Tower of Darkness Playset (Unproduced)

The Tower of Darkness playset did not make it to retail shelves. It would have been a fascinating playset with many intriguing features. Above you see a photo from the 1986 Toy Fair catalog. Below I will reproduce the description as it appears in the catalog:

DARKSEID'S TOWER OF DARKNESS PLAYSET
NOT A NICE PLACE TO VISIT
Heroes beware...the most diabolical and deadly den of doom is waiting for you... DARKSEID's TOWER OF DARKNESS! A featured part of the SUPER POWERS programming, DARKSEID's home is designed to trap and torture even the most powerful of the SUPER POWERS. The Omega Eyes warn heroes of the multiple dangers:

Two rotating cannons making ominous clicking sounds
Mammoth clutching arms that close tight on approaching enemies
A revolving front gate that turns into a jail cell
A rotating body vice
A headslamming elevator, attached to DARKSEID's vistory flag pole
A capture jaw that chomps down on its captive, and then drops the victim into the lava pit below
A trapdoor that opens into a spiked pit
DARKSEID, sitting on his mighty rock throne, watches with delight as our heroes are tormented.Will the SUPER POWERS escape DARKSEID's clutches? Kids everywhere will have great fun as they decide. Action figures sold separately. Assembly required. Ages 4 and up.

As you can see from the detailed Toy Fair catalog entry, the Tower of Darness held the potential to be the greatest Super Powers accessory in the line. In addition to the Tower of Darkness highlighted in the 1986 Toy Fair catalog, a second example is featured on the reverse side of all 3rd series cardbacks. The version shown on the cardback differs in a few aspects compared to the '86 Toy Fair catalog version. First, the Darkseid head is heavier in purple highlighting on the cardback. Second, the hands and arms of the playset are distinctly purple as opposed to the blue color in the Toy Fair catalog.
Given the information above, collectors know for a fact that two examples of this playset were produced. By drawing on informational photographs printed in Tomart's Action Figure Digest it becomes apparent that at least three prototypes were produced. The playset shown in an early issue of Tomart's and reshown later in issues is noticeably different from the two examples discussed earlier. The face paint of the Darkseid head is noticeably lacking on this piece. I am of the opinion that this playset is actually a first shot prototype meaning it was made from steel molds. I draw on my experience with distinguishing hand painted pieces from production painted pieces to make this conclusion. Both the gray and purple areas of the Tomarts Tower of Darkness appear cast in those colors as opposed to being handpainted. Although I have not viewed this piece in person, after studying the photographs at length and being armed with knowledge that unpainted first shot heads like the one seen here exist, it seems like an extremely plausible and probable assumption to make.
I am uncertain of the whereabout at this time of the Tower of Darkness shown in Tomart's, but we know for sure it is one of the examples that exist today. The prototype used for the cardback photo was thankfully saved and preserved as well. This example is handpainted and cast in a milky white protomolded material, which likely came from low yield aluminum molds. The existence of one other example of the playset has also been confirmed. In conclusion, collectors can rest assured that three of the four playsets discussed here stood the test of time and represent physical examples of argueably one of the nicest unproduced Super Powers toys. It is possible that a few more playsets exist and could one day possibly surface onto the market, however there is surely no guarantee of this occuring. Owning an example of this playset would certainly be any Super Powers collector's dream come true.

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