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NCS Aftercon - Post Toy Fair 2016


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Hello and welcome my fellow plastic addicts to a special edition of Near Complete Set that will be called Aftercon. This will be one of 3 special editions that will run after the 3 major cons, Toy Fair, SDCC and NYCC. This is basically to go through all the figures that have been reveal, what or who they are and why you should get them when they come out. Why? I find after one of the big 3 cons that some people are confused as to who the new character is, or when a certain costume appearance, or why should they even buy it when they only collect “X-men” or such. This will explain why you should buy them.

So let’s start the first NCS AfterCon with the recent Toy Fair. To begin with, let look at the most anticipated wave – The X-men wave.

(PLEASE NOTE THAT WHEN I SAID RUMOUR, I TRULY MEAN RUMOUR. UNLESS IT IS TOTALLY AND SHOWN BY HASBRO USA (NOT HASBRO BRAZIL LIKE THE LATEST RUMOUR) IT IS NOT CONFIRMED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

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For many people it is a bit of a Hit and miss situation. People are delighted that we are getting a new wave of X-men but the fact there is no new characters makes it hard for long time collectors to get excited. That being said the figures themselves looks fantastic, even IMO the best looking wave in the TF2016. Many of them are much needed updates and, except for Phoenix, all of them are wearing a new costume. Being that they have said that this is the only X-wave of 2016, I believe Hasbro is using this wave to gauge whether this line is profitable or not. Truth be told if we get 1 X-wave per year, I’d be happy. The latest rumour is that Wolverine is coming and the BAF is Juggernaut. Given the number of figure in this wave, a regular Cain Marko with swappable Colossus part is likely.

· Cable

o Story – This is Cable as he appeared in the pre-AVX story, Avengers X-Sanction. During the Messiah Complex, Cable was believed to have died when he let the techno-virus take over himself to let a bomb go off. However, he was flung into a future where he discovered that the Avengers had gone too far in the AVX war. He returned to the past and tried to prevent it from happening.

o Buy? – This to me is the best figure they show at Toy fair. It’s big and bulky and is a massive improvement over the TB one. X-men, New Mutants and X-force fan will obviously need this (especially if you didn’t get the more too expensive TB one). Deadpool fans will want to add him as they usually team-up, even having a book for it. Cyclops fan, you know the 2 of ye, will want to add his son and Hope Summer will need her Dad. Lastly, Cable is now a member of the Unity Squad so Avengers fans will want to add him for your complete rosters.

· Deadpool

o Story – Let be honest. Deadpool only ever wear the red and black costume with armour and straps to make it different. This represent his Marvel Now version and I can’t say where it first appears. However, I will say he comes with a boatload of accessories.

o Buy? – Probably the best looking Deadpool ever. The detail on him is fantastic. Given that his movie is one of the most successful Marvel Movie yet, he is a most for most collectors. For teams, you will need him for X-force, Avengers and X-men. Given how is has many figure now, you should really be building a Deadpool collection.

· Havok

o Story – From Uncanny Avengers, post-AVX Havok was disgusted with Cyclops and, with the invitation of Cap, joined with the Avengers to lead the Unity Squad. He wore this throughout this time.

o Buy? – It’s ironic that a guy who has led many X-teams has only one figure, which was Store exclusive and now an expensive figure, until this and Hasbro decide to give us not only a new Havok but one that was been asked for and fits in with many teams. X-men and Avengers will have to get this figure to complete their rosters.

· Iceman

o Story – Iceman has gone true many changes over the year. He was a snowman at first but shown changed to the bald Iceman version, usually seen like he is wearing nothing but a belt and shorts. Recently he has taken to wearing clothes over the ice. This figure represents his more recent form in the Amazing X-men, the series where Firestar joins.

o Buy? – Iceman has had 5 figure over the years. The first had a huge chase of exploding groin (seriously it was an epidemic). The other, 3 figure variants, was extremely hard to find X-men Classics. And the last was a store exclusive part of a box set and just a repaint of a bad Vision figure (which worked for his height). This figure look like it will be the Iceman figure everyone will use. It looks fantastic. X-men fan will have to get this.

· Shadowcat

o Story – Shadowcat had joined Wolverine in setting up school after the Schism. She began wearing this during the Wolverine and the X-men series and later wore it teaching the All-New X-men.

o Buy? – Kitty had only one figure just like Havok. It even came with a Lockheed as well. That figure was too short. Granted Kitty is a short person, even shorter then Wolverine at times. So she using the teenage body which actually works for her. X-men fans will need this. Excalibur fan might want her but she is not the right version, although we will probably never get that.

· Phoenix

o Story – We all know Phoenix, Jean Grey “died”, Phoenix took her place, she died, Jean Grey was found alive, she gained the Phoenix powers, etc., etc., etc. Do I really have to go on? The story has been done in almost all mediums.

o Buy? – The original Phoenix and her Dark Phoenix variant were part of an extreme hard to find series. (I was only lucky cause I found them in an Irish toy store, which is rare). Both are known to be extremely expensive. So this remake is a nice and cheap addition. Yes, they could have done the White Phoenix version but knowing Hasbro that plus a Dark Phoenix, will more than likely appear somewhere. X-men and Dark Phoenix Saga fans will want to get this figure.

· Rogue

o Story – This is Rogue as she is most famously known for during Jim Lee’s run of the X-men series and the 90’s animated TV Series.

o Buy? – Rogue has a bit of bad luck when comes to figures. Which is hard to believe considering she is at least the 2nd favourite X-lady after Storm (although TB and Hasbro seem to think Jean is the most popular). The first was part of a hard to find box set and it was ugly. The second and better version was an Extreme X-men version and was hard to find X-men Classic. And the third was a now cancel prototype supposed to be release in the Puck Wave. So for many, this will be the first and perfect Rogue to date. X-men and Avengers fans will need this.


 

 

Spider-man next!

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This wave is looking pretty impressive so far. Some nice additions but only the female figures are new characters (if the rumour of Ashley Barton is true). The new teenage sculpt is a great addition and opens up a load of characters (by the way, called it!!). The rumour has it that Electro is coming but Shocker was removed. Maybe they are holding him off for the next wave to give him more details. Can’t have 2 overly detailed figure in one wave with Hobgoblin can we? Goes over the budgets. I can see him coming in the next wave though. The latest rumour has Venom in his Space Knight version as the BAF, which would be a nice addition and the first ANAD figure, but enough with the symbiotes Hasbro. Or at least give us Scorn and Hybrid.

· Ultimate Spider-man

o Story – At the start of the 2000, Marvel decided it was time to retell Spider-man’s origin. This lead to the creation of Ultimate Spider-man. What was to be a short series soon lead to the creation of an entire universe, with many hero being revision in the Ultimate Universe. Peter in this universe was much younger character, thus the use of this sculpt.

o Buy? – I’ll be honest. It’s not something many people are excited for. It’s just a classic version on the new Teenage sculpt. But I can understand why Hasbro decided to release him mainly to be a swap with Miles. Spider-verse fans may need this but he wasn’t involved in that and Ultimate fan will have to get this.

· Miles Morales

o Story – The highly popular replacement, Miles Morales took over from Peter Parker after he died in the Ultimate Universe. He held the roll well, even meeting the main Spidey. He was later part of the Spider-verse and a major part of the Secret War. He has since been made part of the main universe, joining up with the latest Avengers team.

o Buy? – the last time Miles got a figure he used the Hasbro Bullseye body. It was made shorter but gave him a hunch back and bulkier then he was. Plus, he was an exclusive so that mean he is now expensive. This figure is a much better figure and look to be the highlight for many collectors. Spider-man and Avenger fans will definitely need this little guy as well as Ultimate universe fans. Even X-men fan might fan it if they want to re-enact the All-New X-men’s Ultimate Adventure storyline.

· Hobgoblin

o Story – With a swappable head this figure can be 2 characters. First is the original, Roderick Kingsley who used mind control to insure that he could keep his secret identity and use people as scapegoat (like Ned Leeds). He was capture by Spidey but escaped and has since started a Villain Franchise business where he sells villain names for people to use. The other is Jason Macendale, the original Jack O’Lantern (not the one we just got). He became the Hobgoblin and eventually made a deal with a demon and gained a demonic version of Hobgoblin. The Demon eventually left and and became Demogoblin, while Jason was killed in prison by Kingsley.

o Buy? – The last Hobgoblin we got was hard to top. But this comes very close. And while I know some will complain that we are getting him, he was basically for people who could find the sucker. Whether you are buying one or two (one for each character), I would recommend picking this up for Spider-man fans. I can already see a Green Goblin coming soon.

· Silk

o Story – Cindy Moon is a recent addition to the Spider-man cast. Bitten by the same spider that bit Peter, Cindy was found by Ezekiel and made spend 10 years in a fallout bunker to prevent Morlun from finding her. She was released during the Original Sin arc where she quickly took the name Silk. It was her release that really trigger the Spider-verse.

o Buy? – One of the only new character in this wave, the only bad thing I can say about her is that she is using the teenage mold when she is over 26. She the figure is beautiful and looks just like the character. For Spider-man fans this is a most.

Next is Doctor Strange!

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This wave is not the greatest wave but it not a bad wave by any means. What we have seen have been great but the BAF is the biggest kick at people who spent a lot of money on getting the SDCC set. But I do understand that Hasbro want to get that villain out to all. They could have done another character but really Dr. Strange only really has a hand full of villains, Dormammu being the main one. As for the rest of the wave rumoured to come, I think the Ancient One and Karl Mordo will be movie figure mainly cause he is called Karl Mordo and not Baron Mordo. The Brother Voodoo might be a release but I think he might be a newer version (Uncanny Avengers). As for the 3 Dr. Stranges, 2 were confirmed to be movie figures and I hope that the other one is a classic version with a masked head swap.

· Iron Fist

o Story – This is Iron Fist from the highly popular Immortal Iron Fist series. In the book he learned that he was not the first Iron Fist but the latest in a long line of hero, each who used the Iron Fist in different way, when he met the previous Iron Fist. He also learnt that he is one of 8 Immortal Weapon for 8 mystical cities.

o Buy? – This has been a figure that fans have been asking for years. He is included in this wave as he is a mystic character. Using the Spider-man build is a much better fit for IF and he come with interchangeable hands. Avengers fans will want this and it can be used for a Iron Fist evolution display. Heroes For Hire collector will need this and those that picked up both Luke Cage (needs his bro) and Misty Knight (his main squeeze) will need this as well.

· Nico Minoru

o Story – Nico is a member of the Runaways, a group of super powered teenaged that all are children of villains. Nico is the daughter of a pair of wizards (thus her inclusion in this wave.) The team tries to defeat their parents. This version of her is from Avengers Arena, where Arcade took a group of random superhero teenagers, and made them fight to the death.

o Buy? – the first of a new team to build? I hope so. I can see Victor Mancha being done in the Ant-man and Wasp wave. (he is Hank Pym’s grandson). Nico is a character that not many people have even heard of but is the figure I think is the best of the wave. Runaway, obviously, will need this as well as Avengers Academy. She also is a member of A-force along with She-Hulk, Medusa and many other female characters.

· Dormammu

o Story – The Dark lord of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu is Dr. Strange most powerful foe. He has tried to take over the normal dimension several times. I’m not really sure where this costume actually comes from.

o Buy? – Like I said a big kick in the nuts for many people. However, many people couldn’t afford this so I can understand them including it. Obviously, Dr. Strange fans will need this because he really has no one to fight yet as well as many other teams like the Avengers and X-men (there was a Magik fight).

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Next is the 2 Captain America waves.

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The first wave looks rather…………………meh for me. Yes, the Black Panther looks amazing and we get new 3 characters (or more depending on how many SHIELD agents you want), but half the wave is made of movie figures, which I don’t really mind as it was the same last year and will more than likely be the same next year for Thor. (So basically the middle wave is usually half Movies. Remember that for your wishlists) As for the Giant-man BAF, it looks alright, if not a small spoiler.

· Nick Fury / Dirk Anger / SHIELD Agent

o Story – That’s right Movie only collectors. In the 616 universe Nick Fury is white. (Sorry, just had to say it.) Nick Fury was the leader of the WW2 Howling Commandoes. He eventually was injected with the Infinity Formula which slowed down his again. He was made The commander of SHIELD after the war. During Original Sin, he was made into the new Watcher. Dirk Anger on the other hand was the commander of the anti-terrorist group HATE, during the NextWave series (does he still exist now that Nextwave doesn’t?) And for SHIELD Agent, well, he could be anyone.

o Buy? – Hasbro’s greatest idea was making swappable heads. This figure alone makes up 2 unique characters and thousands of Shield grunts. I only hope that when they eventually make Quake that they give Female Agents the same treatment. For Nick Fury, every type of collector should get him as he is literally part of all the franchises. Getting a second one for Dirk Anger might not be for everyone as he is a smaller character, but for army builders this is a most, particularly if we can use some of the alternate head from other figures.

· Nuke

o Story – Nuke is a cyborg that was built as part of the Weapon Plus project, the same project that created Captain America, Fantomex and of course Wolverine. He was first seen trying to destroy Hell Kitchen to lower the property value, but was defeated Daredevil. He was later seen fighting Wolverine after House of M. However this version seem to be based on the Iron Nail arc in Cap’s book, where he was tricked into attaching a foreign country for the US. He was eventually stopped by Cap, only to blow himself up. He has since returned.

o Buy? – Nuke is not something many people would have hear of, but is one people need for their collection. The Cyborg head is obviously going to be reused for Ragnarok. Cap, Daredevil and Wolverine fans will need him.

· Red Guardian

o Story – Red Guardian, sometimes leader of the Winter Guard, is the Russian equivalent of Captain America. There have been many people who have taken the name, the most famous being Black Widow ex-husband. The one we got in the MU scale was the latest guy and I think this basically could be first guy.

o Buy? – Like Nuke, many people might not have heard of this guy but I think Hasbro really should do more international Heroes, Sabra and Sunfire coming to mind. Could he be the first of the Winter Guard? More like the only one I say. Cap, Black Widow, Iron Man and Avengers fans will definitely need him, but even I’m not sure if I should put him in heroes or villians.

· The movie figures look nice but except Black Panther, MCU collector can skip them. Although Armory Builder might need to Iron Man for themselves. I kind of wonder why they decided to include Black Panther now rather then when his own movie comes out.

 

What we have seen of wave two is not the greatest. Yes we are finally got the MCU Scarlet Witch we wanted but the Cap (which, as the title character, has to be in it) seems like such a random version. I mean do Hasbro plan to release Spidey, DD, Wolverine and Luke Cage in this version? Doubt it. As for the remainder of the wave there are 2 different yet substantial listing. Both list Captain Britain (yes please) and Iron Skull (no more animated figures after this please) but one list says Cobra, Crossbones and Tigra while the other says Eel and Wonder man. I’m kind of half and half on which list I want more. The BAF is reported to be Abomination, shown in SDCC. If true would be odd as he would be more suited to Thor next year as Hulk is in that movie too.

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· Secret War Cap

o Story – After F4 defeated Doom and he was presumed dead, someone else ran Latvaria. Nick Fury discovered she was using Doom tech to build weapons. When the president decided to trust her, Nick secretly made a team to take her down secretly. However after, he erased their memories, which result in the Latvaria ruler returning and attacking the team.

o Buy? – Except the shield effect been interesting, this figure is not for everyone. There’s no guarantee that we will be getting the rest of the team. Honestly I can’t recommend this for any type of collector except for a Cap display.

· Now people also have MCU Scarlet Witch, but my feeling is that we will never get Quicksilver, due to him being dead and him being used by Fox.

That pretty much it. As for the exclusive, I definetly recommend The TRU set with Kate Bishop, Sam Wilson and Vison and the Walgreen single exclusives. Well Namor more then Punisher. MCU collector will definitely need the Walmart set but unless they want a new War Machine, they can skip the Target set.

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So what do you guys think? Am I right? Did I forget anything? Should I do this after each con? Let me know.

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Nick Fury sure is a must, I'll probably nab 3 or 4 of them.

 

Entire X-men wave is really nice. I think it's funny they chose ice man, kitty and rogue, who were a little love triangle in last stand, and sort of toyed with in DoFP and then.... totally absent in x-men apocalypse! Ha. I really hope we get more x-men down the line. 90's Cyclops, polaris, Avalance, pleeeeaase.

 

Hobgoblin figure looks so nice, but his glider looks really tiny!

 

The MCU look great. Cap was obligatory, and seems really similar to AoU. Black Panther, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, really help round out those teams. I too hope we can get quicksilver. Man, I hope he cameos in Dr.Strange, or Thor 3 some how. Don't just let that character vanish before our eyes.

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Glad you did the write up. It's been a few years since I've read any comics (traded buying comics for buying Marvel Legends so I guess a fair trade). This is a nice way to know who some of the characters are that have come since.

 

On a side note, is it just me or does the Iron Man MK 27 look like Tony's solution to the civil war is to join Cobra's Alley Viper ranks?

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