Hasbro Pulse Con and New York Comic Con 2021 may not be until October, but Hasbro isn’t waiting to drop some more big news and has another Marvel Fan First Monday livestream scheduled for tomorrow! And while we don’t know exactly what might be shown (especially now that the Eternals Marvel Legends series has finally, finally been officially solicited), Hasbro revealed a teaser in advance of Monday’s stream: a 2022 Marvel Legends Symbiote Spider-Man Retro Series figure!
As part of their Marvel Legends 2020 Spider-Man Retro Series of figures distributed to mass retail, Hasbro included a 100% new Retro Spider-Man figure that quickly set the new high bar for what a 6” Spider-Man Legends figure should be.
That Retro Series Spider-Man in iconic red-and-blue costume sold out at lightning speed both from online stores and brick and mortar retailers, and has been steadily growing in aftermarket value and is now selling for a staggering $70-$90 on eBay.
Clearly, there’s still a sky high demand for a Spidey figure with this new, top-notch sculpt and articulation scheme. But while Hasbro hasn’t announced any plans to reissue this particular Retro Spider-Man ML figure (yet), they’ve now announced the next best thing: a variant of Peter Parker in his most recognizable alternate costume!
Ever since Mattel did it in the second series of their Secret Wars toy line over 35 years ago now (damn, I feel old), Black Costume Spider-Man (now referred to as Symbiote Spider-Man for whatever reason, even though Peter is not always paired with a Symbiote when wearing this costume) has been a mainstay variant of action figure lines including Spidey.
I have completely lost track at this point of how many times we’ve seen Toybiz and Hasbro release various action figure versions of symbiote/black costume Spider-Man. But even so, here’s another one—and it legit looks to be the best 6” Symbiote Spider-Man figure ever!
There’s no denying that last year’s Spider-Man Marvel Legends Retro Series figure was Hasbro’s best mold ever for the character, so I’ve got plenty of hype for seeing that figure repainted into other popular versions of Spidey. Bring on Ben Reilly Sensational Spider-Man and white Future Foundation Spider-Man costumes, please!
If you own last year’s red-and-blue costume release, then you know what to expect here (beyond the new head sculpt): superior articulation to what Hasbro has done before and outstanding proportions.
Toy reviewer J Hernandez made the grand reveal of this new Marvel Legends Vintage Symbiote Spider-Man figure and posted an amazing YouTube video as well as the white background hi-res photos used in this article. Be sure to check out JHernandez’s awesome YT video below for many, many more looks at this six inch figure!
It does take a little wind out of the sails of my excitement that this modern, incredible Spider-Man tooling is already a bit outdated since it doesn’t feature the new pin-less technology for the limbs, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy this Black Costume Spider-Man Vintage figure plenty while I wait a few years for an even better version without pins.
Marvel Legends 2022 Symbiote Spider-Man is expected to be up for order online this coming week (perhaps as soon as Monday September 13th!), with a retail price of $22.99 and an arrival scheduled for spring 2022. We won’t know for certain what other vintage packaged figures (if any) will accompany this Spidey until tomorrow, but I’ll be sure to make a post going over the news after tomorrow’s Fan First Marvel Monday stream. Dream big!
What do you think of this latest action figure of Spider-Man in his most popular alternate costume, Marvel collectors? Will you be upgrading the Symbiote Spidey in your own collection to this new version, or is Hasbro going to have to work a little harder to capture your dollars? And if any more Marvel Legends Retro Collection figures *are* revealed during the Fan First video, who are you hoping to see?
I have to mull this one over. The selling point is definitely the articulation but I already have 3 symbiote Spideys. And I do have to agree that I’d like to see a Rhino figure pop up in a retro series… Chameleon would be nice, too.
I made the mistake of not getting the retro red-and-blue Spidey last year thinking I already had a copy, not thinking about the varied use I would get come having a second version to display with. Now, I’m wondering the same about this issue if I don’t get him. Also, please, I want a Rhino re-release. I was never able to get the Ghost Rider and Anti-Venom figures that completed the BAF years ago. Now, Rhino, Carrion, Molten-Man, Mr Negative, Swarm (a personal favorite), and (new) Kindred would fulfill my Spidey Rogue’s gallery. I would be upset about a some classic Paste Pot Pete or Looter either.
Does anyone else think the recent build-a-figures have been a bit “meh”?
He’s symbiote Spider-man because the costume variation would never have existed if not for picking up Venom during Secret Wars. He doesn’t have to always actually have the symbiote on him for it to refer to the most iconic time he wore this look. It’s just… the way we think of it. Black costume equals symbiote. Also, I’d like to brag that I have the issue of Secret Wars where here gets the costume/Venom, and it’s signed by Jim Shooter. 🙂
I’d brag too if I had something like that. That’s awesome.
I’m always a sucker for Spider-Man variants, especially the Symbiote suit, so I’m definitely gonna pick this one up. I like the previous ML of Symbiote Spidey, but it always sorta bugged me how his eyes were on that (I prefer it with smaller eyes).
Retro Spider-Man was not 100% new. The arms and legs are from the Sunfire body mold.
Absolute gorgeous looking figure, I still have the Sandman wave black suit Spidey on my shelf but this one feels (and looks) different enough to pick up on sight. Hopfully he is part of an equally cool wave of vintage figs?
Also not to flex too hard but I have the complete Rhino BAF, and it is terrific