Note: Entertainment Earth provided the items for review in this article, though all opinions stated herein are the writer’s own. Readers can obtain a 10% discount on in-stock items at Entertainment Earth via this link, with free shipping on orders over $59 using the code FREESHIP59.
Mezco‘s latest One:12 Collective Superman isn’t the first one they’ve made, but it might be the most Superman they’ve made. Featuring a whopping seven different heads, along with magnetic and light-up features and some very specific accessories, it could be the only 6-inch Superman in Silver Age style you’ll ever need. The heads are a realistic take on the comics, but you might see hints of Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, or even Tyler Hoechlin in there. Every hero needs an adversary, and this month Entertainment Earth also sent along a McFarlane Toys Nightmare Spawn, available at a discount as of this writing for $18.06.
Superman stands six inches tall, but as far as scaling to other 6-inchers, do note that he’s a bit bulkier with a bigger head. The head size is to allow for electronics in one of the heads, but he may not play exactly with other lines. Not that he’s exactly made for playing. The heads and hands, mostly soft material, pop off easily, which is good for collectors but would be destroyed by kids.
Lookswise, he seems more like a high-end Mego. Mezco work miracles with costume stitching at this scale, but there’s only so much they can do with a tucked cape and arm seams. The good news is that his muscular sculpt presses through the tights, for that sack full of walnuts bodybuilder look.
Super-Equipped
Superman comes in a metal tin, like the previous Wolverine — it seems to be the norm for One:12 figures with light-up accessories. All is wrapped nicely and sandwiched between non-taped nesting plastic trays as usual. It’s all repackage-able for anyone who really wants to expend the effort to put every head back in its individual plastic bag, and every divider sheet between every layer. For those who don’t, Mezco always includes a branded Ziploc-style plastic bag for smaller pieces.
Speaking of small pieces, this set includes a tiny pick to help with the light-up heat-vision head. Use it to slide the off/on switch inside the neck. But first, you’ll have to put the tiniest toy batteries you’ve ever seen inside the head.
It’s hard to tell from the enlarged image just how small these are, but remember, this is a six-inch figure. And if you want to have a Terminator version, well, here…
It’s hard to capture the heat vision effect on camera, as it tends to blow out relative to the surroundings. Suffice it to say it’s small but mighty.
Unlit, it just makes Superman have purely black eyes, for a creepy possessed look.
Sick Burns
An alternate heat-vision head without lights includes a slot where the eyes would be, and two different plug-ins. First, ultra-fiery…
Second, a more pinpoint precision one, with a removable point of contact at the end.
A few enemies and hazards come with this Kal-El as well. A Starro spore fits around all of the heads.
Then there’s the Mercy plant from Alan Moore’s “For the Man Who Has Everything,” with flexible tendrils and a downside that’s specifically contoured to fit smoothly on Superman’s abs and pecs, a level of detail that’s unexpectedly precise.
Five pieces of different-colored Kryptonite peg into a protective tray, with clear “glass” (lead glass in canon, one assumes) containers to go over the top. As another accessory, there’s also a Phantom Zone projector to send villains away.
Chest, a Draw
Maybe the coolest effect is in the three bullet hits that attach to Superman’s chest magnetically. The tiny magnets at that scale look enough like flattened bullets to sell the illusion and comic-style shrapnel blast.
To hit back, Superman has power-punch blast effects, which work much better than the similar slash effects that came with Wolverine. They easily fit over his fists.
At $125, this is not a cheap Superman (don’t forget our 10% discount and free shipping via this link), but it is an extremely complete Superman. A wire in the hem of the cape might be nice, but both the sides have them for posing.
Hellish Foe
As for Nightmare Spawn, he’s one of the more detailed McFarlane sculpts of late. He has the silhouette of a Tim Burton-style Spawn drawing, but a face that looks like a premium Fangoria mask.
Despite the skinniness, he balances just fine on the figure stand, largely due to being pretty light all over. The wings are flecked with orange that looks like rising infernal embers. and the body’s imbued with hard spikes that may not be kid friendly.
Oddly, it looks quite different from the package illustration, which has a cape and two wristguards. Instead, this figure has but one half-arsed red wristguard, which looks a little off for the rest of the sculpt. But perhaps it’s what makes him Spawn.
Poseability is good, especially on his neck and torso, with wide ranges for flying stances. As with many McFarlanes, the upper thigh cut is tough without much rotation, but that may vary between individual figures. For below retail, he’s well worth picking up.
Take a gander through the images below for many more looks and details.
