New Video Short: The Mangler

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Our latest Mego Museum video short is a better look at one of the oddest toys in the Mego realm, the Mangler!

Created for the Comic Action Heroes line in 1976, the Mangler is a strangely cartoonish device with no basis in Marvel Comics. The whole function of the Mangler is to crush the Green Goblin flat as a pancake, which would of course, kill him. It's all in good fun, for more on the Mangler please visit the Comic Action Heroes Gallery.

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[HardyGirl]

The first time I even heard of The Mangler is when that guy who built everything out of cardboard (Don?) had made one for the 8" figures. I guess this one could be fun too.

[palitoy]

I never had it as a child but my friend did. I remember seeing it in his play room and asking what it was. It was around 1980 and Mego CAH were a memory at this point. I felt like I had found an incredible historical object and begged him to sell it to me.

Unfortunately, he smelled "sucker" and proposed a trade that I still wouldn't take.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Didn't you guys describe it as a Super Hero Zamboni machine? It's a real odd, toyetic piece. Who would own or operate this thing? Spider-Man? Why would he have it? If it was tied to the Lizard, it would make a bit more sense, with it's alligator-like appearance.

What is it with Spidey, the Goblin and really odd Mego toys? The 8" line got the Super-Vator, and CAH got this.

Great video, though! Thanks for sharing, as I've never really seen one up close. Short of a few Power Records sleeves, you never saw Neal Adams draw Spider-Man.

Chris

[palitoy]

To me it looks like a Zamboni but I always wondered it's back story as a kid. At one point, I rationalized it was something the city of New York used and they just happened to fighting near it.

I think Mego was trying to figure out Spider-Man and finally hit a sweet spot with the Spider-Car.

[Godzilla]

I love it that it looks like the thing is pooping out a flat Goblin.

[palitoy]

I love it that it looks like the thing is pooping out a flat Goblin.

Bless you for noticing, I thought the same thing while shooting it.

[MIB41]

I always wondered how that worked. Thanks for sharing!

[Werewolf]

There is nothing remotely spider-ish about it. It has to be some kind of left over toy originally planned for another line.

[Brue]

I truly appreciate that video. The fact that that thing got made is remarkable.

[PNGwynne]

I'm thrilled to see a real one. As a kid, I only saw it in Heroes World ads and was very confused by it, though I liked the design. It seemed to me a Goblin vehicle, and why not attack Spider-Man? It would have been fun to include other CAH cut-outs.

[Marvelmania]

One of the strangest toys but also one of my top 5 toys of all time. Was lucky enough to own 2 of them but never a boxed one. I even have a cast of it where I was going to make custom ones but just something I never got around to doing it. I wanted to make a cap and red skull version.

[Wee67]

One of the strangest toys but also one of my top 5 toys of all time. Was lucky enough to own 2 of them but never a boxed one. I even have a cast of it where I was going to make custom ones but just something I never got around to doing it. I wanted to make a cap and red skull version.

Seeing how well your custom Mego VW vans came out, I would have loved to see you take on custom Manglers!

[EmergencyIan]

Were these widely available, at the time of their release? I can't recall seeing them on toy shelves, but that may not mean anything.

Fun video, by the way. I watch it yesterday morning and forgot to reply at the time.

- Ian

[palitoy]

I think it got a good release but not for a very long time.