Welcome back, Spidey fans! It’s so good to see you all again, and I hope 2025 is treating you well. While trying to think of what we should cover for this month’s Spider-Tracer article, I came across my pre-order for a Marvel Legends Lizard figure which depicts how he appeared in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. It soon hit me that covering the 10 best Lizard figures of all time might be fun, so let’s slither right to it then, shall we, gang?
10. “Spider-Man: The Animated Series” Lizard
This figure, along with its 10” counterpart, were my first Lizard figures, so I admittedly do have a soft spot for him, hence why he’s on this list. He has a very nice sculpt, one that’s very accurate to the show. My big complaint, and the reason he didn’t rate higher (not counting his subpar labcoat)? His tail attached to the body by two, cheap, white plastic prongs, designed to help with a swirling tail action feature. However, those same prongs were prone to breakage, and sadly, this figure doesn’t regrow his tail. He did, however, come with a red shirted variant, for some reason, however.
9. Marvel Legends Lizard Build-A-Figure
No, your eyes do not deceive you! A more modern figure from 2018 is a lowly #9 on this list! Why, you ask? Well, he’s basically a glorified paperweight. They opted to give this guy a more modern sculpt (admittedly, not my favorite look for the character), and the plates on his limbs just don’t look right. I like the rest of his sculpt, especially his head, but he has a hard time standing up on his own. His tail has several sections of different sculpt on it, so unless it’s in its regular position, it tends to start looking weird. So, despite all of the articulation, he really has a hard time standing without the help of his tail in a particular position. If not for the sculpt, this figure might not make the list at all, truth be told.
8. “The Amazing Spider-Man” Movie Lizard
This Wal*Mart exclusive came out in 2012, the same years as the film this figure is based on. While he has outdated hip articulation, movie Lizard has a nice sculpt and decent paint, but the thing that really sets this figure apart is army of lizards he comes with! A lot of people seem to forget that the Lizard can command an army of lizards, and with this figure, he can! His army includes, an iguana, a gecko, and a bearded dragon. As I mentioned earlier, this figure is getting an updated figure this year, based on his return in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, though he sadly won’t be coming with any other reptiles.
7. Shape-Shifters Lizard
This figure was pretty cool as a kid! Back in the late 90’s, ToyBiz decided to mix some of their popular characters with the Transformers concept, including good ol’ Doctor Connors. By rearranging his parts, Lizard could become a Mega Mutant Alligator! He also sported some early Marvel Legends-esque articulation, including wrist hinges. Spider-Sense Spider-Man becoming a Spider-Bat may have made little sense, but the Lizard becoming a giant alligator was one of the better figures in this series!
6. Mego Lizard
Before Doc Ock got his first figure in the Secret Wars toyline of the 1980’s, the Lizard (along with Green Goblin) beat him by almost 10 years in the Mego toyline of comic-based figures! Being one of the first Spider-Man villains to get a figure ranks Mego Lizard pretty high on the list alone, but as a figure in the Mego line, he turned out very well, and really stands out among the others, thanks to some uniquely sculpted, scaly lower limbs, as well as a soft goods tail. There was also a version of this Lizard with less scaly sculpting on the lower arms, but he has better articulation, so you just have to pick which you prefer, sculpt, or articulation.
5. Ultimate Lizard
I’m not a fan of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, however, even I have to say, this ToyBiz Spider-Man Classics figure of the Ultimate Universe’s Lizard is just awesome. He has a killer sculpt, and really nice paint. He also has a tail-whipping action and a table topped with lab equipment to split in half! For an alternate universe take on the Lizard, they really knocked it out of the park, despite the action feature.
4. Spider-Smash Lizard
I remember getting this figure for Christmas one year as a kid (it was either 1996 or 1997), and for a long time, this was my go-to Lizard figure. He looked very similar to Todd McFarlane’s take on the character. He came with this weird swamp roller than turned into “Spider-Smasher Armor”, but rarely did I ever put it on him; he looked cooler without it. ToyBiz would reissue this figure in the Spider-Man Classics line, as well as Hasbro after they got the license for making Marvel figures, which means this mold sure had a long life before it was finally retired.
3. Marvel Select Lizard
It took years, but once Hasbro started making some good Spider-Man villains, I needed a classic Lizard with better articulation and height. That’s where Marvel Select’s Lizard, a Disney Store exclusive, came in! Spider-Smash Lizard was out, as he was too small to look in scale with other Marvel Legends figures, but this guy, despite being in the 7” scale, fit perfectly with my other figures, as plenty of artists have depicted Lizard as being a bigger character over the years. He had a really nice sculpt, great paint, decent articulation, and an awesome sewer display base! It took years for this figure to finally be dethroned…
2. Fearsome Foes Lizard
I only ever had this figure mint in the box, but ToyBiz did an exceptional job on their final Lizard figure. Part of a 5-pack which included Spidey, Rhino, Vulture, and Carnage, this figure had it all: Excellent sculpting, paint and articulation, as well as a display stand with his face on it. Many collectors considered this the best Lizard figure for years, and rightfully so. He even included a bendywire tail, which not even Hasbro could nail for years. Not until…
1. Marvel Legends Retro Lizard
This Wal*Mart exclusive Marvel Legends Lizard is the perfect representation of the character! He comes with a classic, John Romita Sr-esque head, as well as a more recent head design. I prefer the classic Romita head, but the more toothy, modern head looks great, too. He also features a couple flasks (one for the Lizard formula, the other for a cure), as well as some alternate hands. He has great articulation, (who doesn’t love a bendywire tail?). This figure comes with everything you could want in a Lizard figure, including some retro packaging, and then some!
What do you guys think? What’s the best Lizard figure? Did yours make the list? Either way, sound off in the comments section below!
English (US) · 