1980s | Vintage Action Figures

Kenner Super Powers: Hawkman!

Any regular readers of this blog will know that my big collector’s crush of the moment is on the vintage Kenner action figures known as Super Powers. Produced for a mere two years from 1984 until 1986 when the line folded after only three series, these 4-inch action figures starring DC Comics superheroes with built-in power action features, are still hugely sought after by many toy fans. Let this post serve as a warning – buy just one of these figures and you’ll soon find yourself wanting each and every one of them!

Kenner released this impressive Hawkman figure, for example, in its initial 1984 first wave of Super Powers.

Lion-O from ThunderCats

There’s been some very excited blogging throughout the Internet over the last few days ever since the Cartoon Network screened a preview of the all new ThunderCats at WonderCon. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the new series is due to hit small screens this summer and will see the old heroes Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro and Tygra back in re-imagined versions and darker story-lines. What better time, then, to dig out a vintage ThunderCats action figure of Lion-O from the original 1985 TV series that followed the adventures of everyone’s favourite humanoid cats from another planet!

Secret Wars: Spider-Man

Whilst Super Powers will probably remain my first choice as winners in the great superheroes action figure stand-off during the mid 1980s, when the mighty Mattel joined forces with Marvel to produce the Secret Wars line in direct competition with the DC Comics branded Kenner Super Powers product, I have to admit that I’m growing to like the Secret Wars figures more and more.

Bright colours, solid sculpts and accurate comic-book costumes and likenesses made these figures popular at the time and if you can pick up a figure that has survived with its paintwork intact like Spider-Man here, they make fine display pieces for any vintage collector today.

Kenner Super Powers: Aquaman!

Ever since I picked up a vintage Kenner Super Powers action figure of The Flash last year my flirtation with this line has grown into a full blown love affair, accompanied by an inkling sensation that I’ll surely give in to weakness and end up collecting every figure in the series!

First released in 1984 and enjoying the briefest of runs until 1986, these 4-inch DC Comics superheroes action figures remain some of the best looking sculpts ever – this version of Arthur Curry aka Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas, is a fine example of all that’s great about these figures, with a near perfect Silver Age comic book likeness.

Star Wars Variations: Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise

Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi in the original Star Wars Trilogy, came away with something which none of the other cast members managed to obtain – a series of action figures that actually looked rather like him! Of all of the Lando figures, this stunner which shows our redeemed hero in his Skiff Guard Disguise, is not only my absolute favourite Lando, but also one of my favourite vintage Kenner Star Wars action figures from the entire line.

Secret Wars: Falcon

One of my favourite action figures from the vintage Mattel’s Secret Wars 4 ½ inch series featuring superheroes from the Marvel Universe is, without a doubt, the Falcon. He may not have actually featured in Marvel’s tie-in Secret Wars limited series of comics, but fans seem more than happy to overlook that detail when faced with an action figure that looks this good!

The Falcon had, however, starred in his own 4 issue miniseries from November 1983 to February 1984, so maybe the powers that be at Marvel thought this was as a good a time as any to slip a Falcon figure into this series.

Kenner Super Powers: Superman!

Whilst the star of the last post Captain America may have been top dog over at Marvel with the Mattel Secret Wars action figures, DC Comics had their very own leader of the Kenner Super Powers line – none other than The Man of Steel himself, Superman!

It’s a testament to the sheer quality of these Kenner figures, that nearly thirty years later you’ll most likely find that the “super power” action feature of any vintage figure you happen to come across is still working just fine. This Superman may have lost his cape, but he still has his “super action punch” if you squeeze his legs together – Ka-pow!

Secret Wars: Captain America

2011 looks set to be another great year for superhero action movies – Thor, Green Lantern, yet more in the X-Men and Transformers sagas, and the hotly awaited Captain America: The First Avenger, starring Chris Evans (no stranger to Lycra after his turns as Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four films) will all be hitting the big screen this year. Superhero flicks, of course, bring with them a slew of merchandising and a deafening kerching! as the tie-in products fly off shelves…or gather dust if they bomb at the box office, only to land in the bargain bin months later! Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing a Chris Evans as Steve Rogers aka Captain America action figure, but in the meantime here’s a vintage Captain America from a classic line – the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars by Mattel.