Marvel bought ToyBiz.

ToyBiz had the Marvel comics license.

ToyBiz’s license expired.

Marvel recognized that they could get more money from an outside company than an in-house company.

Marvel sold the Marvel license to Hasbro for big bucks. Or maybe BIG bucks.

ToyBiz changed its name to Marvel Toys, for branding reasons.

Hasbro pays Marvel for the rights to the characters. Hasbro also pays Marvel Toys to design the figures. (Now you start to see why this was a good deal for Marvel)

Marvel Toys has other licenses beside the Marvel one. TNA wrestling, Code Lyoko, etc.

Marvel Toys has also decided to make figures based on indie comics. Why? Because their Marvel Legends line is one of the most successful things of the current decade, along with their Spider-Man toys. Because no one* but Todd McFarlane was making anything of the sort, and it has been years since he did any comics other than Spawn.

The figures re all-new, and made to the high standards of Marvel Legends: detailed sculpts, tons of articulation, and BAFs (Build-A-Figure – Pitt and Monkeyman). They’re supposed to be available in real retail stores, too – if you live in Denver and can get to a Wal*Mart, you might be able to find them right now. Yes, these are a lot of obscure characters, but look at them: Ripclaw, Savage Dragon, Superpatriot? We’re not talking about Francine and Katchoo, here, these are characters that kids will buy simply because they look cool. Even the most boring character in the two series, Marv, had a major movie recently. Nobody knows who Star is, but parents will buy him because they’ll think it’s a new Spider-Man.

Oh, and the two-packs are Conan and the Devourer of Souls, a repainted Witchblade/Darkness pack, and the assassins from Body Bags. Pictuures here.

Whew! Any other questions?

But at least it doesn’t look like Mickey Rourke.

It’s not the Marv toy I want, but I’ve got nothing against toys of the film versions.

I’ve got the original Marv toy with the disembodied head, but the one I really want is the one in the Electric Chair

the marv figure looks fucking horrible.

Yup. In my (admittedly limited) experience of these toys, if they’re made by McFarlane (spit) Toys – like the original Marv figures – then they’ll be spot on likenesses. It they aren’t then they’ll be terrible likenesses.

I love captialism!

One is Conan & Wraal. I don’t remember the other one, mostly because I don’t care about the characters.

These ARE “original” toys. They are new, and made the same way and with the same articulation as Marvel Legends.

They ARE NOT “the original” toys of these characters. They are not back stock of old McFarlane & other figures.

Shame about the Build a Fig thing…I’d be all over a MonkeyMan & Obrien 2 set, but I’m not gonna buy a bunch of image characters to get ‘em.

If so, wow – those are some bizarre figure choices.

Toy Biz lost the Marvel Legends license to Hasbro, so now only Hasbro can make those figures. Since Marvel Toys still has a marketable reputation for its highly detailed comic characters, I guess they’re just going to be making indie figures from now on.