Convention - SDCC 2022 : Discover the Hasbro Marvel legends

By Mulder, San Diego, Convention Center, 20 july 2022

Hasbro, Inc.  is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of Kenner, Parker Brothers, and Milton Bradley, among others. Hasbro is incorporated in Rhode Island, and as of August 2020 over 81.5% of its shares were held by large financial institutions. Among its products are Transformers, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, Rom the Space Knight, Micronauts, M.A.S.K., Monopoly, Furby, Nerf, Twister, and My Little Pony, and with the Entertainment One acquisition in 2019, franchises like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks. The Hasbro brand also spawned TV shows to promote its products, such as Family Game Night on the Discovery Family network, a joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery. It is the parent of mass media and entertainment company Entertainment One.

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 6-inch (150 mm) scale, with spin-off lines in the 4-inch (100 mm), 8-inch (200 mm), and 12-inch (300 mm) scale. The line initially began as a spin-off of the Spider-Man Classics line, which were also produced by Toy Biz. At its inception in 2002, the Marvel Legends line copied the clam-shell packaging and the included comic book that had shipped with the Spider-Man Classics line. 

The first wave of Marvel Legends included the heroes of Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk, with the villain being Toad. Beginning January 1, 2007, Hasbro became the new license holder to the rights to produce toys and games based upon the Marvel Universe. The new Hasbro packaging did not include a comic book and the new molds eliminated finger joints, which were a mainstay during the Toy Biz era, but the company did continue with the theme of Build-A-Figure pieces. 

During the late 2000s, production on the Marvel Legends line slowed down to the point where it was rumored that it may be cancelled, but Hasbro revealed (at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con) that due to fan requests and the upcoming movies based on Marvel characters, the line would be making a comeback in 2012, and in January 2012, Marvel Legends returned to store shelves. At the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, Hasbro announced that Marvel Legends would be given a new start as the Marvel Legends Infinite Series starting with the Mandroid series. Initially, the Marvel Legends line has used the "chase" concept to introduce figures based on less popular or recognisable characters. 

These got their nickname by being shipped in fewer quantities than the rest of the figures, thus causing collectors to chase after them. Eventually, rather than entirely new figures, the chase concept evolved into variants (such as an alternate head or a different colour scheme) of a figure released in that same series. These figures retained being sought-after by collectors. A Marvel Legends Flatman "figure" was included as a joke cut-out in the GLX-Mas Special (2005). It featured "infinite" points of articulation and three action phrases (to be said with one's own voice).

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Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville