Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One -  Robot Battlers Series One - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2024

I'm pretty excited for the Transformers One movie in a few weeks. I'm not sure if I will actually enjoy it. I'll be honest, the tone of the trailers I've seen didn't thrill me. But I am excited to see Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of Elita-1. It's amazing that Elita-1 has been so prevalent in Transformers media in recent years after decades of underuse. She was a major player in War for Cybertron and EarthSpark, but her theatrical debut in Transformers One will likely be her biggest role yet. Of course, Hasbro has notably excluded her from most of the movie toylines so far. This Robot Battler figure is  Rock'em Sock'em type gimmicky toy, but I was still excited to find her in the store. There is an upcoming Burger King toy and two figures from Yolopark, but I hope some official Hasbro product is in the works too. In addition to Elita's role in the movie, Airachnid, Chromia, and Arcee also should have screentime. That kind of female presence will definitely get me to the theatre. Let's check out this first Elita-1 figure below!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - JENNIKA!

BST AXN - Jennika (Standard & SDCC Battle Ready) - Loyal Subjects 2024

There have been several attempts to introduce a female turtle to the TMNT universe over the years, but they never seem to last. Jennika is one of the most recent females in a half-shell and she has impressively been going strong for five years in the IDW comics (with two solo series and now two action figures). I even saw her graphic novel in Target last month, and their book department is (sadly) getting smaller and more selective each year. Jennika was introduced as a human foot clan assassin who was (four years later) injured and given a blood transfusion from Leonardo, triggering her mutation. I've always liked her design and the use of yellow as her signature color. In my mind, there has been a race to see which toy company would merchandize her first: Playmates, Loyal Subjects, or NECA. But my money was always on Loyal Subjects. Their work on the IDW versions of the other Turtles has been great, and Jennika is no exception. Let's check out her standard action figure and her SDCC redeco below!

Sonic the Hedgehog - AMY ROSE!

Sonic the Hedgehog - Buildable Figure Figurines - Classic Amy - Just Toys 2024

Two years ago we got a surprise buildable figurine of a modern Amy Rose just months after a 4" figure from Jakks Pacific hit the shelves. Now two years later as I eagerly await the upcoming 4" Classic Amy Rose from Jakks, we are surprised by a new buildable figurine of Amy in her classic looks. Those parallels really amuse me. (Although my Sonic shelf is quickly running out of space after all the recent Sonic Prime products). These buildable figurines from Just Toys can typically be found in the video game aisle of the electronics section of Target or at GameStop, but honestly I don't think this second series (featuring all classic designs) has hit regular retail yet. I found mine on Amazon when searching for the Jakks version. It's a fun series for fans of the Sonic franchise and I love how their sculpts and designs fit right in with all the other Sonic products from the last few years. I would love to see them branch out to some secondary characters next. Let's check out the Classic Amy Rose figurine below!

Saban's Little Mermaid - HEDWIG!

Adventures of the Little Mermaid - Collectible Figures - Hedwig - Toy Group 1991

I love a good sea witch. There is something so captivating about a mer-creature with villainous intent that it trumps all my other vampy character obsessions. An interesting thing about all the various interpretations of The Little Mermaid in popular culture is that the antagonist is always a fairly unique creation. In Toei's 1975 film, she is a very creepy-looking stingray. In the 1989 Disney film, she is voluptuous baudy octopus. And in the 1991 television series, Saban's The Adventures of the Little Mermaid, she is a crone named Hedwig with a mermaid-like tail that has dragon (or eel-like) details. I think she is a fun variation. I especially love that she rides on the back of a stingray and has fingers that magically grow into long tendrils. I believe this 1991 "collectible figure" from The Toy Group is the only time she was merchandised. She is made from a dense, but pliable, plastic similar to a floating bath toy. While I would have loved an actual action figure, I doubt the animated details would have been captured so well.

Saban's Little Mermaid - MARINA!

Adventures of the Little Mermaid - Collectible Figures - Marina - Toy Group 1991

I am a big fan of The Little Mermaid. I love mermaids in general, Hans Christian Anderson's folktale, and almost all interpretations of the story in popular culture. But, oddly enough, I'm not a huge fan of the Disney version with Ariel. I don't hate it or anything, but it's pretty far down my list. My favorite is the 1975 anime film by Toei Animation. It's well-animated and sticks to the original story. A close second though is Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid from 1991. The story is more cutesy and the animation isn't as refined, but there are a lot of notable similarities, mostly in the little mermaid herself. In both versions, she is a young blonde mermaid named Marina drawn with an anime influence. In the 1975 movie, she is topless with strategically flowing hair. But in the 1991 show, she has scales that continue up her torso in a design I find very appealing (the Disney seashell bra always seemed silly to me... and uncomfortable). I love Marina's two-tone green tail especially (but I could do without the little earrings).

Justice League International - FIRE!

DC Multiverse Gold Label - JLI's Fire (Target Exclusive) - McFarlane Toys 2024

I'm glad that McFarlane Toys is taking the opportunities provided by their exclusive Gold Label and Platinum products to include relatively obscure and under-merchandised characters in the DC Multiverse line. The recent Blackfire and upcoming Huntress (and variant) are great examples. Fire is a character with a huge fanbase. She first appeared in the 1979 issue of Super Friends #25 as the Green Fury (who shot green flames out of her nostrils.. no joke).  I don't know long it took for her backstory to be fleshed out. But now the commonly-told origin is that Beatriz da Costa was a Brazilian model (and secret government agent) who was accidentally exposed to a mysterious substance called Pyroplasm which gave her the green flame powers (pre-Crisis her powers were mystical in nature). She has been a member of many teams over the years and gone by many names: Green Flame, Green Fury, and her most common, Fire. She is a dynamic character who is long overdue in the toy aisles.

Nintendo - BABY PEACH!

World of Nintendo - 2.5" Series Wave 47 - Baby Peach - Jakks Pacific 2024

One nice thing about my lack of video game knowledge is that I can be surprised by a new version of a legacy character when they make an appearance in the toy aisles. Such is the case with this Baby Peach figure. I had never heard of this version of Peach before the toy. But she has been around since 2005's Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and has appeared in a whopping thirteen games since. In preparation for this post, I watched a lot of gameplay videos (she's big in the Mario Kart series) and honestly the constant cooing and baby gurgles would have driven me crazy if I had been familiar with her. Super cutesy stuff doesn't really appeal to me. And honestly I assumed I would skip this figure for those same reasons. But when I saw her in person I thought she looked very well made and fun. Plus I have been a completist with Jakks Nintendo (and Sonic) females, so I couldn't bring myself to walk away. So now this grumpy collector has a baby on his Nintendo shelf (and I'm pretty happy about it).

Nintendo - CAT PEACH!

World of Nintendo - 2.5" 3D World Diorama - Cat Peach - Jakks Pacific 2024

When I first saw Cat Peach, I honestly wasn't a fan. This was back when the 4" figure was released in 2021.. and I thought she looked goofy. But I hesitantly bought her, not knowing why. My initial reaction held up for a while, I still think that that first figure was bulky and imposing and reminded me more of an ill-fitting mascot costume than a cute Mario Bros power-up. But, of course, in the years since, she has grown on me. This smaller 2.5" version is much more appealing to me and I'm a genuine fan of this Peach design now. I first saw a glimpse of this figure in a blurry pic from an SDCC slideshow last month. But then I walked into Target and saw the set newly stocked on the shelf. I love (nearly) instant gratification like that. With the limited number of female characters in the Mario Universe, I know I'm destined to be hunting down the same releases in different scales for the foreseeable future, but I'm here for it. Can't wait to see who surprises me next. Let's check out the 2.5" Cat Peach below!

Titans Rebirth - BLACKFIRE!

DC Multiverse - Titans Rebirth (Collector Ed) - Starfire (Platinum) - McFarlane 2024

Sister rivals are one of my favorite tropes in Comics and pop culture. They're more common than you think (Alice to Batwoman, Elphaba to Glinda, Okiko O'Brien to Ann O'Brien, Zaladane to Polaris, Mortis to Dazzler, Dark Annisia to Red Sonja, etc) but I'm a sucker for that dynamic every time. I think the most famous adversarial sisters in the comic world are Princess Koriand'r (aka Starfire) and Princess Komand'r (aka Blackfire). Their sibling relationship had been a plot point in several Teen Titans animated series as well as the live action Titans show. Plus Blackfire has actually been merchandised a decent amount (a luxury that most evil sisters don't get). This McFarlane Toys figure is a clever repaint of the Collector's Edition Starfire released as a limited edition Platinum variant. And while this figure doesn't exactly look like Blackfire in her Rebirth design, it's still a fun representation of the character (and a great precedent for Platinum releases to be wholly new characters). Let's check out Blackfire below!

Titans Rebirth - STARFIRE!

DC Multiverse - Titans Rebirth (Collector Edition) - Starfire - McFarlane Toys 2024

For all of Todd McFarlane's crazy talk about female action figures causing young boys to become serial killers, his company sure does produce a lot of female characters (Google that cringey interview from March 2022 if you need a good eye roll). This Starfire figure is the latest in the Rebirth Titans lineup, and a character who was very notably absent from the Beast Boy wave last year. Starfire has gone through a lot of changes in the 44 years since her debut, but her orange skin, flame-colored hair, green eyes, and purple costume have remained consistent despite a ton of stylistic changes. She has an interesting distinction of donning more and more clothes as the years progress, but conversely becoming more sexualized in the story context (at least in the New52 reboot when her libido was making headlines). I always prefer Starfire's modern designs over her original. Her outfits are no longer ridiculously skimpy and her hair looks more flame-like. This figure is a great representation of that. Let's check her out below!

Dungeons and Dragons - SKYLLA!

Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Wave 4" - Skylla (Evil Wizard) - NECA 2022

In 2002, NECA released a great SDCC exclusive set of four Dungeons & Dragons figures called "The Lost Wave."  I don't know if these figures were actually ever intended to have action figures in the vintage 80's LJN line, but that was the implied theme - a canceled final wave released 38 years late. I had vague memories of seeing the lone female character, Skylla, in PVC form when I was kid, but I never owned her. These new figures look amazing, like the original toy artists were brought out of retirement for a last hurrah. The vintage LJN line wasn't perfect. The sculpts could be awkward, and the scale was all over the place. But they were charming and fun, and NECA has recreated that feeling to perfection. I thought the nostalgic throwback with Super7's Sorceress figure couldn't be beat, but this one is probably the top contender now. It just took me a couple years to finally open her and acknowledge that. Now let's get her in 7" form. Let's check out Skylla the Evil Wizard below!

Cyborg 009 - FRANCOISE ARNOUL (Cyborg 003)!

Cyborg 009 Action Soldier Figure 1 - Cyborg 003 Francoise Arnoul -Banpresto 2002

In 2002, there was a 52-episode anime series Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier. This was the third television series in the long-running Cyborg 009 franchise that began in 1967 with a manga that spanned 38 volumes until 1981 and spun off into seven films and several popular television shows. The series was created by Shotaro Ishinomori (the genius behind Power Rangers) and features nine cyborgs with unique powers that were created sequentially as new guinea pigs were kidnapped and experimented upon. The newest cyborg, Cyborg 009, is Joe Shimamura who wakes up with new powers, fractured memories, and soon leads a revolt with the previous eight cyborgs. The character design of the series has gone basically unchanged since the beginning, so when this new animated series started in 2002, it spawned a ton of toys that can represent all eras of the Cyborg 009 franchise. Cyborg 003 is the sole female, a French woman with enhanced vision and hearing. Let's check out Francoise below!

Saurozoic Warriors - PAVA PERGIA!

Saurozoic Warriors - Pava Pergia (Ninja Archaeopteryx) - Boss Fight Studio 2024

The late 80s and the majority of the 90s were filled with cartoon properties featuring anthropomorphic characters. Street Sharks, Biker Mice from Mars, Swat Kats, Extreme Dinosaurs, Bucky O'Hare, Barnyard Commandos, Moo Mesa, Battletoads, etc dominated the toy aisles and television sets (and I'm not even mentioning the big marquee properties - TMNT, Thundercats, etc). But a sad thing for me was that this genre rarely featured any (non-human) female characters. And if they did, they almost never got a toy. My favorite of these properties was DinoSaucers (1987) which had several great female characters in the animation. Unfortunately the Galoob toyline was never released (Glasslite in Brazil later purchased the unused Galoob molds and released 5 characters), but none of the ladies were ever in consideration for plastic. This new Saurozoic Warriors line is a sort of love letter to this era, and specifically to DinoSaucers. The characters are all-new, but there is an occasional nod to the past properties.

Once Upon a Time... In Space - PSI!

Il Était Une Fois… l'Espace - 1:18 Plastic Action Figure Line - Psi - Popy 1982

From 1982-1983 there was a 26-episode French animated series titled Il Était Une Fois… l'Espace (Once Upon a Time... Space) that featured the educational adventures of Pierrot, Psi, and their robot, Metro. They traveled to different planets and explored the native inhabitants, flora, fauna, etc. The simple animation and preschool-esque educational format can be a bit misleading. Because this show is funny, smart, and the sexual tension between Pierrot and Psi is palpable - the are a lot of hands on thighs and fireside naps. I'm a big fan. The show was dubbed in lots of languages and aired on lots of networks over the years. I've personally only ever seen episodes on YouTube, but I know it was aired in the US on the History Channel (which only launched in 1995). Psi (who also goes by Mercedes and Psyche) is a young Brazilian woman with psychic powers (usually sensing danger as they approach a new planet). This 1982 figure from Popy has been a grail of mine for years. Let's check her out below!

DC Universe Classics - KARU-SIL!

DCUC - Sinestro Corps Color of Fear 2-Pack - Romat Ru & Karu-Sil - Mattel 2009

In general, I've never been a fan of the Sinestro Corps and the Yellow Lanterns. There were a few standout characters, and the constant toys through all the Blackest Night and Brightest Days storylines were a lot of fun. Between 2008-2012 there were fifty-four Lantern figures from DC Direct and forty-three from Mattel. For fans, this must have been a dream. But for a mere observer, it was overwhelming. (Although I'm forever thankful for the awesome figures of never-before merchandized characters like Mera and Dove that we got as a direct result of this Lantern Era). My favorites of the new characters introduced in these storylines were Bleez the Red Lantern and Karu-Sil the Yellow Lantern. Bleez unfortunately never got an action figure, but Karu-Sil got this surprise release in a MattyCollector Exclusive 2-pack with Romat Ru. Karu-Sil was a feral orphan raised by three beasts. She was "rescued" by a Green Lantern (Blish) who slaughtered her beast family thinking they were attacking her.

DC Universe Classics - SILVER BANSHEE!

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Series 1 - Silver Banshee - Mattel 2009

My favorite villain in Superman's vast rogue's gallery is definitely Silver Banshee. I think villains that need to be stopped with brute force tend to be boring - and that rules out a ton of his foes. Second only to Kryptonite, Superman's most criminally underused weakness is magic. So a creepy nether-witch is a wonderfully contradictory image to his Boy Scout appeal. There have been two distinct versions of Silver Banshee in the comics (1987 and 2012 respectively) but both are young Gaelic girls named Siobhan who are stricken with a curse due to their family's legacy with the netherworld. Both versions of Siobhan take on a ghostly skeletal visage when they become the Silver Banshee and can emit a Death Wail that shrivels her victim into a lifeless husk. Shrieking skeletons are honestly a true childhood phobia of mine so I find her terrifying. In 2009, Target had a DC Universe Classics spinoff line for the Public Enemies animated movie that gave us this cool figure (and others). Let's check her out below!