Toxic Avenger ReAction Complete Collection Review

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ReAction is a strange line. It’s probably produced more unique figures than Kenner’s Star Wars and Hasbro’s 3 3/4 GI Joe at this point, but it’s had a bizarre run. Super 7 first introduced ReAction as a release of vintage Alien figures based off of old Kenner sculpts. Kenner had designed an Alien line in the late 1970s in a similar style to their Star Wars figures but they never actually produced them. Some 30+ years later, Super 7 used those design and released them.



Those figures were fantastic “never were” toys that took the world by storm. Then everything went south as Funko licensed out the ReAction name, brand and concept and used their extensive library of licenses to flood the market with dreadful $10 ReAction figures that had crude sculpting, awful paint jobs and poor quality control. They made everything from Terminator to Breaking Bad, slapping together tons of cheap cash ins (See Rocketeer) and promptly ran the ReAction name and brand into the ground.

Incredibly, Super 7 regained the name and concept and started pumping out brand new ReAction figures for a higher price as sort of premium collector items. Unlike the piles of crap that Funko produced, these Super 7 ReAction figures have great sculpting, tons of painted detail and have a heft and feel that makes them literally seem as though they were produced in the 80s. Actually, they’re way better quality than the retro figures they are emulating.



Super 7 has struggled somewhat against the critics who think these figures are similar to the Funko versions. They aren’t. The name and concept is the same, but these ReAction figures are incredible quality. Super 7 created figures in this style for all kinds of licenses, from Masters of the Universe to Archie and back to Alien again. They even managed to create two ReAction lines dedicated to Troma’s hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength.

Which brings us to today’s review of the Toxic Avenger. Troma has managed to get Toxie into all kinds of mediums that he probably should have never existed in and yet, Super 7’s Toxic Avenger line is kind of a perfect marriage. It never actually existed as a vintage line, but you could almost see why it would have. This is not the first Toxic Avenger figure, nor is it the first line based on an R rated movie property.



Yes other R rated films have had toy lines aimed at kids, things like Robocop and Rambo for example. However, none of those movies were as much of an R rated film as the Toxic Avenger films. I can guarantee that Toxic Avenger figures are the only toys from a film that has the line, “I always wanted to cornhole me a blind bitch”. The fact that there were ever Toxic Avenger toys was something of a miracle, but the fact that there are new Toxic Avenger toys just proves that even the toy market is uncertain.

The first Toxic Avenger figure was technically in Playmates’ Toxic Crusaders line. Toxie then got released as a Japanese figure, before ending up with two SOTA Toys figures in their “Now Playing” line. Shocker Toys managed to release two variations of a Toxic Avenger Shockini figure. Despite the many plastic incarnations of Toxie, Super 7’s ReAction line has released more Toxic Avengers than any line before it.

Technically they are all the same figure (not counting their separate Toxic Crusaders ReAction line) just different color variants. Colored variants has been a staple of Super 7’s ReAction figures and I have to admit, they do add an extra layer of collectibility to them. The first two releases were a “movie colors” and a “Toxic Crusaders” color.



On the package both were just listed as the Toxic Avenger and their packaging was actually identical. The “movie” version wasn’t particularly film worthy as Toxie was a dark blue green with matching color spectrum outfit colors. It’s a cool look, but at best it looked more like poster art than actual movie quality.



The “cartoon” inspired variant was bright and colorful and definitely resembled the Toxic Crusaders version of Toxie, while still being entirely a repaint. Both of these figures proved to be very popular and sold out quicker than any other Super 7 ReAction figures. Even at $15 a pop, these guys were pretty well received.



Next up was a C2E2 exclusive “Glow in the Dark” variant. This wasn’t based on anything other than the fact that it’s cool to see the Toxic Avenger glow bright and radioactive. It’s a really cool figure as well, with a bright neon green outfit.



All three of those figures sold well enough that Super 7 re-released them a couple of times, before going back to the Toxic Crusaders motif and repainting the figure once again for an even MORE accurate Toxie from the cartoon. This time Toxie came on a new Toxic Crusaders card and he perfectly matched the vintage cartoon deco of Troma’s top superstar.



That figure was wildly popular and was followed up by a new “movie” version of the figure that cast Toxie in a more human flesh tone with appropriate charred flesh paint wash and accurate to the film costume deco. It’s without a doubt the most film accurate Toxic Avenger of the whole lot. It’s a really cool figure to have, but it’s slightly less toyetic than some of the other versions.



Super 7 then released an “acid rain” variant of Toxie, which depicts him in clear translucent plastic. Considering that acid rain played a factor in The Toxic Avenger Part 3, this is an inspired choice. Even his mop is translucent!



The seventh and as of this writing final version of Toxie is a Kickstarter exclusive, “Slimed Toxie” that once again depicts him in translucent color, but this time a glorious yellowish-green. Toxie is painted up like the previous more cartoon accurate Toxic Crusaders version, but with translucent pieces. He’s radical.



The figures are simple, but well sculpted. Toxie has a nicely detailed face that walks the line between grotesque and cartoony. It’s unmistakably the Toxic Avenger and yet, doesn’t necessarily copy any particular film incarnation. Instead it seems to be based on the Toxic Avenger art that’s been used in the Troma logo for the past few decades. It’s pretty perfect in that regard.



No matter what paint/color you have, the body is sculpted nicely, but simplistic. It fits right in with vintage Kenner Star Wars figures and it’s easy to imagine this guy inside a cantina in a galaxy far, far away. Each Toxie comes with one accessory, his trusty mop. The sculpt is unrefined but fitting.



The figures all stand well and have only the basic 5 points of articulation. Unlike Funko’s figures, these ReAction figures from Super 7 all pose easily with no fear of breaking or falling apart. The paint is all nice, although I would say some of the paints are a tad prone to scratches and scuffs. I don’t have any major complaints.



When these guys were first released, I picked up a few of Super 7’s The Worst “Gas Phantom” figures to serve as some generic villains for Toxie to fight. They reminded me of the old radiation suit workers that were always in the background of Troma films like “Class of Nuke ‘Em High”. They work nicely in that regard, although Super 7 has since released official Radiation Rangers in their ReAction Toxic Crusaders line.



In recent years I’ve come to realize that there is a whole generation of people who were baptized by Disney and they pretty much only relate to Disney movies, shows and properties. I’m not one of those people, but I relate to Troma movies the same way. In that regard, these Toxic Avenger figures are fantastic for me to collect. I’ll probably buy them all if they keep making them, even though they’ve crept up to $18 a pop.



Bring on Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, Super 7!