Coming soon to stores, 11 years too late...

What better way to celebrate March Madness and the onset of spring-y weather than to travel back in time to mid-March 1999 for an AFR update on then-upcoming Jakks figures?

I know you can't see the connection right now, but it will come in time. Believe me.

I don't want to get your hopes up, as this information is not 100% confirmed by Jakks just yet (something about a Chinese New Year, I dunno...).

And, just to make things crystal clear (like a spring day!) for everyone out there, I'll bold all that glitters that is not gold or, in non-Smash Mouth-anese, all of the figures that were not released or figures/release dates that were re-scheduled.

Off we go...

Superstars Series 8:
Big Boss Man
Kane
Ken Shamrock
The Rock
Shane McMahon
Shawn Michaels

Superstars Series 9:
Bob Holly
Christian
Gangrel
Paul Wight
Undertaker (Ministry of Darkness)
Vince McMahon (with tear-away suit)

2 Tuff Series 4:
The Rock/Mankind
Stone Cold Steve Austin/Big Boss Man
Kane/Undertaker
D'Lo Brown/Val Venis

2 Tuff Series 5:
J.O.B. Squad
The Brood
The Godfather/Val Venis
Debra McMichaels/"Double J" Jeff Jarrett

Grudge Match 2-Packs:
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock (due out May 1999)
Ken Shamrock vs B.A. Billy Gunn (due out June 1999)

Deadly Games Series (a.k.a. Shotgun Saturday Night Series 3):
DUE OUT JUNE 1999
B.A. Billy Gunn
Edge
The Rock (with "$5,000 shirt")
Shane McMahon
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Test

Grapple Gear Series 2:
No Pain, No Gain (comes with wheel chair, crutches, stretcher)
Breakdown In Your House (comes with houseware)
Hardcore Rules (possibly comes with outdoor stuff, such as a stop sign)

Titan Tron Playset:
DUE OUT AROUND CHRISTMAS 1999
Comes with ramp, lights, and Titan Tron with a special device that scans the wrestler's figure and automatically announces their name, plays their entrance theme, and their entrance video.

S.T.O.M.P. Series 4:
DUE OUT APRIL 1999
Each has camouflage outfit and comes with guns and other accessories; the figures are also said to be more articulated.
B.A. Billy Gunn
Chyna
HHH
Road Dog Jesse James
Stone Cold Steve Austin (with bow and arrow)
X-Pac

Sunday Night Heat Series:
TARGET EXCLUSIVE, DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 1999
B.A. Billy Gunn
Road Dog Jesse James
The Rock
Sable
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Undertaker

D.T.A. Tour Series 2:
WAL-MART EXCLUSIVE, DUE OUT MARCH 1999
Al Snow
Blue Blazer
Edge
Jeff Jarrett
Steve Blackman
Undertaker

D.T.A. Tour Series 3:
WAL-MART EXCLUSIVE, DUE OUT APRIL 1999
Animal
Dr. Death
Droz
Hawk
HHH
Stone Cold Steve Austin

Bradlees Exclusive 2-Pack:
AVAILABLE NOW
Undertaker/Paul Bearer

"No Chance" 4-Pack:
KB TOYS EXCLUSIVE, DUE OUT JUNE 1999
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Vince McMahon
Paul Wight
?

Hardcore Champions 4-Pack:
TOYS"R"US EXCLUSIVE, comes with Hardcore belt
Big Boss Man
Mankind
Road Dog Jesse James
Bob Holly

Ministry of Darkness 4-Pack:
WAL-MART EXCLUSIVE, DUE OUT JULY 1999
Undertaker
Mable (Viscera)
Farooq
Bradshaw

Grapple Gear Figure Sets:
K-MART EXCLUSIVE
Kane (due out March 1999)
Mankind (due out April 1999)
HHH (due out May 1999)
Stone Cold Steve Austin (due out June 1999)
Undertaker (due out July 1999)

Mini Rings Boxed Sets:
Chaos in the Cell
Hardcore Rules

Maximum Sweat Series 2:
SCHEDULED TO CHANGE (MAY BE SERIES 3)
Big Boss Man
Gangrel
Mankind
Paul Wight
The Rock
Stone Cold Steve Austin

Not to mention, there was talk of a DX 4-Pack with removable cloth shirts for each, as well as the possibilities of Oddities figures, Goldust with a cloth robe, and a better representation of Droz.

Now, to decipher this list and point out the changes that were made.

• Superstars Series 8 and 9 were released as is.


• D'Lo and The Godfather were both rumored to be included with Val Venis in 2 Tuff Series 4 before the line-ups were finalized, but a Billy Gunn repaint would eventually be chosen.


• Debra/Jarrett was the only set of the four listed from 2 Tuff Series 5 that reached stores. The others were likely scrapped due to the end of a storyline or because the figures were made in another series.


• Bold dates means that the actual release date was significantly earlier or later than suggested.


• Several of the names rumored for the Deadly Games Series were/are available in Fully Loaded Series 2. Billy Gunn is not available in either.


• The Hardcore Rules Grapple Gear set came with ring steps, a broom, and a garbage bucket, not a stop sign or other outdoor items.


• The Titan Tron playset does not play entrance videos, and it could be purchased much sooner than Christmas 1999 as the first TTL-related product on the market.


• D.T.A. Tour Series 3 did not include Dr Death, Droz, or the Road Warriors/Legion of Doom; instead, a Godfather re-release, X-Pac re-release, street gear Ken Shamrock, and Christian with blood splattered on his shirt were made.


• "No Chance" was available as a 3-pack and did not require a fourth figure after all.


• Without a doubt, the Ministry of Darkness 4-pack would have been a huge success with new Acolytes and the debut of Mabel/Viscera to the BCA line, but the once-planned boxed set was scrapped. Undertaker and Viscera were available in a 2 Tuff Series 5 2-pack, but the Acolytes were never produced in the original BCA style. Prototypes were made for the newer BCA line in the mid-2000s, but neither made it past that stage.


• Mankind's Grapple Gear boxed set saw a release in 1999, but the others did not. The Rock had one and Steve Austin had a few of the Grapple Gear figure sets, but most were around the year prior (1998).


• I'm not aware of any Mini Rings sets with those names, but "Chaos in the Cell" was used years later for a TTL Steel Cage playset and "Hardcore Rules" was the name of the Grapple Gear Series 2 set.


• Maximum Sweat Series 2's rumored line-up is the actual line-up for Series 3.


• There was a BCA Goldust with cloth robe released in the Break Down In Your House Series, but a DX 4-Pack with cloth shirts and "improved" Droz are nowhere to be found.

Until next time, thanks for looking and have a nice day!

- Alex