The idea for the Marvel Legends action figures was born from the line of Spider-Man Classics. These series feature many versions of Spider-Man as we know and love him as well as his numerous friends and enemies. Following the same concept, the Marvel Legends line of action figures features various super heroes as well as their foes and allies.
Marvel Legends has incorporated many of the "chase" characters of other collections. "Chase" characters are those that are not immensely popular and therefore fewer figurines are produced. Collectors end up chasing down these models to add to their own sets, giving them the name "chase" characters.
Beginning in 2002, the Marvel Legends collection began while the rights to Marvel were still owned by the company Toy-Biz. The action figures were each six inches tall and made of brightly colored plastic. The packaging was similar to that of the Spider-Man Classics line and each figurine included a comic book. The first characters to be released were Hulk, Iron Man, the Toad, and Captain America. The next wave to be released included Dr. Doom, Doombot, the Human Torch and Thing all from Fantastic Four and Namor from the comic Savage Sub-Mariner. Thirteen more series were released under Toy-Biz.
In 2007, Hasbro purchased the rights to Marvel toys from Toy-Biz and picked up the Marvel Legends action figures line right where the previous company had left off. They continued packaging a piece of a larger figure with each toy. They did, though, make a few changes. For one, they removed the comic book that had been included with each of the collectibles during the reign of Toy-Biz. They also removed the finger joints that had been a part of the previous items, rendering the fingers themselves immobile. Since Hasbro took over, seven more series have been released in the line of Marvel Legends action figures.
In mid-2005, the Marvel Legends line was in full swing when Toy Biz incorporated the Build A Figure (or "BAF" to those in the collecting community) into the Marvel Legends. Along with each figurine, an additional piece of a larger figure was packaged in. Once a collector acquired each of the six pieces in the series, they would be able to assemble the larger character. The large character was not individualy sold and the only way to own one was to hunt down each part of the series.
Wal*Mart has purchased some exclusive rights in the selling of characters in the Marvel Legends line. Along with several other retailers, they sell each character that is released. They also release certain special models. For example, the Hulk that was released in the first series was shirtless. Wal*Mart sold not only the shirtless model, but offered a Hulk with a removable white shirt. Small differences like these can mean a huge spike in value and worth and give collectors something new to search for.
