Figure of the Day: Day 62: Lott Dod

LOTT DOD Neimoidian Senator
Saga Collection Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84913
Number: 0251
Includes: Holographic Darth Sidious, Fancy Hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Bio: A Neimoidian senator who represents the Trade Federation's interests in the Galactic Senate, Lott Dod uses his bureaucratic lies and procedural tricks to achieve the aims of the Trade Federation. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's Pawlus Toy Shelves never looked more exciting.

Commentary: During Episode I, Neimoidians sold poorly. Which is why it's somewhat shocking to see Hasbro going back to the well for this race, starting with 2002's Lott Dod from the very first prequel. It's not shocking because he's a bad figure-- he's actually quite neat, despite being largely a statue. He's painted well, looks old and wrinkly (moreso than a normal member of his race), but doesn't have much action to offer aside "removing of hat" action and "standing there" action. For fans of aliens and specifically the Trade Federation, this is a gorgeous figure with a nicely sculpted robe, a well-painted sash, and of course, the first mini-holographic bonus figure ever. And this was one people actually wanted, despite having been released with Count Dooku previously.

Collector's Notes: What you see is what you get, and you can get it for about $2 per pound. This figure was a very weak seller and no doubt still sits in a store somewhere to this day, never having been purchased. (My guess is a Walgreen's or a CVS.) If you want one, just keep watching eBay-- his auctions end below $2. No, seriously. Why wait for a reissue when you can practically steal this one?

Day 62: July 7, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 61: Mynock Hunt Chewbacca

CHEWBACCA Mynock Hunt
Power of the Force Cinema Scenes Collection
Item No.: Asst. 69650 No. 69868
Number: n/a
Includes: Breathing Mask, Bowcaster, Display Stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99-$19.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Fleeing the fierce Imperial assault on the frozen planet Hoth, the Millennium Falcon and the Rebel crew fly into the midst of a waiting Imperial war fleet. Unable to engage the Falcon's malfunctioning hyperdrive system, Han Solo steers recklessly into an asteroid field. Solo maneuvers the Corellian freighter through the deadly storm, missing large rocks by mere inches before locating sanctuary in the cave of a huge asteroid. Inside the cave it become apparent that the Falcon is in danger of being ravaged by mynocks. Large, winged parasites with an appetite for the mineral and energy-rich bulls of starships, mynocks can cause critical damage to star-freighting vessels. Forced to hunt the creatures before irreparable harm is caused to the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and Han Solo don breathing gear and venture outside. But the mynocks become a secondary concern once the Rebel crew discovers that the cave they're parked in is not a cave at all, but something large and very alive. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's Pawlus Toy Shelves.

Commentary: After Chewbacca was first released as a giant gorilla-like creature, a shaggier, thinner version was hoped for by many. In 1998, Hasbro delivered three times over with this figure as well as a Hoth-specific Chewbacca and a Boushh's Bounty version. All three of these have since been upgraded again, but this figure was really something special for its day in that it was just a plain, regular Chewbacca once you took the mask off, and it was the best of the best. A toothy smile, blue eyes, and a not-too-beefy build made up for the meager (and standard) six points of articulation. With the "novelty" of having many colors of fur, hands posed specifically to hold his weapon properly, and a nifty gas mask, it's quite easy to see why this was a very fondly remembered and much loved action figure when it first came out. While the years have produced better Wookiees, this is still one of the finest, and certainly, was Kenner's finest take on Han Solo's co-pilot before it was finally and fully absorbed into the Hasbro empire. (This is, of course, after it was absorbed by Big Tonka.) There is no better "old style" modern Chewbacca.

Collector's Notes: Once upon a time, this figure was the definitive Chewbacca-- up until around 2001, when they released a Chewie with a torch from Power of the Jedi. This was also a very hard to find set for quite some time, resulting in prices having shot up to about $50-- they have since dropped considerably, and a new Mynock Hunt-specific Chewbacca was released in 2003 with a firing bowcaster. As such, this figure now only holds the distinction of the best Chewbacca of the pre-prequel era.

Day 61: July 6, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 60: Crowd Control Stormtrooper

Crowd Control STORMTROOPER
Power of the Force Deluxe Collection
Item No.: Asst. 69610 No. 69609
Number: n/a
Includes: Flight-Action Thruster Pack and Capture Claw
Action Feature: Spring-loaded jet pack, opening capture claw
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Summer 1996
Appearances: Kenner's POTF2 Toy Universe

Bio: Feared throughout the galaxy, stormtroopers are elite shock troops deployed in support of both ground forces and the Imperial fleet. They are responsible for policing Imperial outposts and territories, accountable for sustaining Imperial control in even the most dangerous sectors. This can be a challenging and often deadly assignment for the most reliable shock troop squadrons. Touch port cities such as Mos Eisley have high populations of outlaws, criminals, smugglers, and other anti-Imperial types who create a typically chaotic atmosphere.

In order to suppress brawls and uprisings and to facilitate the supervision of areas with high criminal activity, the Empire began issuing crowd control thruster packs to many of its impact troops stationed in these areas. The packs themselves are made up of two large thrusters which extend outward for flight. Once in the air, a trooper can simply hover or travel up to speeds of 200km per hour. Dual hand levers provide acceleration as well as directional and weapons control. Mounted on the bolstered arms is a heavy blaster module, a grappling claw used for massive lifting and prisoner-hauling, and a supercharged laser which sends out a shockwave useful for repulsing and immobilizing victims.

These packs give the crowd control troopers a distinctive advantage during situations where they are outnumbered: two or three skilled roopers can effectively round up over fifty people with relative easy once taken to the air. The pack's incredible maneuverability and high speed make prisoner escape on foot virtually impossible, while its relatively quiet thrust has helped it to be come a stealth vehicle sometimes used by the Imperial Espionage Division. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Bio notes: A number of the 1995-1996 era figure bios on the file cards were written by author Andy Mangels, keeper of one of the world's finest moustaches. I am, unfortunately, not certain if this is one of his. The rest in this era were supposedly written by Kenner interns. As far as I know, the Crowd Control Stormtrooper hasn't been referenced in the gaming supplements or any other areas of Star Wars fiction.

Image: Adam's Pawlus Toy Shelves.

Commentary: Back in 1996, Kenner couldn't expand the Star Wars Universe fast enough. Despite having only released just under 20 movie-based figures, most of which were from A New Hope, it was time to create Shadows of the Empire and a number of original concepts like this Crowd Control Stormtrooper. The company realized quickly that we ate up Imperial-based toys, leading to such designs as this one and the baffling Cruisemissile Trooper later on. This figure was a basic, six joint Stormtrooper with a hole in his back, black "pepper" speckles all over his armor, and a nifty backpack that seems modeled after various Mechs and Mini-Rigs from years gone by. So while there's not much to speak of about the figure, the backpack had a lot of nifty red designs on it (seen in "more images" below) and was one of the first "special" troopers we've ever been given as a toy. Of course, for a long time, it was to be the only "original" design Stormtrooper for many, many years. Actually, 10 years later, in just a few weeks, we're going to get the next ones-- a "501st" Comic-Con Exclusive Stormtrooper and a black Shadow Stormtrooper, neither of which add any neat hardware like this figure did way back when. As such, this is a neat figure and one worth picking up.

Collector's Notes: Believe it or not, when first released, this was a staggeringly popular figure. I myself bought an "army" of four or five of them. This was, in part, propelled by a minor packaging variation and even more minor deco variation which is pretty much imperceptible. Back in 1995, fans had so much time and so little to collect that the most minute running changes because holy grails, commanding significant amounts of money over the regular version. Today, these older items are practically worthless in any flavor. This particular figure is only worth a couple of dollars on the secondary market, if you check eBay there's no shortage of them for rock-bottom prices. Even though it's from the "muscular" designs of its day, it's not unthinkable of this sculpt as a sort of special reinforced armor trooper, or just as a neat artifact of the long-since-gone days of 1996. Also, this figure (and many deluxe figures) don't say "Power of the Force" anywhere on the package.

Day 60: July 5, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 59: Count Dooku

COUNT DOOKU Trade Federation Cruiser
Revenge of the Sith Battle Arena
Item No.: Asst. 85241 No. 85439
Number: n/a
Includes: Dueling display base (not shown)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith


Bio: Count Dooku of Serenno was a Jedi Master and the Count of Serenno who fell to the dark side of the Force and became Darth Tyranus, the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious after Darth Maul and before Darth Vader. Under Sidious's orders, he formed the Separatist movement and was the political leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: The shelves of Adam Pawlus, again.

Commentary: With the never-ending popularity of action figures, for Episode III, Hasbro decided that it would be best to make a lot of unique figure products at lots of price points, like this Count Dooku that came in a two-pack with Anakin Skywalker. With very limited articulation, this figure was meant to stand on a base which could connect to other bases and had levers and knobs to re-enact key duels from the movie. As a whole, they sold fairly well but the demons of clearance and fan apathy caught up to them near the end of its lifespan. With roughly 5 joints, it's nothing special, and not the best version of Dooku ever, but it's fairly decent looking. It is not essential, but if you want to collect them all, consider this one.

Collector's Notes: Some Wal-Marts and other stores still have piles of these in shelf worn boxes, meaning if you want one, don't pay too much for it. The only completed auction on eBay at press time was for $2.50 plus shipping, so don't expect to see this one reissued ever again. Unless it's as part of one of Wal-Mart's super-cheap $10 3-packs in a few years.

Day 59: July 4, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 58: Padmé Amidala (Droid Factory Chase)

PADMÉ AMIDALA Droid Factory Chase
Saga Collection Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84923
Number: 0304
Includes: Blaster, removable cape, conveyor display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Janaury 2003
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: Attack of the Clones


Bio: The beautiful Padmé Amidala, a member of the Galactic Senate, strives for a peaceful resolution to the civil strife plaguing the Republic. After narrowly escaping two assassination attempts linked to the expanding Separatist movement, Padmé seeks retreat under the protection of Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker. Soon, the heroic pair is lured to the heart of the Separatist stronghold, where cataclysmic events propel them into the midst of a deadly battle and the explosive onslaught of war. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Collection room fun.

Commentary: For Episode II, Hasbro decided to get the most out of its "real scan" technology and got some very true-to-life sculpts with some very... peculiar facial expressions. Along with a Mace Windu figure, this version of Padmé Amidala has a screaming face which, if a normal face, would have made this an excellent figure. With 13 points of articulation, this was a most impressive figure for 2003, and to this day is one of the best figures based on Natalie Portman-- which is great, and a shame, as her facial expression is hard to get past even three years later. Her rubbery cape is easily removed in case it gets in the way, and her scene-specific sculpt could be easily adapted to a more normal looking figure through the addition of a new head. As, in a way, an update to the 2002 quick-draw version of this costume, this was a huge improvement across the board and seeing how nicely articulated it was and how good it turned out, it's a little surprising more fans aren't clamoring for it today. On eBay, it goes for barely a couple of dollars above its original in-store price.

Collector's Notes: Padmé's display base was specially designed to connect to several other toys. You can build a partial Droid Factory Assembly Line by combining her with the Deluxe Super Battle Droid (2003), the Deluxe C-3PO (2002), and the Arena Playset (2002). Neat! This is the closest, to date, Hasbro has come in the modern line to making a large playset through the use of several smaller, lower-priced components. If you'd like to see how such a concept turned out, consider buying these items and taking a look. At which point you can tell Hasbro how much you dig it.

Day 58: July 3, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 57: Padme Naberrie

PADMÉ NABERRIE with Pod Race View Screen
Episode I Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84085 No. 84076
Number: n/a
Includes: Pod Race view screen, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: May 1999
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Bio: As handmaiden to the young Queen Amidala of Naboo, Padmé Naberrie is a trusted advisor and privy to many important state secrets. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Everybody loves Adam Pawlus' stairs.

Commentary: The amount of time between when everybody was going ga-ga over Natalie Portman's Padmé Naberrie to when they realized she wasn't going to do much to make the movie better was short, and at that point, this figure stopped selling. It's not a bad figure, it has the standard six points of articulation and a nice paint job that shows a fair amount of detail work went in to its design. From the browns and greys of her tunic to the great sculpt of her hair, it's a figure that helped establish a new benchmark of quality for the Star Wars line which we enjoy to this day. The materials, unfortunately, were a little glossy and in some cases collectors have reported a small case of iffy "figure smell" coming from her even after a few years. The look of the figure is excellent, but not perfect, and is a very worthy addition to any collection.

Collector's Notes: Padmé received lots of attention in 1999, which tapered off as the line continued-- her Episode I-based outfits were largely excellent and this figure is no exception. She can be easily had for a couple of dollars on eBay or better collectible stores everywhere.

Day 57: July 2, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 56: Clone Trooper (Battle Damage)

CLONE TROOPER Lieutenant
Original Trilogy Collection Clone Trooper Troop Builder Four-Pack Assortment, Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 85688 No. 85774
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster Pistol, collectible poster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99 (part of a four-pack)
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and The Clone Wars

Bio: Virtually indistinguishable from one another, clone troopers are identical in physical appearance, mental capability and stamina. Part of a clone army, they are grown in the cloning facilities of Tipoca City, a luminescent city of industry emerging from the raging seas of Kamino. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: After patrolling Kamino, the figure takes a moment away from exploring for a photo shoot on Adam Pawlus' stairs.

Commentary: In 2003, fans (including myself) were screaming for more Clone Trooper figures as Hasbro seemed to be going out of their way to make them hard to get, and a real lack of variety didn't help things. So in 2004, Entertainment Earth came to me and said "we want to do some Clones with Hasbro, what should we do?" So after some harassing of many people, I got what I wanted-- four packs of four, with all ranks, and battle-damaged figures too! This blue Clone has 14 points of articulation, most of which are ball joints, and the ability to carry pretty much any weapon. If you're clone crazy, this blue one is really slick and worth adding to your collection despite it being impossible to see in Attack of the Clones.

Collector's Notes: After three big shipments, this item was discontinued in Fall 2005. The figure was based on a 2003 Clone Trooper sculpt, except this release has foot holes. (The same mold was also used for a Wal-Mart exclusive carry case that had a plain white Clone with no weapons.) This same body was used yet again for the Utapau Shadow Trooper (which got new paint and a new head), and the Target Clone Trooper (which also got the new paint and new head treatment.)

There are only four styles of battle-damage on these multipacks, and if you put the plain white damaged clones next to the colored damaged clones, you can see there's a definite pattern.

Day 56: July 1, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 55: Yoda

YODA with Jedi Council Chair
Episode I Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84095 No. 84086
Number: n/a
Includes: Jedi High Council Seat, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: May 1999
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Bio: An esteemed Jedi Master, Yoda faithfully served the Galactic Republic as one of the 12 members of the Jedi Council. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Luke takes a moment away from being a hero for a photo shoot on Adam Pawlus' stairs.

Commentary: Back in 1999, the hobby saw a huge influx of new, uninformed blood that jumped on the likes of Yoda for several reasons. One, he was someone they knew, and two, he had an "error." The first release of this figure was missing the words "Episode I" from under the big Star Wars logo, and this was eventually corrected. (There were more variants-- but this is one that was focused on the most.) The figure itself isn't half bad. He has a big blue chair, ball jointed shoulders, and a jointed neck and "unileg." The sculpt was fantastic, but the paint job for this figure doesn't do it any favors. Remember the vegetable gremlin from Gremlins 2: The New Batch? Yoda's unique bright cheeks and face look a lot like that, which reduces the desirability for this figure a little. Still, it's the only Yoda from the first prequel, and was also the first Yoda figure to come without a cane. If you love CommTech chips or want every Yoda, this is a figure you just have to own. If not, keep reading.

Collector's Notes: Due to demand during Attack of the Clones, Hasbro retooled this figure to have a magnet in his hand, repainted him, and gave him a lightsaber. As the figure still has a throne, you may wish to seek out another version of Yoda, and not the Episode I version featured in this column as his skin coloring is, to say the least, bizarre. Kudos to the sculptors and designers, though-- the figure is overall quite wonderful, but it's hard to get past the facial coloring. (The bushy white hair is also somewhat distracting.) As such, for the Yoda devotees, this is an easy buy.

Day 55: June 30, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 54: Luke Skywalker with Blast Shield Helmet

LUKE SKYWALKER with Blast Shield Helmet
Power of the Force Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69881
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, Blast Shield Helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Summer 1998
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: A New Hope

Bio: Aboard the Milllennium Falcon, Luke Skywalker is instructed by Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the art of lightsaber battle and the ways of the Force. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Luke takes a moment away from being a hero for a photo shoot on Adam Pawlus' stairs.

Commentary: In 1995, all the figures were big and muscular, and Kenner started to move away from this in the years that followed. In 1998, they made a few "all-new likeness" figures like this Luke Skywalker, which had Luke slimmed down, but he still had a slightly goofy expression (not shown), the same six points of articulation, and some great new accessories. OK, one new accessory-- the lightsaber was nothing new, but this was the first-ever blast shield helmet, an accessory that leaves fans begging for a training remote to this day. (A non-removable one is in a chest that comes with the 2006 Luke, but I digress.) The helmet fits nicely on Luke's head, and the figure became the "standard" sculpt. As such, your desire to buy this figure should basically come down to if you want a blast shield helmet or not. If you do, buy it. If you don't, this Luke is no better or worse than any Tatooine Luke released since (and in) 1998. I like this figure a lot, so you should consider it.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro liked this sculpt so much, they made three "new" Lukes in 1998 alone-- one with a stormtrooper belt and headset came with the Millennium Falcon Gunner Station, and one with a smushed-in nose came in Purchase of the Droids. Since then, variations on this sculpt have been used for no less than six "new" figures, often being limb swaps or an old figure with new accessories and other minor changes. Aside from the "Vintage" Luke in 2004, all Tatooine Lukes since 1998 have been based on this design.

A fun fact: due to the "smushed" nose on Purchase of the Droids Luke, which came in a three-pack with C-3PO and Uncle Owen, can slip the helmet on very easily and is actually a better head for use of this helmet. (Even if it looks awful without the helmet.)

Day 54: June 29, 2006