PRINCESS LEIA from Dark Empire ComicsPower of the Force Expanded Universe Collection
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69884
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Dark Empire
Bio: 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... Hoping to free her brother Luke from the evil of the dark side, Jedi Leia prepares to match her power against that of a reborn Emperor. Boarding his colossal warship, Leia is overwhelmed by the oppression of the dark side. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' TV trays.
Commentary: The Expanded Universe figures were fun. They were original designs fans wanted, and in 1998, had the misfortune of coming out right as retailers said "whoa, we don't want any more of this assortment," thus depriving them of a chance to do well and Kenner/Hasbro said that this was a direct result of these being bad choices or poorly selling figures. Nevermind the fact that many fans never once saw Princess Leia from Dark Empire or any of a number of the comics-and-games-based figures in a normal retail store. (Why do you think the Darktrooper is coming back, after all?) These were really good figures too, with lots of parts and pieces to make them fun, even if some of the design choices were weird. For example, Leia was pregnant during Dark Empire-- does this figure look like she has a baby bump to you? She also doesn't have her "baseball" cap from the series, which was on a pretty memorable cover. She does, however, have a Jedi cloak, an all-new hair style, a fairly generic red lightsaber, and a blaster as well as six points of articulation. It's also worth noting that her hair is flexible, otherwise you wouldn't be able to put on/remove her Jedi cloak. It's a good figure, one of the better releases of her day, but obviously she isn't as awesome in 2007 as she was in 1998. As such, she's worth picking up if you're a fan of the comics, or if you're looking for something different. For all of the fans that demand all figure be super-articulated or you can't be bothered to part with your Lincolns, well, obviously save that vast fortune for your next lunch at KFC.
Collector's Notes: What's not to like? It's the only version of Leia in this outfit on the market today, she has a package with a pop-out diorama, and she looks different than every figure in the Star Wars collection-- this is no small feat. While there are rumors that this figure might find its way to stores again through the Comic Packs, nothing has been confirmed and for now you can probably expect to drop $10-$15 to get this figure if and when you see one for sale.
Day 375: May 16, 2007
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