I don’t just like Shuma Gorath. I love Shuma Gorath. No, seriously. How much do I love Shuma Gorath? I mained Shuma Gorath in the original Capcom Marvel Super Heroes video game, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and even Marvel vs. Capcom 3. In fact, I am wearing a Shuma Gorath T-Shirt right now, even though I had no conception whatsoever that I’d be writing about Shuma Gorath today (as the opportunity to do so has literally never come up before). Anyway, my point is that I love Shuma-Gorath, and the relevance of that fact is that I just ordered my first Shuma Gorath figure ever this afternoon–the Heroclix Shuma Gorath 2013 Convention Exclusive figure!

If you’re not familiar with the character, Shuma-Gorath is Dr. Strange’s greatest enemy (Dormammu who?) and one of the most obscure characters ever selected by Capcom for inclusion in their Marvel fighting games. The immortal Lord of Chaos, Shuma-Gorath is a demon with a variety of powers including shape-shifting, magic, and teleportation.

And oh yeah–he’s a giant eyeball tentacle monster.

I first encountered Shuma-Gorath in an arcade in 1995 where I was playing the Marvel Super Heroes video game. I didn’t have the slightest clue whether Shuma Gorath was a real comic book character or something that Capcom had made up during some crazy crack dream, but Shuma Gorath instantly caught my attention. I quickly fell in love with the character, and Capcom must have as well, as they saw fit to include him in more recent games like 2011’s Marvel vs Capcom 3 (I bought the Special Edition of the game for the Shuma-Gorath DLC and T-Shirt).

You would think that with all that notoriety with video game fans, Hasbro and Bowen Designs and Diamond Select Toys would be lining up to make Shuma Gorath tentacle monster merch. But nope. To this day, there’s never been a Shuma-Gorath Minimate, Marvel Legends figure, Marvel Universe action figure, Marvel Select Figure, mini-bust, statue… nothing.

Until now.

WizKids has produced hundreds (if not thousands) of Marvel characters over the years, and for their traveling Heroclix 2013 convention exclusive figure, they’ve created an amazing Heroclix Shuma Gorath figure. He’s not an “action figure”, obviously–he’s a Heroclix, after all. But he stands 7″ tall–perfect for pairing with Marvel Legends–and has a super creepy and oh-so-awesome moving eyeball for that extra bit of freakishness.

In short, he’s amazing, and I am shamed that he was released this year without my foreknowledge of it. Luckily, I’ve now remedied the unfortunate situation of myself not owning this Shuma-Gorath Heroclix exclusive figure.

If you won’t be going to any conventions that WizKids is attending this year–or you’re like me and weren’t willing to wait for one you are going to–there are ample Heroclix Shuma Gorath figures available on ebay now for a couple bucks over retail price. For those with more patience than me, Shuma Gorath will be available for $50 at all major conventions WizKids will be at this year, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con 2013.