Flashback Friday Figure Addendum #0076: Luke Skywalker – Dark Empire

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Flashback Friday Figure Addendum and tagged with , , , , ,

LUKE SKYWALKER — DARK EMPIRE

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

Heeeeeeeey, it’s Friday again!  Right now, I’m all about keeping the Star Wars thing rolling, so let’s have a little more of that!  Let’s delve back into the now defunct Star Wars Expanded Universe with a follow-up look at Dark Empire Luke!

 “Six years after the destruction of the second Death Star, the galaxy is thrust into turmoil. A reborn evil threatens to enslave the galaxy, and the Republic’s closest friend – Luke Skywalker – may become their greatest enemy. Freed from their detention cell, a group of rebels begin their escape from the Imperial planet Byss. But the sudden appearance of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, could mean unfortunate news for the Rebels. Has Luke fallen under the spell of the dark side?”

Remember two weeks ago when I was talking about the Star Wars Expanded Universe? Well, hows about a little more of that? Yeah, let’s go with that. It’s another Dark Empire figure! Wooooo! This time, it’s Luke Skywalker, in his ‘90s anti-hero phase. Let’s have a look!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Dark Empire Luke Skywalker was another of the four Dark Empire figures in the one and only series of Kenner’s Star Wars: Expanded Universe line. The figure stands about 3 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation. Like the Clone Emperor, the seventh point of articulation is on his wrist (though this time it was the right one), which was more to allow for the removal of Luke’s hand…which is why my figure is missing his right hand. Luke had a totally unique sculpt, based on his bad-boy look from the Dark Empire comics. It’s sort of goofy and definitely dated, but I can’t help but find it endearing. By this point in time, Kenner had lost the bulky, puffy look of their early ‘90s Star Wars figures, so this guy doesn’t look anywhere near as goofy, at least proportion-wise. The head was a new mold, showcasing Luke’s extra bouncy hair from Dark Empire, but it has the same facial construction as Kenner’s second-generation PotF2 Luke heads, which had a slightly better Hamill likeness. It’s a little strange that he’s ended up looking so much younger, but I don’t think it looks terrible at all. Luke’s paint is pretty solid overall. I think it’s a bit more pleasing to the eye than the Clone Emperor, and the application is generally pretty clean. Luke included a lightsaber—red to denote his flirting with the Dark Side during the events of Dark Empire—as well as a blaster pistol. He also included another of the fold-out 3D display stand things, which was pretty cool. Reeeeeaaaaally wish I still had one of those.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I think this was the first instance of me eagerly awaiting the release of a Star Wars figure. I was at the local Another Universe at the mall with my Dad, and I saw this guy on the cover of a Star Wars fan magazine, which had the details on the whole Expanded Universe assortment. My Dad was nice enough to buy the magazine for me, and I remember dragging that thing all over the place while I eagerly awaited this figure’s release. As I mentioned in the Clone Emperor review, I found this guy in the Farpoint dealer’s room the year he was released, and he was purchased for me by my Grandmother. He’s a pretty awesome figure, and still remains one of my favorites.

This has always been one of my favorite Power of the Force figures, and I think my original review conveys that pretty well, as well as showing just how well-loved he was, given his *many* missing parts.  He actually spent a lot of his time with a stand-in right hand, stolen from a spare Saga Clone Trooper I had, which didn’t really fit or match, but it made me feel better.  I actually purchased a whole replacement Luke back when I got most of the other Expanded Universe figures, so I had a complete one there, but, then, over the course of a couple of years, the original hand and lightsaber from my old figure turned back up, which made me quite happy.  Buying the replacement still gave me a chance to get his 3D fold-out back-drop again, though, and I do really, really love those.  I did *unfortunately* misplace the replacement blaster I picked up, so I may have to do another lead-in photo at some point.  For now, though, I’m happy my favorite PotF figure has all his essential parts again.

#4055: Classic Edition 4-Pack

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , , ,

LUKE SKYWALKER, DARTH VADER, HAN SOLO, & CHEWBACCA

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

“To commemorate the rich history of the Star Wars film series, Kenner presents this Classic Edition 4-Pack in a strictly limited release. Four of the most popular characters have been produced from molds cast directly from the original Kenner action figures dating to the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. This special edition comes as a new era for Star Wars toys is proudly unveiled. Look for the all-new line of Kenner action figures and vehicles that capture all the detail, authenticity, and excitement of the epic Star Wars tradition.”

Ugh, shopkeeper’s apostrophes on the decades.  I hate those.  ….what am I doing here?  Oh, right, toys.  That’s what I’m doing.  Not critiquing 31 year old writing style choices.  I guess that’s fair.  Well, let’s talk toys!

In 1995, Star Wars had been absent from toy retail shelves for a decade, and Kenner was bringing it back.  Of course, what most people remember when you talk about Star Wars toys from 1995 are the super buff all-new Power of the Force figures, but they *also* did a not so often brought up set of recreations from the original run.  It was…not well received at the time, and there was all sorts of anger, and Kenner promised never to do it again.  These days, of course, we have all sorts of retro recreations and continuations, so it’s an entirely different vibe.  These clearly denoted recreations seem pretty quaint by comparison.  Anyway, let’s check them out!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Chewbacca were released in 1995 as the “Classic Edition 4-Pack,” a Toys “R” Us exclusive Power of the Force II offering from the beginning of the line.  The set includes the four figures and their corresponding accessories, as well as four Topps “WideVision” train cards.  Though touted as “Limited Edition,” the set is rumored to have been produced in numbers between 200,000 and 250,000, so not exactly rare.  I suppose it’s at least finite?  Could that be a thing?  Could we start promoting figures as “finite editions.”  Sure, it means nothing, but think of the synergy!

Luke was one of the very first Star Wars figures back in the day, as part of the Early Bird set, so it’s fitting for him to be included again.  This figure is patterned on his very first figure, which I’ve actually reviewed here on the site.  Like that figure, he’s 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  The sculpts for these guys are, as noted in the packaging text, are cast from original figures.  It results in a degree of shrinkage from the originals, so he’s just a little bit smaller in every way.  Beyond that, he looks like the old figure, pretty much.  Details are a little sharper, and some angles are a little harsher, but it looks reasonably like the real thing, at least until you catch the updated date stamp.  Obviously, there’s a definite style to this figure, but there’s a quaint charm.  The paint work keeps up with the original, albeit cleaner than any I’ve seen in person.  Luke is armed with his lightsaber, which in this case is a small retractible blade that goes into his arm.  It’s yellow, as was the original.  Why?  Who knows.  It’s quaint!

Can’t have Luke and not have Darth Vader, right?  Vader, unlike Luke, only had one single figure during the original run, and that’s the one they were recreating here.  The figure is 4 inches all and he has 5 points of articulation.  His sculpt is done in the same way as Luke, so it’s a little smaller than the original, and has some minor changes from the transfer, but generally looks the part.  It’s again a little sharper, which isn’t so bad.  Like the original, his cloak/robe/cape is a piece of black vinyl, with arm holes in it.  It’s a little bit thinner than the original was, which is honestly a bit better for posing and how it hangs.  His paint is more or less identical to the original; it’s minor, but it looks fine.  He’s got the same retracting Lightsaber blade as Luke, but molded in the proper red.

Han’s vintage figure is noteworthy for having a very prominent sculptural change mid-production, split by “small-headed” and “big-headed” Hans within the fandom.  Big-Head was the later and generally more plentiful of the two, and also the one that got the reproduction more recently from Hasbro, but Kenner’s first recreation was the small-headed one.  And you know what?  Good.  It’s the better one, and I don’t think it’s even close.  Big-Head Han looks silly, and Small-Head Han looks significantly less so.  He’s more proportionate.  The sculpt uses the same approach as the others, with the same caveats.  I think the sharper detailing works better for his outfit’s details, especially that vest.  In terms of coloring, he’s a little more paint reliant than the original, with his arms being molded in black and totally painted, rather than molded white like the original.  Even painted, it looks a lot like the original, so it’s not so bad.  Han is packed with a replica of his blaster pistol, which is very secure in his right hand.

Rounding out the set is Chewbacca, another figure whose original has been reviewed here on the site.  Like Vader, he just had the one vintage figure, which served as an all-purpose figure for all three movies.  The figure is 4 inches tall with 4 points of articulation, since he’s missing a neck joint.  As I noted in my review of the original, he’s got a definite stylistic approach, but I do really like it, and I feel like it gets to the core of his character, even if it’s silly.  His coloring is slightly more of a departure from the original figure than the other three here, with his shades being a bit desaturated compared to his vintage counterpart.  He’s packed with a replica of the original’s bowcaster, notable in its lack of the bow part, but otherwise cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This is a set that’s…not commonly talked about in collecting circles.  Since I got into the line in its second year, I didn’t have a reference for them, and I had my dad’s originals anyway, so it didn’t really jump out as something I *needed* to know about.  My first encounter with them was a display at the Air & Space Museum, which was honestly kind of cool.  In putting together my list of Power of the Force stuff, I actually almost missed these.  As it stands, they were part of a crazy venture right at the end where I just bought all the figures I still needed in one fell swoop, and they were the first of the batch to show up.  They’re an interesting sort of approach to an idea that the world just wasn’t ready for yet.  They don’t do anything new, but I think they do what they’re looking to do a little better than later approaches.

#4054: Lt Commander Hitchcock

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

LT COMMANDER HITCHCOCK

SEAQUEST DSV (PLAYMATES)

“Name: Katherine Hitchcock

Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Assignment: Chief Engineer, seaQuest DSV 4600

UEO Military ID#: PM921-1345-DB6

Security Access: A1B

Date of Birth: June 17, 1990

Character Profile: Highly focused, extremely bright. A formidable, independent thinker. Assertive and tenacious when she knows she’s right. One of the most talented and dependable members of seaQuest crew.

Personal History: Born and raised in Cody, Wyoming. Graduated top of Naval Academy class in 2011. Marriage to Naval cadet Benjamin Krieg (current seaQuest Morale and Supply Officer) ended in divorce. Led seaQuest scientific refit team in 2017. Has ably assumed command of the ship during absence of Captain Bridger and Commander Ford.

Mission Specialty: Responsible for complete knowledge, maintenance and operation of all physical systems aboard the ship, including primary operation of ship’s HyperReality Probe.”

Remember in my prior SeaQuest reviews where touched on sizable losses of cast members as the show progressed?  Well, today really leans into that one.  Stacy Haiduk’s Lt. Commander Hitchcock is fairly major part of the show’s first season, but when the show planned to move its production to Florida and Haiduk didn’t want to follow, Hitchcock was dropped at the end of the first season.  While there were effectively replacements for her (with Lt. Henderson being at times feeling like a thinly veiled knock-off), she took with her an energy of seriousness, and the show was definitely hindered by the loss of such an important character as it moved forward.  But, hey, at least she got an action figure, right?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Lt Commander Hitchcock is part of the one and only series of Playmates’ SeaQuest DSV tie-in line.  Her presence on the show made her a natural choice for the line, though it was always unfortunate that there was no Krieg figure to go with her.  She was the line’s only female figure, though a Dr. Westphalen was supposedly prototyped, with plans that she might be in a hypothetical second series.  The figure stands just under 4 1/2 inches tall and she has 14 points of articulation.  Apart from her neck joint being slightly restricted by the hair, she has pretty much the same articulation as everyone else in the line, which is to say it’s pretty good.  Her sculpt is unique to her, and obviously a bit more of a departure than some of the others.  It remains consistent stylistically, though, and she fits right in with the rest of the crew.  Her head sculpt is a pretty respectable likeness of Haiduk in the role; like others in the set, her hair seems to trend closer to the early season 1 look, when it was more tight and controlled than later in the run.  Hitchcock’s paint work is solid, if slightly basic work, but there’s plenty going on, especially with the different insignia and markings on her uniform.  Like O’Neill, she gets a splash of red, as opposed to the white everyone else has, which makes for some nice variation.  Hitchcock includes the same stun gun and PAL as the other crew members, as well as a display stand, but the coolest stuff is definitely the HyperReality Probe and its associated gear.  Hitchcock was the one who always piloted the probe, so it’s an awesome and very character specific inclusion.  If you want to get technical, she should have a glove for each hand, but even just the one demonstrates the idea.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Back during my college days, when my parents found me the O’Neill figure I reviewed two weeks ago, he was accompanied by the information that the store where they’d found him also had the rest of the crew.  As such, I made my own personal trip out there, which resulted in, amongst others, me getting the Hitchcock figure seen in this review.  Like O’Neill, she sat on my college dorm room desk for a while, which is a neat memory I have of these guys.  She’s another cool figure, and benefits from what is probably the coolest accessory selection from the line.

#4053: The Joker

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

THE JOKER

SUPER POWERS (KENNER)

Last week, I dove back into the world of Kenner’s Super Powers, and I’m keeping that whole business going this week.  In prep for this review, I discovered that I haven’t reviewed a Joker figure since 2021, which does seem kind of crazy, given he’s a rather prominent character.  Honestly, I chalk it up to my general feeling that he’s become a bit overplayed, but I digress. Curiously, despite Todd’s focus on the Batman side of things, Joker was a notable omission from the McFarlane revival of Super Powers, so we have to go back to the vintage Kenner days for him.  Let’s take a look at him now!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Joker was released as part of the first series of Kenner’s Super Powers line in 1984.  He was one of two different Bat-Rogues included in the line-up, pairing off with Penguin.  This was Joker’s third figure after his Mego World’s Greatest Super Heroes and Comic Action Heroes figures from the ‘70s.  The figure stands just over 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  Joker has the line’s standard articulation set-up, which works well enough for him.  His sculpt was totally unique at the time (though it would be retooled for Kenner’s World of Batman line for a Nicholson-inspired Joker in 1991), and like the rest of the line, it’s based on his Style Guide entry.  It’s a nice, polished classic Joker design.  He’s notably a lot skinnier than the other figures in the line, in keeping with his usual depictions, as well as nicely distinguishing him from the others. The suit’s well-defined, with lots of folds and texturings, and even etched-in lines for the pin-stripes on his pants.  The paint work is rather basic, but covers the basics.  It matches his usual depictions at the time, though it’s maybe a bit washed out compared to the other figures in the line.  Joker is packed with a large green mallet, which is hollow on one side, and can fit over his head to look like a larger version of his face?  Because, that’s a thing?  It’s weird, but also somewhat endearing.  I do kind of dig it, in an odd way.  His action feature is when your squeeze his legs, his right arm swings down, so as to smash things with his hammer.  

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I honestly don’t really recall much about getting this guy.  He was one that just was sort of added to my collection in the shuffle.  I wanna say I got him at the same time as Penguin, at a Comic Con?  He had neither his accessory, nor his coat tails.  I got the mallet first, with a larger lot that also netted me Penguin’s coat tails, and a Batmobile.  The coat tails were actually really recent, only in the last couple of years.  Nothing about getting this guy is particularly notable, and, if I’m honest, after so many Joker figures, it’s hard to find anything notable about this guy in general.  But, he’s certainly not a bad figure.

#4052: Ms. Marvel

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

MS. MARVEL

MARVEL HALL OF FAME (TOY BIZ)

“Blasting out of the Marvel Universe are its most powerful heroines, the She-Force! Joining together to fight evil are mutants Marvel Girl, Wolfsbane and Dazzler along with Avengers Tigra and Ms. Marvel. Challenging the threat of the Brotherhood of evil Mutants, the She-Force has what it takes to get the job done. Using their combined abilities, the She-Force takes down the Brotherhood in one explosive battle!”

One of the things that made Toy Biz’s 5-inch run of Marvel figures so—wait, hang on a second, I seem to be repeating myself a bit here!  As it turns out, today’s review of a Toy Biz Marvel Hall of Fame Ms. Marvel from the “She-Force” sub-heading is a *completely* different figure than the one I reviewed a week ago.  Of an entirely different character at that!  See, last week’s Ms. Marvel was Carol Danvers, the originator of the title, who vacated the name for “Binary” in the late ‘70s.  Since brand synergy meant that Marvel really didn’t want to let a name like “Ms. Marvel” lapse, they had to introduce a new character to take on the mantle, which they did in 1985 with Sharon Ventura, a professional wrestler turned hero who first appeared as a supporting player to The Thing.  Sharon rather quick mutation into She-Thing has made that her more generally known identity, to the point that her being “Ms. Marvel” can get lost in the shuffle a bit.  Toy Biz themselves seems to have gotten confused in the above text from the back of the box, which refers to her as an Avenger, despite the fact that Sharon was affiliated with the FF, and wouldn’t have any actual connection to the Avengers until well into the ‘00s, when “Avengers” had essentially become a catch-all title for “group of Marvel heroes.”  Anyway, despite being better known as She-Thing, to date Sharon’s action figure is in her Ms. Marvel incarnation, which I’m looking at today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Ms. Marvel was released in the sixth series of Marvel Hall of Fame, as part of the second “She-Force” branded assortment of the Puzzle Zoo-exclusive line.  Sharon is seen here in her original Ms. Marvel attire, which I don’t believe she’d had in a while at the time of this figure’s release.  The figure stands about 5 inches tall and she has 8 points of articulation.  Structurally, she’s a total re-use of the X-Men line’s Phoenix.  It’s a good sculpt, with nice balanced proportions, and it’s even got a sash.  I do really think it would be better for Carol than for Sharon, with Sharon, to my mind, making a lot more sense as a re-use of the Spider-Woman body, since that’s a little more muscular, and has straighter hair, both more in line with Sharon.  As it stands, though, this is still a nice sculpt, and the only real drawback is the lack of neck joint due to the remnants of the no longer present light-up feature of the original figure.  The main selling point here is the paint work, and I have to admit, it’s really good paint.  The costume is very bright and eye-catching, and not saddled with any of the “ignore the sculpted details” issues of Carol, and the accenting on the hair is nothing short of inspired.  Like, that just looks really, really cool.  There’s still a bit of fuzz, especially on the yellow sections (it’s Toy Biz, so there’s really no avoiding it), but overall it’s not too bad.  Sharon was just really strong, so there’s not a lot easy accessories to be had, but they tried anyway, and so she gets Quicksilver’s machine gun with the stock?  It was weird for him, and it’s weird for her, and she really can’t even hold it.  Very odd.  She also got a Fleer trading card, which in my figure’s case is a Sabretooth.  Why not?

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I always seemed to get the Hall of Fame figures in batches, but this one is decidedly *not* a case of that.  She almost was, as one of my larger purchases was from a lot that did include her, but my Dad got that one, since I was already getting all of the others.  Instead, she wound up added to my collection courtesy of a sizable Toy Biz Marvel trade-in at work about three or four years ago.  She sat carded for a long time, until I decided that was stupid and lame, and opened her up, took photos, and stuck her on the shelf.  And she’s been there until now.  I messed with her for the review, and, apart from my quibbles about body choice, she’s a really cool figure.

Friday Figure Addendum #0075: Aquaman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Flashback Friday Figure Addendum and tagged with , , , ,

AQUAMAN

SUPER POWERS (KENNER)

When is a Friday Figure Addendum not a Flashback? When it’s for a review I only ran three days ago.  I mean, I guess that’s still a flashback.  Right?  But it doesn’t feel like it, and I’m writing this literally right after the proper review, so I’m just gonna drop the “Flashback” for this one.  So, let’s talk a little more about Aquaman!

In Tuesday’s review, I discussed my Super Powers Aquaman, who was a rather cheap addition to my collection, which came to me in rather rough shape.  Further more, I was seven when I got it, so it only got more played with from there.  For the fullest extent of what I’m talking about, here’s what my Aquaman looked like in March of this year:

As you can see, he took quite a beating.   Since my Super Powers are something I’m rather proud of, with a pretty prominent display spot, I wanted him to be a bit better.  I used to do a fair bit of customizing, and even some restoring from time to time, so I decided to break those skills out again, and get this guy back up to his fullest potential.  I think I did pretty well, and I’m very happy with the end result.  And, I threw in a repro trident courtesy of Made Like Old, so he feels all polished and complete.  For a beater figure I bought for $2.50 almost three decades ago, I think he’s doing pretty well!

#4051: Tattooine with Luke Skywalker

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

TATTOOINE with LUKE SKYWALKER

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

“Far from the center of the galaxy lies the twin-sunned, desert planet Tatooine, homeworld of Rebel Alliance hero Luke Skywalker. Geographically, the rocky Jundland Wastes span a vast area of the planet and include sights such as the Dune Sea and craggy Beggar’s Canyon, where the young Skywalker maneuvered his T-16 skyhopper.  Tatooine’s native lifeforms include the peaceful, droid-scavenging Jawas; the nomadic and aggressive Tusken Raiders; and various creatures including womp rats, banthas, and the enormous krayt dragon.  One of Tatooine’s most menacing lifeforms lies hidden within the Great pit of Carkoon, in the heart of the Western Dune Sea. The Sarlacc is an omnivorous beast that anchors itself at the bottom of the pit, using its tentacles to trap unfortunate prey and digest them over the span of a thousand years.

Tatooine’s remote location makes it an ideal refuge for some of the galaxy’s most notorious criminals, mercenaries and bounty hunters. The most infamous of this questionable population, crime lord Jabba the Hutt, keeps residence in his palace here, presiding over his far-reaching operations from within its fortress-like walls.”

As I make my way through my last handful of Power of the Force reviews, I’m finishing off a lot of the various sub-lines and sets.  Last week, I wrapped up the creature sets, and before that I did the whole run of Millennium Minted Coins, and before that the vehicle pack-ins, and before that the singles.  Today, I close out the last of the sub-sets, Complete Galaxy, part of Kenner’s great experiment in “how much crap can we get people to buy for a pack-in figure?”  The answer was, apparently, not a weird globe thing, because the line wasn’t really much of a success, but there were four of them, and I reviewed three of those, so, here’s the last one!

THE TOYS THEMSELVES

Tattooine with Luke Skywalker is the final of the four “Complete Galaxy” sets added to Star Wars: Power of the Force II in 1998.  This set’s based on Return of the Jedi, specifically the sequence on the skiff above the Sarlacc pit.  We get the globe thing that all the sets have, this time based on Tattooine.  They do their best to make the exterior more than just a tan ball, with some variations and the labelled spots on the map like the other three.  It sits a bit better on the base than the Endor set, but not quite as securely as the other two.  The interior gives us a section of the Pit of Carkoon scene, with part of the the skiff, with the plank extended, and the Sarlacc visible on the lower section.  The Sarlacc even gets articulation and everything, which is honestly really cool.  It’s not as ambitious as the Endor set, but that gives it a more easily attainable mark, and that makes it ultimately more successful.

This set’s included Luke Skywalker is one of three nearly identical figures from around the same time, all based on his vested Jedi look from the beginning of the movie.  They’re all different enough to be different, but not much beyond that.  The figure is about 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation, with the standard 6 points for the line, plus a swivel on the right wrist.  There’s a lot of parts sharing between the various Jedi Lukes, and the only truly unique pieces to this one are the legs.  Ultimately, I think this is probably my favorite assembly of all the Jedi Lukes, so I’m a fan.  The paint work is pretty much on par with the other variations of this design.  The only notably different thing is that the hair’s a bit darker than the other releases.  It’s not a major shift, but you can see it.  Luke includes his Jedi green lightsaber, which he can hold in either of his hands, but not both.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve had this set on my watchlist for a while, and was honestly kind of waiting for one to land in front of me, but it never did, and suddenly it was one of the last pieces I needed from the line, so I just finally jumped on one from eBay.  The Complete Galaxy sets have been kind of middling at best, and I’ve messed with the very similar Luke figures, so I wasn’t exactly expecting much.  That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  Though the changes to Luke are minor, I think they overall work a bit better.  The Tattooine set is honestly he coolest of the four globes, working a bit more effectively, and giving us the Sarlacc, which feels like it justifies the set’s existence a bit more.

#4050: Racer X

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

RACER X

SPEED RACER (RESAURUS)

“Unknown to Speed, Racer X is his older brother Rex, who ran away from home years ago!”

The thing about Speed Racer is that it’s not *just* Speed who gets in on the racing hi jinx that inevitably turn into some super spy adventure; it’s a whole family ordeal.  Even when nobody else knows that person is part of the family.  I talk, of course, of the Masked Racer, Racer X, the awesome, super cool racer whose identity is pretty much just a secret to the core main characters and, like, no one else.  Also, his original name is “Rex Racer” and his assumed name is “Racer X” which sounds like “Racer Rex” so how good of a mystery can it be?  Who cares, he looks super cool, he sounds super cool, and he is super cool.  Let’s look at his action figure!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Racer X was released in Series 2 of Resaurus’s Speed Racer line from the ‘90s.  He’s obviously the most important figure present in the line-up, clearly held back to the second assortment to give it a heavy hitter.  Since Rex really just has the one look while in the “Racer X” identity, that’s the one chosen for the figure.  The figure stands just over 5 inches tall and he has 8 points of articulation.  His articulation scheme is consistent with the rest of the line, so he’s got the core 5poa, plus swivels on the wrists and waist.  Compared to the rest of the line, especially the Series 1 figures, Racer X is a much stiffer figure, so, while he may have the articulation, there’s less he can really do with it.  The sculpt was unique to him, and takes the approach of the rest of the line, which is to grab all of the defining traits of his show design and then sort of assemble them into something that looks a bit better than the frequently spotty animation of the original show.  In Racer X’s case, the result is something that looks decidedly Bruce Timm-like in its approach, which is hardly a bad thing (and it resulted in this figure being a very frequent choice for Timm-styled DCAU customs in the ‘00s).  Apart from the general stiffness, the sculpt is quite strong.  It’s clean, sharply defined, and has lots of small details that could be easily overlooked, like the slight blousing of his jumpsuit near the waist, or the fully detailed treads on the undersides of his feet.  It’s honestly crazy the detailing that got put into these figures, especially relative to the designs they were starting from.  Racer X’s paint work is fine, but like Speed, kind of the weak link of the figure.  Mine’s taken a bit of wear over the years, but even before that, the coverage on the brown sections of the costume was inconsistent and kind of thin is some spots.  Thankfully, he brings it back around with the accessories.  While you could easily skimp on a lot of the accessories for these guys, they really didn’t, with Racer X including a handgun, radio, secret agent brief case (with fully detailed interior), a “TOP SECRET” file (which fits in the brief case), and a display stand.  None of that’s essential, but all of it’s very cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Speed Racer got a bit of a resurgence in the ‘90s, and honestly, I only barely remember it.  I remember Cartoon Network made a big deal about running it, and I watched some episodes.  Mostly, I remembered this guy, and a lot of that was because he kind of looked like Cyclops.  So, he was the first figure I got from this line (and the only one I had until I was a teenager), purchased from Cosmic Comix sometime in the early ‘00s, because he kind of looked like Cyclops.  Thankfully, the show came out on DVD just a few years after, and I was able to properly appreciate the coolness that is Racer X, and further appreciate the coolness that is this Racer X figure.  Stiffness of the sculpt aside, there’s a lot going on with this figure that absolutely didn’t need to be going on with this figure, but it is, and he’s better for it.

#4049: Aquaman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

AQUAMAN

SUPER POWERS (KENNER)

“Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas, can remain underwater indefinitely, can swim tremendous distances, and can communicate telepathically with sea creatures and have them obey him.”

Hey, it’s Super Powers!  I haven’t talked about Super Powers since January, after a whopping 25 Super Powers reviews last year.  I blame Todd McFarlane.  I mean, for, like, a lot of things, but in this case, he’s responsible for the upswing and then downswing in new Super Powers figures after a 40 year break, which gave me a bunch more to review.  I’ve decided to finally get myself together and take a look at the remaining unreviewed Kenner Super Powers in my collection, so, you know, here’s that.  We’re starting off with Aquaman, swift and powerful monarch of the seas!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Aquaman was released in the first series of Kenner’s Super Powers in 1984.  He was no stranger to the toy world at this point, with multiple figures from Mego, and even a Captain Action set from Ideal.  As one of the heroes to receive his own Filmation cartoon, as well as maintain a presence for the whole run of Super Friends, Aquaman’s a pretty logical pick, especially for this era.  Perhaps the most curious thing was that, for all his prominent placement early in the run, he never got any of his own antagonists in the line (McFarlane did at least give us a Black Manta).  The figure stands 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  His movement is standard for the line, with the caveat that, unlike most of the line, his action feature is in his legs, triggered by squeezing his arms, rather than the usual reverse.  It’s worth noting that Flash, also in the first series, had the same set-up, though.  It makes him slightly less stable on his feet, but ultimately, it’s not a major shift.  Aquaman’s sculpt was unique to him, and certainly up to the line’s high standard.  He’s clearly working closely towards that Jose Garcia-Lopez style guide look, even moreso than some of the others in the line.  There’s a ton of work going into the texturing, especially on the scaled shirt.  The head is also quite a spot-on Aquaman, in a way that I think a lot of later figures would miss; he feels like the same general character seen in Super Friends, but also doesn’t look quite as silly.  There’s a slight goofy charm still there, though, and you do love to see it.  I particularly love that swoop to how his hair falls, which just feels very natural and expressive.  His posing is more understated for this line, which tended to at least somewhat bend the arms.  Since he was meant for swimming, though, Aquaman’s got straighter arms, and a particularly well sculpted flat hand on the left side.  Aquaman’s color work matches well with his classic design, covering all the basics, but not getting too crazy.  Aquaman was packed with a trident (Tim would note that it’s technically got five points, though, so it’s really a “quintdent”), which is quite prone to both loss and breakage, but there are thankfully a lot of pretty decent reproductions out there, if one were so inclined.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Aquaman is, I think, my second Super Powers figure.  He was purchased during one of many trips to Ageless Heroes, a comic shop that closed down at the end of the ‘90s, and liquidated all of its inventory.  He was behind the counter, tied to a backer board, and wound up being, like, $2.50?  It was a very low price.  Admittedly, he was in very rough shape, and remained that way for my entire childhood.  At the time, it was pretty much the only way I was getting a classic Aquaman, though, and I wasn’t much for the hook-handed look, so I was pretty thrilled.  Over the years, I’ve contemplated getting a replacement in better condition, but more recently I decided to give my original some TLC, and get him a bit closer to his former glory.  I love every Super Powers figure, but Aquaman is certainly one of the nicest, in a decidedly understated sort of way, that I can really dig.

#4048: Ms. Marvel

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

MS. MARVEL

MARVEL HALL OF FAME (TOY BIZ)

“It’s non-stop action when the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroines join forces against the power of the Black Queen! Locked in mortal combat with the notorious Queen, Jean Grey of the X-Men uses her telepathic powers to summon help. Jean is joined by fellow X-Man Storm, Avenger Ms. Marvel, and the mysterious Spider-Woman. Together, this team has all the power it needs to stop the Black Queen in her tracks! ”

One of the things that made Toy Biz’s 5-inch run of Marvel figures so expansive and pervasive was Toy Biz’s ability to *really* milk a mold.  Admittedly, they had some help in this venture, in the form of retailers who were looking for exclusives, no matter what they were.  A few different retailers got their own exclusive lines, which were pretty much just an excuse to run a mix of straight reissues of older figures, alongside “new” figures fashioned entirely from repurposed parts.  Online retailer PuzzleZoo got in on the action with their exclusive line Marvel Hall of Fame, which most notably introduced the “She-Force” sub-line, which ran for three of the line’s seven series.  It was an exceptionally rare move, putting out an entire assortment of female figures, and one that the line would do an astounding three times.  Amongst the unique characters in the first round of She-Force was Carol Danvers in her Ms. Marvel identity, granting Carol her very first action figure!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Ms. Marvel was released in the first “She-Force” Series, the second overall series of Marvel Hall of Fame.  Its 1996 release puts it in an interesting spot for the character, who was still kind of bouncing around at the time, having lost her Binary powers in “Operation Galactic Storm.”  She would regain a fair bit of prominence not long after this figure’s release, when she resurfaced in Busiek and Perez’s Avengers, albeit sporting the title “Warbird.”  But, she was intermittently back to using Ms. Marvel at the time, so that’s the name she got.  The figure stands just over 5 inches tall and she has 10 points of articulation.  Ms. Marvel is a total repaint, specifically of the Fantastic Four line’s Medusa.  It’s not a great sculpt, honestly, and it’s also saddled with a lot of details that don’t correspond to Carol’s costume design in the slightest.  She’s got very clearly defined cuffs on her boots and gloves, which don’t correspond with the placement of those pieces on Carol’s costume, and there’s also a sash present for Carol that Medusa simply didn’t have.  Why they didn’t re-use the mold from Phoenix, who has a design *a lot* closer to Carol’s, is anyone’s guess; it’s worth noting the Phoenix mold was used for the second Ms. Marvel, Sharon Ventura, later in the line.  The paint does the heavy lifting here, of course, and it’s generally fine, but for some reason, they give her full sleeves, rather than sleeveless with opera gloves as the design’s actually meant to be.  Maybe they thought the extra paint-app was just too much?  Ms. Marvel is packed with one of those weird launching bases they liked to throw in when they didn’t know what else to do.  This is specifically the Human Torch variation of the mold, without the obvious “X” on the launching part.  It’s just black for this release, which is kind of bland, but I guess it makes it subtle.  She also included a trading card, which for my figure was Quicksilver.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Because of their exclusively online nature, I had very few of the Hall of Fame figures as a kid.  Ms. Marvel was not one of them.  I know my dad had one, because he had a more extensive Avengers set-up than me.  Mine is a much more recent addition, which my parents got for me in 2022, during a stop at an antique shop, which had a few of the Hall of Fame figures.  She’s…not great?  I mean, the Medusa mold’s definitely not a strong one in the first place, and it’s extra limiting, and it’s downright criminal that Toy Biz used it so many times.  But, it’s also not the worst thing? I don’t know, maybe I’m just warming up to the mold, but I think it might honestly work the best here of the three uses, clumsy as it may be.  I still think the Phoenix mold would have made more sense, but it is what it is, and it’s ultimately okay.