1995 Youngblood figure of Rob Liefeld’s Troll by Todd McFarlane Toys

From Image comic’s creator Rob Liefeld, Bartholomew J. Troll is a government agent who has been working on the side of American ever since the Revolutionary War. A former member of the superhero teams Youngblood and Brigade, Troll is in fact a mythical troll and is over thousands of years old. Though naturally all covered in blue fur, he chooses to appear more like a grayed haired version of Wolverine.

Here is a 1995 Youngblood action figure of Rob Liefeld’s Troll by McFarlane Toys.

When a pipe broke in my garage this item happened to be in a cardboard box on the floor. Though the water never got more than a couple of centimeters high the cardboard box soaked up the water and so did the backboard of this item’s package. I decided to just remove the backboard and place the figure in a Ziploc bag. The only time I have removed the item from the bag since then was to take these pictures.  None of the parts are missing and as you can tell from the pictures the item is in excellent condition.

If you are interested in Rob Liefeld's Troll, you can find it for sale on... Will be posting soon.

Printer’s Proof of the Recalled Spider-Man Teaser Poster Featuring the World Trade Center

Before the tragic events of September 11, 2001 Sony Entertainment released a number of teaser posters for their upcoming Spider-Man film. The poster featured Spider-Man hanging on the side of a building with the reflection of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in his left eye. In light of the events of 9/11 Sony decided to recall these posters along with all other material using that same image, instantly making them a highly sought for commodity by collectors. Three versions of the teaser poster exist with slightly different taglines:

The North American version states “3 MAY 2002”
 The International version states “COMING 2002”
The South American version states “2002”

An even rarer version of these posters would be a printer’s proof. Before a batch of posters is printed a limited number of test posters are printed with a color chart along the left edge of the poster. Once they are given the ok the proofs are normally destroyed.

Here is an authentic printer’s proof of the highly sought for recalled Spider-Man teaser poster.

The poster has a slight tear on the left border and some white spots are noticeable near the bottom and top of the poster upon close inspection (shown in the pictures). Other minor defects are due to wear from rolling the poster. I have provided several images to help you determine the condition of the item and its authenticity for yourself. If you have trouble authenticating movie posters for yourself you can go to movieposterauthenticating.com for help.

The poster measures approximately 28 x 40 3/4 inches.

Here are few of the reasons why I feel this poster is authentic.
1) In the original cut version of the poster there is a yellow cab that can be seen partially on the left side of the poster traveling on an overpass. In reprints of the poster this cab is usually not visible due to a difference in cropping of the image. In this printer’s proof the entirety of the cab is clearly shown as it’s an uncut version of the poster.
2) The small red text under the tagline includes the word ‘sale’. This word has been left out in reprints apparently in a move to make them more sale-able.
3) Original versions of this poster also state under the tagline, “THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED. FOR FUTURE INFO GO TO FILMRATINGS.COM”. Reprints, possibly made after a rating was given to the film, are missing this line.

If you are interested in this extremely rare movie poster of Sony Entertainment’s Spider-Man, you can find if for sale on eBay by clicking here.

Marvel Super Heroes 1992 ToyBiz figure: The Amazing Spider-Man with Multi Jointed Action Poses!

Arguably belonging somewhere in the top 3 of most iconic superheroes of all time along with Batman and Superman, Spider-man has found his way in to almost everything from school backpacks and lunch boxes to neck ties and socks.

Given amazing superpowers after being bit by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker soon came to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. As a character that started out being far from perfect and feeling responsible for the death of his uncle Ben, Spider-Man shown us that having great power alone does not make you a hero; it’s taking the responsibility in acting on doing the right thing that makes you a great hero. Spider-man is not a hero because he wants to be, it’s because he has to be.

Now, with that said how is he going to make a deal with the devil? If you haven’t guessed it, yes, I am not a proponent of One More Day. If they wanted to get MJ out of the picture they could have done it in so many other ways. Making a deal with Mephisto to simply rewind the past and start all over is way out of character for someone who strives to do the right thing even when he finds it hard to do so. Not to mention it is a poorly contrived way to retcon almost 20 years of Spider-man history.  It’s sad to say, but to this day I haven’t read another Spider-Man comic.

Well, for those who remember the Spider-Man of the past here is a 1992 Marvel Super Heroes figure of the Amazing Spider-Man with Multi Jointed Action Poses by ToyBiz!

The backboard has some wear and is warped from storage. There is some discoloring along two edges of the backboard due to it previously getting wet. The figure it self still appears to be in excellent condition as it has never been removed from the package.

If you are interested in this figure of your "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man", you can find it for sale on eBay by clicking here.

Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies.
Look out! Here comes the Spiderman.

SOLD

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 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 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: Iceman with Super Ice Slide!

Iceman is one of the oldest X-men characters introduced yet is usually portrayed as one of the youngest. Ah, the magic of comics.

This item featuring one of the X-men's most powerful mutant is another from Toy Biz's 1994 line up of Marvel's X-men action figures.

The item comes with a freezable Super Ice Slide or a one cube ice-tray....

 

 The Iceman figure is transparent and has blue tinge, except for his belt. 

The backboard is in great condition.

The Ultra Fleer Marvel Universe Trading card that comes enclosed in the package features Cable.

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