separate from the Toy Biz Marvel Legends shown at SDCC (ML 14 & 15) we're going to refer to the Hasbro waves as MLH 1 & 2.

MLH 1 includes Banshee, Emma Frost, Planet Hulk, Hercules, X3 Beast, and Ultimate Iron Man with build-a-figure Annihilus. MLH 2 consists of Ultimate Wolverine, Yellowjacket, X3 Movie Jean Grey (Phoenix), Xorn (Magneto head included), Quicksilver, She-Hulk, and "Lord of Asgard" Bearded Thor, with a build-a-figure Blob. The Xorn figure shown is the two-up sculpt and will be 6" in production.

MLH 3 (not shown) will have Astonishing X-Men Cyclops, Danger (Room), Comic Marvel Girl (Rachel), Storm (first appearance) and Ord.

Hasbro will extend the 12" ICONS series with a repaint Wolverine, Thor, Dr. Doom and Punisher (Tim Bradstreet version). The X3 Juggernaut pictured is not an ICONS figure, but rather a two-up prototype for the upcoming 6" X3 3-pack with movie versions of Angel, Colossus, and Juggernaut. We were told that this three pack was happening by a Hasbro designer, but Hasbro also showed Juggernaut as part of the 2nd ML wave in their slide show, so maybe it will just be a two-pack.

Many fans have been anxiously awaiting to see what Hasbro would show in their first outing as controllers of the Marvel license. Well, they didn't disappoint many with this massive extension of the Marvel brand into nearly all of their toy lines. Look for many more to appear at Toy Fair in Feb. '07. A word of caution, though: although Hasbro will be manufacturing and distributing everything seen here, the Marvel Legends line for '07 was surely in development well before Hasbro acquired the license. So odds are that what was shown is still pretty heavily Toy Biz influenced. The true direction that Hasbro will take the line will most likely not be seen until Toy Fair. Hasbro also brought back the 8" Mego-esque bodies not seen since they used them for the short lived DC Heroes line in 1998.

Spider-Man will get a repaint line with a handful of new sculpts in advance of the Spider-Man 3 film in 2007. This is a good way for fans to catch any villains they missed; Hasbro pluses up the Spideys with the generous use of metallic paints. Also in '07, the Ghost Rider film with Nic Cage gets a healthy figure line.

There will also be an assortment of Spider-Man 3 movie figures, including new sculpts of Black and regular Spider-Man costumes. The line will be 5" and will have Sandman in addition to characters from the other films.

Hasbro will be making a "lower end" line of figures simply called "Marvel Heroes" as shown in the slides below from their SDCC Panel. These will have less articulation and concentrate on the "big guns" of the Marvel Universe. They may end up being 5" scale, too. Hasbro stated that they consider ML their collector line and MH the line for kids. Also for kids are the Superhero Squad figures shown below.

Rounding out the Marvel offerings will be the application of the license to everytrhing under the sun made by Hasbro. See: Attactix, board games, Heroscape, etc. Fun times ahead, kids!

GI JOE & TRANSFORMERS

Ok, Hasbro showed a bunch of GI JOE and Transformers stuff. I know nothing about these things. Some pics are below, and click the links above to read con coverage from someone who does know about the lines. But dammit, we do know Star Wars!

Star Wars

Ryan 'The Superfly' Prast also has the full scoop on what Hasbro plans to tempt us Lucasfilm junkies with in 2006:

3 3⁄4 line - Plans include an Endor wave with Luke; a Darth Vader with removable hand, Darth Maul as a hologram and a Pod Racer 2-pack with Dud Bolt and Mars Guo. Upcoming figures include: #56 - Holographic Commander Cody, #57 - Clone Trooper 442nd Seige Battalion, #58 - R5-A1 Imperial Astromech, #59 - Clone Trooper 5th Fleet Security, #60 - Clone Trooper Sergeant (Episode II), #61 - Super Battle Droid, #62 - Battle Droids (2 pk), #63 - Holographic Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III), #64 - Commander Appo, #65 - Elite Corps. Clone Trooper, #66 - Yarael Poof, #67 - R2-K5 Vader's Astromech, #68 - Padme' Amidala (Geonosis), and Wal*Mart Exclusives #70 - Kitik Keedk'ak, #71 - Nabrun Leids/Kabe (2 pk), #72 – Labria, #73 - Aurra Sing & #74 - Mace Windu's Astromech

Hasbro will be changing the packaging on the individual carded figures next year to new angular and dynamic artwork. The first wave of figures will include a Ralph McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper. Each future wave will include a figure inspired by McQuarrie's original design work with future assortments to include Chewbacca and Boba Fett. They will also include a unique coin, similar to the old Power of the Force packaging. Wave 1 will also include an Airborne Clone Trooper, with a total of 60 new figures coming in 2007. A Boba Fett based on his first appearance in the Star Wars holiday Special is also in the works.

Hasbro will join with Dark Horse to present 2-packs with a comic book. Each figure will show the character in style of the comics. The first three sets include Darth Vader & Rebel Commander, Grand Moff Tarkin & Stormtrooper, Chewbacca & Han Solo in Stormtrooper armor, with Luke, Quinian Vos, and Darth Raven to follow in 2007. This September, Entertainment Earth will offer the exclusive Kir Kanos vs Carnor Jax two-pack that comes with a Crimson Empire comic book.

The 2007 Battle Pack sets (Battle Above The Sarlacc, Jedi vs Darth Sidious, and Sith Lord Attack) in due in stores this November. The Diamond Exclusive 'Imperial Briefing' set featuring Darth Vader and six officers (Grand Moff Tarkin, Adm. Motti, Chief Bast, Gen. Tagge, Officer Cass & Yularn) will be available in late November/early December.

Beginning in October, Hasbro will be releasing the Commemorative Tin Collection, each set including 4 figures and a collectible tin. There will be seven waves, six for the movies and an exclusive Cantina Band Tin. OCT: Commemorative Tin Collection - #1 The Phantom Menace (Darth Maul & Obi-Wan Kenobi; Qui Gon Jinn & R2-R9); Commemorative Tin Collection - #2 Attack of the Clones (Clone Trooper & Anakin Skywalker; Jango Fett & Count Dooku); Commemorative Tin Collection - #3 Revenge of the Sith (Mace Windu & Yoda; Anakin Skywalker & AT-RT Driver); NOV - Commemorative Tin Collection - #4 A New Hope (C-3PO, Darth Vader, Princess Leia Organa, Sandtrooper w/ removable helmet); Commemorative Tin Collection - #5 The Empire Strikes Back (Han Solo Hoth uniform, Luke Skywalker Hoth uniform, Chewbacca, Snowtrooper w/ removable helmet); Commemorative Tin Collection - #6 Return of the Jedi (Darth Vader, Biker Scout w/ removable helmet, Endor Rebel Soldier, Princess Leia Endor outfit); DEC - Commemorative Tin Collection - #7 Cantina Band Figrin D'an & the Modal Nodes (Wal-Mart Exclusive).

To celebrate the upcoming release of the DVD theatrical versions of the original trilogy, Wal-mart will offer exclusive three packs (Luke, Obi-Wan & Darth Vader – Han Solo, Chewbacca & a Stormtrooper - C-3PO, R2-D2 and Emperor Palpatine).

Star Wars will also continue to have vehicles for the 3 3⁄4 figures. Upcoming releases include Hailfire Droid (OCT), AAT Droid Federation Tank (OCT), Darth Vader Sith Starfighter (OCT), Saesee Tinn Fighter (NOV), and a classic white TIE Fighter (NOV). The classic Darth Vader TIE Fighter is also planned. Retailer-Exclusive vehicles include AT-AT w/ AT-AT Driver & Biker Scout (TRU, SEPT), gray TIE Fighter (large panels) w/ Pilot (TRU, SEPT), Luke's X-Wing Fighter on Dagobah w/ Luke & Dragonsnake (TRU, SEPT), Rogue Two Snowspeeder w/ Zev Seneca (Target, OCT) and Kit Fisto's Jedi Starfighter (Target, OCT).

Galactic Heroes – this line has been very successful, with plans for the line through 2007. Upcoming two packs include Imperial Tie Fighter Pilot & Wedge Antilles, Sand Trooper & Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Han Solo & Greedo, Luke & Lando, Snow Trooper & Hoth Trooper and Chewbacca & C-3PO, along with a new Darth Vader. The C-3PO figure comes apart and Chewbacca will include a net to carry the pieces.

For the Holidays, four new 10-packs of characters will be released, with cardboard dioramas for displaying the characters. 'Escaping the Death Star' includes Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3P0, R2-D2 and two Stormtroopers. The 'Bounty Hunters' set includes all the usual bounty hunter characters and the Shadow Storm Trooper. 'The Jedi vs. the Sith' includes Mace Windu and other Jedi characters, and battle damaged shock troopers. The 'Battle of Geonosis' includes red and blue Clone Troopers, Geonosis Warrior, Battle Droids and Jango Fett.
SW Transformers - There will be re-decos of the Darth Vader Starfighter and ARC-170 Clone Wars Clone Pilot released in November, making a total of 12 figures released for 2006. Hasbro promises this line will definitely continue in 2007.

Unleashed - Upcoming is the Empire Strikes Back sets, which will include Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine with Royal Guards, a Stormtrooper Gunner Crew, and the Wampa. Other new Unleashed 2" Battle Packs include Darth Vader’s 501st Legion, The Master Jedi, The New Empire and Emperor Palaptine’s Shock Troopers.

In December, Unleashed Ultimate Battles will have three sets of 10 figures, with two unique figures in each set. The first set is 'Battle of Hoth', which will have rebel troopers, then 'Battle of Kashyyyk' with new Battle Droids and 'Battle of Geonisis' with new clone deco should be released at the same time. These will retail for around $20. Target will have an exclusive on the Unleashed 7 inch tube package of Boba Fett and Grevious while Walmart will get Vader and Luke in October. The Vader from Best Buy last year will become a KB exclusive. Sales are not as strong for the Unleashed figures which is why they are being done as exclusives.And last up is R2-Potatoo, the Potato Head of R2-D2. This will only be available in limited release for the foreseeable future.