Hasbro always brings out the big guns at Comic-Con, and this year’s convention was no exception. Quite literally, in fact, as both Marvel and Star Wars got some reveals that you could ostensibly count as big guns for Marvel Legends, Black Series, and Vintage Collection, and also some reveals that did actually include some actual Big Guns.
This year’s reveals included a ton of X-Men goodness for Marvel (anchored around a new wave of X-Men ’97 figures), as well as the latest made-to-order deluxe figure in the form of everyone’s satanic bestie (well, except Spider-Man’s), Mephisto. Meanwhile, the galaxy far, far away went on a bit of an exclusives kick, revealing two special two-packs coming later this year, and then a grand finale: the next Haslab project, a 3.75″-figure-scaled Republic Gunship, ready to be filled with oodles of Clone Trooper figures.
Check out all the latest Hasbro Marvel and Star Wars reveals below! Except for Qimir. Sorry, we were just so excited about finally getting The Acolyte‘s enchanting villain in figure form that we had to tell you about him separately.
Spider-Man Electronic Expressive Mask
We already showed you Hasbro’s other mask reveal of the con, Wolverine’s mask from Deadpool & Wolverine, but its other reveal ventured to another arena of the MCU, with a brand-new electronically enhanced replica of Peter’s spider-suit mask from Spider-Man: Homecoming.
As well as a neck cowl, the 1:1 scaled mask includes moving eye pieces that can be set on either pre-programmed expression reactions, or manually activated with a remote control to express surprise, anger, or even that your spidey senses are tingling!
Retro Card Outback Era Storm
Exclusive to Target, the latest retro-carded Uncanny X-Men figure brings Storm’s iconic outfit from the time she led the X-Men as they hid out in the Australian Outback, operating in secret after the world believed them to have died fighting the mysterious Adversary. As well as fists and open hands, Storm also comes with two lightning-blasting hands to replicate her powers.
Mephisto With Infernal Throne
Marvel’s premiere marriage-wrecker is back in all his glory with a new figure in Hasbro’s “made-to-order” line of deluxe figures. Available to preorder until August 26, Mephisto includes an alternate head and alternate hands, a sword, and even swappable clothing to give him either a plastic or cloth set of cloak and loincloths—the latter so he can properly sit on his skull-covered throne, also included.
X-Men ’97 Two Packs
We might be waiting a while for X-Men ’97 season two, but we’ll be waiting in style thanks to a whole host of new figures coming from Hasbro. The toymaker kicked off the ’97 reveals with a series of two-packs inspired by key moments from the show: one from the series’ opening episodes with Rogue and Gambit, depicting them in their basketball match gear, and two depicting the X-Men’s returns to some classic costumes in the back half of the season—Wolverine and Storm in one, in their respective yellow-and-brown and black ’80s gear, and Cyclops and Jean Grey in another, depicting them in their original outfits inspired by the season finale.
X-Men ’97 Wave Two
That wasn’t all for X-Men ’97 though: an entire new wave of figures is on the way too, filling out some key remaining heroes (and anti-heroes) from the show’s lineup. The new wave includes Sunspot, Jubilee, Morph, a casual look Logan, Cable, and the White Queen herself, Emma Frost.
Magic: The Gathering x Spider-Man Sets
After lifting the lid on its first Marvel crossover set for Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast teamed up with Hasbro to reveal that it would release four exclusive variant cards as part of a series of action figures. Agent Anti-Venom, Battle Damaged Spider-Man, and Mary Jane in the Iron Spider suit will all reuse previous figures with upgraded accessories, alongside a surprise new addition in the form of Man-Wolf: the transformed werewolf alter ego of Colonel John Jameson. All four figures will come with an exclusive borderless foil promo card from the Spider-Man set, with new art inspired by their respective figures.
Black Series Darth Sidious vs. Mace Windu and Vintage Collection Jedi Spirits Pack
Hasbro kicked things off in the galaxy far, far away by revealing two new multipacks that will be its exclusive offerings at upcoming conventions this fall, including New York Comic Con and MCM London. For Black Series, Revenge of the Sith‘s 20th anniversary gets celebrated with a new two-pack featuring Mace Windu and Darth Sidious, the latter clad in his chancellor robes and including an alternate scarred head depicting his visage after Mace deflects his Force lightning back at him.
Meanwhile, the Vintage Collection will get its own version of the Jedi Spirits three-pack already seen in the Black Series a few years ago: ethereal force ghost figures of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin inspired by the climax of Return of the Jedi. However, in a fun twist, the Vintage Collection set will have one bonus not included in the earlier Black Series version: a swappable head for Anakin that lets you return Sebastian Shaw to the climax of the film, rather than Hayden Christensen’s take on the character!
Black Series Two-Packs
Speaking of multipacks, two more are coming to the Black Series. The latest addition to the line’s set of Jedi General and Clone Trooper two-packs puts together Anakin Skywalker (inspired by the live-action take on his Clone Wars look from Ahsoka) and Captain Rex in his modified phase-II Clone armor.
The second, more elaborate two-pack celebrates the climax of Empire Strikes Back, depicting Luke and Darth Vader’s duel on Bespin. Including a base replicating the gangway and platform the two duel on, the set also includes a lightsaber clash VFX piece, and a wired cloth cape on Vader for maximum dramatic effect. I’m sure you can find a way to remove one of Luke’s hands, too.
Vintage Collection Clone Shock Trooper, Han Solo, and Chewbacca
A trio of Vintage Collection figures were also revealed at the con, spanning the rise of the Empire era. From Clone Wars and Bad Batch, there’s the Imperial Shock Trooper, the red-armored Clones of the Coruscant Guard, and from A New Hope, there are new versions of Han Solo and Chewbacca inspired by their appearances in the movie.
Black Series Asajj Ventress (Bounty Hunter) and Jango Fett
Meanwhile, the Black Series went on a bit of a bounty hunter kick for its own reveals. From the fifth season of Clone Wars‘ iconic Ahsoka on trial arc, a new Asajj Ventress depicting her in her bounty hunter gear is on the way, complete with two lightsabers and a removable helmet (which I’m sure will also go great with the upcoming Bariss Offee figure, for no reason at all…).
After getting so many Mandalorian figures between Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian lately, it’s only fitting that we go back to Attack of the Clones for a newly updated Jango Fett, complete with a removable helmet. Again, I’m sure you can find a way to remove the rest of his head too to replicate Jango’s battle with Mace Windu.
Haslab Vintage Collection Republic Gunship
Rounding out the Star Wars reveals was the next major addition to Hasbro’s “Haslab” crowdfunding project: a massive LAAT/i Gunship from Attack of the Clones, scaled to 3.75″ action figures. Dwarfing Hasbro’s prior gunship toys, the new vehicle is a hefty 28 inches long, 30.9 inches wide, and 10.6 inches tall, and comes with two Phase-1 Clone pilot figures, as well as two different stands to depict the gunship either in flight or hovering above ground as it drops off its troops (which you’ll have to grab separately, of course).
The gunship itself includes opening front laser battery pods, which can hold a seated clone; opening bay doors to depict a fully detailed interior; options for alternate nose panels depicting art inspired by gunships seen in Clone Wars; and rotating turrets on the nose and back of the ship.
Clocking in with a hefty $450 price tag, the Gunship requires 8,000 backers by September 8, 2025, to enter production for a fall 2026 release. Beyond the initial goal, three higher backer tiers will unlock several Jedi action figures to accompany the gunship, making their Vintage Collection debuts: 10,000 backers unlocks Coleman Trebor, 12,000 Saesee Tiin, and 14,000 Agen Kolar.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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![The Pope’s AI Warning Could Help Workers Seek Religious Exemptions From Using AI
Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical on AI could set off a wave of workers seeking religious exemptions from using the tech at work. One software engineer in North Carolina already secured one last month, Business Insider reports. Erin Maus, a Unitarian Universalist, first sought the accommodation in April at the large tech-entertainment company where she works, which she described as progressive. She argued that using AI did not align with her religious beliefs because of environmental and ethical concerns. Maus was granted the exemption in May, before the pope’s AI remarks. “I’m writing my code and reviewing my code by hand, which seems crazy to say,” Maus told Business Insider. “Just two years ago, how else would you do it?”
Maus is unlikely to be the only person seeking a similar accommodation as companies increasingly invest in AI and push, sometimes even mandate, employees to use the technology. In the U.S., the share of employees who say they use AI at least a few times a year at work has nearly doubled from 21% to 40% in 2025, according to Gallup.
Now, the pope’s remarks and official theological document could give some workers a stronger argument. “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human,” the pope wrote in his 43,000-word encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas, published last month. He wrote that AI is dehumanizing society by reducing “the mystery of the person into data and performance” and called on the tech industry to avoid “the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak.”
The pope continued that “a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family.” That call for a slower adoption of AI could be enough for some workers to argue they should not be required to use it on the job. “When he’s speaking, he’s speaking as the pontiff—as a religious figure—so he’s raising these human dignity issues as religious issues, theological issues,” Jonathan Segal, an employment attorney and Duane Morris partner, told HR Brew this month. “I think it is inevitable that some employees will rely on this to say…I can’t use AI because it conflicts with a religious belief that I have.” Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for workers whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a work requirement, unless the accommodation creates an undue hardship for the employer.
And it’s not a stretch to think some of these requests could at least get serious consideration. Just a few months ago, Rex Healthcare agreed to pay 0,000 to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the company of unlawfully denying a remote employee’s request to be exempted from its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy over religious beliefs. “I think this opens a door—or it’s a little bit of a road map—for employees to raise concerns,” Segal told HR Brew. “What the courts have said—what the EEOC has most definitely said—is that, as the general proposition, we shouldn’t question the legitimacy [of] sincerely held religious beliefs.” #Popes #Warning #Workers #Seek #Religious #ExemptionsAI,Pope Leo XIV,work](https://i1.wp.com/gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/05/shutterstock_2666910201-1280x853.jpg?ssl=1 "The Pope’s AI Warning Could Help Workers Seek Religious Exemptions From Using AI
Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical on AI could set off a wave of workers seeking religious exemptions from using the tech at work. One software engineer in North Carolina already secured one last month, Business Insider reports. Erin Maus, a Unitarian Universalist, first sought the accommodation in April at the large tech-entertainment company where she works, which she described as progressive. She argued that using AI did not align with her religious beliefs because of environmental and ethical concerns. Maus was granted the exemption in May, before the pope’s AI remarks. “I’m writing my code and reviewing my code by hand, which seems crazy to say,” Maus told Business Insider. “Just two years ago, how else would you do it?”
Maus is unlikely to be the only person seeking a similar accommodation as companies increasingly invest in AI and push, sometimes even mandate, employees to use the technology. In the U.S., the share of employees who say they use AI at least a few times a year at work has nearly doubled from 21% to 40% in 2025, according to Gallup.
Now, the pope’s remarks and official theological document could give some workers a stronger argument. “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human,” the pope wrote in his 43,000-word encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas, published last month. He wrote that AI is dehumanizing society by reducing “the mystery of the person into data and performance” and called on the tech industry to avoid “the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak.”
The pope continued that “a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family.” That call for a slower adoption of AI could be enough for some workers to argue they should not be required to use it on the job. “When he’s speaking, he’s speaking as the pontiff—as a religious figure—so he’s raising these human dignity issues as religious issues, theological issues,” Jonathan Segal, an employment attorney and Duane Morris partner, told HR Brew this month. “I think it is inevitable that some employees will rely on this to say…I can’t use AI because it conflicts with a religious belief that I have.” Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for workers whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a work requirement, unless the accommodation creates an undue hardship for the employer.
And it’s not a stretch to think some of these requests could at least get serious consideration. Just a few months ago, Rex Healthcare agreed to pay 0,000 to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the company of unlawfully denying a remote employee’s request to be exempted from its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy over religious beliefs. “I think this opens a door—or it’s a little bit of a road map—for employees to raise concerns,” Segal told HR Brew. “What the courts have said—what the EEOC has most definitely said—is that, as the general proposition, we shouldn’t question the legitimacy [of] sincerely held religious beliefs.” #Popes #Warning #Workers #Seek #Religious #ExemptionsAI,Pope Leo XIV,work")
![The Pope’s AI Warning Could Help Workers Seek Religious Exemptions From Using AI
Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical on AI could set off a wave of workers seeking religious exemptions from using the tech at work. One software engineer in North Carolina already secured one last month, Business Insider reports. Erin Maus, a Unitarian Universalist, first sought the accommodation in April at the large tech-entertainment company where she works, which she described as progressive. She argued that using AI did not align with her religious beliefs because of environmental and ethical concerns. Maus was granted the exemption in May, before the pope’s AI remarks. “I’m writing my code and reviewing my code by hand, which seems crazy to say,” Maus told Business Insider. “Just two years ago, how else would you do it?”
Maus is unlikely to be the only person seeking a similar accommodation as companies increasingly invest in AI and push, sometimes even mandate, employees to use the technology. In the U.S., the share of employees who say they use AI at least a few times a year at work has nearly doubled from 21% to 40% in 2025, according to Gallup.
Now, the pope’s remarks and official theological document could give some workers a stronger argument. “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human,” the pope wrote in his 43,000-word encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas, published last month. He wrote that AI is dehumanizing society by reducing “the mystery of the person into data and performance” and called on the tech industry to avoid “the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak.”
The pope continued that “a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family.” That call for a slower adoption of AI could be enough for some workers to argue they should not be required to use it on the job. “When he’s speaking, he’s speaking as the pontiff—as a religious figure—so he’s raising these human dignity issues as religious issues, theological issues,” Jonathan Segal, an employment attorney and Duane Morris partner, told HR Brew this month. “I think it is inevitable that some employees will rely on this to say…I can’t use AI because it conflicts with a religious belief that I have.” Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for workers whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a work requirement, unless the accommodation creates an undue hardship for the employer.
And it’s not a stretch to think some of these requests could at least get serious consideration. Just a few months ago, Rex Healthcare agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the company of unlawfully denying a remote employee’s request to be exempted from its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy over religious beliefs. “I think this opens a door—or it’s a little bit of a road map—for employees to raise concerns,” Segal told HR Brew. “What the courts have said—what the EEOC has most definitely said—is that, as the general proposition, we shouldn’t question the legitimacy [of] sincerely held religious beliefs.” #Popes #Warning #Workers #Seek #Religious #ExemptionsAI,Pope Leo XIV,work](https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/05/shutterstock_2666910201-1280x853.jpg "The Pope’s AI Warning Could Help Workers Seek Religious Exemptions From Using AI
Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical on AI could set off a wave of workers seeking religious exemptions from using the tech at work. One software engineer in North Carolina already secured one last month, Business Insider reports. Erin Maus, a Unitarian Universalist, first sought the accommodation in April at the large tech-entertainment company where she works, which she described as progressive. She argued that using AI did not align with her religious beliefs because of environmental and ethical concerns. Maus was granted the exemption in May, before the pope’s AI remarks. “I’m writing my code and reviewing my code by hand, which seems crazy to say,” Maus told Business Insider. “Just two years ago, how else would you do it?”
Maus is unlikely to be the only person seeking a similar accommodation as companies increasingly invest in AI and push, sometimes even mandate, employees to use the technology. In the U.S., the share of employees who say they use AI at least a few times a year at work has nearly doubled from 21% to 40% in 2025, according to Gallup.
Now, the pope’s remarks and official theological document could give some workers a stronger argument. “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human,” the pope wrote in his 43,000-word encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas, published last month. He wrote that AI is dehumanizing society by reducing “the mystery of the person into data and performance” and called on the tech industry to avoid “the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak.”
The pope continued that “a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family.” That call for a slower adoption of AI could be enough for some workers to argue they should not be required to use it on the job. “When he’s speaking, he’s speaking as the pontiff—as a religious figure—so he’s raising these human dignity issues as religious issues, theological issues,” Jonathan Segal, an employment attorney and Duane Morris partner, told HR Brew this month. “I think it is inevitable that some employees will rely on this to say…I can’t use AI because it conflicts with a religious belief that I have.” Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for workers whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a work requirement, unless the accommodation creates an undue hardship for the employer.
And it’s not a stretch to think some of these requests could at least get serious consideration. Just a few months ago, Rex Healthcare agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the company of unlawfully denying a remote employee’s request to be exempted from its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy over religious beliefs. “I think this opens a door—or it’s a little bit of a road map—for employees to raise concerns,” Segal told HR Brew. “What the courts have said—what the EEOC has most definitely said—is that, as the general proposition, we shouldn’t question the legitimacy [of] sincerely held religious beliefs.” #Popes #Warning #Workers #Seek #Religious #ExemptionsAI,Pope Leo XIV,work")
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