Spider-Tracer: Secret Wars Spider-Man Action Figures

Happy 2022, Spidey fans! I hope you’re all off to a fantastic start this year, and I hope you got some really cool stuff for the holidays (bonus points if it was Spider-Man-related!). Speaking of some really cool stuff, I thought we should take a look back at some of the earliest Spider-Man action figures, including his villains. If you guessed stuff from the Mego toy line… you’d be wrong. Perhaps we’ll look at those another time if there’s interest (if there is, let me know in the comments section below!). No, for this Spider-Tracer article, we’ll be looking into the 80’s Secret Wars action figures!

 

 

First, let’s get some background information on what led to the creation of these figures. In 1984, toy company Kenner got the license to make action figures based on the characters from DC Comics, and they called it the Super Powers Collection. The line featured the usual popular heroes Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, as well as heroes not known to the general public like Doctor Fate, Red Tornado, and Firestorm. Kenner also included villains like the Joker, Lex Luthor, and Darkseid. The line even featured some unique characters not from the comics or any other media. The Super Powers Collection was also supported by a comic as well as the Superfriends cartoon, which, at that time, was still on the air. The line is still quite popular with collectors today, despite only lasting for three years (1984-1986). Every figure featured character specific action features and accessories; even vehicles and playsets were created to add further value to the line.

 

Meanwhile, industry giant Mattel wanted to make sure they didn’t miss out on a possible fad in case superhero toys really took off, and thus contacted Marvel Comics about setting up a toy line based on their own characters. It was decided that a massive comic crossover event would be done as a way to help promote the toy line. Writer and editor-in-chief Jim Shooter wrote the comic while Mike Zeck and Bob Layton did the art. Mattel did influence the series, though not as much as they could have according to their contract. For example, it was Mattel’s insistence that led to Doctor Doom’s costume getting an updated look in the comic, which went from a medieval design to more of a technological look (it didn’t last outside of the 12 issue series). Mattel also found that the words “secret” and “wars” tested positively in focus groups, hence how the comic storyline got its name. Each figure also came with a mini-comic, although these were admittedly not as well done as the actual source material.

 

Secret Wars also had its share of vehicles and playsets, but Marvel characters aren’t exactly known for their Batmobiles or Hall of Justice. The Secret Wars line also didn’t give its characters action features, but, rather, a series of lenticular shields (round for the heroes, square for the villains). Somehow, Iron Man brandishing a shield that reveals his true identity as Tony Stark was seen as a rather good idea (despite the back of the box claiming it was Rhodie in the suit!). And the one hero actually known for his shield, Captain America, didn’t receive his classic shield!

 

The Secret Wars figures also weren’t allowed be a major competitor to Mattel’s He-Man line of toys, and were thus smaller in scale with less unique body molds and parts, complete with cheap paint, low articulation (some of the DC figures moved at the knees whereas the Marvel figures did not) and accessories that didn’t really make a whole lot of sense (why did Iron Man need a blaster pistol?). It’s most likely that due to a combination of these issues, the Secret Wars line lasted on the pegs a year less than their DC Comics counterparts (1984-1985). At the end of the day, Mattel just didn’t really seem to understand the Marvel characters, nor did they give it their best effort.

 

With all of that being said, the Secret Wars series of figures did get us some really interesting Spider-Man toys, some of which received their first figure here, and those are the toys we’ll be focusing on today.

 

Spider-Man

 

 

Spider-Man was part of the first series of Secret Wars figures. This was completely understandable, given that, as I said, he was one of Marvel’s most recognizable characters at the time (and still is!). Like the other figures in this line, Spider-Man had five articulation points: The head, shoulders, and legs. Mattel decided to cheap out on painting all of the web-lines on Spider-Man’s costume. They neglected to finish them on his shoulders, inner forearms, front of his shins, and feet. As time went on, the web-lines have further rubbed off of the figure. The red and blue on him really looks great, though.

 

Doc Ock

 

 

Doc Ock received his first action figure in the Secret Wars line with the first series. It was a good idea, given that there was also a Spider-Man figure for him to fight. His tentacles swiveled, which made him unique in the articulation department when compared to the other Secret Wars figures. In my opinion, Doc Ock was in much better shape than he should have been, but hey, at least he got a figure (poor Lizard!).

 

Spider-Man (Black Costume)

 

 

For the first time ever, Spider-Man received an action figure of himself in the infamous black costume! It was the perfect way to tie into the comic, given that it’s where he first received the costume (issue eight, to be exact), it got the popular character back out there on pegs when series two came out, and it was an easy repaint, which helped save on tooling dollars. Finding a loose version of the figure with the white paint in tact can be a bit of a challenge, however.

 

The Hobgoblin

 

 

Hobgoblin was one of the characters that wasn’t in the Secret Wars comic, but he got a figure anyway. In my opinion, I’d say he’s one of the best figures in the entire line! He received a mostly new sculpt and even came with his glider! Hobby was a relatively new character at the time, but someone at Mattel obviously loved him enough to put him in the second series of figures. All he was really missing was a pumpkin bomb.

 

Electro

 

 

Sales were dwindling by the time Mattel released their second series of Secret Wars figures. Whereas the first series had eight single release figures, series two only had five. With three figures already well into production (I’ve heard both that these figures were meant to be part of series two, or a planned third series), Mattel released them only in Europe, which resulted in them becoming the three rarest, and most expensive, figures in the entire line. This was where Electro received a figure (along with amazing friend Ice Man and the villainous Constrictor). Much like Hobgoblin, Electro was never in the actual comic! As a figure, Electro really only had a new head sculpt going for him. Still, it’s cool that Max Dillon actually received his first action figure here, despite its limited release. Because the figure was only released overseas, he received a bilingual card back, which set him even further apart from most of the other figures.

 

It’s worth noting that the Spider-Man figures and Doc Ock also saw a few rereleases as part of several multipacks

 

While the Secret Wars line wasn’t a success for Mattel, it still has its fans today, and it helped change Marvel Comics, and Spider-Man comics in particular, forever. Without the toy line, we might not have gotten the black costume or Venom, at least, not as we know them today. Did any of you collect the Secret Wars figures? Who were your favorites, and do you still own any of them? What did Mattel have against the Lizard? Let me know in the comments section below!