SDCC 2014 Hasbro Marvel Highlights

Now that San Diego Comic Con is over, it’s time to pick out some of the best news from the convention. Though I wasn’t in attendance, I was glued to my Twitter feed catching updates as they poured in. The next best thing to actually being at a convention is connecting with friends and strangers on social media to circulate news.

As a huge action figure collector, I tried to catch all the news I could from the usual suspects. Judging by everything shown, it’s easy to see how hyped collectors likely were. But none stood out more than Hasbro’s Marvel Legends and Avengers Infinite Series (3.75”) figures. I’m still unsure of what the new name is for the 3.75” line, formerly known as Marvel Universe. It’s either Avengers Infinite Series or Marvel Infinite Series. I was thrilled to see some of the characters that will get the action figure treatment come 2015 and beyond. The Marvel Legends line will produce an Avengers series as well as a Spider-Man set. Here are my highlights from Hasbro’s Marvel display.

Avengers Infinite Series (3.75”)

Beast (‘90s)
Oh my stars and garters, mutant lovers and toy collectors, Beast from the ‘90s is finally here. This isn’t the first Beast figure Hasbro has produced for this line but it’s the first in this costume. He appears a little slimmer than you’d expect but come on, it’s Beast. Of course you want him.

Bishop (‘90s)
I must admit being surprised to see Bishop on display. He’ll definitely have a good home here though. One aspect of his design I can already see limiting rests in his legs. For those familiar, he appears to share the legs with earlier figures such as Moon Knight and Mr. Fantastic. Still, it’s great to have another X-Man and Black action figure.

Black Cat
Black Cat isn’t a character I’d have given much priority for this line. But she’s a welcome addition in a line with few women figures, one of which being Mary Jane. I expect to see a lot of dioramas featuring Black Cat and the web-slinger once she’s released.

Sandman
Though Sandman doesn’t make my top-5 in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, the character is cool enough and I like his powers. Collectors have been treated quite well in terms of Spidey villains and this figure adds to that. He’ll also have a variant which depicts him in fully covered in sand.

Spider-Man (Big Time costume)
The Big Time costume now comes in 3.75” scale to match its Marvel Legends counterpart. Though it didn’t see long-term use, it does look good. Now all we need is another Hobgoblin figure, this time matching the design of Phil Urich’s costume.

Speaking of Hobgoblin…

Marvel Legends Infinite Series

Hobgoblin
When I saw Humberto Ramos’ newly designed Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #649, I was ecstatic. After reading it, I flipped back and forth through the issue to take in the visuals. It’s a fantastic design. So you can imagine the grin on my face when I saw this figure. My initial joy waned when I discovered he’ll be a Build-A-Figure constructed by pieces paired up with several figures, some of which have yet to be revealed. I would’ve liked to see more scales across his top to match his comic look more but I’m still more than pleased.

Scarlet Witch
I’m not particularly invested in Scarlet Witch’s character but I don’t have any problems with her. Well, except for that whole “No more mutants” episode. I do acknowledge and appreciate her place within the Marvel Universe and she makes for some decent action figures.

Captain Marvel
As a proud member of the Carol Corps, I couldn’t contain my excitement upon spotting Captain Marvel on Instagram. My love for the character has grown in recent years and I’ve been a big supporter of her books. Seeing this figure (with interchangeable heads!) geeked me up more than I can describe.

Ms. Marvel & Radioactive Man
These two figures will be packed with yet another Captain America. This one is a repaint of the previous Ultimate Captain America. But he’s nowhere near as important as Ms. Marvel and Radioactive Man. I’ve wanted a good Ms. Marvel figure for some time and while we’ll have Carol in her Captain Marvel costume, her previous one is still worth picking up. Seeing Radioactive Man yields some hope that he won’t be in action figure limbo for too much longer after being revealed last year. Also, I just want more villains in my collections of both scales. Initially I thought, and still do to a degree, that it was odd for these figures to be packed together. But as an Avengers vs. Avengers baddie pack, it has extra appeal.

Hawkeye (classic costume)
Another figure we’ve seen before only to be hidden away by Hasbro is Hawkeye in his classic costume. He was originally set for release as part of Hasbro’s train wreck of a variant program in 2013. This entailed figures being swapped in for others during production as “running changes.” I’m not exactly sure how well it worked. All I know is there are plenty of characters sitting in a Hasbro prison waiting to be freed. The only Hawkeye to hit the market featured his modern costume. So let’s hope this one sees release as I’ve held a spot for him in my collection.

What did you think of the toys shown at Comic Con? Which figures stood out to you? What toys disappointed you? Were there any you expected to see that weren’t shown? Sound off below.

*All photos courtesy of ActionFigureFury.com. You can find more images on their site here, here and here.