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Wasn't number 6 given away by the site? Good article, your right for a bunch of the figures and what's sad is that I use to own them. I still have the figure in the commercial. It's one of my favorite Wolverine figures.
At the international Toy Fair numerous Wolverine figures debuted for both X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Wolverine and the X-Men (see my Marvel Unleashed Column). With all movie likenesses, cartoon likenesses and the all important comic book renditions there are a lot of new Wolverine figures out right now. The amount of Wolverine figures may finally outnumber the amount Spider-Man figures. Wolverine in action figure form may escape some of the more ridiculous figures made of old web head (I saw a Spider-Man action figure with a soccer ball and another with a surf board once) nonetheless he cannot escape the poor renditions and gimmicks of the toy makers.
I have to say that the majority of the list comes from a dark time when action figures were crap. They were cheaply made and uninspired. It is funny though. If we go back further to the eighties and seventies we will see that many figures have endured and are still classics to this day. He-Man, Star Wars, MEGO and G.I. Joe figures are still sought after by collectors. The following are not. So without further ado, the 10 Worst Wolverine Figures!
Marvel’s PVC Wolverine
The early nineties were a tough time for action figure collectors. However, it was a time when properties like the X-Men finally got mass produced. Unfortunately, almost of all them were cheaply done. Marvel’s PVC “figures” were about as cheap as you can get. This Wolverine here wasn’t even featured with his mask on. It really was nothing more than a nineties version of a plastic army man.
X-Men 20 inch plush Wolverine
In 2000 the X-Men finally came to the big screen in Bryan Singer’s realistic portrayal of the characters. The marketing machine was in full force and what could be better than a 20 inch talking teddy-bear-like Wolverine for your kid to hug. Wait a second. How did your kid see this movie anyway? It was rated PG-13.
Spider-Man Origins Marvel Signature Series: Wolverine
MEGO style action figures never really have great cross over appeal from collectors to the kids. Hasbro released the Spider-Man Origins Marvel Signature Series and put all the characters in that line in their original outfits for when they debuted. Why there was a Black Suited Spidey and a Scarlet Spider-Man escapes me because the line was called “Origins”. They did put out a Wolverine for line and it was terrible. Mean faced to add some savagery but his sleeper pajama outfit is just plain terrible.
X-Men Classic Wolverine (Light up Weapon)
This next Wolverine became an instant bargain store throwaway. Toy Biz produced a line of X-Men that had a light up feature giving a character like Gambit an appropriate burst of light. This was completely cool and fitting for the character. Wolverine with a light up gun on the other hand is as bad as his purple and blue suit. The screaming rage is a nice touch but he is too big, bulky and fat to be Wolverine.
X-Men Classics Wolverine figure (with Sentinel Attack Action)
Because he was dubbed "Saturday Night Fever Logan” by a member of this site it seemed appropriate to add him to the list. I’ll agree with another Maniac comment that he does look like David Hasselhoff as well. This Wolverine is just plain goofy. It really is more like a Baywatch action figure doing a Bee Gees pose. Yet, let us give Toy Biz a little credit in that he is an improvement from their early uninspired days.
X-Men Flashback Savage Land Wolverine
Anyone up for a Tarzan Wolverine figure? I know this is a flashback figure to when he visited the Savage Land but if you are kid are you going to reach for this one or the classic yellow and blue (or orange and brown) Wolverine? There is no question, old yellow and blue every time. Besides, how many Savage Land adventures are you going to have with Savage Land Wolverine and your Sauron Evil Mutant figure? That’s if you even got Sauron to begin with. Lame!
X-men Onslaught Wolverine
In its wake “Onslaught” created all sorts of problems for the Marvel Universe as heroes were left behind and other heroes were “Reborn” in yet another Marvel Universe. At least this failed attempt eventually gave us the Ultimate Universe and all became right with the world. What isn’t right with the world is this super savage Onslaught Wolverine. It’s only proportionate to young Franklin Richards. Sure figures based on comics are always fun for the collector but who really wants this Hulk sized version of Wolverine?
Wolverine Weapon X
All right kids here is your birth of Wolverine figure complete with Speedo and television set helmet. At least the majority of the wires are painted on but this figure is as busy and the comics were in the day. The Toy Biz machine tried for something different but this wasn’t their lowest moment.
Talking Wolverine Action Figure
This action figure, released in 1991, did not talk but had a backpack to house the voice chip that did. He said 2 phrases: "Take your best shot." and "I've got claws. I can use 'em" and was supplied with the sound effect "Snikt!". A true nineties gem if the figure looked halfway decent. The samurai sword does not make up for the short claws or the unusually small head. Toy Biz obviously spent more money on the talking feature then designing a decent figure.
X-Men Marvel Civilian Wolverine Projector Action Figure
Complete with three different images from the 1995 show that Civilian Wolverine can project from his chest. This was not Toy Biz’s only attempt at such a figure but one has to wonder why Wolverine? Clearly this could have been a perfect feature for a Professor X figure or even for Cyclops. Here Wolverine projects images of himself attacking others, which to me places this figure at number one on the list. No imagination or moving the figure is required because Toy Biz has placed a light bulb and lens inside Wolverine’s chest. They didn’t even hide the lens well.
Now I want to hear from you Maniacs. Did I miss any?
Wasn't number 6 given away by the site? Good article, your right for a bunch of the figures and what's sad is that I use to own them. I still have the figure in the commercial. It's one of my favorite Wolverine figures.
You forgot these silly three:
http://www.shopafx.com/mamiwoorboxs.html
http://www.shopafx.com/womofufobohe.html
http://forum.superpouvoir.com/showpost.php?p=175791&postcount=34
HaHa...I had every one of the figures shown in that retro commercial. And I also thought that the Weapon X figure was pretty f-in sweet for it's day. I still think those old Toy Biz figures that came out and we made to look like the FOX animated X-Men were some of the best X-Men and X-Figures that came out (like Deadpool and Cable).
Although, I still have yet to see a Wolverine figure come out with claws that didn't SUCK! They've gotten better, but everytime I check out the new figures the claws are always too flexible and end up all bent out of shape even inside the boxes.
I don't give a crap about any of this stuff, but the X-Men 20 inch plush Wolverine did make me laugh.
thought the Weapon X Wolverine was pretty cool too. And #8 while noth the best version of that custume at least didn' have oddy proportioned arms like the Onslaught and talking Wolverines, or a giant head like the stuffed Wolverinre, and it wasn't stuffed. Those things put it ahead of most on the list.
The part I foud funny was, is it me or did it lok like Colossus was about to give Apocalyse heafd before he threw him. and also since when is Colosus or any of the X-men able to throw Apocalypse around like a rag doll. I mean it's friggin Apocalypse. And did someone knock Magneto down with a dagger, a friggin Dagger, Magneto. uh, what's Magneto's friggin power again. I hate the wimpout job action figures commercials give to what should be superbadass superpowered badguys. I mean in one commercial I saw Batman punch out Brainiac, Brainiac, do these people even read comics. In what universe that possiblr. In what universe do four Xmen not including Professor X not get their assess handed to them by Magneto and Apocalypse fighting together. For that matter why would Magneto and Apocalypse fight together. In what universe does Batman upper cut an Android body built to be as strong as Superman and win. I know Batman's badass and all, but that doesn't figure in comic book physics.
If Batman were really gonnatake out Brainiac he's put a computer virus on a magnetically charged Batarang that would attach to Brainiac chest or something.
Good choices overall, but I too have to disagree with the inclusion of Weapon X wolverine on the list. That figure is so iconic, everyone I knew growing up had that figure. It was the one figure that was in everyone's collection from that line.
Also, I laughed heartily at the commercial, considering I still have most of those figures. The only one I'm missing is Magneto (kind of a shame really).
Well, the list ain't bad, but i have to heartily disagree with #3, the Weapon X figure, this came from Toy Biz`s mere 2nd attempt at X-Men figures, and as I`m sure lots of you remember, the 1st attempt was terrible, with only the Nightcrawler figure being even halfway decent. The Wolverine in particular was really bad, his body was waaaay too thick (perhaps because his arms had to be huge to house the pop out claws?), his pose was rigid and boring, you'd never believe he had even the slightest agility, body wise he looked more like Puck, and his removable mask that you could wear on your finger (I used to put mine on, point it in the sky and yell" Wolverine Ring, do your thing!", but adamantium never appeared out of thin air to cover my body, guess that only works with Thing Rings), looked just as stupid ON the figure as OFF. I believe the even WORSE talking Wolverine (which should have been #1) was just a remold of this earlier disaster. Anyway, by Toy Biz's 2nd attempt at makin' Marvel's merry mutants, things improved drastically, from more accurate body proportion, to more comic like sculpts, and poses that gave some sense of what the character could do, I remember being blown away by the Weapon X at the time, sure it doesnt compare to what Marvel Legends would do some years later, but at the time, Toy Biz wave 2 X-Men line, INCLUDING the 1st ever Weapon X figure, was treasure in the toy aisles.