My Marvel Collection: X-MEN & X-FORCE!!!

[BrandonDaCollector]

So this topic is something I wanted to do for a very long time. I had got all of this together over a year ago With delays and much more to showcase with in My Vintage Action Figure Topic being still in the mid 80s, it;s going to be a while till I get to the entries of 89 and especially the 90s so with known that I finally came to the conclusion that I was going to post My 1989 ToyBiz collection that will soon be followed by years after. So keep in mind MOST OF EVERYTHING within the topic was over a year in the making This will undoubtedly be one of the most grandest topics of Mine and it will be unquestionably be one of the most visually stunning Marvel showcases ever seen. The majority will be by ToyBiz but with My logo seen above there will many other companies involved as well. Now this will feature VINTAGE 80S & 90s as well as MODERN 2000s action figures plus other items also including unexpected entries This will however not begin with a Marvel presentation, it will begin with a somewhat of a massive, 7-Part prologue because this is how I knew Marvel's very own toy company ToyBiz and how got into comic stuff first so without further adieu here is My...



So it was the great year of 1989.. I was into just about anything back then but thing I wasn't was a big one and that was comics. It's not that I didn't have any mind you cause I did. My Mom got Me My first 2 comics ever which you can see in My Odds & Ends which is arguably My most imperative topic that I have ever created. Whenever Me & My Grandma would wait for Our prescriptions over at Paramount Drugs, she'd get Me some comics I was interested in when I was a youngster till they closed in the early 90s as well as some 7-11 Convenient stores, I have showcased Paramount Drugs and Our old 7-11 in My Odds & Ends, again, it's a very crucial topic of Mine. So if you are a noob or unaware of the great history of the late 80s, Marvel's toy company ToyBiz was making Marvel figures for years but then WB/DC got them to make not only figures from the new 1989 Batman film but also DC Super Heroes Amazing THE SAME ToyBiz that was Marvel and made Marvel figures To this day, I still can't believe that they actually made DC figures. Now I do not consider theme bootlegs and/or knockoffs like many collectors say they are Why It's simple. Most bootlegs do not have a major company backing them much less an official licenses. I have said before in My showcases countless times about the Copyrights & Company Info and I always take pics of'em on the figures and of the cards. Its such a crucial way identify who made what & when. After all the decades I have read & watched action figure reviews I have never seen anybody take the time to do this important thing. I have always LOOKED at the Copyrights on My figures cause at first when I was a youngster and even until My teens cause it's fun to search for it but later on I realized how imperative it really is. I've said it before, look at your figures and look for those Copyrights, believe Me when I say besides taking care of your figures, it's the second best thing you can do for them not to mention yourself

So elsewhere on the board I talked about that wasn't into Kenner's DC Superpowers but when the 1989 Batman classic film came out I was stoked to see it. Me and My Family + My Mom's boyfriend Jasper all went to see it, gosh I remember it like it was yesterday. I absolutely loved it and Batman became a hero of Mine. I was already a big fan of horror and spooky movies so the tone of the film for Me was just right. I loved the musical score by Danny Elfman (I already knew him because he composed the score to Beetlejuice which I loved!), My Grandpa was the same way about the 89 Batman score, from him is how I learned to appreciate film music. So, We all loved the film and it became a fave of My family and of course Mine. I STILL HAVE THE AMC Esquire TICKET which you will see a while later on within this topic So, I found out about the action figures via an ad that I got I believe from the theater (but don't quote Me on that and it's a shame I misplaced that booklet, I really liked that brochure So I had My Grandma get Me all She could find over the course of time with her at places such as Venture, K-mart & Target. Then I found out that there was others that was part of a DC sister series and it was called DC Super Heroes It was clicking then with Me that hey kid, this is your second chance to get figures like them DC figures you regretted about NOT getting at Ben Franklin's prior to this great event. I wanted them and My Grandparents got em' for Me and I am so thankful for that and that I was part of all of this totally fun 89 DC HISTORY

Now, like most in My collection, I do not have all the characters, the figures are worn and not complete. I have misplaced many of the accessories and the vehicles. I do have two duplicate 89 Batman figures as I wanted another one cause I beat him up so bad when I was a kid and thankfully I took care of My second one then So onward to the showcase of My DC Batman 89 & DC Super Heroes by ToyBiz!

Batman 89 v1: I always thought that this was a great version. The mask and the build is just right. Now these figures aren't totally screen accurate as...



The Joker looks more from the DCSP and/or the 1966 TV Show & Movie. I really liked his tall slender build and his squirting orchard This really is a very underrated figure of the Prince of Crimes

NOTE: Kenner would make a totally accurate version of him around a year later or so when they would get back the DC & Batman Licence and it was arguably the best Joker figure ever made IMO



Now on the other hand Robert Hawkens aka Bob/Bob the Goon looks quite good and screen accurate as well. He's bald and his attire is fine looking with the Joker Logo/Insignia. Unfortunately right when I was taking pics of him I lost his Hat which was a long time back when I took this pics originally but one day hopefully I can find it



His kicking action feature/mechanism has malfunctioned over time since he's around 34 years old already So I just rubber-band his legs together and I ignore the visual, I did the same with ToyBiz' WCW Sid since he had the same feature but he's actually about 10 or so years younger than him but when your a kid and played with these guys all the time stuff like that happens Since Bob is a "new" character for the film only, he was a nice bonus character for the ranks that you are about to see in a little while...



Here is Batman 89 (v1), the Joker and Bob the Goon





So here is the first entries of the DC Super Heroes by of all companies ToyBiz which is Batman 89 (v2) & Robin Notice the difference in this Batman as he is nearly mint compared to the one above I really love this "Boy Wonder Robin, I recall it like it was yesterday going to My great local K-Mart that I just showcased in My Vintage Action Figure Topic and seeing these DCSH and especially Robin caught My eye cause I was just watching the 66 TV Show thinking how much I would love to have a Robin figure and then I got him, oh it was so serendipitously fun



Here is Batman 89 v2, Superman and Wonder Woman: They are My first & original JLA in figure form and otherwise Later in a future update of the topic you will see a special comparison of Kenner's DCSP & ToyBiz' DCSH via Superman from BOTH lines This Wonder Woman is quite nice. She's the only female figures of the whole series and you can tell that she is a female. I have unfortunately misplaced her Lasso of Truth but overall she is quite nice and she was one of first if not My first superhero female figures



OK, now here we go with the villains, here is The Joker along with The Riddler, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Lex Luthor aka the DC Super Villains!. All of these guys are superb looking. The Riddler really has been a fave figure of mine within this series however Mr. Freeze was always the one that looked the coolest with no pun intended there and yes his helmet is removable. Note that The Penguin is a big time inspiration of Kenner's DCSP version and in fact Kenner would keep this mold & sculpt for their Batman Returns series in 1992 which is quite something else when you think about it Thank goodness I kept Luthor's briefcase & Kryptonite Ring with him. I've always loved the look at the Geen Ring Just look at the classic Vintage DCSH Viallin display, oh i looks so darn good



The Batmobile Ah yes, I had to have this baby. It was so great looking in the film and still really is the absolute best one ever IMO (the others in the Batman Quadrilogy are close however). Like the others I believe I got this over at My great local K-Mart. ToyBiz really knocked it out of the park with this. Here is the Shield that protects the car, it's a very thin plastic in one piece, is removable and it's completely screen accurate



So here's what The Batmobile looks like when it isn't shielded. The design is just superb and again looks so screen accurate. The Batman 89 Logo Stickers is a nice bonus touch and their still on there nice & tight after all of these years Batman 89 fits right it with ease and the trunk opens up as well for cool accessories storage



The windshield looks quite decent and is of a sturdy plastic. The Caped Crusdaer has some good breezes flowing in



I have always loved the inside of the car and to turn that steering whee & lifting up the automatic transmission/DSC lever for the firing of the vehicle's feature The sticker is still on there real nice and tight. The meter & gadgets look astonishingly beautiful, look at that coolness




With is trusty Bat-Gun, here is the Dark Knight standing next to his The Batmobile




Here is the underside of The Batmobile. Look at that lovely DC 1989 COPYRIGHT, gosh I love this so much



So that will do it for Part 1, I hope you read how this all began and were surprised here. Keep in mind that this is well over a year in the making and before get to My actual Marvel there will be 6 MORE parts to go here of DC ToyBiz plus more and it's already to go I'm doing them separately so everything can sync in but I'm going to do these fast as I have them all written up so if your gonna be interested be consist and keep track here as you don't want to miss a thing I will have many bonus things your not gonna expect as well When I present Part 7 you will see how this connects to My Marvel collection and that there is indeed a method to My madness, until Part 2 I'll see you around

[AcidDragon]

This is the series that I'm actually most familiar with from my childhood. I actually don't remember much (if anything at all) about the much more popular DC Super Powers line. Great share, man. I love it. Did not even know all that cool stuff about the Batmobile. Did you keep the pieces of paper that came with Riddler? lol. I remember I also had the Two-Face from the line. it was blue-ish purple suited on one side and orange on the other. It had a wind-up action feature than spun a giant coin in his hand. Pretty cool.

[packerbacker180]

See, I had a majority of the Super Powers figures and vehicles (and Secret Wars) but by '89 I was mostly out of toys and into sports cards and video games. I did have a black Batman from that time, not sure if it was the same one, just remember having him. I don't really recall DCs ToyBiz line as I wasn't really shopping the toy aisles much by then. Neat to see some of these, but my soft spot will always be for Kenner.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Thanks guys for your replies OK, I'm gonna to reply to you guys one at a time

Acid - It's cool that this series was the one for you and I'm glad that I brought this back to you I know the feeling, later I will explain My Kenner DCSP experience. Glad that you were surprised about the Batmobile Actually I misplaced those little Riddles & Clues Papers that The Riddler came with. I have no idea if I have them still or not. Its funny that you mentioned that and that you said about the Two-Face cause I hadn't put in any info about the additional figures in the line and was wondering how I was going to do it. Well this is how In 1990, ToyBiz made a Series 2 of DCSH. I never knew that they existed till many, many years later on the net. None of the stores in My area carried them unfortunately or I missed/overlooked them which was very unlikely. So here is a pic I made that credit goes to FigureRealm. First here is The Riddler to show you his Riddles & Clues Papers, then from the new series the aforementioned Two-Face which I would have loved to have him, two variants of Aquaman & The Flash, a rather deluxe Green Lantern and a really awesome looking Hawkman. Again these are not Mine, I never could find them back in the day. I would have been so excited to find these to go with the ones that you already seen in My collection above. This pic is for their history, click the pic to expand it's full length, like most of My pics, it's huge to see all the detail

PB - Oh yes PB, the Kenner DCSP was the great one, without that line the ToyBiz wouldn't series exist or at least it would be quite different. Again, I will explain further about My DCSP later. Since you don't recall the ToyBiz line, it is possible that you had a Kenner Batman cause they did make them right after ToyBiz' licensed ended. Glad you liked these PB

So any questions and more to say guys before Part 2 Stay with Me here, there's still a ton to left to come

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here is Part 2 of My ToyBiz DCSH which this is a SPECIAL BONUS GALLERY!, let's get to it

Holy Toledo, I found ALL of My ToyBiz DC Blister Cards I know PB is always amazed about that I kept the Blister Cards from My figures, well wait until he get's a load of this

First of all let's started with the Batman 89 collection. Here is My 2 Batman Blister Cards since I have duplicates. You can get a great idea of how they are Front & Back which you can see that they are quite cool ti look at as the art is some of the best you could ever see on a card which this goes for the whole series IMO

NOTE: The Cards don't look the greatest cause I ripped & tore them up I didn't realize that I shouldn't do that till 1996 when I got My first SW: POFT2 figures which you can see their great cards in My main Star Wars Topic cause I loved to feel them and look at them and I wanted them as crisp as possible which I did for all of My figures after that for displays among other reasons




Here is the instructions of the figures and what the series has to offer.



Here is The Joker & Bob the Goon.




Here is the beginning of the DC Super Heroes's Robin, Wonder Woman & Superman Front & Back I especially love that classic looking Truthqueen, this is one of the best ones of her




Next up now is the villains Lex Luthor & Mr. Freeze Front & Back...




then we have The Penguin & The Riddler Front & Back...




Here is an example of the instructions of the figure...



and of course it wouldn't be complete if you didn't have a better view of the figures to collect and especially the lovely 1989 DC & ToyBiz Copyright, it's still amazes Me that these figures are about 34 years old now, it only seems like it was last month when I got'em




Here is a close up of ALL the Bio Cards together I loved keeping these for as much info as I could gather




Now if you have followed Me in other topics such as My Vintage Action Figure Topic then you know how I am about My local stores that once was and I'm trying to put all together that I can about them. Well, here is a close up of the The Price Stickers from a few of My childhood favorites Venture, K-Mart & Target I especially love the latter two but Venture was arguably the best, if only more people around the Nation or better yet the world could have shopped there, they would have been thrilled even to this day like I am and I am quite grateful I had the experience for years



So in short here is a brief look at them. I had recently showcased Target in My Odds & Ends in My Glory Days of Video Rentals as to how this location on Hampton looks in recent times since they rebuilt it in about 2005. I heavily expressed My love for My great K-Mart near Morgan Ford in My Vintage Action Figure Topic when I recently posted My HUGE 6-Part Vintage Star Wars presentation. A long while back I posted about Venture there as well plus I recently posted some great classic Venture commercials in PB's Christmas topic too which just because it's not Christmas time doesn't mean you can't check them out Don't think for a second that I am done with these stores cause I'm not There was another great K-Mart in South County that later moved where the second location of Venture was plus Venture had a third location as well a bit further out...all of this was so good back in the day and such fun times to be had







So that's it for now, I'm moving right along here. My ToyBiz DCSH Part 3 will come soon, until then I'll see you around

[Idiot Savant]

I grew up with the Super Powers and MEGO figs as my only real reference for my DC characters and I loved them dearly. It’s always fun looking back on your collections from time to time and this is no different: I bought only the Joker and Batman from the movie line and acquired a couple of Kenner Batmobile’s later on, along with the repainted Super Powers Batcopter, of which I still have but sadly no place to display them. I was also fortunate to find the rare-ish MEGO-styled 89 Batman at an antique shop many years ago, so I was happy with that.

Thanks for these continuing trips down Memory Lane!

[BrandonDaCollector]

Your welcome IS. I have no idea if people are seeing My stuff with no replies. I'm always in question if they are or not because of that and that possibly means their missing out on stuff. Like OSN, I appreciate him posting but he always posts on something very recent without mentions something I did a few weeks prior as he never goes back and because of that I'm afraid he missed some more great stuff that I showcased, I don't know how else to say it. I post often so it will help to keep up with what I do and reply regularly so you don't miss out, I hate it when people miss out on a good thing cause I hate it missing out on good stuff myself. Thanks very for sharing your little memories and all that stuff IS and liking My collections. More to come very soon

[BrandonDaCollector]

Part 3 begins with some SPECIAL GALLERY SHOTS

Superman vs. Lex Luthor with his trusty Briefcase & Kryptonite Ring



Batman 89 & Robin meets the Villains!



Batman 89 & DC Super Heroes group shot: Wow, take a gander at that super classic vintage ToyBiz display

So here we have a Batman triple threat of ToyBiz' 89 Batman facing off against Kenner's Batman from their great 1990 line with an excellent Michael Keaton in the middle

NOTE: When I get to the 90s in My Vintage Action Topic, I will showcase this great Kenner line along with their awesome DC Swamp Thing among other totally cool stuff hopefully soon




Here is the Kenner Joker I was talking about that is arguably the best movie figure ever of this version IMO, compare the difference of the style here, like I said, the ToyBiz version is great but it's not inspired from the 89 film as its more than likely from the 66 Series or DCSP



In this DC Special is Kenner's DCSP Superman along with many of the great figures of the future, even the same molded Penguin that they decided to use after-all that was originally their's in their iconic DCSP series with ToyBiz's 89 Batman...take a gander at this great lineup here

During this superb time of 1989, MOTU was also coming back to store shelves. Here is My ToyBiz Batman 89 & Mattel NA He-Man Size Comparison...NOTE: Soon in My Vintage Action Figure Topic I will be showcasing My New Adventures of He-Man so be on the look out sometime soon for a super visual presentation of that



So that will do it for Part 3, I hope you liked it and were surprised a bit. Look back in the others in case you missed something, Part 4 will come soon, until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here is Part 4 of My DC Special so let's get to My SUPER SPECIAL BONUS GALLERY

Here is My Batman 89 Button collection I got at various places including I believe at Crestwood Plaza during the time when Batman 89 was hot



Here is My Batman 89 Pins, I believe My Mom got Me these at Our great Schnucks on Arsenal. Look at the Price Sticker, looks like the same one on My WWF LJN Iron Sheik Blister Card so I am going with that



Here is the Schnucks on Arsenal, it's My favorite location of all the Schnucks that I've been too. Out old houd is near there and way up the street is on the right is where My Grandpa's Bike Shop, Paramount Drugs, Woolworth, & Judy's was. On the left side there is the Railroad Tracks, I loved looking at them all the time, the ran near Our old house but since has been removed for over a decade now and I absolutely despise it when they think they have to remove them for walkways or for whatever darn reason as it just ruins the history of that area not to mention the whole region. This Schnucks is still here so there's that



Here is My Batman 89 Buttons & Pins Comparison



89 Batman Movie Program: Please NOTE that I messed it up when I was very young, I taped a newspaper ad of the Joker and colored it and put stickers from the Topps Bubble Gum Trading cards + even an ad from 92's Batman Returns I believe I got this great publication at National. Oh but look at the special ad of the ToyBiz Batman, i don't know about others but I find that absolutely outstanding and I loved seeing back in the day



Speaking of Topps, here is My 2 unopened Vintage Batman 89 Topps cards that I got from My MOTUC customizer bud Darthhink (you can see it all in My great post of him in the MOTU section) as a Christmas finale gift of Our business relationship in 2014 since he had to retire to do another job and be a Family Man



And here is My previously seen Vintage Batman & Joker 89 Topps Candy Heads



Now in My odds & Ends, I made an absolute ginormous Glory Days of Video Rentals, a presentation that I had been on My mind for a very long time, if you never experience how it was back in the old days before this digital age we're in now, this will show you how wonderful it was back then in the 80s - 2000s but if you have and if it was as important to you as it is for Me then you'll love this cause I share most of My most crucial moments of My local places that is no longer around within that showcase and it's located right here ---> http://www.dctoyrevolution.org/general-toy-discussions/my-odds-ends-insane-keychain-t1176-40.html and there's a ton of more great stuff coming soon as well So here is one entry from that superb presentation that I'm quite proud of and that is My Batman 89 VHS Tape I got this from Verna's Mr. T's which she was My fave of all. Yep, the original VHS Notice the Topps Trading Card Sticker on the front & back I got at Our old 7-11. Notice the hand writing, it's My Grandma's...I wanted her to write the "You Made Me" quote on there...look at that...that's My MiMi's handwriting over 30 years ago



There's Verna's Mr. T's Logo Sticker, it is so crucial that these VHS Tapes have their sticker otherwise you may not know where you got them originally and it all falls to oblivion...I was so thankful that Rainbow Video had her's on there with My Bruce Lee film cause that is My Holy Grail of all of My VHS Tapes Verna was like a boss however, if you didn't do what her tapes said like rewind & return to to the store then there would be hell to pay but that's a good thing, she was so nice yet meant such business, again something that is so missing in today's generation and society



My 89 Batman Movie Soundtrack & Score CDs: As usual this is one thing that so many people don't talk about and it's always been one of My favorite things of just not this film but just about any film that that I'm interested in. The music makes the movie whether society wants to admit it or not. To Me its one of the most exciting things about a film and it's so fun to collect (before the this digital age took full effect that is) and to display. These I got in the early 90s from My Mom when We were experimenting with Columbia House and these two are My first soundtracks that I got on CD. The Soundtrack is by Prince and the Score is by Danny Elfman and both had a huge part of making Batman 89 what it was and is today cause without their music the film would have been just ok and not the super fun & dark masterpiece that it became which this goes for any film. Here is the Front Covers



The Back Covers with the track listings, PB posted a couple songs and I also posted some of these in My Music Video & Composer topics many, many months ago



Here is the Inside the Cases and a look at the CDs themselves. I always like looking at CDs, it looks so cool. NOTE: My Grandpa has these on Vinyl Record along with many other scores, one day I hope to get them out of a tough storage area and showcase whatever I can in My Odds & Ends whenever I can cause he taught Me a lot about movie scores & soundtracks (as I had expressed this before) when I was a very young youngster, I knew Jerry Goldsmith's First Blood before I knew Star Wars & E.T. If it wasn't for him I would not have the love for Movie Music like I do as I type this and I am quite thankful for that



Here is the DC, WB & Columbia House 1989 Copyrights



As I said near the start of this great topic & showcase, I still have My Batman 89 Movie AMC Esquire Ticket It's in My special Keepsake Box where My Batman Buttons & Pins are in as well as many other movie items and more I recall how it was back then pretty well thank goodness. Me, My Grandparents, My Mom and her boyfriend Jasper all went together. I was a kid, I knew Superman from the old cartoon, TV and films but I really didn't know a lot of Batman as I had explained earlier. It was so tremendous when the night was done. I got into something so cool, dark and just so thrilling and I never got tired of Batman. Jasper knew how much I loved it so he got Me the original copy of The Killing Joke & Year One which they are two of My most prized comics in My collection which look for a special comic showcase in My Odds & Ends sometime soon that will include them Look at that Batman 89 Movie AMC Esquire Ticket, it was so much cheaper then when movies seemed so special to see at the show as it was only $2.95 and We went on July 22nd, 1989. Thank goodness I took care of it and that it looks as pristine now as it did back then



Here is My Batman 89 Movie AMC Esquire Ticket along with My ToyBiz 89 Batman for a nice size comparison



So that's it for now, I hope you liked this and were surprised. I hope you have been surprised and excited with this good topic of Mine so far Next will be Part 5 and that will arrive soon, until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

You know, I've seen those Batman cards recently. There's a store in our dying mall that's kind of like an antigqy mall called Things in Your Attic. It's basically a garage sale store. My youngest likes to go there because we often find NASCAR diecast cars cheap. At the front counter they have all kinds of old cards, and those Batman packs are there all the time. For a stocking stuffer this year I paid $3 for a pack of New Kids on the Block cards for my wife, lol. Props to you for not opening them. I don't think I would have that kind of willpower.