Mephy is ok but still not enough to get me to shell out 350

We knew it would happen, but actually seeing it happen sucks. This would've been a highlight figure for a Ghost Rider wave, but nope, only at Haslab. So dumb.

Also I hate how you’re paying for stretchgoals that might not even be reached. You're only getting somewhat value if all stretchgoals are unlocked. If the project stops at 10k supporters you’re paying for 4 figures that aren’t included.

Mephisto looks low effort....

It's a basic body, new paint and head. No wash or anything that blows the mind.

It's a render so who knows what the figure will actually look like (another thing that sucks about this) but the two-tone red body does look neat I think.

This was also mass produced for a major movie tie in in 2005 when kids still bought toys. They ended up heavily discounted if I remember correctly. There would've been at least 2-3 in every Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Meijer, KB Toys etc in the country, then expand that for retail across the rest of the world. Obviously the per unit price is going to be reduced, you have 10x more in circulation.

It's not 2005 anymore. Toybiz is gone and there's a reason for that, the model they had, while it was great, didn't scale. The cross over appeal of these toys to the younger market has been significantly reduced, we know kids gravitate more heavily towards electronic. We don't have vehicles and playsets at retail anymore because they stopped selling. This is an admittedly niche character that's only 8 years old who isn't in the movies. This isn't tied to Batman, one of the most popular characters in all of western fiction and it's disingenuous to compare it.

You may as well be comparing the cost of movie production and distribution when VHS was in circulation to the current streaming model. I don't even know what the "margins" on this are or if it's a "fair price" but being like "well 2 decades ago in an entirely different climate, with different characters and a different distribution model this wouldn't have cost as much" yeah, no shit.

Portrait is great, new cape and loincloth, the body is pinless and has a tonal range that evokes shadows and midtones. Mephisto has a fairly simple design. This is dead on and very well executed. What more would you expect?

It does suck if you want Mephisto and can't afford this. But I'm not sure Hasbro would have offered this in any way at retail. The only other way is a hard to get event exclusive. In a box set. Probably SDCC or something. That's how we got Satana or the two ladies from the Hellfire Club set. I think Mephisto would probably be an uphill battle regardless.

Fan channel maybe?

Also, do crazy parents who could potentially point fingers at Hasbro even know Mephistopheles? He's not a biblical character; he's a demon from folklore. As such, a demonic appearance alone on an action figure shouldn’t pose a problem.

I'm sure there has to be -some- reason why they haven't made him, they've also never reissued the select. There's high demand, companies like money so it doesn't really make sense for them to totally ignore him, especially given the villains waves. I'm not saying their logic for not doing it is sound or right, but the exclusion from the main line at this point really only makes sense if it's a directive from higher up.

There have been other toy lines which ignored frequently wanted characters, only for the manufacturers to realize they could market these figures as such and then squeeze extra money from collectors who want them. It's not something that happens often, for the reasons you mentioned, but I have witnessed it before.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mephisto was just on the backburner for a special occasion, and now they have one.

True, I just don't see how you get to say...D'Spayre instead of Mephisto (conceptually it'd just be a difference of head sculpt) unless you're actively avoiding. Hell you could technically fit Mephisto into any of the Spider-Man waves.

*edit*
After some digging they never did Mephisto in any of the classic toybiz lines either.

Waiting for the perfect timing could be counted as avoiding him on purpose.

Maybe they wanted him to be a BAF for a Ghost Rider themed wave or something. But the Haslab is the better occasion. Not for us, but for Hasbro :D

Maybe the straight-up satanic devil look really is too much, IDK.

Originally I thought the same thing but his absence in the line so far has made me think. As a matter of fact here's a quote of mine from two years on the regular legends discussion thread pertaining to Mephisto.
"Aside from us geeks who would even know he's supposed to be the devil. Looking at him objectively he's just an evil looking red guy. Looking at Daredevil objectively maybe he's a ninja satanist. Red Skull, Baron Zemo, Klaw, Arnim Zola are all Nazis and they made it to retail. Mephisto could be a fan channel thing but I don't think it should be too much of a problem."
I also want to believe there's an easier way. He doesn't look like the Devil anymore than Surtur did.But there has to have been something holding him back.

He really does just look like a creepy red dude, doesn't he? :D

No horns, hooves or other cliché devil traits.

I have no logical explanation either, which for me means there isn't one and they really did sleep on Mephisto for absolutely no reason. Until they realized they could push a Haslab project with him as a stretchgoal that is.

I agree that I think Mephisto could work in the line in a million ways between exclusive and BAF, I don't think really anyone would care, and maybe the people who would would make a stink and move onto the next thing they're mad about the next week.

Recently I'm pretty sure Marvel/Disney has put the kibosh on Punisher merchandise b/c of the thin blue line stuff, they didn't do X-Men they had full rights to for years because of the Fox freeze out, So it's not like there's no precedent.

*edit* people also pointed out Hasbro won't do the Hooded Cobra Commander

If memory serves me right, McFarlane caught a lot of flak back in 1995 for making Malebolgia - basically a demon toy figure. Parent groups were in an uproar. This was 1995! Before the internet. McFarlane just shrugged it off (as he always does with everything). I can imagine it would not work well for Hasbro in today's touchy climate.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...G?v=1513021093

I know they were mad about the Sin City Marv. And I'm not sure if you remember the kerfuffle over the Breaking Bad figures in I think it was 2014. While I think it's stupid to cave to these people, it's not unheard of.

What I could see is there was a directive for a while not to do it and it was quietly lifted years ago, but they've kept going, keeping up the demand in order for a situation like this.

Yeaaaaaah dude. I remember that well. I live in Middle TN and that figure was very VERY hard to find here.

I doubt anyone would care nowadays. Hell, Sabbac has a big ass Baphomet carved into his chest. BUT that's TODD. Hasbro? Yeah probably not gonna release "The Demon Wave"

My biggest complaint with the Haslab is that it doesn't appear they've created any way for Ghost Rider to STAND on the car. Feels like a real missed opportunity to implement some magnets or something.

Wake me when they announce Blackheart. And they better not fuck him up.
https://www.toyark.com/forums/member...heart-4820.jpg

You mean your average Marvel Legends figure.

Mcfarlane release Etrigan and called it the Demon.
You got Serial killers headlining the NECA section.
Knull looks more satanic then Mephisto.

Late 80's, early 90's. Parents were really gaslighted for satanic stuff.
That's pretty much calmed down and the next generation doesn't care. Ma and Pa were the kids parents thought would sacrifice a goat.

Then of course we just have fan channel retailers so you can bypass all of that.

Mephisto honestly looks really tame compared to 80 percent of the figures in that section. The aisle across has Skeletor.

They won't know who he is, but they'll know what he is supposed to be, and that's enough to give Marvel and Hasbro pause.

It's unfortunate it has to be that way, but if Hasbro wants to continue selling product at Walmarts in the Bible belt than it's "no demons".

One it's Todd he does what he wants (no shareholders), two Etrigan is technically
a superhero while the other is literally Marvel's Satan. A bit of a double standard but there is a difference.

And the NECA stuff is aimed at collectors and is usually sold in a special section at the store, which is how it stays off the radar.

Anyway, I don't think things have changed as much as you think, at least not in Hasbro's eyes.

WTF ............well damn it no mephisto for me , He could easily been fan channel exclusive ! We had A Surtur Figure being sold with n o issues so I don think its the subject matter its all about demand and greed. Ok I just need to ignore this project from now on .

I agree that the cost is inflated and that seems to have been done to offset planned stretch goals. However, for me, there’s enough there with Robbie and his Charger to sign on early, especially if the tiers deliver and Mephisto is a good start, so far. As you mentioned, if I’m ultimately unhappy with the project at its end, I can simply cancel. And that’s the “game,” as you put it, with which most of the initiated should be familiar given that this is the third Legends Haslab. For the record, I doubt I’m going to be disappointed.

He's of comparable height, if not quite as tall, but it doesn’t matter as there doesn’t seem to be any reuse between the two figures. My experience of the character is that his ‘resting’ height is very tall by human standards. My reference comes from looking at J. Buscema’s Surfer Vol 1 appearances, his stint in the Infinity Gauntlet, and his appearance in Black Panther (Chris Priest run) in which he’s fairly enormous at his un-augmented height.