"Hero Envy" The Blog Adventures

Monday, May 1, 2017

WWF WRESTLEFEST

A COMPLETE ARCADE GAME ANALYSIS

John “THE MEGO STRETCH HULK” Cimino

About a year ago I wrote an article on this blog about my experience discovering and then purchasing my favorite video game ever; the WWF Wrestlefest arcade game (check it out here: Tales from the Toy Chest: The Wrangling of Wrestlefest). Since then I began to analyze the game more and more. I wanted to understand it. Searching the internet for more information, I realized there wasn’t much out there. Sure, there was a lot of reviews about how awesome it was and who was in it. But there was very little on the actual gameplay and strategy behind it. What wrestler was better at what? Who did more damage? What moves did they perform? And were there any cheats?

Like always, when these questions and thoughts hit my head, it gets my creative juices and OCD flowing. And that, my friends, is what this write-up is all about. Every single thing you could ever want to know about the WWF Wrestlefest arcade game. Yup, another exhaustive and extensive analysis by yours truly on the greatest wrestling video game the world ever produced. And that's saying a lot since this game hit the arcades in the summer of 1991 so you could say that I'm writing this article a few years too late. But what the hell, I just bought the cabinet a few years ago so it's new and fresh to me. Who knows, maybe you were waiting for something like this to come out? Maybe you weren’t. But either way you know it’s going to be good and a ton of fun. BOOM!!!

* SECTION 1 – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS *

Q. Was WWF Wrestlefest the successor to WWF Superstars?
A. Yes. WWF Superstars came to arcades in the summer of 1989 by Technos. They expanded the roster and gameplay to unprecedented heights two years later with Wrestlefest.

Q. How come Technos stopped making WWF arcade games after Wrestlefest in 1991?
A. Technos only had the rights to make WWF games for the arcade, which is the reason the game never got released on a home port. They lost the rights shortly after Wrestlfest was produced. Acclaim had the exclusive rights to make WWF video games for consoles while Ocean Software had the rights to make WWF video games for home computers.

Q. Was an updated version of Wrestlefest made?

A. Yes, on February 21, 2012 THQ released a remake of this game on the iOS featuring both current and former wrestlers, retitled WWE WrestleFest and the less I talk about this the better. Only the Technos 1991 arcade classic is what I care about and what I’m talking about in this write-up. I absolutely HATED wrestling after 1992 and never really followed it ever again.

Q. I know Wrestlefest was a conversion kit for other machines. But was it also sold as an original cabinet?

A. Yes, it came as a dedicated Technos cabinet and they are pretty rare to find.

Q. Why is it sometimes I play 4 matches before getting to the Legion of Doom, and sometimes 5?

A. There is a modifiable dipswitch in the arcade cabinet which the owner can change. Those of you who have RAINE (more info on this below) are able to change this manually. For you techies who like this sort of thing, it's the first switch of Dipswitch B (11h).

Q. When was Wrestlefest made?

A. Demolition consists of Smash and Crush on this roster, and THAT combination didn't last very long. Judging by the fact that Mr. Perfect is still here and at the same time as Sgt. Slaughter, I would presume that the Ultimate Warrior is the WWF Champion and this is set just after WrestleMania VI and just before Summer Slam of that year -- summer 1990.

Q. Why was Randy Savage not included on the roster?

A. Sadly, during the making of this game he was in semi-retirement. What is even more upsetting is that when this game hit the public in the summer of 1991 he was back in action and a full-time wrestler once again.

Q. Can I pick Demolition individually and make them team up with another wrestler?

A. No. You can only pick them as a team. You can use them individually only in the Royal Rumble mode.

Q. How do you taunt?

A. You can't. Only the CPU is capable of doing this.

Q. Can you pick the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors?

A. Yes you can, but there are a few problems. See below in SECTION 3.

Q. I always hear you can play Wrestlefest on your computer with a MAME, RAINE and ROM but what are those?

A. MAME and RAINE are video game emulators that are programs that simulates the inner-workings of a video game console (ex. Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, etc.). A "ROM" is a file that contains all the information from a video game cartridge for an individual game. Therefore, if you wanted to play Sonic the Hedgehog, you would need a Sega Genesis emulator, and a Sonic the Hedgehog ROM to use in conjunction with it. MAME and RAINE are two popular Arcade machine emulators. They are able to emulate numerous numbers of games due to each arcade game having "drivers" which work kind of like individual emulators within the emulators -- but you don't need to worry about drivers. All you need for MAME is the emulator, and the game. Arcade games have several individual ROMS which are included in the zip files you find online -- but YOU DO NOT NEED TO UNZIP THE ZIP FILE when you get it. Just place the zip file in the "Roms" folder in the MAME directory and run MAME, and it should detect it automatically. More information on this can be found online, so look there.

Q. Can I get MAME on my phone to play Wrestlefest?
A. Yes, but I can only give instructions for an Android as that is the phone I use but I'm sure it's just as easy for those of you that use Apple. Here are the steps:

1. Download MAME4droid from the Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seleuco.mame4all&hl=en&fbclid=IwAR0ars9_htTpxV1f6_fGJ-J7yePQqmFyXjp24SbkYJFgD54iHlT_pXJH3bA)

2. Open MAME4droid as this will then create the folder index necessary for the app for find your installed games (ROMs).

3. Go to (http://www.freeroms.com/mame.htm). The ''Mame'' section is the only one where you can find games that work with the MAME4droid emulator. Click on ''W'' and you will find various old school wrestling games such as WrestleWar, WWF Superstars, WWF WrestleFest, WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game, etc..

4. Download the games (ROMs) you want and DO NOT unzip them. Leave them zipped and using a file manager app place the files in the MAME4droid > roms folder.

5. You're done! Open MAME4droid, choose your game with the joystick, click ''B'' to load it, click ''coin'' to add coins and ''start'' to get to the home screen of the game.

* SECTION 2 - LEGEND *

U = Up

D = Down

L = Left

R = Right

P = Punch

K = Kick

Wrestlers' finishers are in BOLD BLOCK CAPS.

= Submission: indicates that it is a submission move, that is, the move will continue draining energy until one of three things happen:

1. The opponent breaks out of it and knocking you down.

2. The move is broken up by outside interference, which will knock you down.

3. All the opponent's energy is drained, causing a submission and a win.

There are two prone positions: horizontal and diagonal. When your opponent lies diagonally they are nearing the end of their energy bar.

Each wrestler has four grapple moves which are performed two at a time in rotation. For example; when starting on a fresh wrestler Hulk Hogan will do a Body Slam followed by a Snap Mare until their energy reaches a certain level. Then he will switch between an Atomic Drop and a Suplex. This does not always apply to the CPU, and the rotation can change in a Royal Rumble match as well.

* SECTION 3 - WRESTLERS AND MOVES *

HULK HOGAN

Weight : 303lbs

From : Venice Beach, CA

Birthday : August 11

Trademark Hold : Legdrop off the ropes

"Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on YOU?"

Although most of his moves are pretty generic, the Immortal Hulkster is a devastating opponent capable of a great offense with big damage. He is one of only two wrestlers in the game that has a combo-finisher (the other is the Ultimate Warrior); his Big Boot/Legdrop can cripple opponents and carry him to victory. As the face of the WWF, it should be no surprise that he dominates the game because can take a ton of damage and excel at either the tag-team or Royal Rumble modes.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: How could you go wrong with having Hulkamania on your side? Hogan is easily one of the best tag-team partners you can have in the game.

Royal Rumble: The Hulkster is a true force in this match. His Big Boot move can be devastating to all the groups of wrestlers in front of him.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Shoulder Tackle = P/K

Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Snap Mare

Atomic Drop

Suplex

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Big Boot = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By Head)

Boston Crab = P+K (By Feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

LEGDROP = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Splash = P/K

MR. PERFECT

Weight : 257lbs

From : Minnesota

Birthday : March 28

Trademark Hold : Perfect-plex

"I'm absolutely... PERFECT!"

There's not many wrestlers with as much finesse as Mr. Perfect. His finisher; The Perfect-plex, doesn’t do much in terms of damage but he’s able to execute it early on in the match. He also makes up of his lack of damage potential by being the fastest/quickest wrestler in the game.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: Mr. Perfect is a tag-team master. His quickness/speed to tag in and out and to cover the distance of the ring when he’s hurt is second to none. This makes him an absolutely "perfect” partner.

Royal Rumble: Mr. Perfect is a little less “perfect” in the Royal Rumbles due to not having a Body Slam move to throw out healthy opponents when near the ropes. He must rely on his speed and Back Body Drop to eliminate the opposition so most of the time he will have to do it the old-fashion way; by pinning or submitting his opponent. But his Running Dropkick maneuver is very useful due to its range and ability to knock down more than one opponent which can be extremely useful when wrestlers tend to bunch up in the Rumble match.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Flying Dropkick = P/K (capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Standing Dropkick

Snap Mare

Back Suplex

PERFECT-PLEX

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Reverse Knife Edge = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Figure-Four Leglock = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Knee Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Knee Drop = P/K

JAKE "THE SNAKE" ROBERTS

Weight : 249lbs

From : Stone Mountain, GA

Birthday : May 30

Trademark Hold : The DDT

"Trust me..."

Jake is more of a cerebral wrestler to use in this game. A little strategy and cunning can go a long way to see his true potential. Although he is very average when matching up against the other heavy-hitters, his finishing DDT maneuver easily ranks as one of the most devastating. Late in the game this will surely even the odds in your favor if you can hit an opponent with it.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: Jake is a solid partner and his DDT finisher is a big asset to any team he's on.

Royal Rumble: Jake is probably better suited for the Rumble match than in a tag-team match due to the fact that he can hit his DDT on opponents getting fatigued to eliminate them quickly soon after.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Spinning Elbow = P/K

High Knee = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him))

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Snap Mare

Gut Wrench Suplex

DDT

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Standing Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Figure-Four Leglock = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Knee Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Bionic Elbow = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Knee Drop = P/K

EARTHQUAKE

Weight : 460lbs

From : Canada

Birthday : June 22

Trademark Hold : Earthquake Vertical Splash

"You're gonna feel a living earthquake!"

There is no denying the fun and power of Earthquake in this game. He can take a ton of punishment and cause tremendous damage with his move-set and Vertical Splash finisher. But by being the biggest and heaviest cat in the game, he's also the slowest.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: Being very slow tends to give Earthquake a slight disadvantage in a tag-team match. But after you hit his finisher on a downed opponent, you won’t care.

Royal Rumble: Earthquake, as you expect, excels in a Rumble match. His damage potential, Body Slam and finisher do the job every time. Also his Bear Hug is key to getting a quick submission elimination to an already fatigued opponent when they come his way.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Gut Smash = P/K

Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Headbutts

Powerslam

Bear Hug = Submission

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Reverse Knife Edge = P/K (capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Big Boot = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Boston Crab = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

VERTICAL SPLASH = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Bionic Elbow = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Splash = P/K

SARGENT SLAUGHTER

Weight : 318lbs

From : South Carolina

Birthday : May 25

Trademark Hold : The Cobra Clutch

"Drop and give me 20 you maggots!"

Slaughter is a very crafty and skilled wrestler with one hell of a mean streak. But where Technos came up with his finisher, I'll never know. For one thing, he doesn't call it the Cobra Clutch (Slaughter is supposed to do a CAMEL Clutch) and the move he demonstrates in this game ISN'T a Cobra Clutch at all (Ted DiBiase' finisher, The Million Dollar Dream is a Cobra Clutch). The move he does seems to be some sort of temple-grinding-noogie submission (?). Even with all that jazz, his so-called “Cobra Clutch” finisher still doesn’t do much in terms of damage. It’s his Chestbreaker move that causes his opponents to quiver in pain and "Atten-hut."

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: Being a little slower than the other wrestlers tends to hinder Slaughter a in a tag-team match.

Royal Rumble: As a big man Slaughter is very capable in the Rumble match. He can use his Body Slam early on to eliminate fresh wrestlers and sneak attack a downed wrestler and apply his Cobra Clutch finisher on them. Just make sure they are really hurt or they will break free and you will be the one laying on the mat when they escape.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Shoulder Tackle = P/K

Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Noogie

Chestbreaker

COBRA CLUTCH = Submission

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Knee Smash = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Knee Drop = P+K (By body)

Boston Crab = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Elbow Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Splash = P/K

"THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN" TED DiBIASE

Weight : 260lbs

From : Seasonal Residences

Birthday : January 18

Trademark Hold : The Million Dollar Dream

"Everybody’s got a price."

A superb wrestler that is tremendously well-rounded. Full of technical and brawling knowledge, DiBiase's only problem is what to use next. Be a little careful when slapping The Million Dollar Dream on an opponent as it doesn’t do much damage.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: DiBiase is well suited for the tag-team match due to his speed, move-set and ring generalship. He’s a master in this match plain and simple.

Royal Rumble: Dibiase suffers in this mode from not having a Body Slam move to get a quick elimination early in the match when near the ropes. Most of his eliminations will come by using his Back Drop in the chaos when opponents are running at him. DiBiase most likely needs to submit or pin his opponent to get to victory.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Spinning Elbow = P/K

Knee Smash = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Backbreaker

Piledriver

Suplex

THE MILLION DOLLAR DREAM = Submission

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Standing Clothesline = P/K

Powerslam = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Figure-Four Leglock = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Fist Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Bionic Elbow = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Elbow Drop = P/K

THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR

Weight : 275lbs

From : Parts Unknown

Birthday : Unknown

Trademark Hold : Gorilla Press

"Feel the power of the Ultimate Warrior!"

The Ultimate Warrior is sheer force in the ring, and can be literally unstoppable. He has the ability to occasionally “no-sell” other wrestlers moves and even finishers by just getting up after taking a big hit (and damage) making his ability to recover absolutely extraordinary. Other than Hulk Hogan, he is the only other wrestler in the game capable of a combo-finisher; his Gorilla Press/Warrior Splash can cripple the opposition. This guy is ferocity personified and totally indomitable in Wrestlefest.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: The consummate tag-team partner due to his damage, speed and recovery.

Royal Rumble: All his moves and abilities are geared for the chaos that comes with this type of match.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Clothesline = P/K

Flying Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many wrestlers that are in front of him)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Snap Mare

Body Slam

Piledriver

GORILLA PRESS

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Powerslam = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Boston Crab = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Warrior Splash = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Knee Drop = P/K

THE BIG BOSS MAN

Weight : 357lbs

From : Cobb County, GA

Birthday : May 2

Trademark Hold : The Boss Man Slam

"You're gonna serve hard time, punk!"

Given a low profile against the other big names, The Big Boss Man is far more fearsome than this suggests. As the “second” biggest guy in the game, Boss Man doesn’t suffer from the same penalties that the slow moving Earthquake does. Plus he benefits from a lot of grapple moves that can really put the hurting on opponents when in close.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: Boss Man makes a great partner who can help keep opponents close to his corner especially with his Boss Man Slam finisher. Yes, he’s slower than most but even so, it’s not by much.

Royal Rumble: Boss Man can rule the Royal Rumble and is second to no one in this match. While he’s able to toss opponents out early, he can also surprise many of them with a well timed Boss Man Slam. And the scary part is he can manage it over and over on several fatigued opponents running towards him. It can be pretty devastating so be careful when facing him.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Gut Smash = P/K

Knee Smash = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Noogie

Piledriver

Gut Wrench Suplex

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

BOSS MAN SLAM = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Boston Crab = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Running Splash = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Bionic Elbow = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Splash = P/K

SMASH OF DEMOLITION

Weight : 285lbs

From : Parts Unknown

Birthday : Unknown

Trademark Hold : Suplex

"I'm gonna kick your stinkin' teeth in!"

Sadly, Smash is possibly the most 'vanilla' wrestler in the game. All his moves are generic, so generic in fact that his finishing move is -- The Suplex?! Yup, you read that right, a simple suplex. And why couldn't Demolition perform their double-team move in this game is beyond me? But the great thing about Smash is that despite his primitive move-set, he's able to generate high damage consistently and excel in both Tag-Team and Royal Rumble matches.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: They are Demolition… nuff said.

Royal Rumble: Smash is equally effective in this mode as well.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Shoulder Tackle = P/K

Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Backbreaker

Powerslam

SUPLEX

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Knee Smash = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By body)

Boston Crab = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Knee Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Splash = P/K

CRUSH OF DEMOLITION

Weight : 315lbs

From : Parts Unknown

Birthday : Unknown

Trademark Hold : Backbreaker

"Graaahhh!"

Crush is a seriously strong hombre that can match up with the best of them. He has a much more spectacular finisher than his partner Smash, which also does some major damage. And just like his tag-team partner, Crush is well-suited for both the Tag-Team and Royal Rumble matches.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: They are Demolition… nuff said.

Royal Rumble: Crush is equally effective in this mode as well.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Shoulder Tackle = P/K

Dropkick = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Atomic Drop

Neckbreaker

BACKBREAKER

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Standing Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Knee Drop = P+K (By body)

Boston Crab = P+K (By feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Elbow Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Knee Drop = P/K

THE LEGION OF DOOM

"Mean" Gene Okerlund : "It's time to fight with a powerful challenge."

Road Warrior Animal : "Hehaha! We snack on danger, dine on death!"

Road Warrior Hawk : "To bury every gerbil-faced geek we face. Raaaaaah!"

The Legion of Doom are without a doubt the boss of bosses in Wrestlefest. They are the undisputed tag-team champions that can perform the most devastating finisher in the game “THE DOOMSDAY DEVICE!” If you get hit by this start paying or praying because it’s basically a wrap. As individuals they function much differently than the other wrestlers. They have more of an arsenal of wrestling maneuvers, more health (approximately 2.5 longer than normal energy), they do more damage, they recover quicker on average and they are able to perform their high-damage power moves early on in the match. While they are not playable characters in the arcade, they can be if you possess RAINE, the Wrestlefest ROM with a couple of drawbacks (see below). It seems to me that they WERE intended to be selectable as they have unfinished portraits. But they must have been pulled later on. Why, Tecmos, why?

To get the Legion of Doom enter RAINE, load Wrestlefest and select:

Game Setup

Action Replay

New

a box should appear with the following fields:

Name:

Addr:

Data:

Info:

Name and Info are irrelevant to the Computer, so put anything helpful to you. 'Name' is what the cheat will be called in the list, so name it whatever you like. Edit the fields with the addr(ess) and data given from the list.

Character Select (P1):

Addr : 001c0607

Data : xx

where 'xx' is one of the following:

00 Hulk Hogan

01 Jake Roberts

02 Ultimate Warrior

03 Big Boss Man

04 Hawk*

05 Animal*

06 Sgt Slaughter

07 Mr. Perfect

08 Earthquake

09 Ted DiBiase

0a Smash

0b Crush

Character Select (P2):

Addr : 001c0191

Data : xx (where 'xx' is from the list above)

*Here the Legion of Doom are selectable wrestlers! Check out how you can use them effectively below -- "What a Rush!"

ROAD WARRIOR ANIMAL

Weight : 285lbs

From : Chicago, IL

Birthday : Unknown

Trademark Hold : CLOTHESLINE OFF THE TOP TURNBUCKLE (THE DOOMSDAY DEVICE)

“We snack on danger, dine on death and dead men don't make money.”

Animal is simply the strongest character in the game and possibly the most fearsome single opponent you can face. The damage he can dish out is almost unfair.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: One-half of the WWF Wrestlefest Tag-Team Champions of the World! What more do you need to know? Beware of Animal's "Hoist" (the set-up to The Doomsday Device) -- if you are positioned incorrectly Hawk will not jump and you will effectively have to reset the game. Animal will keep the opponent on his shoulders indefinitely.

Royal Rumble: First thing you need to know is that in this match you can relax and have no fear of Animal using his "Hoist" move. And that's a BIG problem for everyone else because Animal is without a doubt the KING of the Royal Rumble! Using him as a playable character really gives you a massive edge over all your opponents. What makes him so special is that Animal will only perform his Body Slam maneuver against full-health opponents when near the ropes which makes tossing them out an easy task. Get to wrestlers before they become fatigued, win the lock up, get them in a headlock, drag them towards the ropes and throw them out. Rinse and repeat. There’s no telling how many opponents you will end up tossing out before the match is through. Animal can also Gorilla Press an opponent out of the ring when other wrestlers are getting hurt. Of course there is no guarantee you will always win such a chaotic match, but the odds are always in Animal’s favor.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Shoulder Tackle = P/K

Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Body Slam

Atomic Drop
Piledriver

Gorilla Press

Bearhug = Submission

HOIST (hopefully you and Hawk are in the correct position)

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Powerslam = P/K (When opponent is weaker)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By Head)

Boston Crab = P+K (By Feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Elbow Drop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Knee Drop = P/K

ROAD WARRIOR HAWK

Weight : 287lbs

From : Chicago, IL

Birthday : Unknown

Trademark Hold : CLOTHESLINE OFF THE TOP TURNBUCKLE (THE DOOMSDAY DEVICE)

“OOOOOOOOHHHHH WHAT A RUSH!”

While Hawk lacks a little of the overall power that Animal possesses, he makes up for it in speed and arsenal. Nobody in the game has such an array of moves that are geared to knock down clusters of wrestlers at any time. He's simply a wrecking ball of terror. And when using Hawk, you can pound on the opposition as long as you like not being fearful of “hoisting” your opponent for The Doomsday Device like Animal does. So enjoy the carnage.

Saturday Nights Main Event Tag-Team Match: One-half of the WWF Wrestlefest Tag-Team Champions of the World! Hawk is actually better than Animal in this mode due to his greater speed and ability not to be hindered in any way.

Royal Rumble: While Hawk ranks second to Animal in this match (only because he will sometimes randomly do a Standing Dropkick before a Body Slam when near the ropes with a healthy opponent), he is absolutely devastating against the clumps of wrestlers in front of him. Use his Flying Dropkick or Flying Clothesline effectively and watch the bodies hit the floor.

Stationary

Punch = P

Kick = K

Run = P+K

Whilst Running

Clothesline = P

Flying Dropkick = K (capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Flying Clothesline = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

In Grapple

Headlock = P

From Headlock: Standing Dropkick

Body Slam

Back Breaker
Neckbreaker

Back Suplex

Irish Whip = K

Against Running

Back Body Drop = P/K

Dropkick = P/K (When opponent is weaker - capable of knocking down as many opponents that are in front of him)

Ground Attacks (Horizontal)

Pick Up = P (By Head)

Stomp = P (By body)

Elbow Drop = P+K (By Head)

Boston Crab = P+K (By Feet) = Submission

Pin = K

Ground Attacks (Diagonal)

Fistdrop = P

Pin = K

Behind Opponent

Sleeper Hold = P = Submission

Restrain = K

From Turnbuckle Against Standing

Axe-Handle = P/K

From Turnbuckle Against Prone

Knee Drop = P/K

* SECTION 4 - DOUBLE-TEAMING *

These are essential when you double-team an opponent:

1. After the Restrain move (K from behind), your partner (in tag mode) will be allowed in and can kick or punch the opponent.

2. When the opponent is in a headlock (P in grapple), you are free to drag them about. If you roam over to your corner and tag (P or K), your partner will leap from the turnbuckle and smash 'em over the head. This also allows both wrestlers in the ring for a brief period.

3. If you tag your partner then press P+K by a prone opponent's legs, they are free to do any ground attacks. (In 1P mode, just dump your opponent near your corner with their feet pointing at your corner. The CPU should do the rest.)
4. If you are playing with another player on the same team, you can still Punch and Restrain an opponent even if you are on the outside of the ring. Simply press (P or K) when an opponent is near you. Be careful because this can happen to you if you are too close to your opponents corner.
5. Be aware when you are in the ring and double-teaming your opponent because your Punches, Kicks, Clotheslines and (some) moves can hurt your partner.

* SECTION 5 - OUT OF THE RING *

With a quick Body Slam, Back Body Drop or Road Warrior Animal's Gorilla Press you can throw your opponent out of the ring. Here, your moves will do more damage than usual. There are also metal steps and video monitors up for grabs, both of which do BIG damage. If your opponent stays in the ring, take the opportunity to double-team his partner. Let your mate do the grappling, and just when the other guy gets up, lay the Smack down with a foreign object. Beware however, as the CPU will always grab an object if he is standing over it. And make sure you keep track of the time because you have only a 20 count to get back into the ring.

As soon as both of you are back inside the ring, the ring is reset, as if nobody had been outside. You are even plucked from the top rope if you were contemplating to jump from it. A great tactic is to climb the top rope immediately after hurling someone outside. If you leap at the earliest possible moment, they will stand still awaiting your Turnbuckle attack!

* SECTION 6 - SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT *

"Choose 2 wrestlers and make team. Use combination play and keep beating some games. Finally fight with ‘WWF Wrestle fest’ champion 'The Legion of Doom'."

There is no easy technique to get you through this part of the game, but it helps to rely on double-teaming and fast tags -- energy regenerates quickly for the partner outside of the ring. Whenever possible throw the CPU scum out of the ring for double-teaming malarkey. Watch for the words "POWER UP" in the illegal man's energy bar -- this means that they will win every grapple and inflict double damage. Tag them in as soon as possible; they will shake the ropes to alert you to this fact. Going outside of the ring loses the POWER UP advantage.

When fighting inside a steel cage there really isn't that much of a difference than fighting in a regular match. The exceptions being that you cannot throw another wrestler out of the ring. When you Irish Whip a wrestler into the ropes he will clang off the cage instead of rebounding back towards you.

The Legion of Doom are seriously deadly opponents and it helps to try to beat them by count out rather than pin. Regardless, have your quarters ready and by god, watch out for the Doomsday Device.

Ways to win: Pin, Submission, or opponent is counted out of the ring.

* SECTION 7 - THE ROYAL RUMBLE *

“Choose 1 wrestler and beat wrestlers one after another come to fight with. Get them out of the ring of get fall, and be a champion.”

The Royal Rumble has a simple flaw which is exploitable with anyone except Ted DiBiase and Mr Perfect. Right at the start or for any fresh wrestlers, grab and smack 'em in a headlock. Walk them to the nearest ropes. When you reach them, turn around and press a button. This will send them soaring over the ropes with a Body Slam (this is why the two mentioned above cannot do it -- they do not have a Body Slam)! Do not be put off if they Snap Mare or do another move, just pick 'em right back up again and repeat and they will do a Body Slam next. This is what makes some wrestlers so effective in this match. As stated above in Section 3, Road Warrior Animal is particularly dangerous because he doesn’t have another move if he performs this pattern, it’s always a Body Slam.

Be wary of reversals near the ropes. While it depends on the moves you do, a reversal can lead to a Back Body Drop or Body Slam that could send you flying out of the ring and be eliminated.

Ways to win: Pin (you can also pile onto a pinned opponent), Submission, or throw an opponent out of the ring.

* SECTION 8 - CHEAP? *

There are a few "cheap" tricks to survive some situations in Wrestlefest:

1. When slugging it out with the CPU, hit him with a Punch and step back. Repeat this and after the fourth Punch lands it will always knock your opponent down.

2. When in the Royal Rumble and it's down to just you and two CPU opponents (sometimes this can work against four CPU opponents), they will not touch you and fight it out between themselves if you go to either the top or bottom of the ring and run back and forth. Keep rebounding off the ropes as they will walk back and forth trying to follow you but never actually engaging you, they will always engage each other. This is a great trick to heal a little damage while letting your opponents continue to hurt each other. But make sure you keep track of the timer, if it runs out, you all lose.
3. Having more money than the opposition will always give you the win no matter how good they are at this game... BANG!!!

Watch all the WWF Wrestlefest excitement here!

"Come to me my Warriors!"

CHECK OUT OTHER "COMPLETE ANALYSIS" ARTICLES HERE:

THE MEGO ELASTIC SUPERHEROES

http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2012/03/mego-elastic-superheroes.html

THE PRO WRESTLER KESHI LINE FROM BANDAI (1987)

https://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-pro-wrestler-keshi-line-from-bandai.html

John Cimino

John Cimino is a Silver and Bronze Age comic, cartoon and memorabilia expert that runs a business called "Saturday Morning Collectibles." He buys, sells, appraises and gives seminars on everything pop culture, so if you got something special, let him know about it. He contributes articles to ALTER EGO, RETROFAN, BACK ISSUE and THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR from TwoMorrows Publishing, runs the Roy Thomas Appreciation Board on Facebook and has appeared on the AMC reality show Comic Book Men. He also represents some of comicdoms biggest stars and brings them to a Comic Con near you. John likes to think he's the real Captain Marvel, people just don't have the heart to tell him he's just an obsessed fanboy that loves to play superheroes with his daughter Bryn. Contact him at johnstretch@live.com or follow him on Instagram at megostretchhulk.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

THE ROY THOMAS SPIDER-MAN COSTUME

THE ROY THOMAS SPIDER-MAN COSTUME

The legend and lore of Marvel's very first in-house promo costume

BY
"RASCALLY" ROY THOMAS
AND
JOHN "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" CIMINO

Sometime in the last months of 1965, or in early 1966, in the Marvel offices, production manager Sol Brodsky showed me several folded-up costumes which, he said, had been sewn for Marvel by a "professional seamstress" -- or some phrase to that effect. They were costumes for Spider-Man, Fantastic Four (a uniform that could be worn by either sex), and two others, which I believe were the Wasp and Medusa. He told me the costumes had been made for the company specifically so that they could be worn in a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade... that would've had to be the 1964 one or less likely the 1965 one. Sol told me that the "actors" hired to wear the costumes had gotten paid in advance and hadn't marched in the parade; I believe he said or implied that they'd gotten drunk and never showed up. He told me I could have the costumes if I wanted them, as they were just cluttering up the office. I knew Sol well enough by then to know that, if he was giving me the costumes, it had to be with the permission (if not by the direction) of editor Stan Lee, since Sol would never have given away such company property on his own. I took the costumes, not certain what I would do with them.

Sol Brodsky was the guy that gave Roy Thomas the Spider-man costume (with Stan Lee's permission of course).

Over the years, I've worn the Spider-Man costume on several occasions. I'm not sure what year I first wore it to one of the annual Halloween parades in Rutland, Vermont, which I'd been attending since 1965. I could have worn the Spidey costume in Rutland as early as '66. In 1969, my first wife Jeanie and I attended the Rutland parade and parties in costume as Invisible Girl and Spider-Man. There is a published photo of the two of us in those costumes in Rutland in a 1970 issue of the comics fanzine COMIC CRUSADER #8. We may have worn those costumes more than once, but not very often. In THE AVENGERS #83, a 1970 comic book I wrote, I had the artist draw Jeanie and me wearing those costumes as we attended a Rutland party held in conjunction with the parade. Though that story supposedly "took place" in 1970, it surely reflected events of the previous year's events. I also appeared in a few panels wearing the costume in the pages of BATMAN #237, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #103 (I guess I'm fighting both Green Lantern and Batman in this one), AMAZING ADVENTURES #16 (I'm on the cover too) and THE MIGHTY THOR #207.

Photo of Roy Thomas and his first wife Jeanie Thomas at the Rutland, VT. Halloween parade in 1969 from the comic fanzine COMIC CRUSADER #8.

COMIC CRUSADER #8 (1970)

Roy Thomas wearing his Spider-man costume at the Rutland, VT. Halloween party in THE AVENGERS #83.

Jeanie Thomas with Roy (now unmasked) from THE AVENGERS #83. And you'll notice in the second panel that Roy is talking to his very own character -- the Vision! How cool is that?

THE AVENGERS #83 (1970)

In BATMAN #237 Roy makes another appearance in his Spider-man costume. Artist Neal Adams used the Kirk Hasting's photo down below as a frame of reference to draw Roy in action.

BATMAN #237 (1971)

Roy wearing his Spider-man costume alongside Jeanie Thomas make a quick appearance with other Marvel and DC bullpen members from AMAZING ADVENTURES #16.

Roy Thomas in his Spider-man costume getting a beat down from the Green Lantern in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #103.


There's Roy in the background with his Spider-man costume again at the Rutland, VT. Halloween parade in THE MIGHTY THOR #207.

From left to right: AMAZING ADVENTURES #16 (1973): Yeah, that's Roy in his Spider-man costume on the cover watching the Beast and Juggernaut slug it out. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #103 (1972) and THE MIGHTY THOR #207 (1973)

I wore the Spidey costume for a couple of events covered in Marvel Comics themselves. I wore it for a photo that was made a part of a page in NOT BRAND ECHH #11, which went on sale in autumn of 1968. But the resolution of that photo wasn’t very good, so it was reprinted in NOT BRAND ECHH #13, four months later, with better quality.

Splash page of Roy Thomas in Spider-man costume from NOT BRAND ECHH #11.

NOT BRAND ECHH #11 (1968)

Reprinted splash page of Roy Thomas in Spider-man costume (with much better quality) from NOT BRAND ECHH #13.

NOT BRAND ECHH #13 (1969)

For the 1969 FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL, which came out in the summer of that year, I donned the Spidey costume again and posed for a photo in Stan Lee's office with Stan and artists John Romita and Marie Severin. That photo has been reprinted numerous times since, including in Marvel's self-published fanzine FOOM #16 in 1976.

The last page of the 4-page back-up feature on the Marvel Bullpen from FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #7 (1969) with Roy Thomas in the Spider-man costume with Stan Lee, Marie Severin and John Romita. Pictures of Roy and his first wife Jean are also on the page.

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #7 (1969)

The picture with Roy in costume with Stan Lee, Johnny Romita and Marie Severin was reprinted in FOOM magazine #16 (1976)

In a ROLLING STONE article on Marvel by former staffer (and future SOPRANOS writer Robin Greene) that was printed in its Sept. 16, 1971, issue, there's a prominent mention (mostly paraphrased, I'm sure, from what I told her at the time) of the costumes and the circumstances of their creation as I told them. It says:

"Every year there is a comic parade in Rutland, Vermont, on Halloween. He [Roy] gets to dress as Spider-man [sic], and his wife Jeanie is Invisible Girl. The costumes they wear were made for a Macy's parade, but the people got drunk, and didn't show up. So the costumes had never been worn."

ROLLING STONE (1971)

On the evening of January 5, 1972, I wore the costume for a short time in the legendary Stan Lee/Marvel Carnegie Hall show, running up and down the aisles and probably onstage. It’s unfortunate that the promoter did not allow photos to be taken at that event.

The Stan Lee Carnegie Hall poster by artist George Delmercio (1972)

Outside shot of fans waiting to get into the "STAN LEE AT CARNEGIE HALL" show in 1972. Roy Thomas would be seen running up and down the aisles in his Spider-man costume.

MONSTER TIMES #3 (1972)

COMICS FANDOM MONTHLY #6 (1972)

COMIC FANDOM MONTHLY #6 (1972)

There also exists three photos (so far as I know) of me in the Spidey costume. Two of them at a New York Comics Convention -- probably in 1966 -- one framed between a couple of young X-Men and the other I appear at the edge of the photo. This is most likely the only time I ever wore the Spidey costume to a con of any kind. The other one was taken by Andy Yanchus at the 1969 Rutland celebration, outside the Claremont Mansion where we stayed and had parties.

Roy Thomas sporting the Spider-man costume at a 1966 NY Comic Convention.

Another photo of Roy wearing the costume at the 1966 NY Comic Convention. It shows fan Mark Hanerfeld (who looked a lot like Al Hirt) mock-wrestling a young Dave Armstrong as Captain America.

Roy in Spider-man action at the 1969 Rutland celebration outside of the Claremont Mansion. And FYI, Kirk Hastings made some attempt to re-color the purple leggings for the picture.

Probably the last time I wore it was when my future wife Dann and I went as Invisible Girl and Spider-Man to some Halloween event in the Los Angeles area, and a photo of us in the costumes exists. This was probably in the late 1970s.

Roy and Dann Thomas both in costume at a Halloween event in Los Angeles during the late '70s.

Dann Thomas with the Fantastic Four costume in 2021.

From the day I was handed the Spider-Man costume by Sol Brodsky in 1965-66, until January 2017, it has never been out of my possession. It has never been loaned to (or worn by) anyone else. There have been one or two attempts in the past to market a Spider-Man costume which, it was claimed, was the one worn in the 1972 Carnegie Hall show. However, these claims were erroneous (...) as I still have that costume in my possession and never relinquished it at any time -- and, at my insistence, the dealer who first advertised the bogus costume deleted any future mention of a supposed "Carnegie Hall" provenance, since that was not correct.

Best Wishes,

Roy Thomas

BRING ON SPIDEY'S MERRY MARVELOUS 55th BIRTHDAY BASH AND SO MUCH MORE!

Notice that my buddy Roy Thomas said he had the Spider-man costume until January 2017? That's because in January he relinquished his mighty grip on the costume and put it into my puny mere mortal hands. I have now officially become the living and breathing representative/spokesperson/overseer for the Roy Thomas Spider-man costume. This, I must say, is truly an honor especially for a fanboy like me. To understand how lucky I am to care for such an unbelievably rare and sacred piece one must understand that it was the very first in-house promotional costume ever made by Marvel Comics themselves and the first live-action Spider-man costume used in their comic-books. Sure, the 1954, 1958 and 1963 Ben Cooper Spider-man Halloween costumes predate this one but those were mass produced and made for the public. Roy's Spider-man costume is the only one of its kind and the only one that was ever made. How AMAZING is that?? Now before I get into what Roy Thomas, his beautiful wife Dann Thomas and I have planned for this grail piece and Spider-man's 55th anniversary celebration in August, let's take a closer look at his SPECTACULAR costume shall we...

Roy and Dann Thomas bring me the Spider-man costume that has been buried away for over 40 years. And yes, I almost passed out (not because I got to see the costume in person, but because it was so crunched up).

Me and Roy displaying his Spider-man costume.

Here we are comparing the earliest Spider-man costumes in the world. To read about the legend of the Ben Cooper Spider-man costumes click this link: "The 1963 Ben Cooper Spider-man Costume."

A historical picture of the world's greatest Spider-man costumes! From left to right: 1964-1965 Roy Thomas Spider-man costume, 1963 Ben Cooper Spider-man costume, 1958 Ben Cooper Spider-man costume and 1954 Ben Cooper Spider-man costume. Have you ever seen anything this amazing?? THWIPP!!!

So who's the real Peter Parker behind those Spider-man masks?

When I had Roy bring me his costume I wanted to know more about its history. You'll notice from reading Roy's introduction on this blog that not much was known other than what he was told by Sol Brodsky. So Roy did some detective work on his own and asked Stan Lee if he had any recollection of who made the Spider-man costume, what its purpose was and any details in general about it. This was Stan's response to Roy on February 4, 2017:

Roy, you're incredible!

You not only remember the events but the dates as well!

I remember the events you mentioned only vaguely. Hell, people sometimes ask me when I moved to L.A. and I can't even answer that!

Wish I could help you but I don't even recall some of the stuff you mention.

Your memory is absolutely a national treasure -- should be donated to the Smithsonian!

Excelsior!

Stan

So sadly, the true history of this Spider-man costume will forever be a mystery and lost to the ages. But at least we can all still appreciate it's everlasting glory and grandeur because after giving it a professional steam press and cleaning the costume was ready for it's big reveal!! I present to you exclusive photos of a true piece of Marvel history -- the one and only Roy Thomas Spider-man costume!! What do you think fanboys?

Walloping web-snappers -- it's a thing of beauty from the front...

...and the back.

The first thing you will notice about the Spider-man costume is that the leggings are purple and the upper torso is blue. You might be scratching your head and wondering why that is. First off, you have to remember that the costume was made in late 1964 or early 1965 and Spider-man was only a little more than 2 years old. When the seamstress was hired by Marvel to make the costumes she (I'm just assuming the seamstress was a "she" for the sake of the story since Roy never knew who made the costume) used early Spider-man comics as reference. While the outer part of Spider-man's costume was colored blue on the covers of the comics, a warm purple was used on the interior pages. This might've caused some confusion on what Spider-man's costume was supposed to be -- blue or purple? The seamstress probably assumed it could've been either color and just made the costume with both (I mean, who would really care about the color accuracy of a comic-book character at this time). This shows just how early the costume was made and it truly represents the innocence and magic during those early days of Marvel. And to be honest, the colors give Roy's costume such uniqueness and charm that it totally differentiates itself from any other Spider-man costume made since.

Check it out for yourself by looking at these original interior pages from early AMAZING SPIDER-MAN comics colored by the late Stan Goldberg (and possibly a few uncredited others) down below. Is the outer part of Spidey's costume purple or blue -- you decide?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 (1963)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2 (1963)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #3 (1963)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4 (1963)

On March 11th, 2017 the NY POST put out an article that Roy and I were first revealing the costume at the BIG APPLE CON in New York City. The article tells the fun tale of the history of the costume but HERITAGE AUCTIONS pop culture expert Greg Holman estimated the value of the costume at only 2,000 to 3,000 dollars (????), which is completely false! Roy and I already had offers considerably higher so that claim is downright nonsense and tells nothing of the true value of this incredible piece. But the article did its job to give the costume some good national exposure. So much in fact that Jeanie Thomas (Roy's ex-wife and the woman who wore the Invisible Girl costume with Roy in the comics and at Carnegie Hall) whom Roy hasn't seen in over 30 years came by to visit us at the BIG APPLE CON and see the costume. It was an incredible moment that hundreds of comic fans and I managed to capture on film and video. Now that was something really special!

Article in the NY POST 3/11/2017 that showcased the costume (which made the bogus claim that it was only worth 2,000 to 3,000 dollars) and made a historical reunion occur.

Roy and I with his ex-wife Jeanie get together again for the first time in 30 years to pose with the Spider-man costume. Simply amazing!

Okay, now that we know all about the hokey coloring of the costume let's get back to the original question. With Roy's Spider-man costume hidden from the world for over 40 years, why are we revealing it to the world now in 2017? Well, as I said earlier, it's Spider-man's 55th anniversary this August plus Marvel Studios/Sony is releasing the movie SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING in July to theaters which is likely going to be a huge blockbuster hit. And to celebrate these major events in the Merry Marvel tradition, we are showing off one of the rarest and most unique pieces of vintage Spider-man memorabilia known to exist!

And just to let all you crazy Spider-man collectors out there in comic land know, as of January 2, 2018 Roy and I sold the costume to a private collector and it's no longer available. BANG!!

Spider-man and his amazing friends!

AND ONE MORE THING...

Roy stated above that he was the one and only person to ever wear the costume. Well, that's not entirely true anymore. Since receiving it I just had to dress my baby girl up in this thing just so she could become a part of Marvel Comics history and feel the magic herself -- so don't be mad Roy because you've got company! Ladies and gents, the only other person to wear the Roy Thomas Spider-man costume, my daughter Bryn Isabella Cimino!!!!!