Sunday, September 07, 2008

Super-Hero Violence under the Christmas Tree

I (and many other comics fans) fondly remember the Mego Toys action figures from the '70's. I don't recall, however, ever seeing this particular Mego toy, "The Mangler," in any local toy store.

"The Mangler" must be one of the most bizarre and gory toys marketed to young'uns in the last 40 years. It consisted of a lime green vehicle with a huge spike-toothed maw in the front and a set of rollers in the back. The premise was that it would swallow up super-hero or super-villian action figures, "mangle" them in its mouth, and, er, excrete their crushed bodies.

The toy came with Spider-Man and Green Goblin action figures, including a flattened cardboard Goblin. The box art featured Spidey punching the Goblin into the Mangler's mouth, and the Goblin's corpse shooting out the back as Spidey -- looking rather ill -- notes, "Flat as a green pancake!"

I suspect this would have given me nightmares as a tyke.

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