DC Superheroes (toy) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

style="font-size: larger;" | **DC Superheroes**
6" Action Figure Toy Line
S3 Superman Series:	Series 2, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6
S3 Batman Series:	Series 1, Series 3, Series 7, Series 8
Justice League Unlimited Series:	Series continued from Justice League Unlimited, continued as Series 3-6

DC Superheroes is a collection of action figures originally produced by Mattel

Mattel

Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...

in early 2006. It is divided into three different lines - the Justice League Unlimited toyline, with figures based on the animated Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...

series; the S3: Select Sculpt Series, featuring more comic-accurate figures in the 6" scale; and a 12" figure line. The S3 line is further divided into two lines - one featuring Batman, and the other featuring Superman. Series 1 of the S3 line began shipping just after Christmas 2005 to Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

and began arriving in retailers like Target

Target Corporation

Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

and Toys "R" Us approximately one month later. The figures have characteristics similar to the competing Marvel Legends

Marvel Legends

Marvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...

line in terms of detailed sculpting, articulation, and including a comic book

Comic book

A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

or diorama with each figure.

History

The line began as a successor to Mattel's Batman toyline

Batman (2003 toy line)

In 2003, DC rewarded the rights to produce Batman, Superman, and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited figures to Mattel. Mattel, who took over production from Hasbro, released their first original comic-style toy line, Batman, in 2003, and it lasted until summer 2005.-Overview:These 6" figures...

. Since Mattel only had the license to Batman and Superman characters at the time (with the exception of the Justice League Unlimited line), only Batman and Superman characters were able to appear in the line. Instead of primarily using variations on a single character, the line focused on secondary characters and villains.

At New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

's Toy Fair

American International Toy Fair

The American International Toy Fair is one of a few major toy industry trade shows held around the world. It is held annually in mid February in New York City's Toy Center, located at 23rd Street at the crossover of Fifth Avenue and Broadway and at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and is...

in 2006, the first five assortments were announced (though the fourth series was postponed). The entire line (with the exception of Robin and Nightwing) was sculpted by the Four Horsemen Studios

Four Horsemen Studios

Four Horsemen Studios is a group of four action figure sculptors who formerly worked for McFarlane Toys, and whose work has included the modern and classics line of Masters of the Universe toys and the current DCSH and DC Universe Classics lines....

. The figures have around twenty one points of articulation and initially came with a comic book centering around the character it came with, but in 2007 figures came with cardboard dioramas instead.

On June 28, 2007 Mattel's license was extended to include all of the DC Comics characters, including all movies and TV shows past, present and future. At San Diego Comic-Con International, Mattel announced they would be re-branding the line into DC Universe Classics

DC Universe Classics

DC Universe Classics is an action figure toyline, a sub-line of the DC Universe toy brand manufactured by Mattel. These are 6-inch scale figures based on characters owned by DC Comics...

. The first series was viewable at SDCC 2007 and was released in January 2008.

Justice League Unlimited

Around the same time the first S3 figures hit shelves, the JLU line had also moved under the brand "DC Superheroes". The packaging is similar to the S3 line: in 2006 they were both orange; in 2007, they both became purple.

S3 - Select Sculpt Series Figures

The S3 line featured only Superman and Batman characters, and although the promise was that the line would focus on villains and secondary characters, in practice the assortments were heavy with variations of the main characters. Early series of figures came with comic books featuring the character they came with, yet due to shipping costs and complications (Mattel is near the West Coast, DC Comics is on the East Coast), Mattel later switched to cardboard dioramas.

In the past Mattel had expressed interest in trying to make almost every character in the DC Universe. Mattel also said they would continue their Batman and Superman lines, but within the continued DC Universe Classics brand. Characters they expressed interest in, and planned on making in the Batman series were: Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...

, a Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...

Scarecrow

Scarecrow (comics)

The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...

, Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...

, Firefly, The Riddler

Riddler

The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....

, Talia al Ghul

Talia al Ghul

Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...

, Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter (comics)

The Mad Hatter is a fictional supervillain and enemy of Batman in the DC Universe. He is modeled after the Hatter from Lewis Carroll's novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a character often called the "Mad Hatter" in adaptations of Carroll. He made his first appearance in Batman #49 in October...

, and Black Mask

Black Mask (comics)

Black Mask is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. An enemy of Batman, he first appeared in Batman #386 . Black Mask was created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake.-Dark beginning:...

(Harley Quinn and the Riddler were eventually released as part of DC Universe Classics, while Scarecrow was released as part of the Movie Masters

Movie Masters

Movie Masters is an action figure toyline from Mattel, featuring figures based on characters from DC Comics movies. So far, the line has featured characters from the movies Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, the Superman film series, and the upcoming movie Green Lantern, though Mattel has the rights...

line).

Series One (Batman)

The last series of Mattel's Batman toyline, featuring several new characters, was not released in America; instead, it reached distant areas such as Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Three out of four figures (Bat Signal Batman, Bane, and Scarecrow) were retooled (Batman had new paint and a new cape, and a running change on Bane gave him new hands), and shipped to Wal-Marts. The fourth figure of the assortment was Killer Croc, who was previously hard to find and had a new head sculpt and paint application. The only Batman figure that was initially shipped overseas and never re-shipped under the DC Superheroes line was Attack Armor Batman.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation
Batman Batman Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...	1st sculpt	Batarang, handcuffs, grapple	Repainted from Mattel 2003 line	19 points
Killer Croc Killer Croc Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...		Pipe	Repainted from Mattel 2003 line, with new head and no tail	8 points
Scarecrow Scarecrow (comics) The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...		Scythe/pitchfork, bomb	Repainted from Mattel 2003 line	25 points
Bane Bane (comics) Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...			Repainted from Mattel 2003 line	14 points
		Teddy bear	Same as above figure, but includes teddy bear accessory and resculpted hands	14 points

Series Two (Superman)

Series Two featured Superman, Supergirl, Doomsday, Bizarro, and a Superman/Bizarro 2-pack (released exclusively to Target).

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Superman Superman Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...	1st sculpt		Original paint scheme	23 points	Series 5, Target Exclusive Superman/Bizarro 2-pack and Superman/Clark Kent 2-pack
Supergirl Supergirl Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...	Linda Danvers Linda Danvers Linda Danvers, formerly known as Supergirl, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. She debuted in Supergirl #1 , and was created by Peter David and Gary Frank...		Original colors	22 points
Bizarro Bizarro Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...		Tire axle	1st paint scheme (bright) w/ no pupils	23 points	Series 5, Target Exclusive Superman/Bizarro 2-pack
Doomsday Doomsday (comics) Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...			1st paint scheme (original version)	23 points

Series Three (Batman)

With Series Three, the S3 line returned to the Batman family, releasing a new Batman, Robin, Azrael, and Mr. Freeze. While Robin and Mr. Freeze shared the same sculpt as their original releases in the Batman toyline, Batman and Azrael were new sculpts released for the first time, though Mr. Freeze featured as much articulation as Batman and Azrael. Series Three was also the first series to include a diorama with each figure instead of a comic book. Although comics would be included again with Series 4 figures, Series Five through Eight would feature dioramas only.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Batman	2nd sculpt	7 Batarangs	1st paint scheme (blue)	23 points	Target Exclusive Batman/Batgirl 2-pack
Robin Robin (comics) Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...	Tim Drake	Hoverboard	Rereleased from Mattel 2003 line; 1st paint scheme (red and green)	9 points	Toys "R" Us exclusive Batman/Robin 2-pack
Azrael Azrael (comics) Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...				25 points	DC Universe Classics
Mr. Freeze Mr. Freeze Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....		Freeze gun	Rereleased and retooled from Mattel 2003 line	22 points

Series Four (Superman)

The second Superman series (fourth series overall) featured Superman (black "S" shield), Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Darkseid. Two Target-exclusive two-packs were also released, one featuring Superman/Clark Kent, and one featuring Batman/Batgirl (comic-styled Barbara Gordon version).

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Superman	2nd sculpt		Rereleased from Mattel 2003 line	14 points
Superman	1st sculpt		Repaint of Series 2 version - black and red logo, red eyes	23 points	Series 5
Supergirl	Linda Danvers		Repaint of Series 2 version - black and red logo, black skirt	22 points	Series 5
Lex Luthor Lex Luthor Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...	Battle Armor	Gun, Kryptonite Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...	Retooled arms (new forearms) and legs from DCSH Mr. Freeze	22 points	DC Universe Classics
Brainiac Brainiac (comics) Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....			Robot form	27 points
Darkseid Darkseid Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....		Mother Box Mother Box Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...	1st paint scheme (blue)	18 points

Series Five (Superman)

This series marks the departure from orange cards to the new purple packs. Sticking with Superman for the next two series, Mattel released Steel, Parasite, Kal-El, Black Suit Superman, and Cyborg Superman (very hard to find) figures, along with repainted versions of Superman, Supergirl, Doomsday, Bizarro, and Darkseid.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Superman	1st sculpt		Rerelease of Series 2 version	23 points
Superman	1st sculpt		Rerelease of Series 4 version	23 points
Supergirl	Linda Danvers		Rerelease of Series 4 version	22 points
Supergirl	Kara Zor-El		Original paint scheme	20 points	DC Universe Classics
Bizarro		Tire axle	Rerelease of Series 2 version	23 points
Doomsday			Repaint of Series 2 version - Heat vision reflection	23 points
Parasite Parasite (comics) The Parasite is the name of several fictional characters that appears in Superman comic book stories published by DC Comics. A supervillain, Parasite has the ability to temporarily absorb the energy, knowledge and super-powers of another being by touch, making him a formidable foe for the Man of...				23 points
Steel John Henry Irons Steel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...		Hammer	Gray "S" on chest	23 points
		Hammer	Vac-metallized "S" on chest	23 points

Series Six (Superman)

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Black Suit Superman	1st sculpt		Repaint of Series 2 Superman - black and silver suit	23 points
Cyborg Superman Hank Henshaw Hank Henshaw is a fictional supervillain featured in the DC Comics universe. While originally featured primarily as an enemy of Superman, recent years have repositioned him as one of the main enemies of the Green Lantern Corps...				23 points	DC Universe Classics
Kal-El/Superman	1st sculpt		Repaint of Series 2 version - Metallic color scheme with altered headsculpt	23 points
Darkseid		Mother Box	Repaint of Series 4 version - 2nd paint scheme (black)	18 points
Mongul Mongul Mongul is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the character debuted in DC Comics Presents #27 and was created by writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin. The second version first appears in Showcase '95 #85 and was created by...				23 points	DC Universe Classics
Bizarro		"Bizarro #1" nameplate	Repaint of Series 2 version - 2nd paint scheme (dark), nameplates either gray or black	23 points

Series Seven (Batman)

A brown version of Man-Bat

Man-Bat

Man-Bat is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supervillain and adversary of Batman, though occasionally depicted as a heroic character. He first appeared in Detective Comics #400 and was created by Frank Robbins and Neal Adams...

was originally scheduled for Series Seven, but was dropped. The figure was eventually released as part of DC Universe Classics. A dark tech-suit variant of Mr. Freeze was also to be included but was dropped as well; it was eventually released as a convention exclusive in 2008.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation
Camo Bane		Teddy bear	Repaint of Series 1 version - camouflaged suit	14 points
Knightshadow Batman	2nd sculpt	3 Batarangs	Repaint of Series 3 Batman - black suit with new head	23 points
Batgirl Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...	Cassandra Cain Cassandra Cain Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...	Batarang		21 points
Two-Face Two-Face Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....	Harvey Dent	Tommy gun		20 points

Series Eight (Batman)

Half of this series featured repaints from the Batman toyline.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Batman	2nd sculpt	3 Batarangs	Repaint of Series 3 version - 2nd paint scheme (black) with different belt	23 points
Bruce Wayne-to-Batman		Snap-on costume, spotlight	Repainted from Mattel 2003 line
The Joker Joker (comics) The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...		Gas mask, mallet, squirt gun	Repainted from Mattel 2003 line
Nightwing Nightwing Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...	Dick Grayson Dick Grayson Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....	Baton, shield	Repainted from Mattel 2003 line
Catwoman Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...		Whip, cat, jewelry, backpack
Clayface Clayface Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...			Bendable arms		DC Universe Classics

Target Exclusive 2-packs

The orange-carded DC Superheroes S3 series packs were rounded out by 2-packs exclusively released to Target

Target Corporation

stores.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Bizarro			Rerelease of Series 2 version	23 points
Superman	1st sculpt		Rerelease of Series 2 version	23 points

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Batman	2nd sculpt		Rerelease of Series 3 version	23 points
Batgirl	Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino... 's second costume	Batarang	Gray Suit	21 points	DC Universe Classics

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Clark Kent Clark Kent Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....		File folder	Blue business suit	20 points
Superman	1st sculpt		Rerelease of Series 2 version	23 points

Toys "R" Us Exclusives

The following figures are repaints of figures in the DC Superheroes line and were included in Toys "R" Us exclusives.

Ultimate Batman 5-pack

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Batman	1st sculpt		2nd color scheme (black) with yellow bright belt, minimal articulation, and cloth cape; released in a 5-pack with figures from other Batman toylines

Batman/Robin 2-packs

A Batman/Nightwing 2-pack was also advertised but was apparently never released.

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Batman	1st sculpt		2nd color scheme (black), with giant wraparound cloth cape
Robin		Batarang	Rerelease of Series 3 version	9 points

Figure	Version	Accessories	Description	Articulation	Re-release
Batman	1st sculpt	Batarang	2nd color scheme (black), with giant wraparound cloth cape
Robin		Batarang	Repaint of Series 3 version - 2nd color scheme (blue/silver)	9 points

Convention exclusives

These figures were offered as exclusives during comic conventions in 2007 and 2008.

Figure	Accessories	Description	Articulation	First Release
Man-Bat Man-Bat Man-Bat is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supervillain and adversary of Batman, though occasionally depicted as a heroic character. He first appeared in Detective Comics #400 and was created by Frank Robbins and Neal Adams...		Repaint of unreleased Man-Bat figure - Albino 2nd paint scheme (white)		SDCC 2007
		Repaint of unreleased Man-Bat figure - Mid-transformation 3rd paint scheme (clear), light-up eyes		SDCC 2007
Mr. Freeze	Freeze gun	Repaint of Series 3 version (tech-suit)	22 points	NYCC 2008

12" figures

Mattel also released several 12" figures under the DC Superheroes banner. The figures are larger versions of the S3 sculpts. This line continued as part of the DC Universe

DC Universe (toyline)

DC Universe is a toy brand manufactured by Mattel. It has five sub-lines - Classics, Fighting Figures, Giants of Justice, Infinite Heroes, and the reintegrated Justice League Unlimited line.-DC Universe Classics:...

line.

Figure	Version	Description
Superman	1st sculpt	12" version of DCSH Series 2 figure
Batman	2nd sculpt	12" version of DCSH Series 3 figure
Batman	2nd sculpt	12" version of DCSH Series 8 figure, Toys "R" Us exclusive
Cyborg Superman		12" version of DCSH Series 6 figure, Toys "R" Us exclusive

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.