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Lament for Marvel Showdown?


Nightbeat

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Quick Question, Long Explanation:

 

First off, I realize that Marvel Showdown is almost universally hated by fans of Marvel Legends, but please hear me out...

 

As a longtime toy collector and insatiable fan of Marvel and DC Comics, I'd always hit a dilemna of being so in love with the 3 3/4" to 4" action figure scale that I couldn't add any Marvel characters to my collection in toy form that would in scale with my beloved Star Wars, GI Joe, and Microman figures. I always wanted to see Cobra Commander plotting alongside Dr. Doom. Iron Man vs. Boba Fett. The Thing Vs. a Wampa.

 

Enter Marvel Showdown. Sure, the figures cost too much due to an included card game that most people throw away (I know I do). Sure, the figures are packaged in poses that initially even made them unappealing to me. Sure, they have unrivaled quality control issues and generally shoddy construction...But I FINALLY have Marvel characters to scale with the rest of my toy collection. I didn't mind paying twice as much as they're worth simply because I could finally have Wolverine fighting Storm Shadow.

 

After the initial launch of the line, the series seemed to peter out. I was fortunate enough to snag some figures from the Green Goblin series and the Venom Series from a Kay Bee toy store which liquidated the price on their only box of these guys, and I've never seen them anywhere else. Through the wonders of internet mail order, I've secured an entire collection, and I'm missing only one figure...The Silver Surfer...Lamentably, my favorite Marvel hero. So I have two quick questions for you guys...

 

1. Does anyone know for sure that this line has been cancelled (if so I will be very disappointed)

 

2. Does anyone know where I could get a Marvel Showdown Silver Surfer?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

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To paraphrase Dr. Leonard McCoy: "Its dead, Jim."

 

Without the game, Showdown is kind of redundant.

With the game, its a harder sell because the game has to be interesting and pretty much no-one that I have conversed with ever bought it for the game.

Hasbro has said NOTHING about being interested in continuing Showdown, in ANY form--so consider it well and thoroughly canned.

 

I collected both ML and Showdown, enjoyed both lines. I dug them because of the scale and their interplay possibilities with GIJOES and Microman figures. Its definitely a case of being fun, while it lasted.

 

As far as the Surfer goes I found mine at a TRU in the British Columbia interior last summer, not sure if I'll find more, but there were some around.

You should be able to find the figure via on-line stores, but because the line is canned that window may be closing fast. Act now and good luck.

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I have seen these marked down in many places, and only very recently did I decided I would start collecting them If I can find them...but I think since they got marked down so low they are now gone.

 

Its unfortunate because they had potential. I kinda wish these came out FIRST before Marvel legends and they really would have taken off.

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the line was is done me thinks.. Hasbro has shown no signs of continueing it. (the only lines we know that are continuing are Marvel Legends and Icons, the Spiderman Classics line is continuing somewhat, but different)

 

that being said, Marveltoys (Toybiz) could continue a showdown series with different characters in the future..

 

why was it canceled?

 

1. The game was stupid and made the figures more expensive than they should have been. Ther was no way these things could have survived at 8 bucks a pop.

 

2. The quality was horrible. I have never seen such poor paint jobs and crappy construction.

 

The only one of these figures I bought for retail price was Namor... every other one I have I bought for 4 bucks or less.

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I really dig some of those Showdown Deadpool customs, but I have a question about the head uses in some of the recipes. What is a "GTG Merc" head? Someone else used a "Good to Go" head, but I can't come up with anything when I google "GTG" or "Good to Go" and I don't see anything on eBay. Is it a G.I Joe fig? Help me out...

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The price was the only thing that kept me from collecting MS figures for the longest time. I always thought they did look really neat and were incredibly detailed for their size, but yeah there were some problems.

 

I eventually broke down and got a couple when I found them marked down in price, I forgot which one I got first but I actually found them pretty neat.

 

As I began picking one up every now and then I noticed the quality being a lot crappier on the older ones, but the newer releases all seemed to be quite a bit better.

 

I absolutely LOVE Juggernaut and Surfer...Those two hooked me. I picked up a bunch of them for $5 or less and I'll eventually try to complete the collection.

 

It's too bad the last wave didn't get around everywhere. I never saw them here at all. I really want that whole set.

 

To top it all off, I didn't even realize there were variants until it was basically too late to find any. I never saw a single one. At least those sold well.

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The big thing that always deterred me from showdown was the horrid price. I could buy a regular 6 inch legend for cheaper than a 3-4 inch one. Only since the price drop did i decide to buy some and oh my god ive become hooked. I really didnt think much of them at first, but as i got more, i found myself really liking them. And to top them off, they are more to true scale to alot of the build a figures. They are amazing next to the sentinel and onslaught.

 

 

Ive been able to get a good portion of the figs but that damn 4th wave is about impossible to find. I never saw it hit here and the ebayers want double and then their lovely BS 8 bucks extra for shipping. I too would like to find me a silver surfer. I ran into all series 1-3 while doing my toy runs and never thought twice about getting them only because of that crazy expensive price. If anyone knows where i could buy a silver surfer and the majority of wave 4 thats not on ebay, please let me know.

 

Also those customs are friggin kickass!

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So did anyone actually find Wave 4(Cyclops, Venom, Thor, Daredevil, and Invisible Woman) in stores? I got Cyclops off of Ebay but the rest of them are out of the price range that I'd pay for them. I regret passing up on Silver Surfer now too. I thought I could pass on him and he'd be there later but nope! :(

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Sure can. This guy is from the Joecustoms.com website. He is a great dealer. He has a lot of casts as you can see in my Deadpool custom from the above thread. Here is his website http://goodtogocustoms.com/depot/index.php?main_page=index

 

Thanks Dagger! I just ordered one.

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So did anyone actually find Wave 4(Cyclops, Venom, Thor, Daredevil, and Invisible Woman) in stores? I got Cyclops off of Ebay but the rest of them are out of the price range that I'd pay for them. I regret passing up on Silver Surfer now too. I thought I could pass on him and he'd be there later but nope! :(

 

 

I sure as hell didnt, and I usually see these quite a bit. I found all the variants of wave 3 (beast and elektra) at least twice. I picked up an Elektra variant to trade with weeks ago, and I just remembered it today, so as of now I have that Elektra and Human Torch I got for $3. I will go ahead and keep the Elektra. I REALLY regret passing up Iron Man that I saw on clearance a few times.

 

As for wave 4, I thought they were still in the chamber to be fired out so to speak (to stores). I had no idea they had been released. Maybe Big Lots will get gobs of these? Has anyone checked or ever seen them at big lots before?

 

It is obvious from reading these posts that if Toy Biz had handled this line a little better, with a more relevant price, they could have been GREAT.

 

My biggest wish is I wish they would have released Wasp, Ant Man, Yellow Jacket, etc in this scale.

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By the way, where have you all seen Marvel Showdown figures marked down at?

 

I know there were some at targets and walmarts but they didnt last long as they brought in the new hasbro stuff.

 

Pretty sure I saw some at Kmart but I checked one today and they were still regular price (only human torch).

 

any other places where these have been marked down?

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By the way, where have you all seen Marvel Showdown figures marked down at?

 

I know there were some at targets and walmarts but they didnt last long as they brought in the new hasbro stuff.

 

Pretty sure I saw some at Kmart but I checked one today and they were still regular price (only human torch).

 

any other places where these have been marked down?

I've seen them marked down at Target, Walmart, and TRU but 90% of the figures were Human Torch. Kmart here still has them at regular price. I haven't seen any of them at Big Lots. May need to check Tuesday Morning stores too.

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So I take it most collectors of this line are mostly in it for the figures themselves? Was the game really that bad? That would explain why Showdown MIP aren't selling on EBay. I don't think people want to pay shipping for all the extras and packaging when all they really want are the figures. Maybe a nice loose lot of them would do better? Plus it seems like the only Showdown figs selling on feEBay are the wave 4s and maybe Iron Man and Juggernaut. Those 2 really look sweet. What other figs in this series are you guys digging? I'm partial to all the bigger figs like Juggy, Thing and Hulk.

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So I take it most collectors of this line are mostly in it for the figures themselves? Was the game really that bad? That would explain why Showdown MIP aren't selling on EBay. I don't think people want to pay shipping for all the extras and packaging when all they really want are the figures. Maybe a nice loose lot of them would do better? Plus it seems like the only Showdown figs selling on feEBay are the wave 4s and maybe Iron Man and Juggernaut. Those 2 really look sweet. What other figs in this series are you guys digging? I'm partial to all the bigger figs like Juggy, Thing and Hulk.

 

I think you are right. I dont remember seeing anyone on here that was into the game.

 

I really like Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Cyclops especially. And I guess you could say I really like all of wave 3 and 4 since I dont have it lol.

 

Yesterday I ran the gauntlet and hit up several Walmarts, Targets, Kmarts and a TRU. I managed to get a nice score of Showdown figures, all on sale except for at TRU (grrr).

 

Picked up:

 

Human Torch - walmart

Punisher - walmart

Wolverine/Thing 2 pack - kmart

hulk spiderman 2 pack - kmart

iron man - kmart

cpt america -kmart

dr doom - kmart

Namor - TRU

Ghost Rider (deluxe) - TRU

Doc Ock - Tru

 

pretty sure that is all, which is good with me. Unforutnately no Target had any more, particulary the one where I actually saw wave 3 weeks ago :(

Also, it was not fun paying full price for these at TRU. They also had the black costume spidey and the Mr Fantastic/Moleman 2 pack but I am waiting on those.

 

Surely there is a warehouse full of wave 3 and maybe even 4. Wontg they send that out sometime???

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