Discovering the ‘Holy Grail’ of Toy Biz's Iron Man Toylines
One strange Spider-Man figure leads to something else entirely in a Power Action! investigation
We’re going to try something different this week with Power Action! Let’s look at a single, random pop cultural artifact and discover the unexpected stories behind it. For this first one, we’re going to pull one off of my office wall:
Radioactive Spider Armor Spider-Man (1996, Toy Biz)
OK. Let’s dig in:
Here’s what we know already: In 1996, Toy Biz had built an impressive portfolio of Marvel action figure lines. Some reflected then-current comic book storylines, like the sprawling, dystopian, and hugely popular X-Men arc “Age of Apocalypse.” Others were extensions of the multiple animated series: the Marvel Action Hour block of Fantastic Four and Iron Man ‘toons—and the biggies: FOX’s X-Men: The Animated Series and Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
Then there’s a separate category of action figures that don’t seem to reflect any specific character narrative. Like at all.
Take the 9th wave of Spider-Man figures, titled the “Techno Wars.” There was no point of reference or namesake for this series of toys in the animated series or comics, which were then entering their final year of the divisive “Clone Saga”. But hey, “Techno Wars” sounds cool and utilizes some comic buzzwords of the day. It also continues a motif for the waves before and after that one: “Spider Wars” and “Vampire Wars,” respectively. Could it also be takeoff of the iconic Iron Man arc “Armor Wars,” too? More on that theory later.
My own history with this toy goes back a couple decades. I was 10 years old in ‘96 and was gifted one of the “Techno Wars” figures for Christmas that very year: the same Radioactive Spider Armor Spider-Man we’re investigating here. I was immediately taken with what the box called “Radiation Containment Weaponry,” complete with a few larger robotic arms and a small, but surely dangerous radioactive container. Even then, Spidey’s head always looked a bit tiny for the rest of the body. But I was mostly oblivious to what was going on with the figure … until about 26 years later, as I write this.
Fast-forward to two months ago. I was scanning a wall of vintage figures at Rebel Base Comics & Toys in Charlotte’s Cotswold neighborhood and found a sealed version of my beloved Radioactive Spider Armor Spider-Man for $10. Upon inspection at checkout, it immediately hit me: That is not only Iron Man armor on Spidey, but it’s almost certainly a repainted set of accessories from another line, probably never intended for the character to begin with. This was regular practice across every action figure line in the 1980s and on. One way to generate some new figures without breaking the bank? Repaint existing molds and use accessories from other properties.
So let’s open up my recent-old purchase and take a look.
What we see on Spidey is indeed Iron Man’s animated series arc reactor (in the shape of a pentagon rather than the modern oval). The figure’s synopsis on the package underlines why: "An explosion rocks Dr. Connors' Neogenic lab at Empire State University - and Spider-Man must rush to his aid! To protect him from the high levels of radiation, Spider-Man must don a suit of anti-radiation armor. Developed by Tony Stark, the armor allows Spider-Man to move safely through Connors' lab - and with the special claw attachment hardware, it's just what Spidey needs to help Doc Connors put everything right!"
But what came first: that fun concept or just having some Iron Man figure armor laying around? Now, we head deep into the catacombs of action figure auctions and Geocities-esque online databases that haven’t been updated in decades. Raving Toy Maniac is an example of a longstanding resource, with a ton of insight into those Toy Biz lines, in particular. As expected, its listing for Radioactive Spider Armor Spider-Man and the “Techno Wars” line provides some fascinating tidbits:
OK, before I jump into the true origins of the “Techno Wars,” let me first qualify with this: It’s difficult to imagine a time when Iron Man wasn’t the paterfamilias of the Marvel Universe. But the character wouldn’t have his groundbreaking live-action film, which birthed the MCU, for a dozen years beyond 1996. In the mid-’90s, all he had in moving pictures was the Marvel Action Hour, which ceased in February 1996.
Ol’ Shellhead’s figures facing a sales slump that year meant a difficult decision for Toy Biz: They had to cancel the fifth wave of his action figures.
Five figures were planned for that run: Dark Aegis, Lava Armor Iron Man, Living Laser, Magnetic Armor Iron Man, and yes, Radiation Armor Iron Man. The latter, it turns out, is exactly where Radioactive Spider Armor Spider-Man got everything but his tiny, weird head.
That planned fifth wave of Iron Man toys, it turns out, was repurposed for both the “Spider-Man: Techno Wars” and “X-Men: Mutant Armor” toylines—both brands having far more starpower. Iron Man Wave V become something of a legend for Toy Biz historians, too: A set of prototypes was sold on the Heritage Auctions site in 2003 for $1,680, and its listing said that there are fewer than 25 sets known to exist.
A current listing on eBay corrects the existing sets’ status as “prototypes” and provides more context: “This is the ultra rare, final series of the 1990s Iron Man toy line [and] was never released to the public. It was featured in the Toy Biz 1996 catalogue and introduced to the trade at Toy Fair in February of that year. Only a few loose sets were produced and made it into the hands of Toy Biz company insiders. … This set of 5" figures are sometimes referred to incorrectly as prototypes. These are actually final engineering pilot production pieces. They were made from production molds in a factory test run, and decorated with the factory vacuum metallized finish. CONDITION: Figures have been in storage all these years, and never even displayed. Stored in an indoor dust free living environment with no exposure to light or extreme temperatures. There was never any packaging produced, and only delivered to Toy Biz loose from the factory. Each figure came in simple clear baggies (which will be included). Each figure in mint condition. …”
The listing also adds this accolade: “This series is the Holy Grail of '90s Marvel Action Figures made by Toy Biz.” For years before it ended up shuttering, Toy Biz was asked when the final Iron Man wave would re-emerge, but they never arrived. But thanks to the Internet, you can see both what once was and what became of those original designs.
Aside from Radioactive Spider Armor Spider-Man, it’s easy to see the other figure that had a direct line between Iron Man Wave V and Spider-Man’s “Techno Wars”: Lava Armor Iron Man became the Vault Guardsman, but they didn't even bother to change the latter's head to the correct helmet.
Funny how pulling one, random figure out of the collection can lead to Toy Biz’s “Holy Grail” for collectors. It makes one wonder about the stories contained within the countless other pop artifacts we surround ourselves with.
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