Masters of the Universe He-Man and Battle-Cat

Presenting from the Masters of the Universe Toy-line, He-Man - the Most Powerful Man in the Universe - and Battle-Cat.

I have to admit that I'm begrudgingly growing to appreciate the new Classics line of He-Man, but since I'm trying to limit what I'm collecting, Mattel's lovely line will have to remain a "Nice to look at, nice to have" thingee. 

But when the new animated series came out in 2002, I collected the the toy-line that accompanied it.

It's actually not known to many that the 2002 animated series was not meant originally as a reboot of the 1983 series. Which explains why the characters maintain vestigial tokens from the original series, and - more importantly - why He-Man has a new sword that appears technology based rather than magic based in appearance.

In the original plot, Skeletor was finally able to acquire both Swords - and indeed, if you own the quite tacky Masters of the Universe Gold Armor Variant of Skeletor, then you have him with both Swords, not just one. He-man's sword was rebuilt by Man-At-Arms and gifted with the original sword's properties.

Marvel Universe Spider-Woman

Presenting Spider-Woman from the Marvel Universe toy-line. Spider-Woman is has one of the most convoluted origins in the Marvel Universe - with an origin that's more complicated than Wolverine's.

Jessica Drew AKA Spider Woman was born sometime at the turn of the 20th century in London, England (Today she's American by naturalization). She was exposed to radiation from Wundagore Mountain - home of the High Evolutionary and his Knights. Dying from the radiation, her father injected her with an experimental Spider Serum which had no affect on her till the High Evolutionary put her in a genetic accelerator. She was released decades later at the apparent age of only 17. Leaving Wundagore Mountain, she was recruited by Hydra and all the brainwashing and manipulation between Hydra and SHIELD began.

The problem is, there's another Origin Story about her that Marvel released which did away with the radiation story and instead said that while her mom was struck by a laser beam with trace Spider DNA while Jessica was being conceived. The manipulation and brainwashing after that is the only constant.

For a while it was even established the Madame Hydra was really her mother.

Today Spider-Woman is one of Captain America's Avengers - the premiere public team, not the street level team of Luke Cage.