Blood and iron... Marvel's Gladiator (I)

Here on CollecTwins our posts are often inspired by upcoming films, anniversaries and/or events. This Friday the remake of "Ben-Hur" hits theaters, courtesy of visionary Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov ("Wanted," "Night Watch"), so we seized the opportunity to talk about some of pop culture's prominent gladiators and their respective collectibles. First up: Marvel's Gladiator.

Yes, there are actually two Gladiators in the Marvel Universe. Today we'll talk about the purple-skinned, mohawked Gladiator (aka Kallark), a member of the cosmic Imperial Guard and longtime nemesis (and ally) of the Uncanny X-Men. Here's a look at some impressive Gladiator goodies.

Uncanny X-Men #107 (1977) and Fantastic Four #249 (1982), Marvel Comics

Uncanny X-Men #107 by Marvel Comics

Fantastic Four #249 by Marvel Comics

Gladiator made his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #107 (he sneaks in on the bottom of the cover, pointing at the cornered X-Men) and several years later had a prominent cover appearance in Fantastic Four #249. Both issues are key for Gladiator fans, but Uncanny X-Men #107 is the more valuable of the two ($35-$125, depending on grade). Fantastic Four #249 is a steal at about $10 for a near mint copy.

Thanos Imperative Marvel Legends set, Hasbro (2014)

Thanos Imperative SDCC Exclusive set by Hasbro

This impressive five-figure set was released as a San Diego Comic Con Exclusive in 2014 and quickly shot up in value. The set of 6" figures includes Gladiator (making his debut in the Marvel Legends line), Star-Lord, Black Bolt, Medusa and Blastaar. This set originally cost about $100 when it was released in San Diego just two years ago, but it'll set you back closer to $300 these days.

Gladiator statue, Bowen Designs (2010)

Gladiator statue by Bowen Designs

We REALLY hope Bowen Designs gets back into the sculpting game, as founder Randy Bowen and his team have released some of the most impressive superhero statues ever produced, bar none. A good example is this eye-popping 18" polystone statue of Marvel's Gladiator sculpted by Jason Smith and Randy Bowen. Tough to track down on the secondary market and can go for more than $500.

See you all tomorrow as we hail pop culture gladiators all week long.