Flashback Friday Follow-Up: Toy Biz's X-FORCE Wave 6
Posted by Curto on February 8, 2009 at 07:00 PM CST:
As a special follow-up to this week's Flashback Friday update, the CTR spotlight remains on Toy Biz's X-Force line all weekend long! Get all the info on 1995's action figures from wave 6 after the jump!
Action Figures - Wave 6
By 1995, X-Force popularity was starting to fade as most of the team had been turned into action figures (we never did get a Boom-Boom!), and Toy Biz's attention had turned onto the rest of the Marvel Universe. As a result, this would be the final wave of new action figures, taking inspiration once again from all corners of the X-Universe. This wave featured both new and old characters, as well as a couple of upgrades to earlier figures.
Blob
One of the X-Men's original villains finally got made into an action figure! Although certainly not the most popular character in the pantheon, The Blob is one of the biggest! As a member of both the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the government-sponsored Freedom Force, the Blob has faced off against the X-Men (and the rest of the X-teams) multiple times over the years. Easily the most fun figure in the line, the Blob has a rubber body that can be squeezed tight and he even comes with some food for when he gets hungry....which must be often!
Cable (Cyborg)
We knew all along that Cable was a cyborg...but now we can see it for ourselves! Wearing an outfit similar to the previous figure from wave 5, this one did away with the huge action feature shoulder pad, and instead gave us removable "skin", which was both kind of cool, and kind of creepy!
Caliban
Once upon a time, Caliban was a meek, timid Morlock living in the New York City sewers. He could locate other mutants, which was a pretty handy skill for some evildoers....like say, Apocalypse? Apocalypse turned Caliban into the huge Hound you see here, and Caliban took his pent-up frustrations out on those he called enemy. A nice figure representing a turning point in the life of the character, and he also comes with a cloak to hide his gruesome features.
Deadpool (Removable Mask)
Now, this figure has it all! Lots of accessories, places to store them all, AND a removable mask? SWEET! However, the mask looks weird when he's wearing it. An alternate head might have been a better idea...actually, it WAS a better idea for the next version! There was an alternate hand as well, although I think the "normal" one was supposed to be his glove. Still, a really nice representation of Deadpool.
Domino
At last, a female figue for this line! Typically, female characters are not as popular in a boy's toy line, although if ever there was a character who would fit right in with the male troops, it's Domino. She's armed with a pair of handheld rocket launchers, that can be combined into a single weapon, and the rockets can be attached to her legs. Very cool!
Genesis
Here's another example of Toy Biz really giving the new guys a chance...Genesis is the son of Cable, but he was brainwashed into becoming a villain. At one point, he tried to force Adamantium back into Wolverine's body (after it was ripped out of him by Magneto), but Wolverine's healing factor rejected it and turned him into a bizarre mutated caveman-like beast. As a way os saying thanks, Wolverine killed him. A fun little accessory of Spyne was included with this figure, who came with a removable tail! A nicely-made action figure of a new character that wasn't around very long.
Nimrod
Time-travel tales are always confusing, but here's the short of it: Nimrod is a sentinel sent back in time to kill mutants. Which of course, X-Force has a problem with. Fighting ensues. This figure is big and bulky, and it's got a built-in rocket launcher with 3 rockets that can be stored on his gauntlet. The only really bad thing is that it's got limited articulation, but what can you do?
Action Figures - Wave 7
By the time this final wave was released in 1996, fan interest in the X-FOrce line had faded. As a result, Toy Biz only released repainted and renamed action figures. I don't recall if I ever even saw these in stores, but I would have passed on them if I did. Just keeping up with the X-Universe toys was a daunting task, but by this time, there were several other Marvel Comics-based lines on shelves, so I turned my attention (and my wallet) on to them. (Not to worry, we'll take a look at these other lines in future updates.)
This final wave consisted of the following repainted figures:
Cable (Arctic Armor) - repaint of Cable V
Cable (Stealth) - repaint of Cable II
Killspree - repaint of Killspree
Shatterstar - repaint of Shatterstar II
Well, there you have it! The near-complete line of action figures in the X-FORCE line! I hope you enjoyed this little trip through the past of this popular toy line featuring more of Marvel's mutants. Although some of the characters may have been plucked from obscurity (and thankfully, put back there), you can see where there were a lot of cool toys for kids of all ages to play with and enjoy. |
