McFarlane DC Super Powers Whirlybat in Hand Review

The new McFarlane DC Super Powers Whirlybat from Wave 5 is beginning to fly into collectors hands so we have it here for an in hand review! I have got to tell you that I had way too much fun reviewing this vehicle as it has so much play value and is a gorgeous homage to the Batcopter from the original 1980’s Kenner Super Powers line! With it’s bright blue color, bright orange canopy and whirling helicopter blade it is the perfect toyetic vehicle for Batman to take to the skys! We also have a special cameo from Black Manta, who drops in and gets his, so be sure to watch the video!

The Whirlybat is a single seater and Batman easily sits in the cockpit,

The box is brightly colored and is in the same style as the previous vehicle releases of the McFarlane Super Powers line. A beautiful tribute to the original Super Powers packaging with the classic logo and blue, yellow and red stripped stars, I just love it! The front has an illustration of the Whirlybat and the back features 2 product images,

Whirlybat details

Let’s take a closer look at some of the details on the Whirlybat!

The Whirlybat features a similar orange windshield like the Batmobile and is made of a similar bright blue plastic. There are some incredible details in the cockpit area. You can see a radar screen, and all sorts of dials and such on the included sticker, There is a nice bright yellow bat logo on the front as well. The seat also has a bat logo. And you will notice the thruster in the back is actually the button that activates the whirling helicopter blades! I gotta tell you, it’s so fun to make them spin!

Where to Buy

Whirlybat Official Images

Where to Buy:

Wave 4

Vintage Batcopter

Released in 1986, as part of the Kenner Super Powers line, the Batcopter was a fan favorite vehicle that is highly sought after! This copter was made in a blue plastic with an orange windshield. The batcopter was also repainted for the Dark Knight line in black.

Below you can see the Dark Knight lblack version as well. This opens the door for another repaint, since they are releasing a Dark Knight Batman!

History of Kenner Super Powers Line

The Kenner Super Powers line was launched in 1984 and ran thru 1986. It consisted of 3 Waves with a total of 34 epic figures, 8 vehicles and 1 amazing playset! The line was heavily influenced by the 1980’s Super Friends Cartoon, but was not a direct translation of the animated series. The first wave consisted of 12 figures and of all DC heavy hitters like Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Joker, Penguin etc.. The second wave had a little bit more deep cuts from the comic books with characters like Darkseid, Firestorm, Green Arrow and Dr. Fate. The third and final wave consisted of very obscure characters which is why they are the rarest of the line and worth a lot of money on the secondary market. The final wave had figures like Plastic Man, Samurai and the rarest Cyborg.

According to Super Powers toyline and products | SuperFriends Wiki | Fandom

DC Comics awarded the license of their characters to Kenner Toys, hot on the heels of Mattel‘s “action feature” heavy He-Man toy line. Winning the license away from Mego Corporation and Mattel with their emphasis on action and art, Kenner devised hidden mechanisms within the figures that would trigger an action when the figures legs or arms were squeezed. This emphasis on each figure’s “super power” led to the naming of the line – The Super Powers Collection. Each figure in the first two series were also packaged with a mini-comic featuring that character’s adventures (a detailed list of these minicomics can be found at List of Super Powers Minicomics).

Once the line was in full force a merchandising frenzy took place, with DC Comics and Kenner slapping a Super Powers logo on whatever they possibly could. Three series of figures and accessories were released: in 1984, 1985, and 1986.

In addition, the toy line helped establish the mainstream acceptance of artist Jack Kirby’s seminal “Fourth World” characters, particularly Darkseid and his minions. Evidently, the Kenner representatives were interested in a cosmic line of villains for the superhero characters, and Kirby’s creations were deemed ideal by them for this purpose. In fact, Kirby was commissioned to design the action figures for his characters, such as Darkseid, which resulted in the only time Kirby directly monetarily benefitted from his comic book creations apart from his work-for-hire wages. Another major comic book creator, George Perez, was similarly commissioned to design the action figure for his character, Cyborg.

Super Powers toyline and products | SuperFriends Wiki | Fandom

You will notice immediately what an amazing job that McFarlane has done to recreate the vintage Super Powers Packaging! Complete with the Super Powers & character logos, blue, yellow star bursts and stripped background just like the vintage figures! They did choose to go in a totally different design direction with Batman and Darkseid, but overall they kept that nostalgic vintage feel to the figures. Pictured below are the vintage versions so you can see what they looked like compared to the new line.

Be Sure to check out our Super Powers Shop Pages: MacFarlane DC Super Powers – Toy Habits