I think I can go out on a limb and say, that in 1990, every kid had at least one Toy Biz Marvel Super Hero figure. Most likely, it was Spider-Man. And just like every kid had one figure, every kid also had that picture of a playset on the back of their toy's card. You know what I'm referring to, the Training Center.
It was the playset that everyone saw but few of us actually knew someone who owned it. Now, to be completely honest, there is nothing super impressive about it. Seriously. It wasn't based on anything that we had read about in the comics or previously seen in a cartoon so it has no in-universe connection. The actual set itself doesn't really assist in "the adventures" you play out with your toys. All it really does, and honestly was intended to do, is let you utilize a lot of your toy's action features. There were pillars that Hulk could knock down, a wall that worked well with Spidey's suction cups and a hook that Daredevil could swing around on. Despite all of that, deep down, it was something I always thought would be cool to own. Purely for a win in the nostalgia column.
Thanks to Ebay, I found one that was brand new and still in the box for under $100. Considering Toy Biz's prior Batcave goes for triple that, this was a steal.
I don't know if you can tell from the picture but this item finally sold from the store for $12.99. I miss toy liquidator stores.
An interesting prototype Hulk.
As there aren't really a lot of reviews of this online, I'm going to try show you pictures of the entire set and then walk through a lot of the features. One thing I will point out is that the break away red railings break away a little too easily. I took someone else's advice and gorilla glued them down. This was a GOOD decision.
The front
Left
Right
Back
On the backside, you will notice the two sided ramp and the shark pit. This was both removable and reversible, with a fire pit emblem on the opposite side. I think this was intended for the Silver Surfer to be able to glide across using his board. I guess it could also be a testing ground for the Human Torch or a relaxing spot for your DC Superheroes Aquaman.
Directly above this was the trap door, so it could double for a nasty landing spot for an unsuspecting Dr. Doom.
Castle Grayskull still serving as a trendsetter with trapdoors.
Next, on either side, we have the slick surface for Spider-Man's suction cups. I no longer have that Spider-Man, so I couldn't test it out.
Upfront, we have the entrance to the Training Center. The roof and the front step both feature gold lettering, which is always a nice touch. Any time a toy had some kind of shiny or chrome surface, the interest value for said toy increased. Also, I can't help but notice a Greek Temple vibe with the columned entrance and the edges of the playset giving the appearance that it was cut from stone. It kind of goes along with the thought that Superheroes are the Modern Pantheon for storytellers.
The entrance was the location for two features meant for the Incredible Hulk: break away columns and a breakable wall.
The columns are actually pretty sturdy; there is little chance of unintentional knockdown. The wall on the other hand lives up to the gimmick. They did add a nice touch by making a plastic perimeter to help keep your wall in place a little better.
Moving inside we have the map of the world and the elevator. When you rotate the map, the bottom elevator door slides open.
The map might be my favorite feature as it could actually serve some play time purpose. One could pretend that it is interactive and highlights trouble spots for our heroes to attend to.
The elevator works on a winch system that can be cranked in both directions. And when I say crank, I mean crank, as this thing loudly cranks with each rotation. I'm sure that thrilled a lot of parents.
I'd like to point out the giant X on both elevator doors. With the X-Men line coming along soon, I am kind of surprised that this set wasn't repurposed in some way. With some new tooling in a few areas, this could have easily been a Danger Room but I won't complain as I enjoy the Combat Arenas that they released.
Moving off the elevator, we have the second level of the playset. Mostly, a giant walkway, there are the break away railings, the trapdoor and some mounted guns. If you don't glue down the railings, you can move the guns to different locations on a whim.
The guns also featured a sliding lever that made a cranking sound to simulate gunfire.
Now there are two features here that I do not understand. One is that the entrance has a circle window with a transparent red, film-like insert. There is also a similar sized hole on the walkway of the second level. The hole is not big enough for any figure to move through but the red window is at the right height for a figure's head. Neither the instructions nor the box mention anything about either of these.
At the top of the elevator, we have our final feature. It is giant hook that can be used for swinging around the Training Center, ascending the structure, or, with the use of the trolley, a zip-line. And this rope is very long, so you can make a pretty cool zip-line.
And that is the Toy Biz Marvel Superheroes Training Center. Not bad but nothing too exciting either, however, the kid inside me is just a little bit happier for finding something he thought he would never see. I plan on using it for my DC Superheroes and Superpowers figures as a much more affordable Hall of Justice.
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