In today's review of the X-Force Warpath and Professor X Minimates, we said that his hoverchair was a reference to another action figure. Here, take a look:
That's ToyBiz's first Professor X toy, from some time in the mid-90s. Though he was eventually available on a blister card, the only way to get Chuck initially was in a 10-figure "Mutant Hall of Fame" pack, where he was literally screwed onto the included display frame.
As you can see in the above picture, the arms of his chair ("Secret Control Panels," the packaging called them) opened, revealing all sorts of technological detailing and two removable guns. The pattern sculpted into the Minimate chair isn't an exact update of the ToyBiz version, but it's clearly an intentional homage. This is far from the first time Art Asylum has done something similar...
--yo
Man I want that toy so bad, but never got it because of that dumb 10-pack. I had no idea there were removable guns in there, too cool!
Hey Hasbro! We need 4" and 6" versions of this posthaste!
I have to admit, I can't recall ever seeing the single-carded version; if you'd asked me before looking this up, I would have said he'd only ever been in that 10-pack. But hey, that's why we do the research.
But yeah, I had that pack. Probably still have it. Even went so far as to undo the screws so I could play with him. Don't get too excited about the "removable" guns, though: getting them out was tough as hell...
so what do you men by "screws"? It was literally attached to the cardboard via metal screws?!
No, the plastic base that all the figures stood on. They were screwed in place. That's what keeps them from falling over in the box. It really was meant as a display piece first, a box set of action figures second. Distant second...