Jump to content

VARIANTS!


CLAM

Recommended Posts

okay... so I was just looking at my wall where my figures are hung up.. and I hang the variants side by side to the normal figures... and it got me thinking. that some if these variants are usless...

 

so what do you thnk are the best variants? Like which ones deseved to be made and are well-done,.., which ones are the worst> what are your favorites? and what variants would you have made if you were in charge?

 

GOOD VARIANTS

Doombot- actually occures in the comics and is utilized by Doom

Dark Phoenix - looks awesome and gives collectors a different version of Jean Grey

Phasing Vision - awesome looking figure, nicely done.

X-Factor Angel - a version of the costume a lot of people prefer

X-Factor Cyclops - an entirely different era, and looks cool

Ionic Wonderman - great visual appeal, important version of th character.

ML12 Maskless Wolverine - Wolverine is one character who often goes maskless, so it makes tons of sense and looks great.

White Sasquatch - a different character entirely and looks cool.

Destroyer - a beautiful figure and a new character

Genis - again, awesome figure and gives fans a different character.

Spiderwoman - one more time, differen character and cool figure.

Baron Strucker - great utilization of a nice mold, and gives us a needed character

 

BAD VARIANTS

Red Skull - what an ugly piece of crap

Phasing Ghost Rider sure, ir looks cool.. but what am I supposed to do with a constantly melting face? wish he had a normal head.

Mohawk Storm - unecessary

grey Bullseye - why?

blue jeans Logan - okay, and we needed this figure because?

Black or Purple X-23 - who cares?

Red Ironfist - I just don't get it.. and whats up with the battle damage?

Melting Face Abomination - what the heck for?

Crown of Lies Loki - dumb.. should have been classic Loki instead.

Maskless Baron Zemo - who wanted that?

Classic Falcon - the difference is no big deal, nobody cares

Silver Moonknight - the normal figure should have been white... why is the variant silver?

Burned AOA Wolverine - uh... again, is there any need for him?

any figure with an open/closed mouth - this idea is just dumb.

Black Jacket Kingpin

 

Favorite Variants -

Gold Ironman - unecessay, but awesome

Stealh Ironman - same as above

Dark Phoenix

Phasing Vision

ML12 Maskless Wolverine

ML12 Bald Bishop

Destroyer

Genis

Black Spiderwoman

Baron Strucker

 

 

WHat I would have done

Namor - speedo

Colossus - chromed

Vision - white/ghost version

ML8 Cap - US AGENT

Loki - Classic Loki

Psylocke - Black Dawn

 

 

and thats all i can think of for now... what are your thoughts

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You forgot Black Widow--but I like the list you have and agree with most of it.

Only exception is the Classic Falcon--the classic costume is my preference.

Which Red Skull were you referring to? I hope not the Face-off one--as I like that figure. Its not an iconic Skull to be sure, but its still a good figure.

 

As for what I would have done......

 

Again, I agree with your list as is, but would add a proper classic Johnny Blaze Ghostrider--nonphasing look. I think Toy Biz should have bit the bullet and done a classic Black Panther as well.

Perhaps even a Neal Adams era Cyclops, whose is the same costume as the one we got, with different gauntlets and boot cuffs. Adams' version had them trimmed down with less flair to them.

And I would have been happy with the Wasp done with the long hair shown on the prototype figure too.

 

Battle-damaged versions of pretty much all the Byrne era- X-men characters--to go with the Dark Phoenix figure would have been a neat addition to the line. Then anyone could do a really good diorama based on X-men #137.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting subject... I tend to both like and hate variants that are alltogeather different charecters because odds are thats one less figure I'll have in my collection with out having to shell out 3 x or most likely more for it! I tend to prefer the stupid lil change figures like clear vision or gray/green hulk in ml 9 ... ect!

 

Some of the varaints do look great how ever Ithink they should have been made into the line some how or at least less Chasey! if thats even a word ha! :P I don't think my Toybiz collection will ever be complete thanks to the prices some of these things are going for its insane! Though now even some of the REGULAR figures are going for crazy prices which is kinda werid!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You forgot Black Widow--but I like the list you have and agree with most of it.

Only exception is the Classic Falcon--the classic costume is my preference.

Which Red Skull were you referring to? I hope not the Face-off one--as I like that figure. Its not an iconic Skull to be sure, but its still a good figure.

 

As for what I would have done......

 

Again, I agree with your list as is, but would add a proper classic Johnny Blaze Ghostrider--nonphasing look. I think Toy Biz should have bit the bullet and done a classic Black Panther as well.

Perhaps even a Neal Adams era Cyclops, whose is the same costume as the one we got, with different gauntlets and boot cuffs. Adams' version had them trimmed down with less flair to them.

And I would have been happy with the Wasp done with the long hair shown on the prototype figure too.

 

Battle-damaged versions of pretty much all the Byrne era- X-men characters--to go with the Dark Phoenix figure would have been a neat addition to the line. Then anyone could do a really good diorama based on X-men #137.

 

 

I didn't forget Black Widow... I don't like that figure, so I left her off .

 

I like the classic Falcon too, but I don't see the need for both.. one or the other would be fine with me.

 

Also, I would have loved a Johnny Blaze head... and a classic Black Panther.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personaly if I had to pick between falcons I'd go with the shirt version... The no shirt just looks weird... but then unless I'm around a pool I think that anyways :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I kind of like the idea of battle-damaged and alternate costume variants. If you're a casual collector the alternate costumes give you an option to pick up your favorite.

 

If you're an opener, you can alternate battle-damaged and normal versions of figures in your displays to depict famous battles or just make a neat "beat down" scene.

 

What I dislike is making individual characters the variants or exclusives. Up until the Face Off series, Red Skull was only released as a variant-- a very hard to find variant. Mattel was big on this crap with the MOTU line. They had Mossman, She-Ra, Keldor, and Faker all as exclusives that I had to pay out the nose for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ACtaully I gota say fakor was easy to get all you had to do was order through the magazine when it hit, moss man was a lil harder if you were not in the u.s. but was do able :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i'm not usually a variant guy, but i really loved what they did in 15 with Genis and Destroyer. the ones i hate most are the "unmasked" and "phasing" crap they always like to do. and the one i would've wanted most would've been White Vision instead of the stupid gummy bear version they gave us

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To #$#@# abit more we really shoulda gotten some sorta clear DR S figure in wave 9 rather than that crumy bullseye chase :D Duno how they droped the ball on that one!! Even a non clear ghostly colored painted one woulda been neat!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and speaking of pointless variants what was up with 3 wasps in 15, i mean granted blue one never made it out, but it just seemed very odd to me they'd attempt to give her 3 and leave poor Bill variantless, especilly since a pre-thor version of him would've been really easy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ACtaully I gota say fakor was easy to get all you had to do was order through the magazine when it hit, moss man was a lil harder if you were not in the u.s. but was do able :D

 

It should have been that easy. Many collectors who didn't subscribe to the magazine bought it at news stands just to send in for the Faker. By that time, it was too late. Many collectors, including me, got their checks sent back because they had sold out so fast.

 

I ended up getting my Mossman and She-Ra through He-man.org; Randor through a board member; and Keldor from someone that was getting out of MOTU.

 

/end thread highjacking :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good : Gold Iron Man S1, Dark Pheonix, Phasing Ghost Rider, Clear/Solid Invisible Woman, Solid Orange Super Skrull (W/ exception of its non-release), Baron Strucker

 

Bad : black suit Kingpin, Crown of Lies Loki, Grinning Bullseye, Silver Moonknight, Black or Purple X-23, Mohawk Storm, White Sasquatch, Ionic Wonderman, Orange & Clear Super Skrull

 

Wanted : Classic Black Panther, Green Trunks Namor, Classic Loki

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were plans for a Classic Black Panther, it just didn't cost out in the budget. Same reason for the Bullseye variant. They were going for a Professor X variant with hoverchair, but when costs didn't work out, threw in Bullseye at the last minute.

 

Speedo Namor wouldn't have been a feasible variant in ML2. The legs had pants wrinkles and no bare feet.

 

As for a variant I think they should have done: ML5 GW Bridge variant of Nick Fury.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and speaking of pointless variants what was up with 3 wasps in 15, i mean granted blue one never made it out, but it just seemed very odd to me they'd attempt to give her 3 and leave poor Bill variantless, especilly since a pre-thor version of him would've been really easy

 

 

beta ray bill wasn't variantless. he had 2 different skin colors. one was brown and the other was gold.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and speaking of pointless variants what was up with 3 wasps in 15, i mean granted blue one never made it out, but it just seemed very odd to me they'd attempt to give her 3 and leave poor Bill variantless, especilly since a pre-thor version of him would've been really easy

 

 

beta ray bill wasn't variantless. he had 2 different skin colors. one was brown and the other was gold.

 

 

that is not a variant or a chase. It is a running change in the way the figures was being produced.

 

Just like the lemon yellow Sentry figure is not a variant

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the variants were really cheap variants, while some were very effective and cool looking!!! I agree chases like the Red Skull were a gimmick. One bad thing is the way they were distributed, I'm sure everyone can agree on wave VI and VII being very limited. The Walmart "Best of" case rehash was a GREAT idea, but again, I never got to see the variants of Phasing Ghost Rider, Phasing Vision, and Dark Phoenix at retail. Heard a lot of these cases never made it to the floor!!! LOL!!! Some of my favorites that I own:

 

- unmasked Wolverine - same figure as ML3's unmasked Wolverine, just the package says 6

- Phasing Ghost Rider - huge Ghost Rider fan since the 1990's, and this is awesome!!!

- red Iron Fist - Iron Fist fan, a character very under rated!!! LOL!!!

- blue Angel - very easy variant to repaint from red. They should have done his X-Factor outfit, red w/ huge white "X"

- Phasing Vision - concept was cool, but I agree he looks like a gummy bear, hahahaha!!!

 

Stuff they could have done:

 

- chrome Silver Surfer - they did it w/ the big mego-like figure, why not the ML?

- chrome Colossus - people would have gone ape sh** for this!!!

- Professor X in his hover chair

- Havok in his current costume w/ the armor add-ons

- Storm in her outfit from Giant-Size X-Men 1

- Daredevil from the comic books either in his yellow outfit or his armor

(I know they did this for the pre-ML series of Spiderman classics for the yellow, just a wish!)

- Deadpool in his other outfits

 

Stuff I'm still hunting for:

 

- Dark Phoenix - this variant is awesome!!! Still skeptic on dropping $50+ on a figure!!! She may be worth it! LOL!

- Stealth Iron Man - I'm sure this is on everyone's list of grails!

- gold Iron Man - easier to pick up than the Stealth?! HA!

- Trenchcoat Thing - looks cool!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whats funny was that stealth ironman was supposidly a peg warmer or at least thats what I allways read and was easy to find ... now he like what?.. $200?.. How the hell does that work ?:P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whats funny was that stealth ironman was supposidly a peg warmer or at least thats what I allways read and was easy to find ... now he like what?.. $200?.. How the hell does that work ?:P

 

Yeah, he was on clearance & I passed him up for a Captain America! @grumpy@

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Black Apocalypse is not a variant, he's a running change. He was always planned to be black, the factory screwed up with blue.

 

I consider a running change to be a variant, an unplanned variant, but a variant nonetheless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of my favorite variants are the following": Yellow Daredevil, Stealth Armor IM, Doombot(ML2), Dark Phoenix, X-Factor Cyclops, X-Factor Angel, Phasing Ghost Rider, White Sasquatch, Wasp(Red, since the Blue appears to be a myth @lol@), Spider-Woman, Destroyer, Baron Von Strucker and Jigsaw.

 

The variant I wanted the most though was the XMC3 Bobby Drake, I'm surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

Some of the more lame variants for me are: Mohawk Storm, Bullseye and Green Hulk from ML9, Red Iron Fist, Crown of Lies Loki, Melted-face Abomination, Unmasked Zemo, and that silver Moon Knight...what was that all about @grumpy@

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Find Action Figures on Ebay

×
×
  • Create New...
Sign Up For The TNI Newsletter And Have The News Delivered To You!


Entertainment News International (ENI) is the #1 popular culture network for adult fans all around the world.
Get the scoop on all the popular comics, games, movies, toys, and more every day!

Contact and Support

Advertising | Submit News | Contact ENI | Privacy Policy

©Entertainment News International - All images, trademarks, logos, video, brands and images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies and owners. All Rights Reserved. Data has been shared for news reporting purposes only. All content sourced by fans, online websites, and or other fan community sources. Entertainment News International is not responsible for reporting errors, inaccuracies, omissions, and or other liablities related to news shared here. We do our best to keep tabs on infringements. If some of your content was shared by accident. Contact us about any infringements right away - CLICK HERE