Action Figures, Assemble!

Back before The Avengers were in the coolest movie since Star Wars, yours truly already had an obsession with them.  That obsession manifested itself as I began collecting memorabilia whenever I could sneak some in the house.


I was subscribing to the comic books, slowly "accidentally" breaking the stylish glassware from our cabinets and replacing them with Marvel character tumblers and buying action figures here and there under the guise that they were for my sons.  Needless to say, I was prepared to have my sons supplied with plenty of Avengers swag before any of their friends realized how awesome it was.


But the prize items in my collection stayed on the shelf in my office, out of their reach.  The flagship of my Avengers love, although un-boxed (because I can't help myself) remained in mint condition where my sons knew they dare not reach lest they invoke my wrath.  Thanks to eBay and a few closing toy store who knew not what they had in stock, I have managed to collect the four major characters from the film in 12-inch legendary action figure form over the years and I reveal them to you now, posed in my best attempt to recreate the movie poster:

Yes, I know.  Drink it in and be not jealous, true believers.  Assembling such a mighty group was no simple task.


Even more difficult has been keeping it from the hands of my sons and I have finally broken down and allowed them to play with them in an effort to cultivate their love of all things Marvel.  But the rules have allowed no friends to touch them and no smashing them against anything.  Also, they are to wipe them down with a damp cloth and mild soap after each session.


Most importantly, I always get dibs on Captain America.