Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Retro Toy Week: Dog's Eye-View Spider-Man!


Long before he got a black-and-white uniform with the Fantastic Four, but well after the symbiote suit; Spider-Man had another monochromatic costume: from 1997 and Toy Biz, Web Catcher Spider-Man variant. Looking it up on Amazon, I had forgotten the 'web catcher' accessory entirely.
I have a vague idea that I've read the issues this figure is referring to--I thought it was on or about Spider-Man #90, but that was '98, and the figure is marked 1997! Maybe the sculpt was reused later, with the black-and-white color scheme? Maybe I've got the issue wrong? My research has hit a wall (meaning I got distracted by something else) so let me know if you know. Anyway, somewhere in there Spidey comes back from the Negative Zone with the color bleached out of his costume...somehow. I know the same sort of thing altered the colors of the Fantastic Four's uniforms, sometime during Byrne's run; but again, no idea how. It's not the Thing ever came back from the Zone in greyscale, or turned green or something. Still, it is a neat variant.

Man, the top of my speaker is dusty.
There was a time, though, when this was the best-looking Spider-Man sculpt ever. That time was 1997, yeah. He predates Spider-Man Classics...and articulation. Nine points: ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and neck. None of which is especially useful; but the paint is pretty nice. And the web lines on his costume are all sculpted.

I was thinking there was a 'web catcher' Red Skull figure as well, but on Amazon I was surprised to see a Madam Web action figure. Huh.

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