Dream Waves: West Coast Avengers

Lots of big news on the action figure front, as even more waves are rolling out, especially during next year when we'll see a Guardians of the Galaxy waves (with Darkhawk no less) featuring most of the original cast (in time for the movie) as well as a 2nd X-Men wave that finally gives us the Jim Lee-era Cyclops, Polaris, and Dazzler, albeit the Disco version.

Still, I'm more than amped even though my wallet's sure as hell not.

So with that in mind, here's my dream list for one of my favorite childhood teams, the West Coast Avengers.



Say what you want, but it was a brilliant idea to have two teams of Avengers to read about. Or to see who switched over to which team.

Well in the spirit of that, here's my pitch for two waves' worth of WCA Marvel Legends figures....



-West Coast Avengers Wave 1:

1). Classic US Agent

Yes he already has a figure, but he needs an update to a much more accurate bulkier body. So do it Hasbro!!!!

2). Classic Wonder Man

Like US Agent, Wonder Man technically already has a classic look figure, and has an upcoming recent looking figure about to be released soon. Still I want an updated classic-looking Wonder Man to come with glasses, an alternative head with slick back hair and one with curls.

3). Red Jumpsuit Hank Pym

Sure it's not one his better-looking outfits, but its is very much an appropriate look for that era.
I'm sure the sculptors can do something to make it pop.


4). Classic Tigra


We were rumored to get an a better Tigra figure than we initially got in the upcoming 3rd Captain America wave, but not yet. We definitely need a much-improved Tigra figure that looks hot as fuck. Definitely could use an alt head and hands too.

5). Classic Mockingbird
I know, I know, we just got a Mockingbird figure finally. And I'm pleased about that, but it's the more modern look, not classic Mockingbird. Let's see a classic Mockingbird figure ok Hasbro?


6). GA Human Torch

Here's a character that has yet to have his very own figure anywhere, the golden age Human Torch. Time to resolve this strange and criminal error, and give him one.

7). Graviton




This would be a first for this guy too, and the the team's first major villain.


BAF: Ultron

Hey, why not Ultron? The closest Ultron's got to having a figure of his classic look is the really good, but poorly articulated Marvel Select figure. Let's see a nice BAF Ultron in his classic look.


-West Coast Avengers Wave 2:

1). The Living Lighting

Here's a very much unloved WCA member with no figure of his very own. Let's rectify that.
Hell throw in a Lighting form version too while you're at it Hasbro.

Could look a lot like this.....


2). The Hangman

Here's a pretty cool villain who's never had his own figure, and if you buy him, could help you start building your very own villainous Night Shift team.

3). Gypsy Moth

And here's another member of said Night Shift, Gypsy Moth.
So that'd be two members in the same wave. Can't beat that deal.

4). Classic Quicksilver

I think we're about due for a new, updated classic Quicksilver figure, and now that that new Namor figure's just come out, they can re-use the new head, just repaint the hair white.

5). Firebird

Here's another member without a single figure, and while her time with the team was too brief, she's still deserving of a figure regardless.

6). Brother(S) Grimm



7). Alkehma


Ultron created this "War Toy" as yet another weapon against the Avengers. This would be her first figure ever if made.


BAF: Clint Barton Goliath


I choose to go with this one because hey, it's a classic look for Clint, and he did use it again in late 90's in a guest spot in AWC. Plus you'd be getting this classic Avengers figure out of the way.

Plus, it'd really help role-play the Operation Galactic Storm storyline....

Might look a little something like this....

Well that's my list of possible  figures for a WCA-themed wave.

What would yours be?

"Only You"

TGIF Motherfuckaaaaaaaaaas!!!!!!


Holy shit it's Friday!

Noooooooo!

It's also my 500th post, so break out the party hats, beers and joints, 'cause it's time to celebrate. It's alright.

Now, onto today's bonus skit of the week, staring the West Coast Avengers, or as Dan loves to call them, "The Westies".

The End

Have a damn fine weekend if you can guys, and thanks for humoring a guy and his toys:)

 Peace and chicken grease:)

Back-Issue Spotlight: Avengers West Coast#50

TGIT!!!!!!!

Almost there to post 500. I know, I know, you're supposed to do something nice and special, but with this other work I've been doing, not really feeling it. Might just be a bonus skit this week or something else, idk.

But today's post is another edition of Back-Issue Spotlight. Today I'm spotlighting Avengers West Coast#50, which features the original golden age Human Torch joining the team.

Let's get to it shall we?

































Avengers West Coast#50 "Return Of The Hero" (Nov '89) by John Byrne and Mike Machlan.

The story starts off not with the Human Torch, but with his dead partner Toro's wife Ann.

She thinks her husband might not be dead after all, and that maybe her husband's partner is involved as well.

Apparently way back some years ago, when the FF met up with original Torch, he went nuts and then was "killed". Well Toro saw his an ad for his partner's funeral and went to go check it out himself. He was then drugged and abducted by the Mad Thinker. The Thinker then brainwashed Toro into thinking he was the Human Torch, causing him to battle the Namor.

Toro later dies trying to get revenge on the Mad Thinker.
Trying to find her husbands's whereabouts leads her to the AWC's door for help.

So off to the town of Pleasentville go the Avengers(where the Torch's funeral was supposedly held)
The Vision goes straight down into the Torch's casket, where he indeed finds the Torch resting.
The Avengers can't open the casket without the proper legal documents, but that doesn't stop an already pissed and stressed out Scarlet Witch from using her hex powers to open said casket.

And with that, The original Human Torch lives again!

Wonder Man chases after him, persuading him to come down and talk with the other Avengers.

It's here that we get an iconic(or was supposed to be iconic for the time) official meeting of the Vision and the Torch.











 Hank Pym gives a quick, reader's digest version of things to get him up to date. The Wasp then flies in, giving the Torch new and improved threads, and welcoming him to the Avengers. Torch says yes, and all's right with the world.....until Iron Man shows up.

Here's a bonus for you guys: An unused cover sketch for this very issue


Thoughts:
So at this point in time, the WCA/AWC, just had to deal with the government kidnapping and dissecting the Vision, leading to him becoming that sickly pale color of yellow for a number of years. This explains why Wanda freaks out when the Toro's wife shows up and thinks the Vision can help her out.

Also, Iron Man showing up was of interest because he got booted out of the team during the Armor Wars in his own book. He then fakes Iron Man's death, making people believe someone else was inside the armor. That whole sub-plot would later be resolved, but man was that next issue awkward for a bit.

Also, and I've got to point this out, the belief that the Vision was made from the body of the original Human Torch had been canon for years, ever since Roy Thomas started the idea, and Steve Englehart expanded upon it. Only very recently was that proven to not be the case, instead all part of a calculated deception by Immortus, master of time.

Writers Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern would later re-confirm that in the Avengers Forever max-series, stating that it was all Immortus' idea just to do that to fuck with the Avengers. Silly really, but that's some bad guys for you.

I remember picking this up due to the cover. I had no idea about the back-story of the original Torch's back then, so this was a pretty good place to learn some history.

I was actually influenced to pick this particular issue because of this blog right here:
http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2014/02/super-blog-team-up-was-vision-really.html

It talks more in depth about the whole Human Torch/Vision connection throughout the years up to 1999.
Not a bad little read if you want to know more about that particular back story.

Sorry for the poor quality phone scans. Couldn't find anymore scanned in interior pages, so I had to improvise.

That's it for this edition of Back-Issue Spotlight. Hoped you learned some things, and are tempted to track this one down if you don't already have it.

Tomorrow is post 500!!!!!!!!