Prior to the Super Powers Collection, one manufacturer (in this case, the Mego Corporation) licensed both DC and Marvel characters for action figures. When the
Secret Wars toy line by Mattel, came onto the retail toy scene, it was set up as direct competition for the Kenner line. These figures, similar in scale to the Super Powers Collection, introduced a competing marketing strategy between manufacturers of Marvel and DC action figures. This started the trend of Marvel and DC using competing toy manufacturers to produce their toys—a trend that continues to this day.
1980s 1985 In 1985, DC Comics named Kenner as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication
Fifty Who Made DC Great for its work on the Super Powers Collection.
1986 In 1986, discount retail chain
Zayre produced a Christmas commercial depicting Batman and Robin based largely on the earlier
live action television series. However, the costumes the Dynamic Duo wore were almost exact copies of the Super Powers action figures (Batman's powder blue coloring of particular note) during what ended up being the toyline's final run on stores' shelves.
1988 Beginning in 1988, Hamilton Gifts produced a line of poseable dolls with stands using similar designs to the Super Powers line. Released under their Presents and, later, Applause banner, the figures ran from thirteen to fifteen inches in height and included Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Joker (with the release of the
Batman film, the Batman doll was repainted black). With the release of
Batman Returns, Penguin and Catwoman dolls were also manufactured. Similar to Mego, Hamilton also produced other popular fictional franchises such as Marvel and
Star Trek. Miniature PVC figurines were also produced based on those designs of Batman, Robin, Joker, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Penguin (designs based on the characters in
Batman Returns were also made which included Catwoman). Also in 1988, Canadian discount retail chain
Zellers produced a series of animated commercials depicting Batman and Robin battling their foes in the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler. The Joker and the Penguin used the Super Powers color scheme notably including the Penguin's red, yellow, and blue umbrella.
1989 The Super Powers line, in many ways, inspired the 1989
Toy Biz DC Super Heroes toyline in design. This line, merging with the
Batman toyline (where the Batman and Joker prototypes were Super Powers repaints and some versions of those finished figures borrowed elements from the Kenner toys) would borrow design elements from many of the Kenner figures, most notably Superman, Robin, and Penguin—who were near identical copies of the Kenner Super Powers figures. In Brazil, the Estrela Batman figure was a repainted Super Powers with the Toy Biz card. Coinciding with Toy Biz's line,
Ertl produced the DC Comics Superheroes miniature die cast metal figurines line using the same branding and model design. Figurines included Batman (2 poses), Superman (2 poses), Robin, Joker, Penguin, Green Lantern, Shazam, and Supergirl. In a throwback to the Super Powers line, figurines came with a collector card reprinting a classic comic book cover reminiscent of Kenner's mini-comics. Hamilton Gifts produced Christmas ornaments of Superman, Batman, and Robin using their classic designs as part of the DC Comics Superheroes line. A La Carte/Saydah also released a beach towel of Batman and the Batmobile which used the Super Powers design of the vehicle. The same year as Toy Biz's DC Super Heroes, Comics Spain began to produce a series of PVC figurines based on their appearance in the Super Powers and DC Super Heroes lines. Released from 1989 to 1992, figurines included Superman (with two different poses), Batman (as well as a black variant based on the 1989 film), Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, Starfire, and Green Arrow. The line finished out with Batman, Catwoman, and Penguin figurines based on
Batman Returns.
1990s 1990 Kenner would use the Super Powers Joker's body with a new head sculpt and different color scheme for its Sky Escape Joker from its 1990 Dark Knight Collection. Elements of that Joker evolved over the years into the Dark Knight Collection's Knock-Out Joker (1990), Warner Brothers Studio Store exclusive Batman Movie Collection's Batman vs. the Joker Joker (1997), and Hasbro's Wal-Mart exclusive World of Batman Plasma Glow Joker (2000). The Dark Knight Collection's Batcopter was also a repaint of the Super Powers one. Kenner also acquired the license for
The Flash and produced a prototype until the show's cancellation saw the toyline similarly concluded (Australian company LHT re-released the Toy Biz Flash with a card using Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez' style guide art for the show). Kenner then gained the
Swamp Thing license and made toys for the brand. Separate lines for Batman, Flash, and Swamp Thing would have aligned with Kenner's original pitch to make toylines for DC's different franchises.
1991 Kenner's 1991
Robin Hood toyline was largely made using parts from the molds of the Super Powers line, predominantly Green Arrow. Both Robin Hood figures used Green Arrow's body and figures like
Little John, Dark Warrior, Azeem, the
Sheriff of Nottingham, and Will Scarlett were created by combining parts of figures including Green Arrow, Hawkman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Lex Luthor, Robin, and DeSaad. Some other known molded parts came from Star Wars and
RoboCop.
1992 Kenner's 1992
Batman Returns toyline featured a repainted Super Powers Penguin action figure to match a color scheme more in line with the film's themes.
1994 Kenner's 1994
The Shadow toyline employed similar mechanisms and scale to the Super Powers figures. Some collectors consider the Lightning Draw Shadow figure to be something of a lost Super Powers addition (similarly to Kenner's 1990 Snare Arm Swamp Thing). Under its P&M brand, Gulliver released action figures for Superman and
Superboy under the brand Super Powers in 1994.
1996 In 1996, Kenner once again began producing an expansive DC Comics toyline with
Batman Total Justice. Like with Super Powers, DC Comics published a tie-in comic book. Kenner produced fourteen figures before the line ended but in 1998, several figures from Total Justice (as well as unreleased figures) were re-issued for the
JLA toyline.
1997 In 1997, Christian M. Lagore opened Super Powers Inc. in Calgary as a carpet cleaning and moving company. The business name and its logo is a homage to the toyline.
1998 In 1998, CustomCon was founded as an online event to display customized action figures as if they were being presented at a Toy Fair or Comic-Con. Since its inception, Super Powers has had a dominant presence as part of the event.
2000s 2003 In 2003, DC Direct produced a Super Friends line of action figures but they were based on the original Alex Toth designs rather than the José Luis García-López art that Super Powers was based upon. The DC Direct line included Superman and Lex Luthor (with miniature Hall of Doom), Batman and Scarecrow (with miniature Batplane), Robin and the Riddler (with miniature Batmobile), Wonder Woman and
Cheetah (with miniature Invisible Jet), Green Lantern and
Sinestro (with miniature Hall of Justice), and Aquaman and Black Manta (with miniature Manta-Sub). By 2005, DC Direct began re-releasing figures as part of their Reactivated line with Super Friends making up its third wave. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were re-released in 2007 singularly with the addition of the Flash.
2008 Mattel's
DC Universe Classics line also draws inspiration from the Super Powers figures. Several figures that were redesigned for the Super Powers line (Mantis, Parademon, Steppenwolf, and Mister Freeze) were produced for DC Universe Classics in both comic-accurate and Super Powers-accurate versions. In addition, figures for Cyclotron and Golden Pharaoh were released as part of DC Universe Classics, even though both characters only appeared as part of the Super Powers line. The Penguin released in the first wave was re-released with a new head sculpt and repaint matching the Super Powers figure. In total, every figure produced for Super Powers has also been produced for DC Universe Classics and associate lines and much of the figures set to be produced for Super Powers prior to the line's cancellation has also been produced for DC Universe Classics. In 2014, Mattel produced a special series of DC Universe Classics-style figures for their online store, MattyCollector.Com, on enlarged Super Powers packaging. The assortment consisted of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, now with color schemes matching their Super Powers incarnations, a gold-uniformed Superman, which was reportedly in the works for the original Super Powers line to commemorate Superman's then-50th anniversary, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) recolored as the Riddler as he was in the South American line (complete with color variances in the green), and an all-new figure of Mr. Mxyzptlk. There was also a "Collect-and-Connect" figure of Kalibak in his Super Powers color scheme. In 2017, Mattel as part of its DC Comics Multiverse line produced Wal-Mart exclusive Super Friends figures for Aquaman, Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern.
2010s 2011 A light-up
Bearbrick based on the Green Lantern's lantern battery sold exclusively at the 2011
San Diego Comic-Con to tie-in with the
Green Lantern feature film features card art based on that of the Super Powers toyline. A Bearbrick in similar fashion was produced for SDCC in 2012 for Batman, Robin, Superman, and Plastic Man, 2013 for Cyborg and the Riddler, and 2014 for Joker and Green Lantern. Also in 2011, Downtown Bookworks released
My First Batman Book: Touch and Feel by David Bar Katz in its DC Super Heroes series which employed the Super Powers design of the Batmobile and made heavy use of depictions of DC characters from the DC Comics Style Guide by José Luis García-López. Two years later, Downtown followed this with
The Official DC Super Hero Cookbook: 60+ Simple, Tasty Recipes for Growing Super Heroes by Matthew Mead which used the Super Powers shooting stars graphics inside its pages. The next year,
Super Heroes: My First Dictionary by Michael Robin depicted the Super Powers design of the Batmobile and Batcopter. 2015 brought the DC Super Hero Starter Kit whose logo for the box set used a variation of the Super Powers logo. The set collected four DC Super Heroes concept board books in
ABC 123,
Colors and Shapes,
Opposites, and
Busy Bodies by David Bar Katz. There were two variations of the box set art both featuring the variant Super Powers logo. Subsequently, the publisher released more books in the series in 2016 in
The Big Book of Superpowers by Morris Katz and
On the Go! by Julie Merberg depicting the Super Powers design of the Batmobile (as well as the Super Powers Batcopter in the latter). Then in 2017,
Awesome Activities for Super Heroes by Sarah Parvis saw the Super Powers design of Mr. Freeze (misidentified as Dr. Freeze) and
The Big Book of Batman by Noah Smith featured several images of the Super Powers designed Batcopter. 2022 brought
Colors and Capes, Sizes and Shapes by Morris Katz which featured the Super Powers Batmobile. 86HERO in 2011 produced Super Powers brand covers for the iPhone 4. These include covers with the symbols and colors of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash and clear covers with José Luis García-López style guide art and a symbol stand for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern.
2012 Westland Giftware produced a Batmobile cookie jar based upon the Super Powers design in 2012. The
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special logo borrows heavily from the Super Powers logo. The Super Powers Hall of Justice is used but is painted white to be more in line with the Super Friends.
2013 In 2013, Medicom released an advertisement for its Previews-exclusive DC Heroes Sofubi figures of Batman and the Joker using the Super Powers card art graphics as its background. Packaging and promotion for the anime
Wanna Be the Strongest in the World also used a variation of the Super Powers card art for its character backgrounds. Also in 2013, Trevco Child Code produced a t-shirt entitled DC Universe that presented a multitude of DC Comics characters from the style guide art of José Luis García-López. Depicted included the Super Powers versions of Mr. Freeze, Kalibak, Orion, Mantis, Steppenwolf, and Parademon as well as Super Powers characters Cyclotron and Golden Pharaoh. 80sTees.com also produced a variation of the same collage.
2014 In 2014, Figures Toy Company announced production of a line based on Mego's World's Greatest Superheroes called World's Greatest Heroes but with Super Powers cardbacks including the brand's logo. The figures have a switch on their back that makes the arms fling up-and-down reminiscent of the original line. Two series were initially revealed with Superman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Shazam and Batman, Robin, Joker, and the Riddler. The line grew to include the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man, Hawkman, Red Tornado, Firestorm, and Doctor Fate. A carrying case for the figures was also produced for the line. Darkseid, Kalibak, and DeSaad have been announced to be in development. By 2015, Figures began production of a separate Super Friends line with dozens of figures. Kidrobot announced Super Powers mini-figures in 2014 of Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow, Shazam, and Firestorm.
Singapore Post announced the DC Comics Justice League & Batman 75th Anniversary MyStamp Collection in 2014 which featured a modified Super Powers logo with the Justice League of America shield logo wrapped in the shooting star Super Powers border. The cover also included images from the DC Comics Super Powers Style Guide. Mexican retail chain Máscara De Látex produced five phone cases of DC characters with Super Powers-inspired packaging in 2014. The cases depicted Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Joker, and assorted DC super heroes, respectively.
2015 In 2015, Kotobukiya announced an ArtFX+ collection of statues based on the Super Powers toyline that included Superman, Batman, Robin, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman.
2016 In 2016, Monogram produced a Super Powers line of 3D figural keychains featuring Superman, Batman, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Darkseid, Shazam, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Plastic Man, Firestorm, and Doctor Fate. That same year, Huckleberry announced a Super Powers line for its Yubi's Fingerines brand. Announced figures included Batman, Robin, Joker, Penguin, Flash, Aquaman, Darkseid, Parademon, Firestorm, Plastic Man, Mister Miracle, and Samurai.
2017 In 2017, Decopac released a cake topper based on the Super Powers Batcopter called Batman Chase is On DecoSet.
2018 In 2018,
Sideshow Collectibles announced the Super Powers Collection maquette series by Tweeterhead featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Joker, Supergirl, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Donna Troy, Starfire,
Bud and Lou, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Shazam, Batgirl, Gleek, Steppenwolf, Cheetah, Black Adam, Darkseid, and variants of Batman and Cheetah. Also in 2018 at Designer Con, DKE Toys produced a limited run of twenty action figures by Bombermat Toys of BADMAL, a parody of Batman depicted on a Super Powers inspired cardback. Instead of Super Powers, the logo read "No Soy Tu Super Amigo." Also in 2018, PinRaiders began to produce the Super Pin Powers series of decorative enamel pins. The pins based on the Super Powers action figures and sold on cards inspired by the original packaging, characters produced thus far include Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Hawkman, Robin, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Darkseid, Reverse-Flash, Batman Beyond, Man-Bat, Joker, Bizarro, Diana Prince, Steve Trevor, Brainiac, Cheetah, Penguin, Kalibak, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Giganta, and DeSaad with a multitude of variants. Batgirl, Riddler, Wonder Girl, and more variants are in development. A cork pin board in the image of the Hall of Justice playset emerged in 2021 with a Hall of Doom board on the way and Invisible Jet board teased for the future.
2019 The mini-series
Sister Powers by Mario Wytch and Jeff McClelland from Keenspot uses a logo inspired by the Super Powers logo.
2020s 2020 In 2020, Hasbro began to produce the Marvel Legends Retro 3.75 line. Resurrecting the Kenner brand for the figures, the series acts as almost something of re-imagining if Kenner had the Marvel license rather than Mattel during the 1980s (forming something of a Super Powers/Secret Wars hybrid). The line persists in 2023 with nearly four dozen figures. Brazil-based Sequela Boards has announced it will be releasing eight skateboards using art from the Super Powers cardbacks for its Sequela Powers line. Characters Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, Flash, Joker, Robin, Superman, and Wonder Woman will be featured.
2021 ManOrMonster? studios announced an expansion to its Warlords of Wor line of Glyos figures in Power Tribes. Inspired by Super Powers (both in design and packaging), thirteen figures are planned with the initial wave including Power Arm (Cyborg), Swamp King Bog-Nar (Swamp Thing), Nuclear Man (Lex Luthor), and Technodemon (Parademon). This was followed with wave two in Rocket Shot (Tyr), Astro-Punch (Orion), Mister Kismet (Doctor Fate), Monsieur Fyth Dee (Mr. Mxyzptlk), and Action Archer (Green Arrow) and wave three with Atomic Man (Firestorm), Quiver (Speedy), PVC Man/Monster (Plastic Man), Benthicman (Aquaman), and Terminus (Deathstroke).
2022 In 2022, Boss Fight Studio announced the Power Stars toyline. Inspired by Super Powers and initially featuring characters from
King Features Syndicate, including
Flash Gordon and
The Phantom, Power Stars uses a similar scale and appearance as its name itself is a nod to Super Powers. The line was expanded in 2023 with "Male Blank," a customizable figure. Fresh Monkey Fiction and Toy Otter similarly announced a Super Powers-inspired toyline in the Longbox Heroes Collection. Teaming with Big Bad Toy Store, buyers decided with their dollars which action figures were produced by a buying threshold. Characters included the Tick, Grendel, Goon, Madman, Cassie Hack (
Hack/Slash), and Mr. Monster. The Rocketeer proved so successful, it developed something of a subline with the Black Phantom, Onslaught Trooper, Oblivion Trooper, Hellfire Trooper, Subzero Trooper, and Badlands Trooper.
2023 In 2023, PinForce started a Super Powers series of DC MicroHeroes pins. Thus far, the line includes the Penguin, Golden Pharaoh, Brainiac, Cyclotron, Rocket Man, and Quadrex. DeSaad, Parademon, Silicon, Mantis, and the Super Powers logo are slated for release next. Trends International produced a poster entitled DC Comics - The Lineup featuring many of DC's characters predominantly pulled from José Luis García-López' style guide art. Included in the collage were the Super Powers depictions of Kalibak, Steppenwolf, Parademon, Mantis, and Mr. Freeze as well as the Super Powers character Cyclotron. ==Foreign production==