The Marvel Comics Mini-Mates line recently put out a new set of two-packs, and I picked up three of them this week. I liked this one a lot — a figure I’ve craved, a figure I needed, and a figure I never expected. In order!
Gamora and Nova
First up, let’s agree that Nova is currently one of the best comics Marvel is publishing. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are kicking 18 kinds of butt, and I was quite happy to get their cosmic hero in Mini-form. He comes with his ex-girlfriend, Gamora, which must have been kind of awkward when they were being packaged together. I really like the look of the Nova suit, and Gamora came out nice too.
Classic Spider-Man and Shocker
The next two-pack is “Classic Spider-Man” and the Shocker. By “Classic,” they mean the webbing and eye design on this particular mini-figure is much closer to the original design, as done by Steve Ditko, way back in Amazing Fantasy #15. I’m glad this was in here — can you believe I didn’t have a Mini-Mate of just the basic Spider-Man? I have the “Ultimate” version (no webs), the “Battle Damage” version (no mask) and the “Zombie” version (no soul). Now, in the midst of the alternates, I’ve got the real thing. The Shocker… well, he wouldn’t have been my first choice of villains, but the toy looks fine. And speaking of alternates…
Cosmic Spider-Man and Venom
“Cosmic” Spider-Man comes from Marvel’s Acts of Vengeance crossover from 1989. In this story, Thor’s brother Loki put together a coalition of super-villains to try to defeat the world’s heroes by “trading” enemies. The U-Foes attacked the West Coast Avengers, the Grey Gargoyle went after the Hulk, Typhoid Mary tormented Power Pack, and so forth. Unfortunately for the likes of Titania, the Brothers Grimm, Goliath, and the Trapster, at this same time Spider-Man got the powers of Captain Universe, an entity that temporarily bestows incredible cosmic power on different hosts in order to save the world. Cosmic Spidey kicked butt. He’s packaged here with one of his own foes, Venom, who didn’t take part in the Acts of Vengeance, to the best of my recollection.
Six cool figures, but in each pair I seem to have one that I like more than the others. Still, I’m not complaining.
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