Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The 10 Greenest Action Figures of All Time

by Howie Decker @HowardTheDeck on March 15, 2013

in Lists, Nerd Culture

Let’s not argue about this.

 

Any time I make any kind of toy or action figure related list, I expect controversy, dissension and strife. The readers of this site are passionate about politics, religion and entertainment, but their zeal for action figures burns hotter than a Tatooine parking lot on a double-sun summer day.

What’s the point? I just want to make sure we’re on the same page going in:

  • These won’t really be the “greenest” action figures, they’re just green. The title was catchy.
  • Again, take “All Time” with a grain of salt. I’m aware there are military based toys from the 60s that are wearing all green fatigues. I don’t care about them as much as I care about a mutated turtle who eats pizza and kicks robots in the face, and neither do you.
  • I don’t think of Devastator as an action figure. Constructicons yes, but they didn’t make it.
  • Many of the characters on this list have been produced in TONS of different action figure incarnations. I don’t want to list them all. I get tired.

Basically, I just couldn’t pass up a chance to use St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse to write about action figures because BEER AND TOYS.

 

10. Green Goblin

Green Goblin (like over half of the other figures on this list) has green right in his name. It’s not a misnomer, like Green Hornet who wears black sometimes. Nope, Norman Osborne’s alter ego is all green. Except when he’s wearing purple.

 

9. Randall Cunningham (Starting Lineup)

I really could have gone with any Philadelphia Eagles figure here, or even a New York Jet. As cool (and mammoth) as that 1988 Reggie White Starting Lineup figure was, I went with Randall. Good thing this guy took a picture of his on a couch.

 

8. Green Hornet

The Green Hornet wasn’t dressed in green from head to toe like I always pictured as a kid who’d never seen the show. Still, he did represent with some green, and having the word in his name got him on this list. That, and me not wanting to see “No Green Hornet?” on Twitter.

 

7. Green Power Ranger

There’s this one.. and this one.. and that one. Oh and that one. Sorry, I know nothing about the Power Rangers. Paging Will West!

 

6. Green Arrow & Lex Luthor (Kenner Super Powers)

Killing two green action figures with one stone here. The Kenner Super Powers versions of the DC superheroes are still my default visual designs for most of the characters. I’ll always picture Lex in his Legion of Doom green armor suit, and Green Arrow should always been in green from head to toe.

 

5. Sci-Fi (G.I. Joe)

Did you know Sci-Fi is the leader of a new G.I. Joe sub-group? Meet the Highlighter Force! Helping students identify and emphasize important content!

Hey, it would be no worse than the Drug Elimination Force or the Eco Warriors. Shots fired!

 

4. Mer-Man

I’m just realizing how much of a “green boner” the Masters of the Universe creators had. Seriously- Battle Cat, Castle Greyskull, Man-At-Arms, Whiplash, Kobra Khan, Tri-Klops, the Road Ripper, the Wind Raider and the Dragon Walker? Trap Jaw’s belt that we all used as a wrestling championship as kids? That’s a shitload of green, and all in the first 3 waves.

Anyways, here’s Mer-Man.

 

3. Green Lantern

Here we could’ve gone with Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, Kilowog, G’nort, the broccoli head guy or any of the Corps. Easiest to stick with the most iconic and recognizable of them all.

 

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

When it comes to green action figures over the last 25 years, it’s gotta be the Turtles.

 

1. Moss Man

This is THE guy. When I think of green action figures, I think of Moss Man.

I like where he’s doing the Triple H thing

This is a case of identifying a character with a color above anything else, based on the fact that Mer-Man was a much more popular and mainstream Masters of the Universe figure, yet I didn’t rank him “as green”.

Mer-Man was just as green, but if we’re playing word association and you throw “Mer-Man” at me, I’d probably say “water” or something else before I’d say “green”. (I’d also say “horny” if you said “Trap-Jaw”, but we’re not here to analyze my subconscious.)

 

Yeah, no Hulk. Sue me.

Hit the comments with your honorable mentions and other green action figures I omitted!

 

Howie Decker (@HowardtheDeck) is shown proudly holding a Green Lantern Batman figure he got from Will’s World of Wonder. You can find a Green Goblin figure on sale here, as well as figures of all colors. No toy #cism.

 

Tank March 15, 2013 at 7:49 am

Love me some Greedo! When I was real little I thought his name was Greeno.

Howie Decker March 15, 2013 at 8:18 am

I feel like he’s more aquamarine than green #shotsfired

Tank March 15, 2013 at 8:37 am

Well according to Wookiepedia his skin color is green. #Tankshotfirst

James March 15, 2013 at 9:01 am

Great idea for a list! Yeah, no Hulk is a bit of a mystery, but you addressed it, and you politely asked for no in-fighting in the intro so I’ll let it slide..

OldSchool80s March 15, 2013 at 2:30 pm

Love the list topic and the 10 you included. Would’ve definitely included one from the Kenner Star Wars universe. Greedo for sure. Maybe Yoda. Any of the ones in the outfits they wore on Endor. The other I would want to include is the old Mego Incredible Hulk figure. My brother had one of those that he really loved, so I would add that to the list. I love that you included the Starting Lineup which I think is unexpected but still very deserving. Fun stuff.

Howie Decker March 15, 2013 at 2:36 pm

Thanks! I had about 15 that I wanted to include, but had to keep it to 10. I definitely would have liked to have gotten a SW figure on there, and the Hulkis a huge omission as well. Thanks for reading and for the comment!!

Count Marzo March 15, 2013 at 5:30 pm

Excellent, fun, geeky holiday style list. I quite enjoy these! There’s a lot of great green figures out there. Especially in MOTU as you noted! 😉 I knew Sci-Fi was going to rep G.I. Joe on here too. He was definitely an eye catching favorite. I had an old Eagles Randall Cunningham Starting Lineup figure!! But not the green one. I think mine was mostly white and silver. Eclectik will be excited to see that Moss Man is #1!

Lets see…who was on the omitted list besides Hulk?

Slimer (Real Ghostbusters), Buzzsaw (Silverhawks, we just talked about him), Good Luck Bear (Care Bears), Ssslythe (ThunderCats), Geeper Creeper (GoBots) ….?

Kap-El March 16, 2013 at 2:14 am

Great List of forgotten figs, Marzo! Slimer, FTW.

Howie Decker March 16, 2013 at 8:52 am

Thanks Count! My neice had Good Luck Bear and I always thought he was the coolest.

Hail Mary March 15, 2013 at 6:23 pm

They’re not really action figures, so I can see why they’re not on the list, but an honorable mention has to go to Army Men.

Howie Decker March 16, 2013 at 8:51 am

Absolutely

Will March 15, 2013 at 6:25 pm

Great list! The 3rd Green Ranger is a custom, and I want it so bad that all the blood is rushing to my junk.

Howie Decker March 15, 2013 at 8:51 pm

I knew it’d get you goin’. You notice my modified “author blurb” at the bottom with the daps to WBW?

Will March 15, 2013 at 11:18 pm

I hadn’t seen that; still a little groggy. You are the man! Thanks so much 🙂

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