Avid Funko Pop collectors and casual fans alike have characters that range from anime, video games, movies, and even cereal mascots to choose from when displaying their vinyl statues. Since 2012, Funko Pop Vinyl figurines have grown into a massive commodity in the world of popular culture and entertainment. Among the various vinyl figures that exist, however, some of them glow in the dark.
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Whether it’s the whole figure or just certain parts of it, glow-in-the-dark pops are often rare variants that are highly sought after. They usually take universe canon into consideration when determining which parts of the Pop actually glow, creating unique collectibles worthy of any great collection, regardless of IP.
10Super Saiyan Goku From Dragon Ball Z
Going by either “Kakarot” or “Goku,“Dragon Ball Zfans around the world rejoiced whenever they saw their favorite hero in his Super Saiyan 1 formation. This popular Funko also captures Goku’s iconic orange Gi with his blue undershirt and matching Supreme Kai boots, making it a must-have for Pop collectors.
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Goku’s iconic blonde, spikey hair had reached mainstream appeal in the 90s, when, during an exhausting battle with hisearly arch-nemesis, Freiza, the hero channeled divine energy that transformed him into the first known Super Saiyan, changing the Anime’s history forever.
9Glowing One, Fallout
Longtime fans of Bethesda’sFalloutfranchise will recognize this unsettling figure like none other than a radiation sick ghoul, colloquiallyknown in its universe as a “Glowing One.“During gameplay, they normally fight the players with brute force while using a protect themselves by releasing massive bursts of radiation from their bodies.
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These feral creatures are believed to be former human beings who have absorbed vast amounts of toxic radiation that has rendered their bodies disfigured and their human logic and reasoning destroyed. To a Pop collector, these undead monsters are an essential buy, making this variant especially difficult to find, due to its slime green body that can glow during the night.
8Alex DeLarge, A Clockwork Orange
His devilish stare has haunted moviegoers since 1971, and now Alex DeLarge may terrorize their shelves with this rare Funko exclusive, inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian hit,A Clockwork Orange,which recently made the national film registry.
This ultra-violent protagonist is known for being subject to a mind-control experiment called “the Ludovico technique,” after a series of capital offenses land him in prison. Once released, the victims of his past re-enter his life to terrify him, as he’s faced with fleeting thoughts of redemption. For fans who love detail, giving this Funko Alex’s signature “Droog” wardrobe was a real treat.
7Cthulhu, The Works Of H.P. Lovecraft
In 2016, H.P. Lovecraft fans saw one of their favorite creatures enter the world of Funko vinyl figures, Cthulhu.
Inspired by the 1950s classic short story, “The Call of Cthulhu” (which inspired agame in 2019), this statue depicts various known characteristics of The Great Dreamer, including his squid-like head, green, scaly, arms and legs, and its humanoid body. Entertainment Earth released this Pop online for a limited run in 2016 and it still remains to be a valuable treasure, of sorts, to any who manages to get it, retailing for nearly $40 across the internet.
Taken from the short-lived 1999 Cozmic Crunch cereal, this Funko Pop recreates the green, cycloptic Martian, which closely resembles the widely known Cap’n Crunch.
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Those who remember the original ads may recall that the Cozmic Crunch included sugary marshmallows that were guaranteed to turn milk from white to green. Although the serial was discontinued in the 90s, and only briefly revived in 2012, thanks to Funko, this galactic cereal ally is immortalized forever.
5Tony Stark/Iron Man, Endgame Variant
Marvel Studio’sThe Avengers: Endgameshattered historical records in 2019 after its release, giving Funko a chance to recreate some of the film’s most discussed scenes among Funko enthusiasts.
This particularpop depicts Tony Stark’s final moment as an Avenger, where seconds after managing to outsmart Thanos, he raises his Infinity Gauntlet, mouths the words: “I Am Iron Man,” and snaps his enemy out of existence. One detail fans particularly enjoy about this figure is the way Tony’s Infinity Gauntlet and ARC Reactor glow, as opposed to the rest of him.
4Buzz Lightyear, The Freddy Funko Collection
Since 2005, the Funko company followed a series of new toy licensing deals with the introduction of their new mascot, Freddy Funko, whose face can be seen nearly anywhere Pop vinyl figures are sold today.
While often depicted as a freckle-faced boy with red hair, a blue bow-tie, and a golden crown, this Pop figure is one of several variant Freddy statues, featuring him with purple hair and in full Buzz Lightyear costume, donning his trademark crown. Unknown to some, Freddy Pops can be incredibly difficult to track down and buy, making them a fine addition to any fan’s collection.
3Holographic Darth Maul, Star Wars
Released in 2012 as an original Los Angeles Comic-Con exclusive, this Darth Maul pop pulls its likeness straight from one of theStar Warsbrand’s most iconic duel sequences from 1999’sThe Phantom Menace.
Showcasing exquisite detail of Maul’s angry expression, his trademark double-bladed lightsaber, and the textures of his black Sith robes (a costume designEA’sBattlefront IIused in 2017), this Pop offers Star Wars fans an opportunity to commemorate the evil apprentice’s greatest on-screen battle, without having to watch the movie.
2Godzilla With Blue Fire, The Godzilla Franchise
The 2014 Gareth Edwards remake ofGodzillagave audiences two things never before seen from the classic King of Monsters: the ability to breathe bright blue fire and a massive, tar-black scaly body. This increasingly rare Pop vinyl figure is also one of few that emits a blue color with the lights off, as opposed to the traditional green.
Going for as high as $70 online, the wallets of Funko collectors may have met their match, but despite the 2014 film’s mixed to negative reviews, Godzilla still remains the ginormous, fire-breathing lizarddepicted in popular mediafor fans to enjoy.
1Dr. Manhattan, The Watchmen Graphic Novel
From his debut in DC Comic’s 1987 hit graphic novel “Watchmen,” the Minutemen’s god-like blue leader, Dr.Manhattan, finally made his way into the vinyl figure industry in the mid-2010s. The statue recreates Manhattan’s well-chiseled physique, with his arms stretched out, as he wears his iconic black speedo (a lookrecreated recently on HBO). Though he isn’t billed as a “glow” figure on the box, fans discovered over years past that Dr.Manhattan does, in fact, glow in the dark, and is often regarded as a model example of how well some Pops shine in the dark when compared to others.
The Funko brand doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and with some of these beloved figures only getting higher in demand, fans aren’t going to want to be in the dark about these glowing collectibles.
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