10 OBSCURE
TOYBIZ ACTION FIGURES
In 1999, WCW came out with their first series of Toybiz action figures, and something amazing happened: they didn't suck!
The initial series of nine popular stars (The Giant, Bill Goldberg, Scott Hall, Hollywood Hogan, Lex Luger, Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, Randy Savage and Sting) were a huge mainsteam success and all of them had cool levers, switches and accessories.
Of course, they came out with dozens of others figures (and variants) after that, but these ones didn't exactly fly off retail shelves. Let's look at 10 such figures today:
Bam Bam Bigelow
This figure was from the "Bruisers" series and is one of the most accurate depictions in the entire collection. Bigelow's face and head tattoos are incredibly detailed and his trunks are a blue variation of the "fireball" theme he wore for several years.
The figure came with a yellow stepladder (that accidentally broke into a dozen pieces, I might add). The only criticism I have about this otherwise excellent figure is that he's considerably smaller than pretty much any of his opponents.
Raven
Raven is probably the only wrestler to have action figures of himself made in ECW, WCW, WWE and TNA. That's pretty damn impressive!
Dressed in grungy jean shorts and a T-shirt of someone who appears be Daredevil, Raven was also part of the "Bruisers" series late in WCW's run. He came with a pair of spraypainted trash cans that fit snugly in his fists. When one pushed Raven's legs together, the two trash cans would smash together, or possibly on either side of his opponent's head. What a cool, yet violent feature for a wrestling figure to have.
Kanyon
What an.... obscure action figure choice for Toybiz to make, particularly when there so many more prominent wrestlers on the roster. Who betta than Kanyon? A lot of guys, I'd argue.
From WCW's "Power Slam" series, this figure apparently came with ring steps that could catapult someone off the top stair if so inclined (my figure came loose, so I didn't have said steps). Beyond that, the figure looks fairly unremarkable and comparatively smaller to a lot of the WCW guys.
Kanyon
What an.... obscure action figure choice for Toybiz to make, particularly when there so many more prominent wrestlers on the roster. Who betta than Kanyon? A lot of guys, I'd argue.
From WCW's "Power Slam" series, this figure apparently came with ring steps that could catapult someone off the top stair if so inclined (my figure came loose, so I didn't have said steps). Beyond that, the figure looks fairly unremarkable and comparatively smaller to a lot of the WCW guys.
Mike Awesome
And here we go from Kanyon being on the small side to Mike Awesome being way too tall, proportionately speaking.
Don't get me wrong - Awesome was no slouch in the height department, but this figure's arms are considerably longer than the rest of his frame, which just seems.... awkward, if we're honest about it. Plus his face looks like he's slightly stunned, so that adds to the weirdness factor.
Unlike his predecessors, Awesome's figure in the "Unleashed" series came with no accessories.
Eric Bischoff
Talk about obscure - this figure was only available in a three-figure package called "Red and Black Attack," which also featured Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash and a bunch of accessories. Apparently, there is a grey hair variant of Bischoff available in versions of the same set.
As far as non-wrestlers go, this figure is actually quite bad ass. Easy E is sporting jeans and a (non-removable) leather jacket, and underneath that he's he wearing a red nWo shirt (Wolfpack?). A much-needed heel authority and/or manager figure to the entire WCW figure collection.
Sid Vicious
One of the biggest and craziest additions to the Toybiz line, Sid Vicious was produced in the "Power Slam" series, and came with a huge steel girder that he could break over one knee.
The lever sticking out of his back (they cut a hole in his leather vest to accomodate it) was the key, as pressing that level caused Big Sid to collapse both his arms and one leg, forcing the accessory to break into two pieces. The action also works perfect if Sid wanted to powerbomb his opponents, which of course was his finishing move at the time.
Toybiz -- badass, yet practical!
The Giant
Yes, it's true - The Giant was one of the original nine figures in the Smash 'n' Slam series. But this (as well as the next few figures) were lesser-known variants.
This figure was exclusively available in a two-pack called "Battle of the Giants" that also features Kevin Nash. The only difference between this and his original figure is a neckbrace, which has been permanently affixed to his person. This was a reminder of the angle where Nash (accidentally?) powerbombed Giant on his head and so he briefly had a neck injury as a result.
Medical appartatus side, this figure is just amazing. The Giant's proportions are absolutely massive (which is why he was called Giant and in later years, The Big Show), which creates an incredible dynamic against, say, Sting.
Giant's hand also clamps together when you squeeze his legs together, which helps him create a chokeslam motion.
Hulk Hogan
Another variation for an original Toybiz figure, this one is from the Ring Masters series, in which every wrestler was dressed (and had accessories) that matched their gimmick at the time. For example, Chris Jericho was dressed as a "lion tamer" and Goldberg was a construction worker because of his "jackhammer" move. How clever.
Hollywood Hulk Hogan's was tied to.... well, Hollywood, and came with a white feather boa, director's megaphone and a film camera that could break into pieces. That's a ton of extra work for accessories that no other wrestler in WCW could have possibly ever used.
This is definitely a better Hogan figure than the original one. The only suggestion I might have made to ToyBiz some 15 years ago would be to make the sunglasses removable.
Lex Luger
When ToyBiz first introduced us to Lex Luger, he didn't exactly look like Lex Luger. Sure, he had the physique and everything, but his face looked like he was some sort of human/lion hybrid.
But they broke the mold (quite literally) when they made this figure in the "Ring Masters" series. Not only does The Total Package now have a face sculpt that ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE HIM, but he comes with the most ridiculous accessories ever given to a wrestling action figure.
Because Luger's finisher was The Torture Rack, he came with a black executioner's hood and absolutely-frightening axe. But that was not all! It actually came with an old-school TORTURE RACK, where you could handcuff your opponents and stretch them out by adjusting the rack accordingly. It was the greatest accessory ever, so of course I no longer have it.
Randy Macho Man Savage
Saving the best for last.... Randy Savage's first Toybiz figure was okay, if a little bulky to be an accurate portrayal of the Macho Man. I mean, it wasn't Mike Awesome-level terrible, but it could have used a bit of work.
When Savage returned to the ring in late-1999, he had a completely different look and this figure captured it perfectly. Gone were the silly over-the-top sunglasses and loud colored trunks, replacing it with shorter hear, cool shades and a black shirt that says "Macho" across it.
Savage came with a "jail" style accessory that, truth be told, looked cooler than it actually was because you needed hands of steel to actually trap him in the shaky contraption. But what I LOVED about this Savage figure was the expression on his face. You can almost see the nervous tick in his mouth and neck muscles. What a great representation of the Macho Man.
