Clash of the Titans Action Figures Identification Tool with Pictures

The history of the Clash of the Titans

Common for the era, the movie heavily relied on stop-motion animation to achieve most of its special effects. Ray Harryhausen was the artist who worked on these stop-motion sequences to bring creatures like the scorpion, medusa, and many others to the screen.

Perseus was the son of Zeus and the daughter of King Acrisius, Danaë. Since her father had heard a prophecy that her son would cause his demise, she was banished along with her son. As they floated off into the ocean, Zeus ordered the destruction of her homeland, Argos, through the Kraken, the final living titan. Thus, Perseus grew up on the island of Seriphos.

The trials of Perseus

As an adult, Perseus began his adventure in Jappa, where he confronted the cursed Calibos, captured Pegasus, and freed Princess Andromeda from Calibos’s curse. Assisting his son in his trials, Zues gifted him with a helmet made by Athena, a magical sword from Aphrodite, and a shield from Hera.

Resentful of the princess’s loss, Calibos pleaded for his mother, Thetis, to help him take revenge on Joppa. It helped his cause that the queen of Jappa, Cassiopeia, slighted Thetis by proclaiming Andromeda to be more beautiful. So, Thetis demanded the sacrifice of Andromeda to the Kraken to quell her anger and prevent the destruction of Jappa.

At Zeus’s behest, Athena helped Perseus on his journey once more by having Hephaestus build a mechanical owl. This owl led Perseus and his followers to the Stygian Witches, where he learned that the gorgon Medusa was the key to defeating the Kraken. From there, he set out to behead Medusa and use her petrifying gaze against the Kraken.

Mattel Clash of the Titans action figure toy line

Mattel released a small line of toys in preparation for the film’s release. This line consisted of four different action figures: Perseus, Calibos, Charon, and Thallo. Most of these action figures came with a sword, all of which shared the same mold. However, both Perseus and Thallo came with a shield accessory as well. These toys aligned with the popular 3 ¾” standard scale that had begun in the late 70s. Most of these figures had 5 points of articulation, except for the robed Charon, who only had 4.

There was also a toy of Pegasus, which Persues, or any of the other figures, could ride. Finally, there was a massive 15” figure of the Kraken.

While most of these toys were sold separately, Mattel did produce a single set for the line. A gift set that included both Pegasus and the action figure of Perseus was possible to purchase.

A brand new wave of Clash of the Titans merchandise appeared in 2006. This time, Gentle Giant was creating the collectibles. They first made a small series of static figures, Medusa, Kraken, and Calibos, which were a part of their Creatures of Ray Harryhausen series.

Gentle Giant also created a three-piece mini-bust set that included Calibos, the Kraken, and Medusa. This was a San Diego Comic-Con limited edition, with only 500 produced. They came with a certificate of authenticity that indicated the production number.

Comic book series and remakes

TidalWave Productions paid tribute to the 1981 film by creating a four-issue comic book series in 2007. This series, the Wrath of the Titans, was a sequel to the film, which was set five years later.

Later, Clash of the Titans returned to theaters in 2010 with a 3-D remake. Directed by Louis Lettier and starring Travis Beacham, the film used modern special effects and made several changes to the plot. For instance, Hades was the main antagonizing god, rather than Thetis.

Warner Bros. Pictures also produced the reboot’s sequel, Wrath of the Titans. Johnathan Liebesman directed the second 3-D film in the franchise. This time, Sam Worthington took on the role of Perseus. This time, Perseus faced off against new foes like a Chimera, three cyclopes, and a Minotaur. At the end of his journey, Perseus faced off against Ares and then Kronos.

NECA and Hot Toys Clash of the Titans action figures

In the wake of these new films, new merchandise came out to celebrate the Clash of the Titans. Before the movie debuted, NECA obtained the license to create toys for the brand. This led to two different variations of Perseus produced by them. One of these toys had battle damage, while the other was a standard figure.

Then, Hot Toys produced a masterpiece-tier action figure for Perseus from the reboot movie. This 1/6^th scale toy was released in 2010. It has multiple accessories, including two swords, a shield, a bag, Medusa’s head, and a display stand. Since Hot Toys does not mold the clothing onto most of its toys, Perseus had removable clothing as well. His armor included a tunic, shorts, a skirt, chest armor, two gauntlets, and two shin guards.