Marvel’s X-men 1992 ToyBiz figure: Gideon with Sword Slashing Thrust!

Does anyone still remember the Externals? In the early 1990s Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza had an idea of creating a special and unique subspecies of mutants which along with their individual mutant powers all shared in common an accelerated healing factor and a greatly retarded aging process. This group of mutants where known as the Externals and their powers of immortality were awakened upon them dying for the first time. Hmm, sounds a little familiar.

Several new characters where created as belonging to this group and a few older established characters were made into Externals as well. Several of the newly created characters formed a special organization known as the High Lords and supposedly were to be major players in the Marvel Universe; destined to have an important role in Apocalypse’s future rise to power. Unfortunately, however, they didn’t exactly live up to the definition of “immortal”. In the late 1990s Marvel put an end to Liefeld’s concept by killing off all of the known and confirmed Externals, except for one, which seemed only fitting. After all, we all knew “there can be only one!”

Well, if you did happen to remember the Externals then you probably remember Gideon, one of Liefeld’s original Highlanders, I mean, High Lords. Here is a 1992 Marvel’s X-men figure of Gideon with Sword Slashing Thrust by ToyBiz. 

The backboard has some wear and has been warped due to the cardboard soaking up some water at its base. The X-men Series 2 card that comes in the package no longer lays flat and features Wolverine. The figure of Gideon, however, is still in excellent condition and has never been removed from the package.  

Gideon’s mutant powers allowed him to temporary mimic the powers of any superhuman by scanning their DNA. Being a member of the Externals, he was also endowed with an accelerated healing factor and superhuman longevity due to a greatly slowed aging process. Unfortunately for Gideon he was killed by the Hellfire Club’s Black Queen, Selene, who was the last surviving member of the Externals until she was recently killed in the Necrosha storyline. 

If you are interested in this figure of a not so "immortal" External, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.