Marvel’s X-men 1992 ToyBiz figure: Magento with Super Spark Action!

Best friend of Charles Xavier and often worse enemy, Magneto the Master of Magnetism is one of the most iconic and compelling villains of not only the X-men but in all of comics. In almost any list polling who’s the top supervillain to have ever graced the pages of comic book you will find Magneto there in the forefront. In IGN’s 2009 list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time Magento was featured as number 1, beating out the likes of Lex Luther, the Joker, and Dr. Doom.  The development of this character’s background as a holocaust survivor and the readers’ ability to relate to why he is the man he is today speaks volumes as to why he is so popular today, especially when you consider he is a grown man wearing a red and purple outfit with what looks to be a bucket on his head.

For those of you who are a fan of old buckethead here is a Marvel’s X-men 1992 figure of Magento with Super Spark Action by ToyBiz!

The backboard has some minor wear from storage and is warped. The packaging has never been opened, however, there appears to be either some corrosion or a bad paint job on the upper portion of his cape. At the center of his chest where the sparks are supposed to appear the plastic appears white, possibly due to corrosion as well.

The X-men Series 2 card that comes in the package features his daughter and current member of X-factor, Polaris.

Magneto is an Omega-level mutant whose power over electromagnetic fields allows him to fly, create force-fields, send out magnetic pulses, and shape all forms of metal to his will. He is also the father of the superhero mutants known as Polaris, the Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

If you are interested in this figure of the Master of Magnetism, you can find if for sale on... Will be posting soon.

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.

Marvel's X-men 1994 ToyBiz figure: 2nd Edition Shatterstar with Dual Sword Slashing!

Though he is supposedly a genetically engineered humanoid from Mojoworld in the future, there is a great deal of mystery surrounding Shatterstar’s origins. Why did he share the memories and appearance of a mutant named Benjamin Russell? Is he possibly the son of former X-men Longshot and Dazzler? Enquiring minds want to know.

In 2009 Shatterstar was brought to the forefront of more controversy as X-Factor writer Peter David had him kiss Rictor in issue 45. Rob Liefeld, the co-creator of Shatterstar, was adamantly against this new development of Shatterstar’s sexuality. Though Liefeld had stated that he has “nothing against gays”, he admitted that he “can’t wait to somdeday undo this”. Apparently it had been Liefeld’s desire that Shatterstar forever remain asexual like a Smurf. Ironically, Liefeld also went on to state, “Shatterstar is akin to Maximus in Gladiator… a warrior, a Spartan…” despite the fact that ancient Romans didn’t have much of a hang-up on sexual orientation and frequently engaged in sexual behavior with members of the same sex. 

The backboard has some wear and is severely warped in one corner. However, the figure is still in excellent condition as the package has never been opened.

The 1994 Fleer Ultra X-men trading card that comes in the package features Shatterstar along with his former X-Force teammate Boomer.

Shatterstar’s powers endow him with superhuman strength, speed, agility, and intelligence. They also give him the ability to send shock waves through his blades and teleport individuals across long distances. With hollow bones like that of his rumored father, Longshot, he is also able to perform acrobatic combat moves with ease.

If you are interested in the character that has become the bane of Rob Liefeld's existence, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Marvel's X-men 1994 ToyBiz figure: Senyaka with Whip Snapping Action!

Suvik Senyaka, a former member of Magneto’s Acolytes has made a habit of being killed off. First Magento killed him with his own coils. Then he died in a battle with Cable and Lee Forrester. Then he was presumably killed by Sentinels in Genosha. Then he had his head chopped off by Wolverine during the Necrosha arch and that was the last to be heard of Senyaka, though he will most likely make another return in the future.

The backboard has some wear and is warped from storage. However, the figure is in excellent condition as the package has never been opened.

The 1994 Fleer Ultra X-men trading card that comes in the package features Nightcrawler.

A Sri Lankan version of Omega Red, Senyaka can generate psionic whips, which augment his strength, endurance, reflexes, and recuperative powers by draining the life-force of his victims.

If you are interest in this figure of Sri Lanka's only super villain, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Marvel's X-men 1992 ToyBiz figure: Forearm with Four Arm Punching Action!

Named for the fact he has four arms, Forearm was one of the core members of the Mutant Liberation Front. In Wolverine vol. 2 issue 167 he apparently had his neck snapped by Serpent Society’s Anaconda during a Bloodsport match. However, he would eventually reappear live and well again as part of the Mutant Liberation Front. During the M-Day arch he was listed as one of the depowered mutants. I wonder if his other 2 arms just fell off.

The backboard has some wear and is warped from storage. However, the figure is in excellent condition as the package has never been opened.

The X-men: Series I trading card that comes in the package features Wolfsbane.

Along with an extra set of arms Forearm’s mutant powers give him increased strength, stamina, and durability.

If you are interest in the figure of the mutant villain known as Forearm, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Marvel's X-men 1991 ToyBiz figure: Apocalypse with Extending Body!

It’s a little surprising to know that one of the greatest X-men villains of all time was almost absent from his initial debut in X-Factor #5. Bob Layton who had written the first five issues of X-Factor original planned to reveal that the mysterious mastermind behind the Alliance of Evil was none other than the fearsome Owl…

Really, the Owl almost single handedly saved the Marvel Universe from the immortal mutant known as En Sabah Nur, a.k.a. Apocalypse. Luckily for X-men fans and Marvel the Simonson’s came along and changed all of that. In further comics this gray and blue skinned mutant, enhanced by Celestial technology, would go to being a major villain of the Marvel Universe threatening to spell doom for the X-men’s past, present, and future.

The backboard has some wear and is warped from storage. However, the figure is in excellent condition as the package has never been opened.

The X-men: Series 2 trading card that comes in the package features Warpath.

Apocalypse is arguably one of the greatest X-men villains of all time! Apocalypse’s powers seemingly allow him to be capable of almost anything including super strength, shape shifting, telepathy, telekinesis, energy projection and absorption, technopathy, and bestowing others with powers while making them serve as one of his Four Horsemen. As one of the first mutants to walk the earth, if not the first, Apocalypse has been worshiped as a god and feared as a harbinger of destruction.

If you are interested in this figure of one of the greatest villains the X-men have ever faced, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Marvel's X-men 1993 ToyBiz figure: Strong Guy with Power Punch Action!

I must admit that I was never much of a Strong Guy fan when he first appeared in the New Mutants or even after he joined X-Factor in the early 90’s. It was mainly because I found him to be too much of an odd looking character. He had the frame of the Hulk but only in the upper half of his body. He looked as if he was drawn by Rob Liefeld in every comic book even when Liefeld wasn’t the artist. I could have probably looked past his deformed body but why did they also have to draw him with such a deformed face? He was usually drawn with a small pug nose and a huge philtrum (the area between your upper lip and your nostrils) which made him look like a hairless chimpanzee. Well, I guess I should say “almost” hairless. What was the deal with the few strands of white hair sprouting out from the center of his forehead? He had to have the worst hairdo of any character I have known to date. Fortunately, these days he is drawn much better and he has even lost that strange hairdo of his.

Despite his odd looking characteristics, Strong Guy wasn’t short on fans due largely impart to the character’s story. Guido Carosella, a.k.a. Strong Guy, is not your typical guido from Jersey Shore nor is he your typical superhero. As a nerd in school he never fit in with the rest of his classmates though he desperately tried to. During an incident in school in which he received a beating from several kids after being laughed at by his childhood crush his mutant power began to manifest and he was hit by a bus. Talk about your bad luck. Not knowing how to control his powers his body become permanently disfigured. Not only did this make him more of an outcast but his powers now cause him to be in constant pain. Forever trying to fit in though, he hides the pain from his X-Factor teammates fearing that they may only end up pitying him. Strong Guy is the hero you are constantly routing for as an underdog and is the soul of X-factor. Unfortunately however, he recently lost his soul after confessing his love for Monet. Dang, the poor guy has never had an easy time with the ladies.

Well, for all the Strong Guy fans out there here is a Toy Biz 1993 Marvel X-men action figure of Strong Guy with Power Punch action!

The backboard has some wear and is slightly warped from storage. However, the package has never been opened. The X-men: Series 2 card that comes in the package features his X-factor teammate Rictor.

Strong Guy’s mutant powers allow him to increase his physical strength and durability by absorbing kinetic energy. Unfortunately, as his strength grows so does portions of his body which can result in permanent disfigurement if he doesn’t release that energy in a timely manner. The incident in which he was hit by a buy as a child resulted in his disproportionately larger upper body. At full power Strong Guy has managed to move the immovable Blob and briefly trade blows with a rampaging Hulk before the side effects of his powers put a strain on his heart.

If you are interested in this figure of X-Factor's strong guy, Strong Guy, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Marvel's X-men 1994 ToyBiz figure: Silver Samurai with Metal Samurai Armor!

Several Marvel characters have flip-flopped between playing hero and villain including Deadpool, Magneto, Sabertooth, and Venom. Another character who falls in to that group but who is not quite as popular as those that I’ve mention, though I have always thought he had the potential to be, is the Silver Samurai.

Why do I think so highly of this character who couldn’t even get it together long enough to decide whether he wants to play the good guy or the bad guy? Well, there are a number of reasons. First of all he has a cool color scheme. His costume maybe simple but the silver and red makes it look good. Even if you don’t like his original costume it can be easily tweaked a bit to make him look more badass without it falling way out of line with his character. He is a mutant and samurai. Both archetypes equate to cool in the comic book world, so he has double the coolness factor! Oh, and let’s not forget he fights with a samurai sword. Well, I guess wielding a katana goes with him being a samurai and all but who else has a sword that cut through almost every know substance to man? Ok, there may have been over 10,000 Jedi and Sith warriors once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away and then there’s Voltron’s Blazing Sword which signaled the death of every foe the giant robot has ever faced. None the less, to be placed in a category alongside Darth Vader and Voltron just shows how much of a badass he is.

Unfortunately, Marvel hasn’t been very kind to Kenuichio Harada otherwise known as the first Silver Samurai. First he had one of his hands chopped off by Wolverine. Then a group of imitation samurai drove by his home and killed him. And as if that wasn’t enough, Satan then lopped off his head while in hell. Sigh.

Well, for all those who have imagined what the character could have been here’s a Toy Biz 1994 Marvel X-men action figure of the Silver Samurai!

Disclaimer: The armor is not actually made of metal. The backboard has some wear and is slightly warped from storage. The package however has never been opened. The Fleer Ultra Marvel Universe Trading Card that comes in the package features X-Force team members Cannonball, Rictor, Siryn, and Sunspot.

The Silver Samurai’s power is somewhat similar to that of Gambit’s in that he can charge anything touches with energy. However, instead of the object exploding on contact the Silver Samurai can use a charged object like his katana to slice through everything other than the adamantium laced skeleton of his arch nemesis, Wolverine.

Though primarily known as an enemy of Wolverine, the Silver Samurai first appeared in 1974 in the pages of Daredevil #111. The Silver Samurai is expected to be the villain in the upcoming Wolverine 2 movie.

If you are interested in this figure of the Silver Samurai you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Marvel’s X-men 1994 ToyBiz figure: Pyro the Mutant Flame Thrower!

I read that in a report done by the University College of the Fraser Valley they found that more than 80% of children in British Columbia played with fire by the time they reached high school. I wouldn’t be surprised if the numbers where similar in other countries. It got me thinking as to what is so fascinating about fire that children what to play with it. Is it the color? The way the flames move? Or is it its ability to turn everything to ash?

Well, as for the Marvel Universe there seems to be no shortage of characters that like to play with fire. One in particular has been a major thorn in the side of the X-men since the early 1980’s and appropriately goes by the name of Pyro.

And with that, for you Pyro fans out there I have a Toy Biz 1994 Marvel X-men action figure of the infamous mutant villain.

The backboard has some wear and is warped from storage. The package however has never been opened. The Fleer Ultra Marvel Universe Trading Card that is included in the package features Gideon.

Pyro’s mutant ability does not give him the power to create fire without a box of matches however he is able to take control of any flame he sees by shaping it to his will.

Unlike in the three X-men films in which Pyro is portrayed as an American teenager who was recruited into Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Pyro is Australian who was recruited to into Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in the comics. In the comics Pyro would eventually die as a hero in a fight against his former teammates. However, everyone’s favorite mutant pyromaniac wouldn’t stay dead for long. Whoever does in comics? He was eventually resurrected by the psychic vampire Selene as a mutant techno-zombie but has since disappeared after Selene's demise at the end of the Necrosha story arc. Ah, the life and death and rebirth of a Marvel character.

If you are interested in this figure of Pyro you can find it for sale on eBay by clicking here.

Marvel's X-men 1994 ToyBiz figure: Gambit with Power Kick Action!

Gambit is a huge favorite among many and was voted in at #65 on IGN's list of Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. Created by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee it's easy to see why the character is so popular. When you can take down bad guys with only a deck of cards you have to be pretty bad-ass. I guess that's why he gets all the ladies.

Another item from Toy Biz's 1994 line up of Marvel's X-men action figures.

There is some slight fraying in one corner of the backboard and the plastic is slightly creased. 

The Marvel Universe Trading Card that is enclosed in the package features Shatterstar of X-Force.

If you are interested in this figure of Gambit you can find it on eBay by clicking here.

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