Sauron

Year of release: 1992/1994
Figure Number: 4940
Accessories: Battle Club
Action Feature: Savage Attack Wings (Twist Waist Action)

Comments: This figure is notable for several reasons. First, it was the first figure from this line to have an articulated mouth. In addition, there was a ball-type joint at the shoulders allowing for 360 degree rotation of the arms as well as forward and backward mobility.

The action feature of this figure was identical to that found in the Wolverine II and III figures and was to become one of the most common action features across all the related series and lines of figures. Essentially, the waist joint was left somewhat loose so that one could easily twist the figure back and forth with a finger or thumb on the figure's back. A small curved piece of plastic was placed in the center of the figure's back to aid in the mechanics of the "Twist Waist Action" as it was known.

At least one variation exists of this figure. In 1994, another version of the figure was released to capitalize on the popularity of the X-Men animated television series on Fox television. The updated version had a gold loincloth with a black accent. It has been reported that there are some figures that have the gold loincloth without the black symbol/highlight. However, it is believed that this is likely a painting error rather than a true variation. In addition, some cardbacks show a red loincloth figure. This figure's existence has not been confirmed as of this writing.

One last note: This series began the tradition of putting stickers on the bubble portion of the packet to advertise other Marvel merchandise. For this series, it was an advertisement for X-Men home videos.