When it comes to obtaining rights to characters and properties you’d think are all sewn up by other companies, NECA are masterful at finding contractual loopholes. Oh, Mattel and DC Direct own 6-inch action figure rights to Batman? Wellll…not to the 1989 movie tie-in Nintendo game, they don’t! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can only be made by Playmates? Yeah, except, it turns out, if you’re making a convention exclusive based on the early ’90s arcade game. Today, they’ve done it again–bet you never thought they’d be able to do a comic-styled Superman in 7-inch scale. Yet here he is, fighting a foe who might be even tougher than Batman, particularly when both are wearing boxing gloves. From the cover of the 1978 oversized comic, we’re pleased to exclusivley reveal Superman vs. Muhammad Ali in a battle that’s now being realized in three dimensions.
NECA made a toy of the late boxing great before, but his articulation was limited by an action pose. Using designs based on the company’s newly developed bodies for Rocky figures, this rendition of the champ comes with enough joints to strike any punching pose (check out our gallery below to see some of his range, and note that the boxing ring is for display only). Superman, who has a ’70s Christopher Reeve-ish physique, is less flexible than Ali, but he comes with a detailed cape, and both feature paint jobs designed to replicate Neal Adams‘ cover:
In the comic, Superman was de-powered by aliens, and out-boxed by “The Greatest.” In toy form, who knows? You get to decide, and because NECA, as we mentioned, also does in-scale Rocky figures, you can throw Mr. T or Dolph Lundgren into the mix if you want a fatal four-way. The Superman vs. Muhammad Ali set will be released in October, with further details to be announced, and the prototypes will be on display at NECA’s Comic-Con booth.
Will Kal-El get rope-a-doped? Will Ali be moved when he realizes Superman’s mom has the same first name as boxer Martha Salazar? It’s up to you, so tell us in comments if you plan on buying this set…and who’s gonna win this time.
Images: NECA
Comic image: DC Comics
