OOM-9 with Blaster and BinocularsEpisode I Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 84105 No. 84127
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Antenna, Blaster, and Binoculars
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: May 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace
Bio: As a commander droid for the Trade Federation army, OOM-9 strategically coordinates the fully automated droid army against the Naboo and Gungan combined forces. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)
Image: Adam's back yard.
Commentary: After dozens of figures in the past 10 years, precious few Battle Droids have been made as toys and given an individual name. Actually, this OOM-9 is really the only one so far. While similar to the basic carded Battle Droids, this mold is actually fairly different. For starters, the neck can be crammed down into the torso rather than rotate down and forward. The figure still has a good range of movement, like a ball-jointed neck, elbows, shoulders, knees, and hips. Not surprisingly, this figure can easily sit and pilot your vehicles, plus he can hold a blaster or a pair of binoculars. It's pretty swell. The head is pointier than other droids of his day, so maybe that'll bug you. It don't bother me none.
Collector's Notes: This mold was never reused, although a similarly painted figure was released in one of the first Saga Legends 2007 Battle Droids 2-packs. This is the best "Commander" you can buy for your Battle Droids right now, but seeing as there's only two so far, there aren't a whole lot of options. This one's pretty cheap so you may as well get this one if you're going to get one. It's possible Hasbro may do a better version some day, but Battle Droid articulation started to go downhill as of 2002, so I wouldn't bet on it.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,067: July 16, 2009
2 comments:
OK, here's something I've been wondering for the last 10 years. Why would a ROBOT need binoculars to see better? Wouldn't you just build a robot with binocular vision built in? Of course you would.
Same goes for giving them a gun that they have to hold on to and pull the trigger. Wouldn't you just build the gun into their design (aka SUPER battle droid)? Of course you would.
Does the fact that something like this makes no sense make Star Wars any less cool or fun? Of course not.
And... why would Battle Droids whose every move was controlled from a remote location need Commanders among their ranks? Why would they need communicators and holographic displays to talk to their Nemoidian leaders -- wouldn't that just be built-in as well? Why would they need to talk among themselves -- presumably, they've all got the same brain.
I don't think we know the whole story.
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