Hey, fellow HeroClix players and collectors! The summer of Marvel is drawing to a close as the Civil War tournament series reaches its finale in September, and the next full expansion set is upon us. Fans of Peter Parker are rejoicing everywhere with the recent debut of Marvel HeroClix Superior Foes of Spider-Man! The five-figure booster set includes multiple versions of the webslinger, his friends and allies both past and present, and cool sub-themes like the Superior Foes and the triumphant return of the Serpent Society. In addition, WizKids has introduced a super cool new element called sketch variants, black and white variants of every single figure in the set packed randomly in boosters, plus a new layout for HeroClix cards! We got a sneak peek at Superior Foes a couple weeks ago with a brick unboxing (see that HERE), and today we’re going to look at the full set along with the other products on shelves for even more Spider-Man HeroClix fun. Following the recent trend this latest booster set includes 17 commons, 17 uncommons, 17 rares, 13 super rares, and 6 amazing chase figures!
The commons naturally start with the headliner himself, Spider-Man flinging his web in an iconic pose. At this rarity level you’ll also find the hero’s allies in the tough as nails Captain Stacy, Peter’s first love Betty Brant, his daughter from the Spider-Verse Spider-Girl, and one half of the dark/light heroic duo Dagger. Spider-Man will certainly need those friends since the commons also include plenty of his enemies like the mayoral J. Jonah Jameson, classic pumpkin bomb-throwing Green Goblin, the massive Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen, Stilt-Man who can really reach new heights, Superior Foes Shocker, the villainous arachnid Tarantula, and the vile Vermin. There are three great army-building generic figures with the uniformed NYPD Officer, S.H.I.E.L.D. Cape Killer, and low-level criminal Thug, while your brand new Serpent Society collection begins with the Darkforce-wielding Black Mamba and Rattler ready to knock down his foes with his tail!
The uncommons continue the trends began above with some fun surprises. From the Spider-Verse comes a long-awaited new hoodie-wearing Scarlet Spider, the masked Silk, and Miles Morales Spider-Man (sharing the common’s sculpt) originally from the Ultimate universe. The heroes also recruit Mary Jane and the Spawn-like Nightwatch at this level. If you’re a fan of bad guys, though, you’re definitely going to be excited to pull uncommons like the orange-garbed Hobgoblin, goblin-like Jackal, Norman Osborn ready to get crazy, classic green Scorpion, and the rampaging Mr. Hyde PLUS the armored Overdrive of the Superior Foes and Serpent Society members Death Adder with vicious claws and tail, Cottonmouth with a freaky unhinged jaw, and the long-armed Anaconda. Lastly, the uncommons include several symbiotes (Spider-Man has faced a few): the red and black Toxin and sculpt-sharing Venom and Prime Anti-Venom!
Okay, so the rares too are packed with baddies but first let’s check out the good guys; there’s a dark Cloak to match the common Dagger, a fierce Moon Knight, the sometimes heroine/sometimes thief Black Cat lifting a giant diamond from a safe, and Frog-Man… the hero in the big puffy frog suit! There’s only one Serpent Society villain here, the size-changing Puff Adder, though the Superior Foes recruit the high-flying metallic Beetle, speedster Speed Demon, and the projectile-flinging Boomerang. Then you’ve got the fabulous purple and yellow Tiger Shark, Vulture with his bald head and bright green costume, dome-headed Mysterio, the opposite elements Sandman and the Prime Hydro-Man, Electro with cool arcing energy, a fearsome Carnage sharing Toxin’s sculpt, the Lizard bursting out of his lab clothes, and finally a regal Mephisto as designed by a previous HeroClix World Champion!
The rarest figures you’ll reliably find in your boosters are the super cool super rares, and they continue the trends of the set with some really interesting character choices. First off, fans of the Heroes for Hire go a huge surprise in a new Power Man & Iron Fist duo bringing the two very different allies together again (the previous version of this duo came out in 2008’s Secret Invasion set). Spider-Man appears again in the super rares with a really dynamic “hand stand” sculpt and more powerful dial, and joining him are Spider allies including the ultra-popular hooded Spider-Gwen, future six-armed Spider-Man 2211, and spider-armed Octavius/Parker Superior Spider-Man. Then there are the bad guys! Some of Spidey’s classic foes return here with two different versions of Kraven (standard and green “zombie” Prime), Doctor Octopus in his original duds and tentacles, a new version of the vicious Morlun whose sculpt includes a Spider-Man victim, and the incredible new Chameleon as designed by another HeroClix champion. Lastly there are three more generally villainous characters making their triumphant return to HeroClix: Thunderbolts member Baron Zemo, the evil mastermind version of Devil Dinosaur straight out of Nextwave, and a powerful God of War in the form of Ares wielding sword and axe.
If you’re exceedingly lucky in choosing and buying your Superior Foes of Spider-Man boosters you may just pull one of the set’s six chases… even more characters straight from the Spider-Verse! Some but not all are different versions of Peter Parker, and they all bring unique looks and styles to the Spider lineup. In order they are the pistol-wielding Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Punk shredding on the electric guitar, Old Man Spider clinging to a wall while shooting a web, the heavily armored Spider-Knight, Cyborg Spider-Man with metal claws and gun, and The Spider-Man with multiple eyes and Catapult Propulsion Boots!
The cast of characters in Spider-Man’s books can definitely be called “colorful,” and so the variety and diversity in the Superior Foes of Spider-Man figures is pretty great. You’ve got classic comic book poses, all sorts of unique costumes and uniforms, and both brightly colored and dark, “stealthy” characters. Some of the standout figures who look like they’ve jumped right off the comic book page include Kraven bellowing to the skies with spear in hand, The Spider-Man leaping toward his foes, the shared “tough guy” sculpt of the NYPD Officer and Captain Stacy, Vermin creeping, Scarlet Spider crouching down in his classic hoodie costume, the fluid motion of the super rare Spider-Man flipping through the air, and many of the Serpent Society members. I love to check out the intricate textures WizKids is able to replicate on such little figures, and in this set there’s some great work on the web designs of the spider characters, Doctor Octopus’ tentacles, the clothing of both Green Goblin and Hobgoblin, Shocker’s “fishnets,” the layered armor of Cape Killer and Overdrive, and Mysterio’s outfit. And then there are just e-ticket sculpts like the dapper but deadly Norman Osborn, Moon Knight with all of his little lunar details, Boomerang hurling his signature weapons, the wildly alien lunging forms of symbiotes Toxin and Carnage, Beetle’s stylish armor and wings, the devilish Mephisto on his throne, and TWO heroic archetypes in Power Man & Iron Fist. I can’t close out a look at some of the best sculpts in this set without mentioning the MASSIVE Devil Dinosaur (with sweet jacket and pistol), and of course the highly unique and well done across the board chase figures, especially the really excellent Cyborg Spider-Man.
At first glance you can tell by my photos that there’s a lot going on paint-wise in this set, and that’s not even counting the cool new black and white sketch variants that you’ll see in your boosters. Comparatively there’s less in the way of metallic and translucent effects going on than in some other sets, which makes sense as fewer of the Spider-Man cast of characters fly, shoot energy beams, or use complex weapons and armor. That’s not to say those elements don’t appear at all; on the contrary there’s really nice metallic paint on Beetle and Cape Killer’s armor plus Cyborg Spider-Man’s robotic components while Old Man Spider’s windows, Electro’s energy arc, Shocker’s hands, the water parts of Hydro-Man, Boomerang’s throwing motion, Mephisto’s crystal ball, and some leaping/bouncing effects have translucent elements. Some of my favorite paint work in this set (and your tastes may certainly vary) include the common Spider-Girl with her traditional color scheme and expertly applied facial details, Tarantula with his cool black arachnid design and mustachioed sneer, the clean lines of Nightwatch’s costume, Spider-Gwen with her black and white color scheme accented by pink and baby blue, Chameleon with the man in the mirror, and Morlun for the villain AND the battered Spider-Man at his feet. Just as with the sculpts there’s a lot of great paint details on the chase figures, particularly Old Man Spider, Spider-Knight, and Cyborg Spider-Man.
So what new and returning mechanics have WizKids unleashed upon the players with this expansion? First off, we should note that this set debuts the new card format which is drastically different. The front of the card has the character’s name, real name, and keywords at the top next to its rarity number and a render of the figure with bubbles to denote Improved Movement and/or Targeting. Then there are the traits and special powers, followed by standard powers. The back of the card has a comic book image, the character’s significant comic book appearance, a full display of the figure’s dial (as well as range, team ability, and point value). In what could be called a throwback to the awesome Web terrain markers from the Web of Spider-Man set, 10 of the 16 figures with ClixFX bases in this set (including all of the chases) have web effects that they can use to hinder their foes. Stilt-Man has a fantastic ability to use multiple leg extensions (so start collecting multiples of this figure right now!) as well as the Colossal Retaliation seen previously on multi-base colossals in Superman/Wonder Woman. Then there are figures with a little something extra. Hobgoblin, Mr. Hyde, Moon Knight, Mephisto, and Kraven will have you reaching for something to use as their tokens (Identity, Anger, Tribute, Contract, and Hunted respectively), while four figures spawn extra game elements: Vermin’s Rat Swarm, Jackal’s Clones, Overdrive’s Charged Up vehicle, and Devil Dinosaur’s Drop Bears, Rockabilly M.O.D.O.K.s, and Homicide Crabs!
Superior Foes of Spider-Man continues a trend started with the previous Uncanny X-Men expansion that sees a lot of new shared traits in addition to all of the other unique abilities on individual figures. Four groups in this set have them; Spider-Verse figures can “Call in Help” to attempt to consolidate Spider-Man Family allies after successfully attacking, Serpent Society members use “Sssneak Attack” to strike via short-range Phasing/Teleport, each Superior Foe proves he or she is “Superior to the Other Guys” by granting a unique bonus when Sinister Syndicate allies share his/her attack value, and the four “Alien Symbiote” figures (Toxin, Venom, Anti-Venom, Carnage) get Plasticity, Shape Change, and auto-break away! Individual figures with fun traits include Anti-Venom with “I Am the Cure” that shuts down a power on all enemies within 2 squares and line of fire, Norman Osborn declaring he’s “Still Wearing the Mask Underneath” to gain a bonus power from a Green Goblin figure on your sideline, Cloak getting the Carry ability with an extra Dagger passenger AND a teleport for his partner via “She Depends on Me”.
Black Cat who steals equipped items from enemies she hits while saying “I’ll Just Take That, Thanks,” Power Man & Iron Fist using “Martial Arts or Street Smarts” to switch between two different dials, Kraven putting Spider-Man through “First, the Gauntlet” and “The, the Grim Hunt” with all sorts of crazy mechanics, and Chameleon using disguises (sideline figures) via “I Could Be Anyone” and “Master of Disguises.”
Special powers in this set delve even further into the unique characters, giving them wild and sometimes game-breaking abilities or combinations of standard powers to reflect what they can do in the comics. Some of the ones I really like are Cape Killer’s “Take Him Down!” giving a buff to Incapacitate against high value targets and forcing hit enemies to walk for a turn, “Sssmaitering Vibrationsss” letting Rattler use Quake with Giant Reach: 3 and ignoring characters while preventing hit enemies from making range attacks for a turn, Venom’s “You Can’t Spell Team without E-A-T” providing Defend, Toughness, and the option to deal an adjacent ally 1 unavoidable damage to heal Venom 1, the “Venomousss Ssspit” of Puff Adder doing an auto 1 penetrating damage to an enemy within 3 squares and line of fire for a power action, Moon Knight getting +1 to attack for nearby opponents who can see him via “I Want Them to See Me Coming,” Electro’s insane “Light You All Up” giving him more powers and damage effects when targeting more enemies, Spider-Gwen’s potential full-dial resurrection via “Dead in Every Universe but This One,” Ares getting a free action token removal and 1 click healing when KO’ing enemies via “Relentless,” and Old Man Spider with great mobility and the ability to carry up to four Spider-Man Family friends via “Recruiter of the Spider-Verse.”
As usual, there’s a bit more goodness surrounding the latest expansion set which will make Spider-Man fans extra happy. First off, the must-buy release is the Dice & Token pack. Available in stores alongside boosters and the Fast Forces pack (keep reading), this set includes six high quality and heavy poker chip-style action tokens for use in your games. They’re all blue and red with the same Spidey logo on one side while each one has a different facial portrait of the hero on the other. Also included is a pair of red and blue dice with the Spider-Man logo replacing the “6” side.
The only non-blind way to purchase figures from this set is the Spider-Man and His Greatest Foes Fast Forces with Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Kingpin, and Venom. All of these figures feature the same sculpts from the main set but with entirely new and different dials that give you even more options for team building and customizing your forces. In addition, this Venom utilizes a web ClixFX base (included) and there’s a card for a Web Shooter special object that lets a character equip it to use Leap/Climb and apply a Web marker to its enemies. Lastly, your local participating comic book or game store has a special Superior Foes organized play kit with the Symbiote special object (equip to gain Plasticity, Shape Change, and auto-break away, and use a free action to roll for a potential stat boost or to drop the item) and a new double-sided map featuring the indoor “Bank Heist” and outdoor “Friendly Neighborhood.”
There have been a couple previous Spider-Man themed HeroClix expansions, and this set is a very worthy successor packing in a ton of fan-favorite characters that look great and are fun on the gaming table. Plus, the new card layout makes it easier than ever for new players to get in the game, and when you open boosters you’re bound to find some of these cool sketch variant figures! Spider-Man fans will of course love this set (and should pick up the Fast Forces and Dice & Token packs as well), and there’s lots to enjoy for all HeroClix players including both casual and competitive. Head to your local comic book or game store to find the Superior Foes of Spider-Man today!
Visit HeroClix.com for even more info as well as downloads of rules and maps, and check Figures.com regularly as we continue our reviews of new HeroClix!
Review and photos by Scott Rubin
Review samples courtesy of WizKids Games
[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”masonry” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” display=”all” sort_by=”random” animation_effect=”bounce” album_title=”true” album_id=”129″]
Keep up with all the latest toy news by following Figures.com on Facebook and Twitter!
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, TheToySource.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com.
Your Privacy Choices
Leave a Reply