THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN & DOCTOR OCTOPUS

Thinking about it, Spider-Man may be the very first superhero I can recall. I saw him on TV (cartoons, reruns of his live-action show) and every kind of merchandise you can imagine, and I still couldn't get enough. Not only was it his design, but his superpowers, and his alter ego as nerdy Peter Parker. It was been a lifelong love affair, which has not wavered in spite of symbiotes, clones, and death. I can say, in all honesty, that he's my favorite Marvel hero, and one of my favorite pop culture icons of all-time. 

Completed in 2012, this version of Spider-Man almost didn't happen. I had previously completed Spider-Man Noir and thought that would be the end of it for Spider-Man in the World War 2 era… but there was something about the parts combo of Jedi Luke and Snake Eyes' head that I couldn't deny, even though I used the same Jedi Luke as a base for my very first Gotham's Most Wanted Batman (it was later jettisoned for the current design).  

Like a lot of my redesigns, I wanted to sort of eliminate the costume-y elements, or ground them more in reality. I dropped the webbing, but kept the original red & black classic color scheme and eye shapes (to make him more identifiable). I added a small, basic utility belt, but nothing too bulky-- he's gotta be able to move!

This Spidey, like Captain America, is a member of The Avengers, defending Earth from threats within and outside of our known universe, and bringing vigilantes like The Batman in. They're the only ones powerful enough.

Doc Ock is one of my earliest, most vivid memories. Or, rather, a top emblazoned with a sticker of Doc Ock-- or, Doctor Octopus as he was known then-- which "battled" a similar top with Spidey on it. Two of gazillions of random toys released under the Secret Wars brand 30 years ago. Along with Dr. Doom, Kang the Conqueror, and Magneto, Doc Ock was the definition of a super villain to my 4 year-old brain… but out of that group, he remains the favorite. The green and yellow color scheme, glasses, and mechanical arms made quite a visceral impression, and I've loved Doc Ock ever since.

Completed in March 2013, Doctor Octopus began as an Arctic Snake Eyes figure (chosen for its bulkiness) with four bendy tentacles from Toy Biz's Train Battle playset, from the Spider-Man 2 toy line. The head and goggles are random finds from my Fodder Graveyard.

Didn't really feel the need to mess with perfection when it came to Ock's design, as it's still very much the same, in a slightly different style. Green jumpsuit, yellow protective gloves & boots, bowl haircut… the only thing that really changed was his glasses, which seemed kind of impractical (he gets punched in the face a lot). Goggles looked cooler and they're more scientist.

COMING UP: THE GHOST WHO WALKS, THE MAN WITH THE HAT, MORE GOTHAM'S MOST WANTED

NICK FURY: AGENT OF... S.H.I.E.L.D.

Unlike his flashier counterparts like Spider-Man or The Hulk, Nick Fury wasn't a character I truly understood or appreciated until I was much older. While I knew of and read the comics featuring the caucasian version of the character, it was the "Sam Jackson" incarnation from Millar & Hitch's Ultimates that hooked me.

The Colonel here is barely a custom. It's a Snake-Eyes figure with a third party head, with minor paint work, but I felt it was THE perfect base for the world's greatest spy. A black coat is planned for him, but I haven't decided if I want to have a leather effect or muted black fabric...

There was some controversy when Fury's race was changed, but to me it's irrelevant. Fury's skin color has nothing to do with what he does or who he is as a character, so he could be anybody... which got me thinking. I see characters like Nick Fury or James Bond as having "mantles," like Batman. When these men become agents for their governments, their real names are erased, and they are given new code names-- this opened up the character tremendously, allowing him to span time, with the name "Nicholas Fury" given to The President's best covert operative, regardless of race or background. 

My take on Fury is that he is a government agent who has taken on a legendary status, whose reputation has preceded him since Colonial times, when the first Nicholas Fury was appointed by Commander-in-Chief George Washington. My WWII Fury is relatively new to the role, replacing the previous Nick Fury, who was killed in action during a brave assault on an Axis headquarters. 

1942, planning an assault on the Red Skull with Cap

AVENGERS '42: Impromptu meeting in ruined city

Recon: Known HYDRA associate MARS

I do have plans to build the caucasian version of Nick Fury at some point, but in the meantime, I'm going to work on this Fury's black trench coat, and then, knowing me, probably go in a completely different direction.

COMING UP: The Ghost Who Walks, The Man With the Hat, VILLAINS STRIKE BACK!

DAREDEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR

   

 Daredevil, for me, was always one of those characters that was so visually striking and whose story is so compelling, that I couldn't help but fall in love. The concept and visual were so powerful that that's all I needed. Once I was old enough to read, I got caught up in the criminal underworld of Hell's Kitchen-- very reminiscent of Gotham City, which made it all the more attractive. Then came Bendis's epic run on the book, which made me a zealot. 

What's funny is that this is the second incarnation of Daredevil I've created, but this one was done first. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in a concept that I run with it for a blitzkrieg customizing project... this was one such occasion. Inspired by filmmaker Joe Carnahan's amazing Daredevil "sizzle reel" pitch, I got to work immediately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cVd9HalHs 

...I just kinda picture it happening in 1943, not 1973

   

 Matt Murdock here began life as a Duke figure with 25th anniversary Joe legs, topped off by a modded Marvel Universe Captain America head. The gloves were pulled from the Fodder Graveyard, but I'm pretty sure they're from a Star Wars figure, as is Hornhead's belt, with a GI Joe holster grafted on. The billyclub is simply a toothpick, cut and repainted.



 

  

 Just like Captain America, I see Daredevil as a part (very distant, however) of my Gotham's Most Wanted universe, set in the 1930s-40s. My take is, that, just like The Batman, Daredevil began as a vigilante specifically targeting the criminals of Hell's Kitchen, and The Kingpin of Crime. Since New York, Bludhaven, and Gotham City are in such close proximity, the heroes did cross paths early in their careers... but when war was declared, Matt Murdock became a mercenary, occasionally working alongside the Avengers Initiative. 

 










UPCOMING: THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER SPY, A GHOST WHO WALKS, PORTRAITS OF VILLAINY...

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Just mess in' around while I still had the dioramas set up... THE AVENGERS!





















AVENGERS '42

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE STAR-SPANGLED MAN

For a long time, I lumped Captain America in with characters like Superman, whom I considered boring, one-note do-gooders; super-powered cub scouts with nothing better to do than be a better citizen. While I always loved the iconography and his World War II origin, that dopey grin and star-spangled motorcycle made me keep him at arm's length... that was until I read Mark Millar's bad-ass, heart-breaking take on the super soldier who's a man out of time.




An ongoing project dating back to 2012, The Captain was completed in February 2013. His design is almost a direct translation of the character's costume in Captain America: The First Avenger. I'll admit that, when I saw the initial drawings, I wasn't quite sold on the design-- I was expecting something more along the lines of Hitch/Millar's amazing WWII Cap-- once I saw the on-set pictures and saw the suit in action, I fell in love with its utilitarian, military-inspired look.







Cap is built off of one of the new "standard jumpsuit" bodies being put out by Hasbro, now being used on a million different figures, with 25th GI Joe Arctic Snake Eyes legs and kitbashed webgear, topped off with a more screen-accurate Cap head from Hasbro. The shield is from the same figure, with a modded wrist strap on the back.







Now I see Captain America for the bad-ass he is, and include him as a part of my World War II universe/Gotham's Most Wanted, with Captain America serving as a government agent charged with the task of bringing in all vigilantes, including The Batman. Even after a handful of secret missions together, they share an uneasy alliance.










NEXT TIME: More Marvels and Gotham's Most Wanted!