Winter Soldier and City in Crisis/Spider-Man Saves the Day in production?

Rick and Alex e-mailed to let everyone know that Winter Soldier Saga and City in Crisis (listed as Spider-Man Saves the Day) have hit eBay thanks to a seller in China. In all likelihood, these are the run-of-the-mill stolen from the assembly line figures, so while stealing is bad, the plus side is that there were figures on an assembly line to steal!

There's also reports on the Super Hero Squad forum that a few Toys R Us's have put out, and sold, the long awaited Collector's Pack 2 so all signs point to some happy Super Hero Squad hunting in the coming weeks.

Prof. X and Shadowcat (at long last), Winter Soldier, Crossbones, Falcon, Mary Jane, Green Goblin, Mandarin, Dreadknight, Iron Man (Movie), Iron Monger... it seems like it's been a while since we've had so many new characters!

This may be our last farewell post... on Winter Soldier.

Same news, different delay:

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 12/23/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 12/23/2008

Once again, you need to contact Hasbro to let them know that you still want these figures, now scheduled to ship sometime around Christmas apparently.

One more last word on Winter Soldier/City in Crisis

And that additional, final last word is... a date. September 23, 2007. One month, 5 e-mails threatening to cancel the order... one can only hope that this is in fact the final last word.

Hopefully the last word on Winter Soldier/City in Crisis?

An e-mail saying there was going to be a delay until 8/20, but that orders would not be canceled.

Then the e-mail saying the product was delayed until 8/26 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Then the e-mail saying it would be delayed until 9/2 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Then the e-mail saying it would be delayed until 9/8 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Then the e-mail saying the item was backordered, would ship on 9/8/ and that the order has been confirmed.

Then the e-mail saying the item was delayd until 9/12 and would be canceled without confirmation.

Can you guess what just showed up in my inbox? That's right... an e-mail saying that the item is delayed until 9/17 and will be canceled without confirmation.

So we've had 5 e-mails threatening to cancel our order unless we confirm it, 1 e-mail saying the item was delayed but no further action was needed, and 1 e-mail saying it was delayed, full stop.

Hasbro, maybe you should consider giving us faithful shlubs a gift card, free shipping or maybe just a new poster?

At the very least, with all the delays, we should have flawless paint jobs. Mary Jane better be the best figure you've ever put out because you've had more than enough time to work on her.

And again with the City in Crisis!

Everyone knows the drill now... Hasbro has sent out e-mails saying "whoopsie, our bad. City in Crisis and Winter Soldier are like... IDK, on a truck or something somewhere. Whatevs." And then we, the concerned pre-orderers, have to call or e-mail to confirm. Anyway, their new e-mail has an estimated ship date of 9/12/08, but honestly, at this point I think the "estimated ship dates" are automatically generated to be a few days after the original because this is what, the fourth time they've pushed the date back a few days, not counting the times they've sent e-mails saying there's a delay and we DON'T have to call them.

Anyway, when you do contact Hasbro, be sure to voice your displeasure, and let them know if you'd prefer a system that only cancels your order when YOU want it to, without forcing you to jump through hoops to keep something you ordered on order.

City in Crisis/fulfillment issue?

One reader reports that after responding to the most recent request to confirm that they want the City in Crisis and Winter Soldier sets, they received the following e-mail.

Thank you for contacting us with your confirmation.

Please be aware that the items you ordered are currently not available but en route to our fulfillment center. We expect to be able to ship it by the dates indicated below. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Your credit card will not be charged for backordered items until they have been shipped.

Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman - Expected Ship Date 09/08/2008

Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone - Expected Ship Date - 09/08/2008

Will tomorrow be the real ship date? Will we have to call and confirm for our orders, again? Look for all this drama, and more, on the next edition of As Our Plastic Ships.

And again with the City in Crisis...

Third time is the charm?

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/8/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/8/2008

And yes, once again, you must contact Hasbro or risk having your order canceled.

City in Crisis/Winter Soldier... one more time

Hasbro Toy Shop has sent out another delay notification for City in Crisis/Winter Soldier, and again requires people who have placed their order (months ago) to (once again) tell them that they still want it. The updated shipping date is 9/2, but we'll see if they send another delay e-mail on 9/3.

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/2/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 9/2/2008

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THE DATE(S) INDICATED ABOVE TO RECEIVE YOUR ORDER, YOU MUST CONTACT US TO CONFIRM THAT YOU STILL WANT THE ITEM(S). IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU, THE ITEM(S) WILL NOT BE SHIPPED, AND YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THEM.

Winter Soldier and City in Crisis Delayed, Action Required

After sending out e-mails saying that the Winter Soldier Saga and City in Crisis/Spider-Man Saves the Day sets would be shipping out on August 20 (and after we congratulated them on the far more reasonable policy of keeping the order on file in the event of a delay, instead of the puzzling policy of canceling delayed orders AFTER the products have been shipped) Hasbro has sent out the following e-mail...

ITEM(S) NOT YET SHIPPED
Item number: 78452
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – City in Crisis: Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 8/26/2008

Item number: 78453
Item name: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Winter Soldier Saga: Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbone
Quantity: 1
Estimated ship date: 8/26/2008

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THE DATE(S) INDICATED ABOVE TO RECEIVE YOUR ORDER, YOU MUST CONTACT US TO CONFIRM THAT YOU STILL WANT THE ITEM(S). IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU, THE ITEM(S) WILL NOT BE SHIPPED, AND YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR THEM.

Which means that yes, once again, if you don't want your order canceled, forcing you to re-place the order and ending up at the end of the queue, you must contact them and waste your time dealing with customer service.

While we were on the phone, we asked them if they had any insight into the logic of making customers waste time in phone queues (I'm assuming e-mail will work as well) confirming that they want what they want, when it's Hasbro's fault they couldn't provide the figures on time. The answer got? "That's just the way the system is." Truer words, my friend. Truer words.

Winter Soldier and City in Crisis shipping 8/20/08

Hasbro has started sending out e-mails revising the availability of the Winter Soldier and City in Crisis sets and giving them an estimated ship date of 8/20/08, which is this Wednesday. And best part of it? While probably unrelated to our little rant some months ago about the bizarre logic of canceling delayed orders weeks after the orders have already started shipping, they include this little bit saying

"We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your order or would like to change your order, please call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-408-0052. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that you have agreed to the revised ship date indicated above."

Which means we hopefully won't have any canceled orders and panic setting in and OMGBBQFTW teh lien is dooommed sentimentality, we'll just have great new figures.

One interesting thing is that Hasbro Toy Shop tends to get figures a little slower than others, so the lack of City in Crisis and Winter Soldiers on eBay indicates they're not showing up at retail yet.

Up close with Spider-Man Saves the Day, Winter Soldier Saga

Cool Toy Review has up close shots of the new Super Hero Squad 4 packs Winter Soldier Saga and Spider-Man Saves the Day. It's a little easier to see the text on top of the Spider-Man box in this photo set. There's some unfortunate photoshopping that cuts through Falcon's ear and left bits of the white background Hasbro usually uses for these promotional photos in spikes on Captain America's shield, but if nothing else it does show that the City In Crisis on Hasbro's site = Spider-Man Saves the Day once boxed.

City in Crisis is now "Spider-Man Saves The Day"?

Marvelous News is reporting here that the new Super Hero Squad Spider-Man set with Green Goblin and Mary Jane is now called "Spider-Man Saves the Day", and as you can see in the up-close photos they've published, if you look at the top of the box, it looks like the box says it too. Of course, Hasbro itself is still calling it the City in Crisis, but oh well.

Comparing the Sandman up-close pictures they have with the Sandman that came in the two-packs, it looks like they've re-done the eyes, going from 2-Pack's round browns with white dots to more oval eyes. The belt buckle on 2-pack was a solid square, and on the new one it's got some stripes. The new Sandman also has belt-loops, and his fist hand looks a little more "muddy."

Looks like the checklist needs to be updated. Oh, and can someone explain to me why many people seem to refer to this Sandman sculpt as "the comic version" and the original sculpt as movie version? Maybe my eyes aren't as attuned as eveyone else's, but the movie Sandman costume was fairly representative of the comic costume, and once Squaded, it looks... well... just like a comic version would look once Squaded. So feel free to explain this riddle to me.

City in Crisis, Winter Soldier official pictures.

And for real breaking news (as opposed to just rumor squashing)...

Hasbro also has up the first official pic of City In Crisis here and the Winter Soldier set is here

City in Crisis Description:

Spider-Man has battled his entire life to keep his loved ones safe, but sometimes even his best isn't enough. Two of his most dangerous enemies have kidnapped Mary Jane! They've got her captive in a position too precarious for the wall crawler to take any chances.

Help Spidey save the day and come to the aid of his smart and sassy girlfriend, Mary Jane! Fun four-pack of chunky, stylized characters includes Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Green Goblin and Sandman figures.


Winter Soldier Description:

Cap's old partner Bucky is back, but he's been brainwashed by the bad guys, and become the dangerous Winter Soldier! Captain America and Falcon rush to find him, hoping to stop him before he gets into real trouble. Unfortunately, Crossbones is waiting for them, and he can't wait to tear into the two Super Heroes.

Team up with this fun, four-pack and create lots of exciting adventures! Chunky, stylized characters include Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Crossbones figures.



Long story short: no, you can not tell your Super Hero Squad figures from their foreheads alone, that was not Kraven's mane, and official is cool.

Anatomy of a rumor...

So if you'll remember back a few weeks when I pointed out the Green Goblin in the Mousedroid picture, you may remember there being a little bit of speculation about the mysterious box, mostly obscured and not photographed. There was a bit of orange fuzz and a fraction of a face and so some people went to lengths to try and decipher it, expanding the picture, etc.

Then on the forums the speculation continued... and by speculation, I've got to confess, it was mostly wishful thinking. Basically, I'm going to give a rundown of how one thread on one board, quickly spread and resulted in SHS fans all over the net thinking that City in Crisis is going to be Spidey, Kraven, Green Goblin, Vulture and Mary Jane.

First off, I don't have a problem with the theory that Green Goblin's set is the City In Crisis... I actually suggested that Crisis was going to be the next 4 pack to be shown, and Green Goblin's set would be that set, but back to the anatomy of a rumor.

So the picture is shown, the corner is Green Goblin. Then someone comes out with (and I'm going to slightly change the words to these posts so that they sound a little more grammatical, or at least a little less silly)

"Wouldn't it be nice if the other two figures included Kraven?"
"It is Kraven! I zoomed in, the orange is the main of his vest... the head in the glass is his forehead!"
"Hoping Vulture is in there!"
"Yeah! Me too!"
"Maybe they can put a younger head on it so that it can be a variant!"
"That's totally Kraven. I know my SM characters by forehead alone"
"So the four pack is Kraven, Green Goblin, Vulture and Spider-Man! That's exciting!"
"I think the other people in the set should be chameleon,shocker,electro,or scarlet spider"
"Well, we know that's not going to happen since Kraven is in there"
"Sandman is getting re-released for those who missed it. Probably in the 4-Pack with Green Goblin and Kraven"
"Where's Kraven?"
"Mary Jane was shown but not photographed."
"She's probably in the pack with Green Goblin and upside-down Spidey"
"I bet the 4-Pack will be Green Goblin, Spider-Man (Hanging), Mary Jane... and dunno. Maybe it's not Kraven in that 4-Pack."
"If Mary Jane really was seen she is probably the 4th"
"Where's Vulture?"

Now, a lot of this is simple telephone game BS. A posts their theory, B likes it and posts it elsewhere, C reads it elsewhere and doesn't correctly attribute it was speculation. C posts elsewhere. A reads C's post... finally "confirmation"! Things get changed one word at a time from post to post until finally the original person reads the twisted mutant of a rumor and decides it must be truth. Of course, some people are more notorious than others (for instance, one of the Kraven/Vulture/Goblin rumor spreaders is also behind the myth that Hasbro's release of repaint packs is due to Hasbro's wave cost balancing and thus the pack that balances out Winter Soldier must be a repaint set... his source of info on Hasbro's wave cost balancing? An earlier post wherein someone said they hated repaint sets and he said he thinks Hasbro does it for costs, and he's also behind the multiple postings that City in Crisis was the Emma Frost set, which resulted in the subsequent rumor that there's a second second X-Men theme pack on the horizon.)

So for the rundown:

Truth:
- there's a multi-pack box that we saw the corner of in Australia featuring Green Goblin, and a part of a sliver of a face with some orange-ish stuff around it
- there's photos of Green Goblin, Spider-Man hanging from a lamppost, and repainted Sandman II at Marvelousnews.
- The case of Winter Soldier 4-packs will come with a set called City in Crisis.

Rumors:
- one guy says Mary Jane was shown but not pictured.
- one guy says based SOLELY on the rumor that there was a Mary Jane shown, that she's in the 4 pack
- a few people would like to see Vulture.
- a few other people thought those people meant Vulture was included in the four pack.
- because we saw Sandman, Green Goblin and lamppost Spider-Man grouped together, they're likely to be the next set.
- A guy named ransomz on Marvelousnews says that when he talked to a guy named Scott, from marketing, that the third wave of Spider-Man had crap for distribution and "Some of the figures, like Kraven, may be worked back into future waves of the main line"

So that's what's known, and what's unknown. I have to admit, some of the coincidental stuff is more likely (when I saw the Sandman re-paint, Spidey on a lamp-post and Green Goblin, I picked them as the most likely candidates for a four pack) some of the obviously incorrect (I want Vulture =! another Vulture's coming soon) but hopefully as long as people keep pointing out facts from fiction people like you will continue appreciating it.

City in Crisis!

Someone just asked on one of the forums about the City in Crisis set currently listed at Entertainment Earth, and so I'm going to take this time to bust another semi-old rumor... that of the 6 4-packs. Well, I'm not going to bust the rumor that there are 6, but rather the identities of the 6.

When the SKU was first announced in January it was rumored to be the X-Men 4-pack with Emma. Since "Urban Heroes" became "Battle For New York" some people assumed that "City In Crisis" became the X-Men pack and combined it in the rumor lists with the X-Men set labeled "X-Men 1"

Further complicating matters is that some people did not merge the two, resulting in people counting the Showdown with Magneto set as City in Crisis, Urban Heroes as the Spider-Man set (which is correct), the new X-Men set (with Juggernaut, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Gambit) as X-Men 1, and "Avenger" as the Ms. Marvel Avengers set. End result? The rumor that we're getting another X-Men 4 pack, and that the Winter Soldier Saga box set is coming as its own wave.

End result: rumor lists are now listing Winter Soldier, X-Men 2, Champions, New Fantastic Four, and Defenders as the upcoming 4-packs even though X-Men 2 has already been shown (as Nightcrawler, Gambit, Juggernaut and Wolverine) and City in Crisis is the probable working name for one of the other three sets (Champions, F4, or Defenders)

Now, we still don't have any solid info on what set City in Crisis is, but we do know that it wasn't X-Men: Showdown with Magneto, that "Second X-Men Theme Pack???" is most likely the already announced "Second X-Men Theme Pack!!!" and should be removed from rumor lists, and finally, that there's 3 other rumored semi-sure thing 4-packs where either one could fit the title City in Crisis.

Edit: Just for fun, after I posted a nice explanation of City in Crisis question and dispelled the myth of the Second Second X-Men Theme Pack, my SHS stalker announced 8 posts down in the thread that he thinks it's going to be one of the three sets I suggested, or maybe that Second Second X-Men Theme Pack that's rumored.

I don't know if the funny part is how, of all the posts of mine he's responded to, this is the one he apparently never read (in part because he agrees with it), or if the funny part is how he missed the first line where I explained how the mis-counting started, with City in Crisis being passed around on message boards as the Emma set and thus the Second Second X-Men Theme Pack was the Second X-Men Theme Pack.

Actually, the funny part is that in 3 months, when another X-Men theme set is announced, he'll be convinced that the rumor was true, a phenomena I encountered earlier with the She-Hulk phenomena. One guy said he saw She-Hulk on promotional material that could never be found again and that bore a striking resemblance to the Spider-Woman promotional material. After 3 months, a website that's also selling the apparently non-existent Abomination/Hulk Wave 1 2-pack claims that She-Hulk is coming out in Wave 2 and the young man proclaimed he was right! He had known She-Hulk was coming!

And then I, of course, explained how she's a solo star in a fairly long-running comic series and has been a recognizable Marvel character for oh, almost 30 years, has been a member of the Fantastic Four, Avengers, Heroes for Hire, SHIELD, and now the Defenders and thus would eventually get a figure. I also said that using that logic, I was going to use secret promotional material I'd seen to announce that I knew comic Green Goblin, Nova, Iron Fist, Spider-Girl, Red Hulk, Moon Knight, Captain Britain, and Hercules were all on their way.

Now it's just a matter of waiting for my top secret source's prophecy to come true... ::twiddling my thumbs::

Edit 2: Oh, and his theory is that City in Crisis is going to be the "New Fantastic Four set" which he feels will have the Wolverine version of the team from three issues dating from 1990-1991. It's not impossible, but wouldn't a more likely version be the New New Fantastic Four, or just a set of new sculpts for the foursome?

Time will tell.