Figure of the Day: Day 330: Death Star Gunner

DEATH STAR GUNNER Ka-blammo
Power of the Force Collection 1 or 3
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69608
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster Pistol, Rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Fall 1996-1997
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Imperial gunners were members of the Imperial Starfighter Corps who manned the various weapons of the Empire's capital ships, military bases, and, most famously, the Death Stars. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' floor.

Commentary: There are two (at least) different versions of the Death Star Gunner in the films. This figure was based off of a design used in the original Star Wars, which was a little more ornate and featured armor on the chest. (The vintage release was based on Return of the Jedi, and the 2006 version tries to bridge the two versions with removable bits and pieces.) This one was pretty good, and many fans considered it to be one of the few very good figures from the early years of the modern line. Sure, it had six measly points of articulation, but it had glossy paint! It had armor! It had two guns! That's all kinds of awesome. With folds in the "cloth" bits and a decent pose, fans ate this one up while it was offered at retail-- and then it vanished. The price never really shot up, but it wasn't a very common figure.

Collector's Notes: This figure has a lot of documented variations, from the color of the cardback to stickers on the packaging and beyond. This sort of thing was really fascinating in 1996 when, in two years, Hasbro barely cracked 30 new modern action figures. Today, you'll be lucky to find any fans that care enough to pay any sort of a premium as far as pricing goes, and as such, you can add this one to your collection fairly cheaply.

Day 330: April 1, 2007