There's something about action figures. Seeing them in a display cabinet or on a shelf can bring you a sense of joy and satisfaction that money can't buy – even if they do cost a good penny to purchase. No longer are they seen merely as "kids' stuff" as collectors around the world scramble and bid to attain rare items for their own personal collections. You only need to watch a show like Netflix's The Toys That Made Us to understand the rich history of toylines and how they've evolved over the decades to become commercial juggernauts.
Even with the abundance of collectible figurines and endless lines, it doesn't mean that everything was always hunky-dory. In the past, toy companies have been accused of doing everything possible to cut costs and often released sub-par items into the market. Too often, collectors were taken for granted and it was assumed that low-quality toys would sell as long as they had the label of a big franchise on it. In some instances, the action figures looked nothing like the characters they were meant to resemble – and that's why we're here. Let's huddle around and have a laugh at some outrageously ugly toys from yesteryear.
20 WOLFSBANE
Wolfsbane isn't exactly the most popular X-Men character. This could change once we see Maisie Williams' version of character in next year's The New Mutants movie. Regardless of her popularity level (or lack thereof), there's no denying that she's a cool-looking mutant. That's why it's puzzling to see how a toy company could get her so wrong.
It must be said that Toy Biz produced some of the best X-Men figurines in the mid '90s; however, Wolfsbane's Marvel Hall of Fame action figure looked like a Barbie that had been tossed in the microwave for about 20 minutes. The inclusion of the lifelike hair was meant to add more authenticity, but it made the figurine a laughing stock instead.
19 GHOST RIDER
To be fair, it's a little difficult to produce a Ghost Rider action figure. He has a flaming skull for a head, so you can understand the intricacy of bringing that to life without looking silly or cheap. There have been a few figurines over the years that have succeeded, but there are others that have failed miserably.
An ambitious Marvel Legends figurine tried to show us Johnny Blaze's transformation into the Spirit of Vengeance. While you can appreciate the out-the-box thinking, the idea flopped as the toy looked more like a public service announcement of the dangers of playing with matches and paraffin. It isn't something you'd want displayed on your shelf.
18 AUNT MAY
What does every kid want for Christmas? An Aunt May toy! Okay, we're kidding, but did you know that Toy Biz released an action figure for Peter Parker's loving aunt once upon a time? Looking at it for a prolonged period of time could give you nightmares, though, as it's a scary interpretation of one of Marvel's most beloved characters.
Inspecting this figure, it's evident that the artist thought May was related to John Malkovich. If you're one of those people who likes to pit your toys against each other, you might find that May will slot right in with the Sinister Six. She certainly looks a lot scarier than Doc Ock.
17 BOB
Do you remember Bob the Goon from 1989's Batman? Not many people do, and the only reason Tracey Walter was cast in the film was because he was Jack Nicholson's pal. Nonetheless, he had a distinct appearance and you wouldn't mistake him for another character, right?
So, tell us, who the heck is this action figure meant to represent? That's definitely not Bob. Moreover, he looks like some castoff from the G.I. Joe assembly line and not like the Joker's number one guy. Unfortunately, the rest of the toyline for Batman wasn't much better. It's possibly one of the poorest when it comes to the Dark Knight.
16 PETER PAN
Steven Spielberg's Hook was an interesting proposition. It took the Peter Pan story and put a spin on it, as we encountered the older Peter, as portrayed by the late Robin Williams, who needed to discover the happiness within. It was a unique coming-of-age story, where Peter needed to go backwards to move forwards in his life.
Unfortunately, the action figure of Williams' Pan must've been a repainted version of a Toxic Avenger toy. Nothing about the character's face even remotely resembled Williams, nor did the attire that could've been pulled straight out of Rambo. Show someone this figurine and ask them to tell you who it is. We'll wait.
15 CARNAGE
One of the most popular characters among collectors is Carnage. There are many action figures of the symbiote that look remarkable and it's likely you've spotted more than a few that you can imagine resting on your mantelpiece.
Then, there's this figurine called Aqua Carnage. Quite frankly, we're not sure if this is meant for display or to be eaten. It's an ugly, crystalized toy that was released for the forgettable Spider-Man Web Splashers range. Moreover, it doesn't help that the way the arms move make it look like Aqua Carnage wants to do the "Macarena". We recommend forgetting this thing even exists for your own health.
14 BRUCE BANNER
A few decades ago, there was a drive to create figurines of the people behind the superheroes, i.e. Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, etc. It sounds like a bit of a silly idea since no one wants to play pretend in a day in the life of Parker as you struggle for rent money and to meet your deadlines for the Daily Bugle. Even less impressive is being Bruce Banner.
Still, there are different strokes for different folks. If you're going to make a Banner figurine, though, at least put some effort into making it look like him. This action figure shares more in common with Baywatch's Alexandra Paul than Banner. At least the Hulk accompanied the Banner figurine here.
13 WOLVERINE
As arguably the most popular X-Men character, Wolverine has featured in his fair share of toylines. For some people, he's actually overexposed. Regardless of your feelings towards Wolvie, there's no doubt that his appearance is iconic and one of the most recognizable in popular culture.
So, explain this X-Men Secret Force figurine to us. Not only is Wolverine wearing some strange gear, but he's modeled his hair on Dr. Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Heck, when you look at the image used to promote the action figure, it's Wolverine in his classic black and yellow costume, so where did this thing come from then?
12 PRINCESS LEIA
Star Wars toys are among the most sought after – especially figurines from the late '70s and early '80s. In fact, if you have any vintage toys from this era, we recommend you get them evaluated as soon as possible since you could be sitting on a goldmine and not even knowing it.
Despite the legacy, though, these figurines aren't really that impressive. It was a time when it was difficult to make them look identical to the characters. Yes, there was a feint resemblance, but that was about it. A prime example is this Princess Leia figure. The hair and outfit are spot-on, but the face is completely wrong.
11 RIPLEY
Ripley is undoubtedly one of the toughest action stars from any decade. Think about it: While we struggle to get cereal out of a box, she took down stronger and superior aliens on four occasions and lived to tell the tale. As such, she deserves a monument for her heroism – or, in this case, an action figure.
Fortunately, Ripley has received quite a few snazzy figures – but this isn't one of them. It's evident that this figure is on the cheap side and produced for mass consumption. To be brutally honest, it looks more like one of the aliens that Ripley set on fire than her.
10 DENNIS NEDRY
Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park wasn't only revolutionary for what it achieved on screen, but it also predicted the future as well. As it turns out, Wayne Knight's Dennis Nedry was the prototype of the internet troll, with his bad attitude and affinity for cheesy snacks and sodas while smashing away on the keyboard.
As expected, Jurassic Park gave birth to its own action figure line – including one of Nedry. The toy, though, was nothing like the character, as he looked too cool for school with his shades, polo neck, and handgun. In many ways, Nedry's action figure is exactly the way that internet trolls view themselves. Spielberg knew something, man. He knew.
9 ROBIN
Most fans were already iffy about Chris O'Donnell being cast as Dick Grayson/Robin in Batman Forever when he was in his mid '20s. Seriously, why does Batman need to adopt a full-grown man and look after him? Grayson could've easily stayed with circus and continued earning a salary by performing.
To make matters worse, O'Donnell's official action figure was a mess. The outfit was completely wrong, showing that the designers never read a comic book in their lives. Additionally, Grayson's hair is now the same crimson as his costume. If you recall the history of Robins, it's actually Jason Todd who's the natural redhead – not Grayson.
8 THE PENGUIN
Here's the thing: Danny DeVito's Penguin in Batman Returns was far more sinister than the Oswald Cobblepot we're used to. Tim Burton went full, well, Tim Burton and conjured up a nightmarish villain on screen. Needless to say, the grotesque and darker Penguin gave more than a few children sleepless nights.
Naturally, the toy company realized this and changed up the Penguin's look for the accompanying toy line, fearing the sales would suffer because of Burton's unique take on the classic rogue. Instead of looking like DeVito's character, it looked like Burgess Meredith's version from the '60s Batman show. Kids and parents everywhere were left confused by this change.
7 SONYA BLADE
The Mortal Kombat franchise is the gift that keeps on giving. It's proven successful in multiple formats and mediums, and there seems to be no stopping it, even 26 years after the video game debuted in the arcades. Considering the nature of the game, though, you wouldn't exactly think it should be targeted at children – but these toy companies want those Benjamins.
In the original MK game, Sonya Blade wore a costume that got all the teenagers hot and bothered. For the release of the action figure, however, she was covered up from neck to ankles, with hardly any sight of skin. It was a strange outfit choice in retrospect.
6 WONDER WOMAN
No matter which version of Wonder Woman we're introduced to, she's always been portrayed as a goddess of immense skill and beauty. She has a list of admirers out the door and around the world several times over. As such, you'd expect any action figure of her to be something crafted by the hands of Zeus himself.
Well, this Mego figurine might've been crafted by the Joker and Harley Quinn because it's one scary creation. It looks nothing like Diana and is probably related to the Demogorgon from Stranger Things. No kidding, this might be the single ugliest action figure we've had the displeasure of seeing.
5 LUIGI
It might receive an absurd amount of hate, but 1993's Super Mario Bros. is a treasure trove of laughs and insanity. How can you not love a film that makes the Goombas have tiny heads and big bodies?! It has provided us with so many memes and hilarious GIFs that we owe it an everlasting debt of gratitude.
Turns out that the action figure creators put in about as much work as the filmmakers, because the Luigi figurine is definitely not based on John Leguizamo. Looking at it now, it looks like a merger between musician Drake and Carlton Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
4 IAN MALCOLM
Look, we get it. Ian Malcolm is like a superhero for Jurassic Park fans. After all, he called all the chaos before it unfolded and he seems like the true rational one of the lot. Speaking of which, we're still unhappy that we were hoodwinked about his appearance in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – it was just a cameo, not a starring role!
Our love for Malcolm aside, this action figure of his is ludicrous. First of all, he never wore anything remotely close to this high-tech suit in the films, nor did he dabble with dinosaur-catching equipment. Second, whose head is that? That looks nothing like him!
3 GUILE
This entry is some kind of backward inception. To begin with, Jean-Claude Van Damme looked nothing like Guile from the Street Fighter video game series. The most glaring omission was that Van Damme didn't have the wild Guile hair that we so love and cherish.
Now, here's the real kicker: The action figure based on Van Damme's character from the 1994 film doesn't look like him either. In fact, it kind of bares a strong resemblance to John Cena (and don't you dare say you can't see the image above). It's safe to say that no one knew what they were doing with this property and just threw everything against the wall, hoping something would stick.
2 THE JOKER
Even though the late Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight isn't similar to the comic book version of the character, it's safe to say there's enough of a resemblance to identify who it is on screen. Mind you, you'd need to actively look for a way of ruining the Clown Prince of Crime, since he's basically a clown, with green hair and a purple suit.
Well, Mattel took the challenge and did its own thing to Mr. J for The Dark Knight toyline. For some reason, the Joker wore a green suit and his face bore more of a resemblance to a bad high-school yearbook photo.
1 CATWOMAN
It's rare that comic book movie fans agree on something. In the case of Halle Berry's Catwoman, it's universal that it was a stinker and should be buried in the deepest and darkest grave. Yet, despite it being one of the worst films of all time, someone thought it would be a terrific idea to make a Catwoman-themed Barbie to coincide with the movie.
As expected, the curse of Catwoman struck again with the toy. Not only did it fail to look anything like Berry's Patience Phillips, but its risqué outfit was also plain wrong for the target audience. Everything associated with this film was just a mess.