Superhero toy collectors, rejoice: DC Comics has announced eight new variant covers featuring “new” toy designs for the beloved 1980s Super Powers toy line. These covers sport the classic toy and packaging designs from the original line, this time for characters who never got the Super Powers treatment, such as Nightwing, Power Girl, Green Lantern John Stewart, and more.
In August 2024, DC Comics will release eight variant covers celebrating the 40th anniversary of the still-beloved Kenner “Super Powers” toy line. Featuring new digital sculptures by toy designer (and Kenner historian) Jason Geyer and new spot art by the original Super Powers product artist, Alex Saviuk, these variant covers imagine what might have happened if the line had continued, giving fans a look at Super Powers designs for the likes of Kid Flash, Poison Ivy, Wonder Girl, and more, listed below.
The variants also include back covers designed to mimic the backs of the original Super Powers packaging, which include a lot of fun character details for eagle-eyed fans. These covers, all by Saviuk and Geyer, are entirely digital and do not include actual toys or action figures — only delightful nostalgia for the contemporary fan.
Originally released from 1984 to 1986, the Super Powers toy line from Kenner is still fondly remembered today, forty years after its original launch. While the toys were inspired by and intended to complement the Super Friends cartoon, which aired on Saturday mornings to endless delight that lasts to this day, the Super Powers concept also led to two DC Comics miniseries written by the legendary Jack Kirby, who reimagined the DC Universe with a Super Powers twist, especially with his nefarious super-villain creation, Darkseid.
Along with July’s line of variant covers honoring José Luis García-López’s iconic designs for the Justice League — which also inspired the original Super Powers toy designs — these new Super Powers variant covers are the perfect way to honor DC’s past with an eye toward its present and future. There’s something to love here for every kind of fan, especially with the range of offerings spanning from Poison Ivy to John Stewart to a shirtless Batman. There’s no denying how fun this concept is — especially given DC’s eye to detail by including both a historian and an original product artist in the cover designs.
Even though it’s unlikely fans will see these exact iterations of the Super Powers toys in stores any time soon, to have these covers on comic stands this August should thrill toy collectors and DC readers alike. DC’s history across different media is just as rich as its comic-book history, and DC toys are no exception. While these covers are an exercise in imagining a fun, different kind of past, seeing these eight DC Comics characters in the variant cover spotlight reveals a bright future for them and their fans.
All eight DC Super Powers variant covers are available throughout August 2024 from DC Comics.