• Home
  • TV & Movies
    • Star Wars
    • Battlestar Galactica (1978)
    • Indiana Jones
    • Star Trek
    • Planet of the Apes
    • The Real Ghostbusters
    • The Six Million Dollar Man
    • Universal Monsters
    • Doctor Who
  • Comic Book Heroes
    • Kenner Super Powers
    • Mattel Secret Wars
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • The Uncanny X-Men
    • Spider-Man
    • Batman
    • Superman
    • The Incredible Hulk
  • Mego
  • MOTU
  • G.I. Joe
  • Transformers
  • Wrestling

Vintage Action Figures

Reviews of collectible action figures inspired by comic books, TV shows and movies from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Marvel Superheroes Thor by Toy Biz!

May 16, 2012

Marvel Super Heroes Thor by Toy Biz

With no less than three Thor movies starring Chris Hemsworth appearing at the rate of one of year – last year’s Thor, directed by Kenneth Brannagh, and the imaginatively titled sequel Thor 2 still to come in 2013, and of course, Joss Whedon’s The Avengers presently smashing box office records all over the world – Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, has never been so popular. A veteran character from the Silver Age of Comic Books, Thor was created by the comics dream team Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, together with Lee’s younger brother Larry Lieber, first appearing in Journey into Mystery #83 in 1962, looking rather like this 1991 action figure by Toy Biz.

When in the late 1980s fledgling toy company Toy Biz (now known as Marvel Toys) attempted to enter into the super hero action figure retail war, their DC Comics inspired “Super Heroes” 4 ¾ inch line was seen by many – then and now – as a shoddier-made version of the immensely superior Kenner Super Powers figures from earlier that decade. Regardless of the quality of figures, however, the company thrived having clinched deals for both the DC Comics and Marvel toy licenses, and by the early 1990s Marvel Superheroes hit toy shop shelves.

The Mighty Thor!

The Mighty Thor!

Our vintage Thor here was released as part of a second wave of figures which included Venom, Green Goblin, Iron Man, the Punisher and a couple of Spider-Man figures, and is actually rather good, bar a few errors that typify the hit-or-miss nature of the early Toy Biz releases: mysteriously Thor was issued minus his trademark red cape, and the torso should have been a darker blue. Standing slightly taller than his counterparts at exactly 5 inches tall from the toes of his yellow boots to the tips of his winged helmet, he is a pleasingly chunky figure, who stands well, albeit in somewhat limited poses given the seven points of articulation. This loose figure has lost both his lightning bolt and hammer, but collectors should look out for the version with “long” hammer and lightning accessories, which is slightly harder to find.

A variation was also released with a lever in his back to operate a “Smashing Hammer Action” in his right arm – Toy Biz never really mastered the hidden power action that made the Kenner figures so special – although my Thor is without a lever and his limbs seem to move normally.

Probably the most successful aspect of this figure is, rather surprisingly, the facial sculpt – it may be crude, but there’s been a real attempt here to create an individual and expressive face that actually looks like the comic book Thor, making this a must-have for Thor fans!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Vintage Blog Tagged With: Thor, Toy Biz

Comments

  1. Mario! says

    May 16, 2012 at 7:57 pm

    Another point in this Thor’s favor: he is wearing his helmet, unlike some more recent versions I could point my finger at.

  2. actionfig says

    May 16, 2012 at 10:00 pm

    It’s only a matter of time before i dive head first into these MARVEL TOY BIZ figures.I need to pick up a couple more 80’s Secret Wars figs before i do so though 😉

  3. superdupertoybox says

    May 17, 2012 at 5:26 am

    Interesting they didn’t give him a cape… but gave him a lightning bolt! I’ve seen some of these ToyBiz Marvel Superheroes figures on card recently for pretty good prices

Action figure search

Recent Posts

  • Robin Hood and Mego’s Super Merry Men
  • R2-D2… Now with Sensorscope!
  • Ghostbusters Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man …signed by Sigourney Weaver!
  • It’s Clobberin’ Time with The Thing by Mego!
  • Up, up and away! Comic version 12-inch Superman by Mego
  • Remembering Princess Leia Organa
  • Indiana Jones, the daring archaeologist and world adventurer of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark!
  • Stunning C-3PO sixth scale figure by Sideshow Collectibles
  • It’s Alive! The Monster Frankenstein from Mego’s Mad Monster Series
  • Wonder Woman the Amazing Amazon – Kenner Super Powers

Archives

Copyright © 2009-2023 · VintageActionFigures.net · All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster and opinions expressed are those of the Poster and do not necessarily represent the views of VintageActionFigures.net · Please read our Privacy Policy, GDPR Compliance Statement, Affiliate Disclosure and Cookies Policy - We know...Zzzz!!