Mnemosis

Sharon Carter's a wasted mate... Emma Frost from first class + some holsters (Movie Black Widow, perhaps) and voila, you're done. Feel free to change out the hair, but it's not even necessary.

We haven't had a single Alpha Flight character in Minimate form yet, have we? Not that i'm aware of, unless you count Wolverine (was he ever officially ni Alpha Flight? Or have i absorbed that from the 90's cartoon & mistakenly taken it as 616?). AA/DST have previewed a Vindicator/Box 2-pack, but that's all we've seen so far. Alpha Flight 100, I want to say, introduced the concept of Wolverine having been brought in to train a team of Flighters that included Snowbird, St. Elmo, and some girl who could telekinetically control a needle and thread. They fought Egghead and Porcupine, among others.

The Murdock hair is BRILLIANT! I can give my April O'Neil her hair back AND use an otherwise unused hairpiece.

Dear Zach - If you ever need a liver, kidney, brain, heart, baby, place to stay in Indianapolis, tesseract cube, soul to sacrifice to Mephisto, coupon for Red Burrito, etc... Let me know. You're a prince among men, sir. These two box sets have, in the past two days, gone from "meh" to "WOW" for me. You even prompted me to strip off Arnim Zola Cap's leather jacket and offer it up to Iron Man 2's Black Widow - along with my spare Rachel Grey hairpiece - to create '90s Black Widow. The result is way off from perfect, but it's certainly workable, and it's not even a look I LIKE for the character. It just seems "right" to go alongside the rest of the roster. http://www.forevergeek.com/wp-content/media/2012/04/Black-Widow-2.jpg

I can totally relate to that... Awwww... LOL

Laughing. My. F.A. ALL the way off! Hmmmmm... I MAY end up getting both of these boxed sets plus Ant-Man, or I may end up sans Smart Hulk, who I WAS going to buy with Thor, but suddenly I'll already have a Thor... hmmm...

Nope, Marvel Select did it first. Well shoot, you're right! Forgot about that one! F*** yeah, you do. This man poses action figures in the most dynamic ways I have ever seen in my life. Poses that I didn't even think they could get in with their given articulation. They don't look like toys when he's done with them. They look like freeze frames from awesome action movies. Awwwwww, shucks. Maybe every time you've heard the line "I'm not looking for a fight" you've seen one because the people saying it usually find themselves trying to talk civilly with people who are spoiling for one. I never said everything is perfect, now did I. You choose to twist my words in an attempt to rile me. I'm not so simple as to play into that trap. I'll just never understand the mindset of looking a gift horse in the mouth. No other toy line that I'm privy to has ever done what Minimates has been capable of. The combination of character selection, poseability, sculpt, accessorization, price... not to mention the time and attention Zach devotes to the fans here. It just enervates me to think that really, no matter WHAT DST gives us, they're always going to get hounded for something different: Hulk looks weird and wimpy next to my other 'mates Hulk is too bulky and chunky We need more obscure characters! Arnim Zola pegwarms I never got "X" when it first came out! Oh, man, they're doing a new version of "X"? LAME! Again, I just don't understand why people think that because the Internet allows them to complain about every little disappointment of their life, it means that they should. There are plenty of toy lines or waves or whatever that have been unabashedly less than one might hope for, that are totally deserving of venom from all comers. With a line like Minimates that gets it right so much of the time, I don't understand why we have to nitpick every little issue that we don't agree with. And to address the issue of the Friends and Foes set? That's a perfect example of a time when yes, the company needed to be taken to task. That wasn't a matter of opinion, there were actual glaring errors. THAT deserves to be brought up. But the mindset among the collector community that any one of us knows exactly how DST should run their business - only to put forth a strategy that specifically sates our personal desires - is ludicrous. I'll say it again; if they were doing it wrong, they'd have stopped a long long time ago. And if Gateway and Onslaught, Toad and Pyro, Falcon and Kang, and Nighthawk and Hellcat were the next TRU wave of Minimates, what would we all have to look forward to? Egghead? Clint Barton's brother? Rusty and Skids? Take your time, DST. A little anticipation goes a long way to making this hobby enjoyable.

I have an Arnim Zola I didn't have to pay 90 dollars for. UNIQUE TO MATES Later this year, I'll have Venom in pretty much EVERY ONE of his designs. UNIQUE TO MATES I have Thunderbolts. Swordsman, Radioactive Man, Penance, Accurate Gargan Venom, and Moonstone UNIQUE TO MATES And I have the 90s X-Men. UNIQUE TO MATES (at least, for the time being) Dark Hawkeye on a HAMMER Glider UNIQUE TO MATES and Cannonball with a blasting base UNIQUE TO MATES and PETER PARKER BEING DRAGGED BEHIND THE GREEN GOBLIN!!! UNIQUE TO MATES I think your count is off, Valo. Sorry, but I'm a displayer. I open my toys, I find the "perfect pose," and I set them out on shelves to look at and enjoy. My Marvel Legends Cannonball looks stupid lunging ineffectually off of his display stand with no blast effect. If I HAD a Dark Avengers Hawkeye from the MU line, I'd be bored with him standing in a lackluster pose alongside the three or four teammates they produced for him. Those figures simply don't have the display value their tinier, cheaper, FUNNER counterparts do. And yes, I know "funner" isn't a word, but if ever it makes it into Webster's, it ought to be on account of Minimates. I'm not looking to fight; I'm sorry if it seems that way. I just don't understand how anyone can complain about this line. It boggles the mind. Not to mention, Minimates is the only toy line where Master Chief, Batman, and Deadpool can race a Warthog, the DeLorean and KITT to save firefighters from zombies and pirates and have it all work.

Great points Jason, but it's all lost on me after that statement. I'll never look at you the same way again. In fact, I might try not to look at you at all to avoid the image popping in my head (much like I avoid the somewhat creepy older guy that works at your TRU). Literally just laughed out loud as I know EXACTLY who you're talking about. I'd say he's a great guy when you get to know him but... LOL But no, I didn't actually dress like that. Ever. The glider from Menace, once the goblin face is slipped off, works perfectly as a HAMMER glider My comments were directed at ANYONE in the same or similar mindset. DST is a business out to make a profit. They've found a way of doing that which apparently works or we wouldn't have a thread talking about wave 45 of ONE BRANCH of their toy line, and while managing profitable longevity, they are also providing fantastic character selection. You cite other waves, but I would venture to bet there are more Iron Man and Spider-Man figures per capita in Marvel Universe (and maybe even Marvel Legends) than there are in Minimates. Be patient and the characters you want will be made. In the meantime, be thankful you're not having to buy EVERY. SINGLE. FIGURE. Unless you're a completist and that's what you're doing, and if that's the case, that's on you then. I look at the upcoming X-Men selections and I'm thankful I can pass on that Havok/Storm two-pack because I have no interest, but I don't begrudge its release for whoever MIGHT want it. And THAT is what I don't understand about people complaining about character selection: until the pack you hate is sitting on pegs collecting dust, who are you to say no one wants it? There's a Sinister/Nimrod two-pack at my comic shop still sitting there, and those were two pretty high-profile characters for collectors; two characters who were never done before. But in MY market, apparently they're not so sought after. You don't like the selection in a wave? Don't buy the figures, and wait that much more eagerly for the next wave. Telling the company how they should be doing business, especially when they're already successful at what they do, just seems very silly. I mean, if this was Shocker Toys, that'd be a different story... give them all the advice you can spare

See... I was ALWAYS ahead of my time. All throughout the nineties, I wore a black leather body suit with a black leather duster over it and some black wrap around sunglasses. Of course, sometimes in place of my black leather shirt and duster, I'd just wear a wifebeater to show of my sweetass tribal tattoo sleeve. I looked WAY cooler than you tools. Thank you. Not every wave is going to please every single person, but any implication that DST doesn't do a DAMNED fine job of catering to its fans is ridiculous. I have an Arnim Zola I didn't have to pay 90 dollars for. Later this year, I'll have Venom in pretty much EVERY ONE of his designs. I have Thunderbolts. I have a pitch perfect Fantastic Four. And I have the 90s X-Men. Are there things I'm missing? Sure. But that will be the case with any toy wave. My point is, the things I have FAR outnumber those I wish I could get, and they're pretty freaking amazing. I HAVE that first Deadpool. I have Holocaust and Mr. Sinister and Hoverchair Professor X and Archangel and Dark Hawkeye on a HAMMER Glider and Cannonball with a blasting base and PETER PARKER BEING DRAGGED BEHIND THE GREEN GOBLIN!!! Thank you, Zach, Chuck, and everyone at DST. We don't say it enough.

When TRU does resets, every SKN is included for that section, even if the product isn't due out yet. Most likely, your store will flex out that space for something in the meantime (unless they have NO merch to put there) and then just wiggle the MMs in when the time comes

We could refer to the "loose cowls" as "unmasks" masked is to mask as unmasked is to unmask

Man, if I drink too much milk, I get loose cowls.

Zach - I (and the rest of the Panelsonpages hooligans) will be at C2E2 and very much look forward to meeting you, seeing everything you guys have on display, and hopefully buying you a drink at some point!

Not only do I LOVE this version of Scott Lang Ant Man, I'll be trying to buy two... Hell-O Ghost custom!!!!

I'll ALWAYS favor the extended X-Family, such as X-Factor and Forge and Banshee, but if there were going to be X-figures made, isn't it likely they'd tie into Regenesis? Hope/Sebastian Shaw Domino/Quentin Quire Bulked up Colossus/Second Coming Nimrod Juggernaut Colossus/Second Coming Nimrod But I'd much prefer Thunderbolts, as were mentioned, though slightly different... Luke Cage/Ghost (give Cage some sort of interchangeable parts so he doesn't HAVE to wear the T-Bolt logo) Moonstone/Man-Thing (give Moonstone some interchangeable hair for a more classic look) Mach V/Raft detainee Fixer/Raft detainee (the Raft detainee should be an orange jumpsuit with a few interchangeable pieces to create a couple of C-list Marvel villains as prisoners)

I get both schools of thought, here. On the one hand, yes, the original charm of Minimates was the uniformity of the line, and the fact that through minor variations primarily in paint apps, the figures could be made unique. That being said, the most popular figures were already made using that approach. The new figures that are being given the bulked up bodies are almost universally reiterations of those old figures, just with a new design aesthetic meant to appeal to a different audience. So... people who don't like bulked up bodies... either just don't buy them, or at the very least, don't bitch about them. If you want a slender Hulk, he exists. Find him. Is he super expensive now? Sure. But at least you have the option to buy him as such. If DST just remade him for you, then those of us who WANT a bulked up Hulk would never even have the option to get one. DST is brilliantly giving us options in which way we want to collect. Now that the major characters have all been made one way, the line is being filled out in the new style which is more appealing to a wider fan base. Sure, the simpler 'mates have a more artistic appeal to them that some collectors find intriguing, but the more elaborate 'mates allow for a display with far more character AND bring to the table a greater mass market appeal for kids who want the more muscular figures to BE more muscular. Because, be honest... when you were a little boy, didn't YOU want YOUR Thing to be huge?

Are you talking about Chicago Comic Con (run by Wizard, usually in August) or C2E2 (run by Reed, usually early Spring)? I recommend C2E2. It's where PoP! will be.

I'm sure there must be a thread to put this. Sorry, but I couldn't find it. This is just my slapdash kitbash for April. Firestar torso, upper arms, and upper legs; Rachel Grey lower arms, lower legs, and feet; generic Caucasian hands; someone else's black hand for the mic

Anyone else notice that Emma is one hip holster away from being a PERFECT Agent 13? I mean, seriously. I'm buying that pack today JUST for my Secret Avengers Sharon Carter.

Brilliant idea! If only someone had thought of it sooner...

1) A team completion wave would be amazing, and should also include Modern X-Force Domino and/or Elixir and/or Vanisher 2) While many will whip me, I'd go for one last 90's X-Men wave: Banshee/Forge, Wolverine in X-costume/Legion, Caliban as Horseman/Colossus (bulked), Fabian Cortez (v. Exodus?)/Kleinstock Bros.? 3) Fear Itself seems like a logical way to tie-in to an event AND fill in some holes: Steve Rogers/Sin as Red Skull, Hammer wielding Juggernaut/616 Odin, Hammer Wielding Hulk/Red She-Hulk, Hammer Wielding Absorbing Man (variant Titania?)/SHEILD troop builder? 4) Onslaught/Rickey Barnes, Blastaar/Annihilus, Hank Pym/Reed Richards, The Hood (variant Demon form)/42 Guardsman troop builder

Here's how it works: When a truck comes in, there is a manifest listing what is MEANT to be on that truck. Once the truck has arrived and is unloaded, the manifest is usually accepted into the system, meaning whatever it SAID was on the truck is now listed in the system, "on the floor" regardless of where it physically is in the store. There are two kinds of trucks - early morning and live unload. A "live unload" means the truck shows up in the middle of the day and is physically unloaded as soon as possible. HOWEVER... merchandise from that truck may not be unloaded until the next morning depending on staffing. However, the manifest will usually be accepted at the time of the unload. WHENEVER the truck crew is scheduled, it is their job to work out any of the merchandise that is "needed." This leads to the problem of pegwarmers. If the shelves are crowded with the last wave of a particular product, when the truck crew gets a box of the new wave, they may not realize the difference and may not bother to put out the new merchandise. Any merchandise that won't "fit" out on the shelves is sent to the "back of house" to be scanned into "bays." It is not until items are scanned into bays that they cease to show as "on the floor." THEREFORE... a truck that comes in as a live unload on a Friday afternoon that has a new wave of Minimates will show up in the store's inventory that same afternoon usually as "on the floor." HOWEVER, if the pegs were already full with pegwarmers from previous waves, that new product won't be scanned away into the back until the next morning or afternoon, most likely. At that point, asking for the new SKU will get the employees a bay number that will allow them to track down the exact location of the items. The two glitches in this system are that some people (customers and employees alike) hide product in the backroom, under the baseboards, or in the valances. This still shows as "on the floor" though no one could ever locate it. Similarly, if an item is stolen, it will continue to show as "on the floor." There's also the possibility that an employee could have put the item on hold for a customer or themselves, in which case the item would still register as being "on the floor." At MY store, between myself and one of the other supervisors, we're VERY cognizant of different waves/assortments/etc. If either of us is working when a truck comes in, we do our best to insure the new product makes it to the floor, even if the truck crew isn't in yet or doesn't recognize the value of these new figures. I can't guarantee it's like that everywhere. It's a weird double edged sword. Having a collector that works at your store means the new product is going to get top shelf attention because we can appreciate what it means to sales and customer satisfaction, but at the same time, you can bet we'll be the first ones to snatch up what we're looking for. Our pay sucks and our discount is paltry; first dibs is the closest thing we get to a "perk." AND... before anyone asks... I'd love to help, but we get so little selection that by the time I'm done 1) getting my own stuff, 2) looking for stuff for my friends, and 3) helping our regular customers, there's rarely anything of value left over. I hope, however, that my explanation of our process has helped everyone understand the situation a little better. Yes, sometimes it's actually better to come in the next day - you'll be more likely to find the thing you're looking for. That said, the BEST policy is to befriend an employee. This doesn't mean USE an employee. Actually chat with and be nice to someone at your store who seems to have half a brain. More likely than not, they'll be happy to help you out whenever they can. Oh, one more flaw in the system. Truck manifests are not always correct and there's no system in place to check every single item that comes off of the truck. Therefore, if our next manifest says we're getting ten cases of wave ten, as of that manifest being accepted, our inventory will say we have ten cases of wave ten. Eventually, someone will go looking for one of these packs, see that we have none, and after a good bit of research, will be FAIRLY sure we have a discrepancy. At that point, corrections will be made. Mind you... it's not until WE are aware the figures aren't where they should be that this process can begin. If someone tells you an item is "on the floor" and you don't see it there, ask for a manager or supervisor. They'll either be able to let you know that 1) the truck just got unloaded and it hasn't been processed yet or 2) the product SHOULD be there. If it's two, and the product isn't there, that's the first step in that store getting their counts fixed. And they aren't likely to get any more of that product until that count is fixed, so... you're helping them out and yourself if you give them this feedback. Again, however... here's where it's handy to know someone at the store who will actually care. The more interested I am in the product in question, the deeper I'll likely dig to figure out what's wrong.

Biggest failing on the AoA Sabertooth? If they'd given him a second hairpiece, a chain, and a tampo under the chest piece, he could have doubled as Wild Child, and they'd have sold twice as many of the packs.

Sorry if this has been pondered, already, but I'm wondering what Sabertooth looks like under the chest piece. They could EASILY have given him a Wildchild chest, which would just mean a new face, hair, and a chain for a quickie custom