Whether played with by kids, set on a shelf for display purposes by adults, or kept unopened in the packaging, action figures are enormously popular, with figurines based on DC comic book characters being among the most recognizable and among the most commercially successful. Plastic, miniaturized versions of Batman, Robin, Joker, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and others in the DC cannon routinely appear on the shelves of such retailers as Wal-Mart and Target and in specialty shops catering to comic book fans.

But let’s back up a few decades.

In 1964, the Hassenfeld Brothers (known as Hasbro shortly thereafter) changed the toy industry forever with the release of the G.I. Joe line, coining the term “action figure” in the process. G.I. Joe dolls (ahem, action figures) were designed as a masculine alternative to Mattel’s decidedly feminine Barbie fashion dolls, which debuted in 1959. Both toys were interactive and were characterized by changeable clothing, moveable appendages (points of articulation separate action figures from figurines), lots of accessories, and grownup forms (prior to Barbie, most dolls had the appearance of babies or toddlers).

With the release of the Batman television series in 1966 and the subsequent first round of Bat-Mania (Tim Burton’s 1989 feature film kicked off a second Batman craze), merchandising for the Caped Crusader exploded, resulting in a wide variety of Bat-items, including puzzles, records, lunch boxes, board games, tooth brushes, model kits, trading cards, and walkie talkies (to name just a few).

One of the more interesting products released during this time was the Batman costume for Captain Action, which was a generic, 12in, posable action figure produced by Ideal from 1966-68. The costume came with the following gadgets: a Batarang, a grappling hook, a Bat-Rope reel, a flashlight, a laser torch, and a utility belt with two-way radio. Today, a complete-in-box Batman Caption Action costume goes for around $1,000.

Two other DC heroes — Aquaman and Superman — received the Captain Action costume treatment. And, interestingly enough, the Aquaman uniform included swim fins (which The King of the Sea obviously did not need) while the Superman costume was packaged with Kryptonite (which is deadly to The Man of Steel). A complete-in-box Aquaman outfit typically sells for $500 or more while the same for Superman fetches upward of $900. (For those wondering, a loose Captain Action figure is worth around $300 while a boxed Captain Action typically sells for at least $1,000).

Uniforms for Aqualad ($1,800), Robin ($1,800), and Superboy ($4,200) were produced for Action Boy, who was Captain Action’s teen sidekick. A loose Action Boy figure is worth around $450 while a boxed Action Boy typically sells for at least $850. In addition, Ideal released action figures (as opposed to just costumes) of Batgirl, Mera (Aquaman’s wife), Supergirl, and Wonder Woman. Commonly referred to by collectors as “Super Queens,” these female figures routinely sell for $3,000-$7,500 in unopened packaging and $1,000-$1,300 loose.

During the early 1970s, the Mego Corporation, creators of the Action Jackson line (a failed attempt at competing with G.I. Joe), released an extremely successful series of 7 and 8in figures based on Marvel and DC super-heroes. DC characters featured in the Mego line included Aquaman, Batgirl, Batman, Green Arrow, Robin, Shazam (Captain Marvel), Supergirl, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Speedy, Wonder Girl, Catwoman, the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Mr. Mxyzptlk. Figures for Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Clark Kent (the alter-egos for Batman, Robin, and Superman respectively) were available through the mail via J.C. Penney, making them especially hard to find today.

While Mego figures were popular with kids (and are popular with collectors today), they were cheaply produced, sometimes falling apart right inside the packaging. Steven H. Kimball, author of Greenberg’s Guide to Super Hero Toys (Greenberg Publishing Company, 1988), describes them as such: “The bodies were hollow, with only a thin string of elastic material holding the arms, which were attached through the hollow chest, to the legs, which were attached through the hollow torso. The head was easily pulled off with a twist. The joints at the knee and elbow were thin plastic rivets that put stress on the calves and forearms.” Kimball does point out that later Mego releases did feature thick rubber bands to hold the arms and legs together.

Certain Mego figures, such as Batman and Robin, came with removable gloves and masks, and all of them had plastic boots or shoes. Body and head types were kept to a minimum, but the accessories (such as Green Arrow’s bow and arrows) and polyester clothing the characters wore were very nice, representing their respective comic book counterparts fairly accurately.

In 1975, Mego released new versions of Batman, Robin, the Joker, and the Riddler, each equipped with “Fist Fighting” action, which was achieved by a lever on their back that made their arms move. Mego also produced a series of pocket-sized (less than 4in) heroes (mostly of DC characters) and some 12in Superman-related figures that hit stores just prior to the release of Superman: The Movie (1978). Mego released figures based on the Wonder Woman television series as well.

Today, all Mego figures are considered highly collectible. Taken from a recent issue of Lee’s Toy Review, here is a sampling of prices for 8in DC Mego figures: Aquaman in solid box ($3,500); Montgomery Wards exclusive Bruce Wayne ($2,000); Joker in window box ($450); Robin loose, but with removable mask intact, ($1,200); Kid Flash in box ($800); and Supergirl with painted outfit in window box ($950). Naturally, as with all collectibles, unopened packaging puts a premium on the pricing.

With their stitched clothing and relatively soft, pudgy bodies, Mego figures are frequently referred to as dolls, and, as mentioned earlier, they weren’t particularly sturdy. In the early 1980s, Remco produced a line of Sgt. Rock war toys, but it wasn’t until Kenner released the Super Powers Collection in the mid 1980s that DC got the action figure line it deserved. A contemporary of Mattel’s Secret Wars series, which featured Marvel characters, the Super Powers Collection consisted of detailed, nicely sculpted, nicely articulated figures that bore an uncanny resemblance to their comic book counterparts.

Each Super Powers figure had a special “Power Action” that nicely mimicked one of that character’s trademark abilities. For example, Hawkman’s wings flap when his legs are squeezed together while Flash makes a running motion when his arms are squeezed together. In addition, most of the figures came with an accessory (Flash is a noteworthy exception), such as The Penguin’s umbrella, Aquaman’s trident, and Green Lantern’s power battery. The series spawned two cartoons (Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians), three comic book series, and a variety of vehicles and accessories (including the Hall of Justice Playset, which can fetch upwards of $150).