Dormammu

Dormammu

Hasbro - Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure

From his 1990 Marvel Universe trading card back:

"The dread Dormammu is a being of vast magical power from the mystical Dark Dimension who devotes his demonic talents toward the conquest of our dimension.  Only the heroic efforts of the Earth sorcerer Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme who were his predecessors have prevented this evil entity from accomplishing his ghastly goal!"

First Appearance: Strange Tales #126. Nov, 1964

Dormammu just appeared to the general public consciousness in the Disney-Marvel movie version of "Doctor Strange."  And because it's movie time, it's new action figure time!   But if you want him, you have to buy 8 figures at $19.99 a piece to assemble him!  3 of which are movie variations (2 different Dr. Cumberbunds and Mordo-if-you-say-so), 2 of them are modern comic updates to characters I am already happy with from the Toy Biz days (Strange and Iron Fist), 2 of them are lesser-known Strange characters, and the last is a magical Thor baddie.  I only wanted the latter (Enchantress) and the big bad here.  I cut straight to Ebay (The "E" is for Evil) and picked up Dormie for $45 shipped, and later snagged Enchantress at Wal-mart on clearance for $9.  Whoo-hoo!

He comes with two translucent flame-magic skulls.  I can't decide if they are cooler or less cool because they are repurposed Ghost Rider heads?  Probably cooler, because the GR I have standing in my collection has a different sculpt and these still have the drilled peg holes so you can pop them on to most other figure bodies to make some creepy-cool minions!

Dressed out in classic villain purple, Dormammu stands close to 8 inches tall with his flaming head.  He's easily the best part of the entire wave you have to buy or work around to get him. I'm happy with him at the price I paid for him.  Unless you are a hardcore Marvel/Strange fan, I couldn't fathom paying $160+ for this wave.

DuckTales - Uncle Scrooge McDuck and Flintheart Glomgold

DuckTales - Uncle Scrooge McDuck and Flintheart Glomgold

Disney 3-D Foam keyring blind bag figures

I really, really, really, really, really, really hate the "blind" bag or box concept that has become commonplace in toy aisles in the last couple years.  However, when they use that concept on a property that you love and has limited merchandise out there at the moment, it's hard to resist the temptation.  Gritting my teeth, I took a chance.  Bless me bagpipes, did I get lucky?!  The exact figures I wanted, right out of the gate!

These figures are about 2.5-3 inches tall (depending on hats) and are attached to a standard metal keyring.  They're cutesy:  big heads, and tiny lil arms and legs.  As a result, they aren't made to stand on their own.  A detractor?  So what?!  It's Scrooge McDuck!  Yes, I would kill for an articulated line of DuckTales figures, but this will have to do for now.

Getting Scrooge was top priority.  It took a lot of bag squishing and thoughtful analysis to make sure we didn't get stuck buying endless Huey, Dewey, and Louies in our pursuit.  The tricky bastards put them in a sealed, foil bag AND wrapped a piece of cardstock around them!  Feeling the tops and bottoms over the cardstock protectors...they all share a similar shape, but hats are the key!

We bought two bags that we felt had pronounced head gear.  The first pull was Scrooge's nemesis, Flintheart Glomgold!  Ah ha!  Hats!  The next one has to be Scrooge, right?  Yes!  Yes it was. (Sorry, I don't write suspense very well and you already saw the pictures.)  Anyway, victory over the "blind bag" gimmick!  No offense to the rest of the DuckTales figures in this set, but I'm cashing out...at $6.99 each, it's too much of a gamble.

These were purchased at ToysRUs near the front of the store...along with a billion other tempting properties in blind bags. Aw, man!  Am I going to have to take a chance on "Gremlins", too?
MUST. RESIST.

TNF Macho Man

Macho Man Randy Savage

Mattel WWE elite - Then, Now, Forever (Wal-mart Exclusive)

OOOOOOH YEAH! He's the tower of power, too sweet to be sour!  Funky like a monkey! Sky's the limit and space is the place!  The cream of the crop, always rising to the top...from Sarasota, Florida, weighing 245 lbs..."Macho Man" Randy Savage!

This figure details Savage from around 1999-2000.  Not my preferred era of his career, but I will buy any variation of him that Mattel wants to crank out.  Most of the time, they are variations that require only a different paint job.  This one, however, has a completely new head scan (pretty damned good, too) and several removable clothing accessories.

He's got Mattel's elite figure articulation (with ab crunch and double-jointed knees that are missing from their cheaper "basic" line) and comes with a sleeveless shirt, necklace, sunglasses, and hat.  He retails for $19.99.

The "Then, Now, Forever" sub-line that this figure is a part of is, so far, a Wal-mart exclusive.  I generally hate store exclusives, as the hunt drains more time, patience, and gas money than a mass release and they may not be available online.  I got lucky finding this one, stumbling onto a lone Macho just a couple weeks after Christmas (when toy shelves look as bare as a grocery store after a winter weather advisory in Missouri.)   I wish collectors the best of luck tracking him down.  Don't give up hope!  Scalpers deserve flying elbow drops!

PS - This figure is just a paint job away from having Bonesaw McGraw fighting your Marvel Legends Spider-man!

Did I mention that I will buy any variation of Macho Man that they will crank out?

Yup, even a Ninja Turtle dressed as the Macho Man.

So, get down with "The Madness" as there will be more headed your way in future toy blogs!  Still a few variations I have missed to track down and many, many more waiting in the wings for Mattel to make.  Freak out, freak out! Dig it?!

TerribleToyMan: The Scarecrow

The Scarecrow - Batman The Animated Series

DC Collectibles - 6-inch figure

This is the 6-inch Batman: The Animated Series "Scarecrow" by DC Collectibles. The animated style doesn't always make the jump into the third dimension easily.  Especially character designs from the fourth season (The New Batman Adventures) that some fans complained all had the shape of refrigerator boxes.  They also aren't exactly the right fit for modern, super-articulation.  If you had the 5-inch range of figures from Kenner back when the show was on TV, you should consider yourself a lucky child of the 90's and could probably skip this line entirely.  I mean, they look alright for the most part, and the episode specific accessories are nice, but all-in-all, these probably are not worth $20-$25 a figure.

He comes with a staff, a gun, a canister of fear toxin, a stand, and multiple extra hands...

The stand is virtually worthless on this guy.  There's nothing about his shape for the stand clamps to grasp, and the rubbery coat doesn't help.  You're at the mercy of his spindly legs to support his top-heavy body.

The fear toxin and the gun are fine.  I can't remember if the gun fires fear gas or is just a regular gun in that specific cartoon....in which case, you wander if the master of fear ever considered that shooting someone full of lead might be as scary if not scarier than making someone think they were covered in spiders.

Anyway, I would gladly trade several sets of these hands for any other accessory.  Total overkill, modern action figure collectors are swimming in "extra hands."

He's not extremely poseable, but this version of the Scarecrow wasn't a super active guy anyway, so it isn't a great concern.

Speaking of versions, this is not my preferred look for animated Scarecrow.   I would rather have the middle incarnation (with the red shirt and straw "hair.")  I only really bought into this figure as a completionist, scared that the line might tank before they get back around to the classic look.  Economic concerns...now that's really scary, Mr. Crane.