4. The Action Figures
Critics of Secret Wars have derided the series as nothing more than a toy book a cynical ploy by Marvel to keep pace with the Distinguished Competition, and its Super Powers line of action figures (produced by Kenner). Theres probably a lot of truth to this criticism, but the Secret Wars line, produced by Mattel, will likely bring back a lot of fond memories for children who grew up in the 80s. For some of these young consumers, the Secret Wars line was probably their introduction to the Marvel Universe. And by tying the figures into the comic book series, Marvel certainly gained a few readers in the process. Meanwhile, the battle for action figure supremacy between Super Powers and Secret Wars was just another instance of the ongoing competition between DC and Marvel. The Super Powers line featured action whenever someone squeezed the arms or legs of the figure, while the Secret Wars toys all came with shields with moving lenticular graphics. Both series proved to be influential and ones opinion of which one was better likely reflects that persons opinion of Marvel or DC.