Posted By Dan Greenfield on Dec 7, 2024 | 8 comments

TOYHEM! Between Mego and Marvel Legends’ Spider-Man ’77, we’re swinging!

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Welcome to TOYHEM! For the sixth straight holiday season, we’re bringing you a series of features and columns celebrating the toys of our youth, which often made for the best memories this time of year. Click here to check out the complete index of stories — and have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and Happy Holidays! — Dan

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By CHRIS FRANKLIN

Man, what a week for Bronze Age Spider-Man fans! First Mego reveals its initial wave of new 8-inch Marvel figures, centering on the web-slinger and his two foes from the vintage World’s Greatest Super-Heroes toy line, the Green Goblin and the Lizard, as well as first-timer Electro. And now, via the Marvel Legends Fanstream, Hasbro has announced the upcoming release of a 6-inch figure based on the 1977 Amazing Spider-Man TV series pilot movie, which starred Nicholas Hammond!

This is something Gen X fans have been hoping for, but I for one am still beyond shocked that this version of the character is finally going to see plastic, complete with his distinctive one-wrist web shooter and utility belt on display outside of his costume! When Hasbro released a Marvel Legends figure of Spider-Man (which shares many parts with this new release) based on the Toei Japanese TV series a few years ago, that seemed to tease that the concurrent American TV series might be on the table too.

But the Nicholas Hammond series has long been treated like a bit of a footnote in the wallcrawler’s history, mostly due to lack of availability on home video, and less-than-enthusiastic support from those in control of it. After the initial TV pilot movie received good ratings, CBS ordered more episodes as a mid-season replacement. But they continually moved the show around the schedule and only ordered another small batch of episodes for a second season. Legend has it CBS was leery of being known as “The Comic Book Station” and despite strong ratings, canceled Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and halted plans for any further Marvel movies and series like Captain America and Doctor Strange. Only The Incredible Hulk survived the purge.

Spidey co-creator Stan Lee, normally the king of hyperbole, was pretty vocal that the series didn’t live up to what he felt was its full potential, even while the show was still airing! The plots are a bit pedestrian, with no true super-villains in sight, but the same could be said for the classic Adventures of Superman TV series. Hammond (who played one of the Von Trapp children from The Sound of Music) and the supporting cast (which shifted somewhat between seasons) managed to make the characters likeable, and the stunt work from Fred Waugh, who was the one usually in the Spidey suit, was VERY impressive. Waugh actually scaled Los Angles skyscrapers filling in for the Manhattan skyline. The show got a boost overseas, where the pilot and a compilation of episodes were released theatrically.

Hammond as Peter Parker, surrounded by Ellen Bry as Julie Masters, Robert F. Simon as J. Jonah Jameson, Chip Fields as Rita Conway, and Fred Waugh as Spider-Man.

There has been little merchandise based on the series, aside from earlier video disc and VHS releases. The show has never made it onto DVD or Blu-ray and has no streaming home. Is this figure (a Walmart exclusive) a sign that this “lost” series is finally getting some love, and will be available for a new generation of fans? Will Hammond get to show up in the next Tom Holland Spider-Man film along with the rumored returning Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield? Well, hopefully.

But either way, it’s great to have get such a deep cut from a major toy company like Hasbro. Heck, some of the Marvel Legends creative team seemed stumped by its existence! Kudos to longtime Marvel Legends contributor Jesse Falcon for suggesting the figure be made.

Now if we can just get figures of Billy Bixby and Lou Ferrigno from The Incredible Hulk, and Reb Brown from the two Captain America tele-movies. And let’s not forget Danny Seagren, the FIRST live-action Spider-Man from The Electric Company educational series…

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MORE

— Dig This INSIDE LOOK at the 1977 SPIDER-MAN TV Pilot. Click here.

— Finally! MARVEL MEGOS Are Back — With ELECTRO Joining the Lineup THIS WEEK. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor Chris Franklin is a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and podcaster, who co-hosts and produces several shows on the Fire and Water Podcast Network, including JLUCast.