Figure of the Day: Day 1,164: Geonosian Warrior

GEONOSIAN WARRIOR First Release
Saga Basic Figures Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84867
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0215
Includes: Staff, lightning effect
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: April 2002
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Image: Adam's Geoniosis Arena playset. I used this one to shoot a bunch of figures. I totally suggest you go buy one.

Bio: Geonosian warriors are the inhabitants of the rocky planet Geonosis. These warriors aid Count Dooku in his effort to incite a civil war. (Taken from the figure's package.)

Commentary: Because of today's movie development process, toys are started long before the movie completes post-production. As such, digital characters like the Geonosian Warrior are not fully realized before Hasbro gets the specs to make toys. Rather than waiting to see the final edition in the movie, they fudge it based on early models and concept art, and sometimes they do such an awesome job you'd never know. Other times, well, it's a little obvious, and that happened a couple of times with Attack of the Clones. Long gone are the days of waiting it out, this release took its cues from early models which were developed before the creature's clothing. So while it's a great interpretation of the alien species, it's totally nude and ready to party down. As such, depending on your feelings as a collector, this is arguably more of a curiosity than one of Hasbro's great releases. However, in a crowd, it's pretty tough to tell who is or isn't wearing pants, so this figure is probably just fine for your diorama needs. Also, it's cheap.

The figure has an awkward pose and very limited articulation with joints at the neck, shoulders, and hips. He can stand, but balance is something of an issue because his legs are going every which way. He also doesn't seem to like to hold on to his staff too much, so he can be a bit of a trial in some places. But since Anakin Skywalker is going to hack these up real good anyway, well, it's no bother. (Speaking of which, there is a Geonosian out there specifically designed to be sliced up by Anakin. But this isn't it.)

It's a very below-average figure by modern standards but it looks pretty neat and as troopers go, is a fun little release simply because it is different from what appeared on film. Hasbro made an updated warrior in the new Target Geonosis sets, so you may want to get that too-- but I'd make sure you have one or two of these in your stash, just for fun.

Collector's Notes: This figure was a one-timer and has been redone in a few forms. This is probably one of the least interesting versions of the character, but he's totally naked, so there's that.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,164: November 30, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,163: Darth Vader

DARTH VADER Sith Lord
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87275
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3016
Includes: Lightsaber, removable helmet, cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2007
Appearances: Star Wars

Image: Adam's back yard. There was a slight breeze.

Bio: Darth Vader has waited many years to confront his former master. But Obi-Wan has one last lesson for his former Padawan, the Force transcends time and space. As Vader witnesses Obi-Wan become one with the Force, his victory is bittersweet, for he is deprived of the satisfaction of seeing Kenobi's lifeless body at his feet! (Taken from the figure's package.)

Commentary: I actually thought I reviewed this Darth Vader figure already, and apparently, I did not. Well. The body is largely based on the 2005 Evolutions sculpt, but with a new head, torso, and heavily revised arms to have the unique gloves and robes only used in the original Star Wars. The figure is now able to easily sit, thanks to his cloth parts, and pilot pretty much any vehicle that it would make sense for him to fly around in. Given the Darth Vader TIE Fighter and Sith Starfighter, this is a nice thing for Hasbro to consider-- kids might buy and play with these toys. It just so happens that what's good for the kid goose is also great for the collecting gander, proving once more that metaphors should be flogged until dead.

The figure looks better than most Darth Vaders from Hasbro. The lightsaber is great, the helmet fits nicely, and underneath is a slightly aged version of the Hayden Christensen head you've started seeing in 2005. (Since he turns into Sebastian Shaw in under 5 years, one can assume much drinking and smoking was involved.) It's easy to get a good pose out of this one, and both hands were designed to grip a lightsaber-- unlike the Evolutions body. His final accessory (not shown) is Obi-Wan Kenobi's crumpled cloak, which also has a lightsaber sculpted on top. What makes the accessory particularly stunning is that Hasbro went through the trouble to detail it. The lightsaber is silver and black, and the brown cloak has additional dark brown on it to show definition and detail. There are even boot prints and a foot peg to admire, but unfortunately the peg is hard to get positioned under Vader's boot just right. Still, it's a neat extra to have handy for that giant Death Star playset that we will never, ever see come out of Hasbro. That's right, I said it.

Collector's Notes: This figure was originally released as part of a tin gift set (with Leia, a Sandtrooper, and C-3PO) in 2006, but since the same exact figure came out in 2007 with a coin and an added Obi-Wan robe accessory, I'm going with that as the definitive release. The figure was also repackaged in the Diamond/Previews Exclusive Crimson Empire Squall/Crucible set. Variant hounds, take note: this figure comes with either a gold or a silver coin on its basic carded release. Odds are if you're a hardcore collector, you'll end up with at least 3 of this figure from varying gift packs. Each one, so far, has something new of merit to offer you.

Most notable about this set is that cloak accessory-- for fans that say Hasbro is afraid of adult themes or dying, and decapitated figures or drug dealers aren't enough for you, here's the only corporeal remains of a great Jedi hero. Which Vader stomps on. Surely that's worth something.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,163: November 27, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,162: Concept Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Episode III Concept Art
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87982
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cape, lightsaber (lit), lightsaber (hilt), HK-47's right arm
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: June 2009
Appearances: n/a

Bio: In this concept art by Sang Jun Lee, Anakin wears the "dark Jedi" apparel that outwardly reflects his inner conversion to the dark side of the Force. The outfit was designed to echo the clothing worn by his son Luke during the climactic battle with Emperor Palpatine. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: One of the unfortunate side effects of capes and certain garments is that on some figures like this Anakin Skywalker, it's almost a wasted effort. While it's fantastic that the engineers at Hasbro made this figure super-articulated with the 14 joints you've come to expect, the figure is rendered incapable of sitting due to his cape. And his cape caused the figure to have a slightly longer neck, which makes him look a smidgen goofy without it. In short, the cape sculpt is acting as his shoulders-- so it's good to leave it on. His lightsaber hilt plugs into his belt and the sculpting on the figure is totally great.

With lots of black sculpted leather, this figure doesn't really fit in with the rest of the prequel line. Heck, with his fairly accurate likeness, it's not necessarily a good fit with the other concept figures, but it's still pretty swell. If anything, it's probably worth getting to display along with your Concept Grievous, which is one of Hasbro's greatest modern-era Star Wars action figures. It looks like they'd have a good fight.

Collector's Notes: Early Hasbro photography shows this figure with a red lightsaber. None were produced with a red lightsaber as Lucasfilm dictated the change. A one-timer, this Anakin may go down as being desirable because a) it's part of an insanely popular subseries and b) it's part of a hard-to-find wave. Good luck! And does anyone else thing it's weird that this figure shipped as part of an Attack of the Clones wave? Oh, one last thing-- this Anakin kicked off a series of concept-inspired figures, which would also include IG-88, a second Snowtrooper, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and, arguably, a new Plo Koon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,162: November 26, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,161: Battle Droid (Sliced)

BATTLE DROID Sliced Variation
Episode I Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84085 No. 84092
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Backpack, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: May 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The greedy Trade Federation has created an army that requires no food, no drink, no sleep. Millions of these high-tech battle droids amass into a virtually unstoppable armed force. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: Here's another one! While not as popular as their Clone counterparts, the Battle Droids comprise a huge sub-collection in Star Wars with numerous molds, deco variants, and nifty action features. Plus as an added bonus, they tend to fold up nicely, or are thin and many can be kept in a small place. Since 1999, the very first couple of molds used to make these figures tended to be the best, with a great level of detail and a ton of articulation. The newest Target exclusive droids have more joints, but this early figure still stands up nicely. Literally-- its limbs are thicker and stronger than later droids, and if you have him standing on a shelf he's much less likely to fall over due to gravity.

With 9 points of articulation, these were some of the most amazing figures you could get in 1999. Elbows, knees, and the ability to sit weren't things you tended to see all on one figure, plus they could more or less collapse into little balls like in the movie. (Just not as well as the newer ones.) If you need a figure for a vehicle pilot, or to populate a diorama, these are some of the best you can hope to get. Due to the fact that all four variants shipped one to a case when other figures with no variants shipped four to a box, these guys are significantly less common than the likes of Darth Maul and their ilk. They're still pretty cheap, not totally worthless, but probably a better value than buying whatever droids are currently at retail were you to pick them up on eBay.

Collector's Notes: This is one of four color variants of this mold, and the same paint job was applied to Saga Legends Battle Droids starting in 2007. The articulation is, of course, quite different.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,161: November 25, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,160: Imperial TIE Fighter and TIE Interceptor Pilot

TIE INTERCEPTOR PILOT with TIE Interceptor
The Legacy Collection Toys "R" Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 92287
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, helmet, TIE Interceptor vehicle with blast-off panels and removable ejector seat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The elite TIE Interceptor starfighter slices through space with its dagger-like wings and ultrasleek design. Designed for speed and firepower, this Imperial fighter has four additional laser cannons mounted on its wings that the pilots use with devastating accuracy. As a space superiority fighter, the TIE Interceptor challenged the Rebel Alliance and was used extensively at the Battle of Endor. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's stove.

Commentary: Believe it or not, it's 2009 and there's still no such thing as a TIE Interceptor Pilot (or TIE Fighter Pilot) that's super-articulated. This one comes very close, but there are no ankle joints-- not that this is a deal breaker, of course, given that the figure exists mostly to occupy a chair inside a fully-enclosed vehicle. It's not like he'll be doing a lot of running around. Hasbro opted to include a holster on this figure, but it's a pretty unfortunate addition. Not only is it glued over the figure's molded belt, but it's generally aligned poorly, hanging off to the side. Also, the blaster's unusual shape gets in the way of the figure's arm, and is actually better left off to the side depending on how you store or display this one.

On the bright side, he looks good. The helmet is sculpted well, the head is the typical Clone Trooper design (which may not be entirely accurate in the context of the films), but at least he has a waist joint. The figure is a repaint of a pilot which was released just weeks before this one, and it had "elite" markings on his helmet as seen in very few behind-the-scenes photos and as practically not seen in the movies. If you want the best-yet plain TIE Fighter Pilot, the Toys "R" Us TIE Interceptor is the only place to get it right now. Unless Hasbro reissues it on a regular package, which seems like something to expect in the next two years.

Collector's Notes: This was the first way to get this particular TIE Pilot without the "elite" markings on his helmet. A similar (if not identical) figure just hit with a regular TIE Fighter as a Target exclusive. For the purposes of this column, they're identical.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,160: November 24, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,159: R7-Z0

R7-Z0 Astromech Droid
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 87730
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a, parts are accessories which come with other figures
Action Feature: Collect the parts to build R7-T0
Retail: n/a
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: n/a

Bio: R7-Z0 was an R7-series astromech droid which was primarily colored white with a black dome and yellow-green access panels. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: There's little to no backstory for the droid R7-Z0, but at least he looks pretty cool. The first-ever R7 droid toy came out in 2008, and the design was indeed refreshing. the unique dome has ridges and ribs on it, plus a big and almost triangular eye. The body was redesigned with a whole suite of new panels, unlike the shared body type used in nearly every other astromech droid to date. With greenish yellow markings and a big red eye, it definitely stands out on a shelf, but isn't nearly as ornate as the repaint of this figure, R7-T1.

The figure, after assembly, has all the articulation you'd expect on a droid of this scale. The dome twists, the legs and ankles move, and the third leg can come off if it's getting in the way. Also, each leg has a plug-in rocket, much like R2-D2 in the prequels. It's a pretty good design overall, and it's great to see Hasbro finally make these little guys. It seems unlikely we'll see repaints of the R7 build-a-droid mold in the near future, but hey, at least these are still out there for those who are interested. It's also worth noting that, again as far as I can tell, this droid has not made any appearances outside a guide book as a line art illustration.

Collector's Notes: This figure's parts were available in July of 2008 with select figures like Ak-Rev, Bane Malar, Darth Vader, and Yarna D'al' Gargan, some of which may still be easily available at a store near you. Probably not Darth Vader, though.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,159: November 23, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,158: Queen Amidala

QUEEN AMIDALA Battle) with Ascension Gun
Episode I Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84095 No. 84273
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Grapple gun, CommTech chip base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Cornered in the Theed palace by battle droids, Queen Amidala and her entourage escape through a palace window. Using ascension guns, the heroes are pulled up to the throne room level to challenge the Viceroys for control of the palace. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: In the early days of the prequels, Hasbro wasn't shy about cranking out numerous Queen Amidala figures. It has since slowed down a bit, but in the first year there were about 4 figures based on Natalie Portman's character, two of which were basically the same. This figure wears the same costume as one released in 1999, but now it has a cloth dress piece ("soft goods"), a neck with an added joint to allow her to look up as she aims her gun, and a redesigned body to better work as an action-packed wall climber. The purple and gold outfit has all the detail you might expect, and the head sculpt is pretty good for its day. Sure, Hasbro could do better, but they haven't revisited any of the outfits from Episode I that have already been done as of this figure, and it seems unlikely that they ever will. As one of very few Natalie Portman figures with the ability to sit, she's probably worth picking up. Particularly if you have a Flash Speeder vehicle in need of butts to put in the seats.

Collector's Notes: This figure was surprisingly tough to get in 2000, and hasn't been in circulation since. She continues to have a high asking price, but nobody seems to be paying for it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,158: November 20, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,157: Battle Droid

BATTLE DROID Armored Scout Tank driver
The Clone Wars Figures and Vehicles Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 91349 No. 91364
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, 2 rockets, scout tank
Action Feature: Seat rocks, rockets fire
Retail: $16.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Armored Scout Tanks (ASTs) are light reconnaissance vehicles driven by pilot droids. Specially programmed battle droids operate the vehicles and fire upon the enemy with twin laser cannons. These repulsorcrafts are deployed in small units for hit-and-run missions or used to support larger military campaigns during the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: Included with the Armored Scout Tank, this Battle Droid features "pilot" coloring, just like in the movies. Its blue decoration sets it apart from other animated droids, despite having the same basic sculpt. You still get a good range of movement on this guy despite only having 8 points of articulation-- Hasbro really made them all count. He can sit or stand, plus pilot his vehicle as was the intent. If only he had a blaster!

The vehicle itself is also a repaint of an older toy originally sold in 2000. This time around, it's painted blue and silver, plus it costs $6-$7 more. At $17, it's priced very close to the full-size Federation Tank at some stores, so you may want to look twice before making a choice unless you're after this specific figure. While there's nothing wrong with this figure, it doesn't do or offer anything unique over its carded counterparts save for the blue shoulders, which, not surprisingly, is enough for me to want one.

Collector's Notes: Currently in rotation, odds are you'll be able to get these without too much trouble until early next year. And then who knows.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,157: November 19, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,156: Mace Windu

MACE WINDU Force Combat!
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No. 85283
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #III-10
Includes: Lightsaber, Sith lightning
Action Feature: Squeeze legs for swinging action
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: March 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Mace Windu is a courageous fighter and respected member of the Jedi Council. In a desperate attempt to save the galaxy, Mace leads a daring confrontation against Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: For whatever reason, Hasbro has struggled a little with Mace Windu. Sure, the 1998 mail-in figure looked great, but most of them since have been all over the place. This particular one had great arm articulation-- the best-ever for the character when released-- plus a great costume sculpt, which, of course, Hasbro had plenty of chances to nail down. Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of difficulty making it look like Samuel L. Jackson's head, outside of being black and bald. This figure looks a little bit like him, but due to his exaggerated shoulders and very thick neck, doesn't really do the actor justice. The super-articulated version from 2007 is different, but doesn't exactly fare significantly better overall.

This figure's best selling point is its action feature. You can put some Sith Lightning on him, and squeeze his legs so he swings his arms and can shake it off. It's pretty neat, not necessarily useful in displays, but a fun little way to mess with the figure when you're bored and have one on your desk. Despite having a plastic "skirt" blocking his legs, the plastic is generally quite flexible, and can sit in some vehicles. Overall, this figure works well as a toy, so if you enjoy action features and unique accessories, it's worth picking up if you can get one for cheap. And most likely, you can.

Collector's Notes: This figure sold in 2005 and was repackaged in 2006. The same figure was reused for the Mace Windu's Attack Battalion Battle Pack for Target, but it swapped out the lightning for a cloth cloak.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,156: November 18, 2009