Billy T.

Fields Ertel has squat (their new store opens in a week or two.) They're prolly saving the new stock till then. BTW lartdog, you have another PM

Dayam! I thought the 'toon was fairly entertaining. At least the writers had a decent notion of the characters. Dayam!

Excellent set. The Rhino and the Lizard are top-notch, for sure. Well worth the money, especially since that's probably the last time you'll see the molds for those two figures. How pathetic are those Origins repaints in comparison, eh?

GI Joe customizers have been using the RIT Dye method for a few years now as well. I think there may even be a tutorial in the Joecustoms.com site. I've dyed one of the ninja lightning cycles that came with Stormshadow and one of the gliders that came with Barrel Roll. You do have to be careful about how long you keep the objects submersed. The water has to be very hot in order for the plastic to react with the dye. Obviously, if you want the plastic to soak in more color, the longer you have to treat it. I dyed the white cycle red and the color soaked in like a charm. But, the tires warped due to the heat, along with one of the softer plastic parts.

I have to agree with Jcast to a certain degree. I do think that Hasbro missed opportunites to give the Joe line the stamina to go the distance, as it were. As far as promotion of the line goes, IMO, Joe was the b@st@rd line of Hasbro's Boys Division. I recall seeing no promo for VvV. There's something to be said for synergy. Having a good toy, a yearly 45 min. toy commercial, and a mediocre comic just won't cut it in the action figure market. Toy/toon/comic/video game/bed sheets/sleeping bags/pajamas/kid shoes/clothing/party favors/books/coloring books/fruit roll-ups - synergy. The ironic thing about how I perceive that Hasbro dropped the ball with not promoting/synergizing the 4"-ers better is that Derryl Depriest was taken off the Joe line to oversee the SW: ROTS line. I'm pretty sure that's when Billy Lagor stepped-up to oversee the Joe line. With the announcement a few months back that Hasbro was taking over the Marvel license, guess who was tapped to oversee the marketing/distribution for Marvel? That's right, Billy Lagor. My question is, if 4" Joes were doing so poorly under Depriest and Lagor that Hasbro had to go in an entirely different direction with the line, how in the h-izz-ell did Depriest get put on the biggest license Hasbro had and Lagor on a license almost as big? Obviously, the work these guys were doing on Joe had some merit in Hasbro's eyes, right? Or was the line in such a bad shape that even the talents of these two toy gurus couldn't revive it? Something else that can factor into the kinds of role-playing that boys do is the kind of toys that parents will buy. I haven't seen anyone mention the notion that, since 2001, parents (moms imparticular) might not be too hip on buying their kid military-themed toys, tanks, jet fighters/bombers, etc. We were all in an uproar when the Sigma 6 line was announced and we saw the first episode of the toon. Sigma 6 is not G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe is a "real, American hero." Two things that Sigma 6 is absolutely trying to not be 1. real and 2. American. Remember the U.N.-esque flag that was flying over the S6 HQ in the toon? A bold contrast to the US flag flying over the HQCCs in all our Joe rooms. Public opinion regarding our country and armed conflict has changed, and IMO, the military-themed toy lines have taken a hit. Sigma 6 is much more sci-fi/fantasy than the re-launched Joe line was. This is probably why Hasbro decided to go with mostly 2-D animation for the S6 toon rather than the more realistic CGI that was used for Spy Troops/VvV movies. Hasbro wants to emphasize the notion that Sigma 6 is not realistic, and therefore welcome toy-buying moms who are weary of toys depicting realistic violence, etc. Some may say that this is a cop-out or that this notion is a figment of the imagination but, I'll ask you this, who bought you your Joes when you were a kid?

I scored a Psylock over the weekend and contend that it's one of the most solid figures I have. No rubbery plastic or splotchy pain, etc. I actually went into a Target, where the only ML out was purple X-23. I asked an associate if he could check the back for any more, etc. He came out with 2 Lukes and the Psylocke. Leftovers from a case...or was someone holding these aside in the back? You be the judge but, I couldn't have picked a nicer looking Betsy if I'd had a choice

Coulda been a web shootin' Spidey from Spiderman 2 @shrug@ Still sucks though

Great piece. I would go with a grayish color, too. You might consider getting some of that "crackle" spray paint (do they still make that stuff?) You could go a couple different directions: keep the light base and spray over light/medium gray crackle. Or you could do a flat black, then spray over with the gray crackle. The base color should show through the crackle paint. This might make for a good lunar scene, a la Phoenix's last stand on the moon...(?) You could also fix it up as a desert type scene for Hulk, with the same kind of crackle paint, or use some of that stone texture spray paint(?) Hulk, Leader, Abom, Absorbing Man, HBIM, would all look great hangin out on that display. Possibilities for this stand are almost limitless. I could see this being used for all kinds of LOTR stuff, too. See the nasty, tricksy, little hobbittses... Do the base white with some gray airbrushing and use it for an arctic environ, think Hoth, or someplace that Cobra might have an arctic base of operations.

At first blush I'm thinking, RDJ as an action-hero? Bah! But, for what percentage of the film will he be suited-up? Won't it be CGI or a stunt double in the suit for the action shots anyway? The big question will be if he can be a convincing Tony. I think he can. I wouldn't have picked him but, I think RDJ can pull of a Stark. Arrogant? Check. Rich playboy? Check. Brooding and addictive personality? Check. Serious and dramatic? Check. Dry and sharp wit? Check. I'm with others in saying that I hope the script gives him a chance to do the character justice.

Is there any chance that there will be a fight mode in this game that is not "turn-based?" For example, LOTR: ROTK as opposed to LOTR: The Third Age? I've never seen or played Marvel vs. Capcom2 but, I would love to get a hold of a MU game that had this many characters with such rich graphics. When is this game due out anyway?

Not a dizzam ML in my TRU either. Plenty o' Spidey 2 though @smilepunch@

I was bummed to see the fig has no waist cut. The restricted hips is also a bummer. Come to think of it, I think the Iron Spidey fig due out in Spider-Man Origins has no waist-cut, either. Now for Rogue, that's one thing but, for all-sortsa-contortin' Spidey, that's just a sin.

I don't care much for the unmasked variants either. If a figure is gonna show the character's unmasked face, I'd prefer it be more like Iron Man, where you have a choice to replace the mask or remove it to reveal the face.

I think it's o.k. to have some themed waves but, overall, I'd probably prefer keeping themes in boxset types of releases. However, I do think it would be kind of neat if somehow, all the characters in the wave had some kind of continuity connection to the BAF character. For example, theoretically, it would have made sense for a F4 team member to show up in the Galactus wave. I guess, in that line of logic though, the BAF character might end up the basis for a theme.

I'm waiting for the "Checkered ML 14."

The hip sockets were hard as heck to get to move on my Abom. I put a cup of water in the micro for 2:15 took one of my kids medicine-dropper syringes and filled the hip socket with the near-boiling water. After holding it with the water in there for a moment, I poured the hot water out and carefully began working the leg back and forth. I finally heard that "ratchet" sound and the leg was free to move. I did this on both hip sockets. It looked like the paint had gotten kinda stuck where the hip post meets the hip socket. Sorry about the arm breakage. Ever since I twisted the hand off of a SMC Scorpion 3 months ago, I check to see if it moves without much resistance. If it "fights" me, I'll heat up a trust cup o' water and give that part a short bath. I've read that people put figs in the freezer to achieve a similar result. I have yet to try that one.

I'm hoping for a Phoenix tri-variant re-release/redo for the Marvel Heroes line (green/red/white costumes/sculpt based on the Endsong mini.) From what I understand, series 3 is the end for XMC. Hasbro will be rolling all of the "classics-type" lines into Marvel Heroes, except for the Spiderman Origins line, I suppose. We know that Quicksilver is slated for the Blob series from Hasbro. I'm hoping to see a modern Polaris, a Jim Lee Jean Grey, and a Rachel Grey Marvel Girl from the ML line. I'd like to have a Sage Tessa as well. Beyond those and the Emma from the Annihilus series and the rumored FA Storm, I'd be pretty pleased. I must admit, the gold hoverchair would be cool, though. Why Prof. X wasn't included with the hoverchair in the Legendary Riders series is beyond me @smilepunch@

I'm generally not that into the movie figs but, FF movie series1 all the way. Great articulation and sculpt. I have the half-phased version and, my 6 yr. old daughter has the solid version. I was all about getting the FFC series2 version until I realized how poorly articulated it was. Oddly enough, the SA Spidey from the Spiderman 2 line is one of my fave Spidey figs.

I think Psylocke is gonna be the bees knees, too. This X-treme Rogue sculpt is great but, it loses major points for no waist cut and the poor range of motion that it looks like the hips have. Phoenix/Ms. Marvel is prolly the best so far, IMO. I fully expect Psylocke to take over that ranking, though.

I'm on the prowl for this fig, too. I figure the hype is up due to Civil War. Perhaps once the Modular, Thorbuster, and HOM armors come out, the demand for Modern armor will abate a bit? @shrug@

I don't doubt that some kind of "inflationary adjustment" is on the horizon (no, my name isn't Greenspan) but, with the BAFs getting smaller, the comics and the clamshell going bye-bye, even if the price stays the same, we will end up paying the same money for less merchandise - plain and simple. That bums me out a little.

This might have been a good question to ask at the Con @smilepunch@ . Put me down for a Water Mocassin and Sky Hawk. Another SHARC redux would be cool, as well. Honestly, with the size of the S6 Dragonhawk (the face of the box is easily larger than the TRU Hydrofoil box-face), no retailer should be k'fetching about vehicles taking up too much space on shelves. It will be a poor 25th anniversary indeed if there are no 1:18 vehicles with which to commemorate.

It's kinda like a Social Security # for consumer products. Here's the Wiki entry. I'm so itching to get a hold of a Rogue and Iceman. My X-team display is sorely missing these characters (along with the missing Phoenix/Dark Phoenix.)

All kidding aside, I do think that Sam Jackson would do the Ultimate Fury very well. It would prolly be a very fun and entertaining film, too. I'm just used to the Fury of the regular comics/'toons is all.

I thought Nick Fury was white @smilepunch@ @loll@ @hmmm@ I guess they just prefer using Ultimate takes on MU for films, eh?