Figure of the Day: Day 115: A-Wing Pilot

A-WING FIGHTER PILOT from A-wing Fighter vehicle
Power of the Force Starfighter Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 69590 No. 69732
Number: n/a
Includes: A-wing Fighter vehicle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: Spring 1997
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: As a generic figure with no bio card, we really can't give you one. So let's just say "he loves fast cars and fast women," that could apply to anybody.

Image: Adam Pawlus' hallway on a stack of boxes next to a glow-in-the-dark cup with an AT-AT that was exclusive to the Harkins Theaters chain in 1997. No joke.

Commentary: There's not a lot to this figure. He has the basic six points of articulation, and since he was designed as a pilot figure (and therefore will be spending his life sitting) Kenner decided to cheap out and not give him foot holes. They went a step further, though, and decided the bottom of his boots didn't need any special sculpting or decorating either. So in that respect, this isn't a stellar figure, it was designed to serve the purpose as a pilot and no thought was given to making it a good, stand-alone figure for future repackaging or reuse. Oh well.

As far as authenticity goes, it's generally assumed that the helmet is wrong here. What he's wearing is likely what goes under the helmet, although supposedly you can see it in some scenes of Return of the Jedi. Regardless, it doesn't match the Action Fleet pilot's helmet. The sculpt is simple, a little bulky, and very much a product of its time-- in 1997, when this figure was released, Hasbro was just barely starting to transition away from the muscular, barrel-chested figures of 1995. The figure holds up reasonably well and is a great pilot figure, but with no weapons, he's not much to look at. Unless you have an A-wing Fighter for him to fly, he really doesn't serve much of a purpose anyway, so get one when you get your A-wing.

Collector's Notes: This vehicle was one of many toys clearanced out in he Great Clearance of 2000, in which Toys "R" Us and Kay-Bee bought tens (or hundreds) of thousands of toys from Hasbro's warehouse at an alleged price of $0.03 a piece, and then sold them for $2-$20, depending on what it was. For about $5-$10, this is a nice figure especially when you consider the A-wing Fighter (in the vintage days) was considered one of the rarest vehicles out there. $20 was the orignal price, and you should have absolutely no problem getting a sealed specimen for about that if not less-- with a little luck, anyway.

Day 115: August 29, 2006